
August 4, 2006
Tons of updates at
www.curtpalme.com over the last 2-3
weeks!
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Bleeding CRT Tubes: We've had a lot of questions about this procedure
so we've added a few more questions & answers for everyone
that's wondering why this procedure should be performed.
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Build your own quality screen for $75: Why spend $500-$1000
on an expensive commercial fixed screen when you can build your
own like many enthusiasts have done. Put the money towards more
DVD's or possibly a CRT projector upgrade! :)
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CRT Projector Focus & Mechanical Aim Basics: This
in-depth setup guide written by industry expert Guy Kuo will
help you tweak the most out of any CRT projector when first
setting it up. Used, followed, and refined by
thousands of enthusiasts over the last few years. A must
read for all CRT projector owners!
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Barco
400/600/1000/1001/1500 Layout and Setup Tips: These
older Barco analog projectors are still capable for throwing
a nice image. Read the introduction and layout/setup tips
for more information.
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Removing/Reinstalling a High Voltage (HV) Lead: Note
sure how to remove/add a lead to a CRT tube? Check out
this procedure.
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Sony PJ-Calc v5.2: A newer version of this Sony throw
distance calculator has been added. Useful for all Sony
projectors.
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Sony G90 Downloads: A bunch of new Sony G90 downloads
have been added.
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Sony 12xx G2 (White Balance) adjustment: Can't get the
colours quite right or whites to look white with that Sony
12xx projector? Check out this new procedure.
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And last but not least: CRT projector service
manuals are now making their way onto the site, starting
with some older models such as the Ampro 2000, Barco 400,
Barco 800/801, NEC PG, Sony 10xx, Sony 12xx, etc. Check out
the respective downloads page in the "FAQs, Tips, Manuals"
section of the website.
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Vacation:
I'm out of town with no internet or phone access from August 7 to Aug 14. I've now sent out all sold projectors and parts/repairs and have sent out almost all tracking numbers to those customers. I'll attack any new repairs as soon as I get back on the 15th. Website Additions:
I am ramping up additions to the website again after being dormant for a bit. I've added a long awaited Marquee section that shows the ins and outs of the chassis. I've also added a section of tech tips for the older analog Barco projectors, so there's finally some tips for you that are running these older projectors. As time allows, I am also adding a troubleshooting section to the various projector models. This walks you through some of the common problems with sets, so that you have an idea of what to look for when your projector fails. (hopefully this will free up some of my phone time too!). I've got the Barco one up online now, I'll work on more soon.
Also added are some of the older service manuals . Kal twisted my rubber arm to put some onto the site. They are there at no charge, and of course I issue the warning that if you're not a qualified tech with HV and board level repair experience, you can stand a good chance to make a problem in the set worse by diving into random adjustments and component replacement. Proceed at your own risk, and of course I have many parts for these sets if you do end up smoking a board.. :)
Thanks to the people that area now also contributing to the website! As many of you know, I'm much more or a repair person than a tweaker, and I also don't keep on top of the latest hardware sources that are available. The more info that others contribute as far as tweaks and picture enhancement the better.
The forum section of the site
has been expanded with new
categories. Feel free to post
often!
I will soon be adding an accessories page. I am now stocking customs built RCA to RCA and BNC to BNC cabling that I make here at the shop. The cable is high end Belden stuff, 5 conductor and the BNC ends are crimp on ends that are of high quality and durability. I'm also stocking transcoders and SVGA to BNC cables, and there are other accessories that are often required which I'll list as well.
Projectors, projectors…
This month I'm featuring the NEC XG series of sets. I've got a lot of them in stock and have gotten a number of good used and new tubes for the sets in stock. They are all listed, and I've now got an excellent supply of parts for these as well, as I've scrapped a number of these XGs. There are also a bunch of other projectors that have been added to the products for sale area.
There are a number of high end sets that are coming in, or that are in progress, including a 9500LC, a 9500 Ultra, an MP9 and a couple of Barco 1209 sets. As well I've still got excellent stock of many 8" sets and have stocked up yet again on many more parts. I'm even going through the older analog Barco modules as I've had a number of requests for these old analog parts.
Parts n' stuff:
I'm now getting daily requests to repair digital projectors. Even with the few digital units I've regretfully sold to local customers that insisted on buying high light output units, digitals are not getting better at bulb life and reliability. I can't repair digitals, sorry! They are designed to be completely disposable, I see this in plasmas and MP3 players as well. I'm sticking with CRT projectors. When I throw out 18 month old digital sets that have died, but I can do a tweaking on a 20+ year old CRT and sell it, knowing it will last another 2-4 years, it's obvious to me where I should be doing business!
I am adding parts to my stock daily. I seem to be one of the only places left that can repair virtually any CRT module down to a component level. With some other casual resellers now out of the business, rest assured I'll support ANY CRT projector out there, whether purchased from me or not.
Silliness Department (last request):
I asked you to assist me in winning a radio contest a couple of mail-outs ago, and while I had some responses, I need more people to sign up. The radio station has announced that anyone that signs up outside of the Seattle listening area will get a free T-shirt along with the dog tags, so please sign up, if for nothing else to get a free T-shirt! Update: I’m about 50 names short of winning, so for those of you that haven't signed up, please take all of a minute to add yourself to the list. T shirts and the dog tags are now being mailed out by the station... ;)
The BJ Shea show on www.kisw.com is having a contest to see who can recruit new listeners to the show. Winners get prizes such as T-shirts and a chance to see the show from within the studio. I want to win this... :) (Yes, I feel like a 12 year old calling in to win tickets on a radio show, but hey, it keeps me going in the shop!), so I'll ask all of you to assist. Overseas entries are encouraged. Here's the link: http://els.fimc.net/zhha/els/elsSignupFrm.asp?newmember=1
The important part is to fill out 'Curt Palme' in the 'Recruited by' area. That will give me the credit and advance me in the contest. I'll thank you in advance for assisting me in this. I'll remember you when you ask for tech support... :)
Parts needed:
I am looking for a few parts that I'm willing to buy or trade other stuff for:
(2) P19 red tubes. The hardware is not important, the tube can be from a Barco, Ampro or Electrohome. The tubes need to be in good shape though..
(2) Barco 1208 case bottoms. I've received a number of 1208 projectors in that had case damage. The projectors are fine, but I need case bottoms.
(1) Sony G70/NEC XG LC red C element. One projector came in with slight damage to the C element, and I'm out of stock.
Thanks for your support!
Curt |
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NEC XG sets:
I've got a slew of NEC XG sets in as
stated above. Let's take a look at these
sets.
The NEC XG series is the smallest 8"
set made. At 1200 lumens and sharp P16
tubes, the XG sets work exceptionally
well for home theater use. There are
liquid coupled and non liquid coupled
versions of the XG 110 and 135. The
110LC and 135LC eliminate the halo
effects exhibited by all non LC sets.
Some people are very sensitive to these
halos and swear by LC sets, others don't
find much of a difference. (there's more
info on LC versus non LC in the FAQ on
the website). Expect to pay about $500
more for an LC version due to the more
expensive tubes and lenses used.
All XG sets will scan to past 1080p,
and a number of customers are happily
running 1080p through these 8" sets.
Arguably the XGs focus a bit sharper
than other 8" sets due to the massive
amount of control that the XG software
has over the image quality and setup.
The NEC sets are the only ones to offer
a massive 100 points of convergence per
tube, so misconvergence or geometry that
is slightly 'off' is a thing of the
past. The chassis is reliable, and I do
several mods to each set prior to
shipping.
The late model XG 1352 and XG 852
have built in transcoders to accept all
resolutions of component signals.
I've got sets with good to excellent
original tubes, sets with NEW (not
rebuilt!) tubes in them below. All cases
are in good shape, but if you're
building one of these into a coffee
table or putting it in a hushbox, I've
got lots of scratched and marked cases,
and I'll reduce the below prices by $200
if you'll take one of those. All below
pricing includes an original NEC setup
remote. I've got a number of original
NEC ceiling brackets at $150 extra.
Consignment projectors:
I've also got projectors here on
consignment (see below). All
of these sets are a bit less than what I
normally sell sets for so that I can
clear them out.
Curious how one of these CRT projectors stacks up against
others? Check out our new Projector Rankings
page to see exactly how the different units compare in terms of performance in
a home theater environment!
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NEC XG
series |
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More Information |
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All NEC XG projectors are true 1200 lumen 8"
EM focus sets. Digital convergence, on
screen menus, video, S-video and RGB
inputs are stock, the component option
is available on the NEC XG 852 models.
100 point convergence allows for super
accurate convergence. The NEC has more
control over the picture than other 8"
sets, making a full set up a bit
daunting, but when it's complete, you'll
find it's well worth the effort. Smaller
than most competing 8" sets, they've
been very reliable, and I've sold lots.
Here's the breakdown:
XG 75: Scans to 75Khz
(past line quadrupling or 960p).
XG 85: Scans to 85Khz and has component
inputs!
XG 110: Scans to 110Khz.
XG 135: Scans to 135Khz.
For home theater use,
these models all behave very much the
same.
'LC' models add liquid coupled tubes for
better contrast ratios and less halo'ing.
I
have eight (8) more XG sets being tested
this week. Check back soon for new
listings!
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Quantity |
Price
(USD) |
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NEC
XG 75 (non LC): Original tubes in
great shape, an 8.5+. 75 Khz scan rate. |
1 |
$2100.00
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NEC
XG 75 (non LC): New blue and green
tubes, original red in perfect shape. |
1 |
$2800.00
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NEC
XG 85 (non LC): All original tubes
in great shape, 8.5+, built in
transcoder, 85 Khz scan rate. |
1 |
$2500.00
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NEC
XG 85 (non LC): New green and blue
tubes, perfect original red. |
1 |
$3000.00
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NEC
XG 110 (non LC): All original tubes,
1600 original chassis hours, great
condition. |
1 |
$2800.00
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NEC
XG 110 (non LC): New blue and green
tubes, as new original red tube. |
1 |
$3000.00
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NEC
XG 135 (non LC): Customer
consignment set, under 2100 original
hours, tubes an 8+. |
1 |
$2200.00
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NEC
XG 135 (non LC): New B and G tubes,
perfect original red. |
1 |
$3100.00
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NEC
XG 110LC: Two in stock. New green
tubes in both, excellent red and blue. |
2 |
$3200.00
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NEC
XG 135LC (1351): New green and blue
tube, great Red tube. |
1 |
$3500.00
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Ampro 2000 |
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More Information |
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Very similar
to the Electrohome ECP, and about
the same age as the ECP 4100, these scan
to 80 Khz (55Khz if data grade), have a wired remote, and have
digital convergence for an easy set up. Very shallow sets, only 10"
tall, so these are great for low
ceilings.
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Quantity |
Price
(USD) |
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Ampro 2000:
I sold this 2 years ago, and it's a good
working unit with excellent tubes. The
customer moved and couldn't take the
projector with him, so I am listing it
here for him. The set needed nothing but
a tune-up and comes with the wired
remote control. |
1 |
$400.00
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NEC PG
series |
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More Information |
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A step up from the
electrostatic focusing sets, these
are EM focus
sets that scan to 60 Khz for the 6 Pg,
90 Khz for the 9 PG. 800 lumens from 7
1/2" tubes. The 6 PG sets are equipped
with an RGB input, the 9 PG's with a
video and S-video jack as well as the
RGB input. Many of you know that NEC's
are my personal favourite projector for
fleshtones. c/w wireless remote. Perfect
for use with a computer or a line
doubler/ tripler.
The 'PG+' sets
added astigmatism control to the set,
which gives better side and corner focus
over the plain PG series. The picture
and specs are otherwise the same.
The 'PG Xtra' sets are one
slight step down from the NEC XG series
and a step up from the PG + series,
these sets put out 1000 lumens. If
you're looking for a top performer in a
relatively small package, this is the
projector to get. Greatly underrated and
often overlooked in my opinion..:) These
sets give a very punchy picture with
super nice fleshtones.
I've got a slew of NEC PG projectors
listed below. Some are ready to go, some
need tubes. I've got some PG/PG+ tubes
at VDC right now that have smashed
safety glass, but are in good shape
otherwise, with only a hint of wear on
them. Those will be back in 10 days or
so. I'm listing the condition of the
sets, with a 'good used tube' price,
along with a G and B new tube price. A
couple of these are Runco projectors and
are white.
Note that I have about another 10 NEC PG
sets in stock in various condition, but
all need tubes, so I'll retube them as I
sell the above ones. I will have a
couple of PG Xtras that I'll be selling
with good used tubes at discounted
pricing. Contact me for more details. .
I also have one mint condition looking
Runco 980 Ultra with a black case and
processor. I'll be selling it as a
package, please check back in about a
week for an update once I test it out. |
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Quantity |
Price
(USD) |
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NEC
9PG+: I sold this set about a
year ago, and for whatever reason the
customer couldn't get the set to sync to
his computer. I took the set back on
consignment, and after getting it back,
it worked flawlessly, so I'm assuming he
might have had a bad cable. The
projector is in great shape and has
excellent tubes in it. 800 lumens, 92
Khz scan rate, video and RGB inputs.
Service remote included. |
1 |
$1200.00
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Electrohome Marquee 8xxx series |
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More Information |
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Basically, all Marquees
are very similar in performance. All
8XXX series (non LC models) use the same
8" EM focusing tubes. Very similar in
set up to the Barcos in general, these sets are quiet.
Not as long as the Barco's in size, they
are about 3" taller than the Barco
series. Very modular in construction,
and super reliable. Video, S-video and
RGB inputs.
Here's the breakdown:
Marquee 8000: 1000
lumens. Circa 1994-1995.
Marquee 8110: 1200 lumens. Circa
1995-1998.
Marquee 8500: 1200 lumens. Circa
1995-1998. Adds astig controls that the 8000 and
8110 do not include, for slightly better
corner focus.
The 8500LC model adds
liquid coupled tubes for even better
contrast ratios and less halo'ing.
I do all of the mods
(including anamorphic squeeze mod and
the power supply mods) required to make
the Marquees more versatile and
reliable. I've sold lots of these in the
past with great results.
I've also got a slew of new Marquee sets
in as below, with 15 more on the way.
Now, here's the scoop. I have a LOT of
good used tubes for these sets. I will
drop pricing significantly based on the
actual Tube Condition (Wear). Also as a bonus,
the new tubes are indeed NEW for the
next short while, while I use up the
supply of NEW tubes that I have. I've
got buckets and buckets of Marquees in
stock, with another 12 8500's coming in.
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Quantity |
Price
(USD) |
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Marquee
8500: This set has new G and B
tubes in it from VDC with a red in
excellent shape. I sold this set about 3
years ago, and it never got installed.
It's still in the original crate that I
shipped it in. I've fully tested the
set, it's in the same great shape as
when I sold it. 135 Khz scan rate, dual
RGB input boards All mods have been done
on this set as per all of the Marquees
that I sell. |
1 |
$3000.00
$2400.00
Price Drop! |
Make sure to check out our
Products For Sale section on the website for tons of
other projectors!
Visit our
CRT Projectors Discussion Forum
to
ask questions and get opinions from Curt other enthusiasts on
the best setup for your home theater.
If you have any questions about one of these items or are
interested in purchasing, please call Curt at (604) 514-1751 or
email me at
curt@curtpalme.com. I accept PayPal
in addition to money orders and bank transfers.
Curt Palme
Sound Solutions Inc
# 344-19567 Fraser Hwy.
Surrey, B.C.
V3S 9A4
(604) 514-1751
(604) 514-8934 (fax)
http://www.curtpalme.com/ |