CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

Blorton · Joined: 27 Jan 2009 Posts: 105 Location: Hotlanta, GA

Once again I'm looking at retubing the 8500LC and considering jumping to 9" in the process. The existing tubes are all cooked.

Regardless of which size I decide to go with, does it make sense to go with lightly used red and blue and a new green?

I'd appreciate any suggestions.

Dan

cmjohnson · Joined: 03 Apr 2006 Posts: 1677

I think that would be sufficient. But it depends on your viewing habits. If you're the type who runs your PJ 4 hours or more every day,
invest in new tubes. If you're like me and watch an average of a movie a week and that's about it, you can get away with slightly used
blue and red tubes, because it'll be a LONG time before the wear on the red and blue tubes progresses to the point that it's objectionable.

I say just bite the bullet and go for all new tubes. Your business will also help to encourage the manufacturer (VDC) to continue
to produce tubes.

CJ

HaydnG90 · Joined: 22 May 2006 Posts: 810

How many hours on the blue and red. If high hours eg 7500hr plus, the output maybe significantly reduced even though there may be no significant signs of burn on the tube face. If you're going to do a full recalibration I'd play it safe and get at least a new blue. The red is worked less if setup correctly so you maybe able to keep that if your budget is tight.

Nashou66 · Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2010 11:20 pm Post subject:

Ahh now I know why your keeping the lenses!! you had for sale! Wink

Well I have a set of 8 inch LC tubes that are very good. I think about 8-9's.

let me know what your plans are.... I really want those lens's Wink

Athanasios

Elaine Benes · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1356

Why go to the trouble of buying and installing tubes ??

For the price of a single "new" tube, if you are diligent, you can buy three or more projectors. Heck, the last 9 projectors I've bought have cost me less than $500. total for all 9, and two had pretty much perfect tubes, granted there was only one LC in the bunch, but still.... HERE is the only place anyone thinks crt projectors are "worth" anything any more...

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 5086 Location: Colorado

digitalayon · Joined: 02 Mar 2009 Posts: 399

Elaine Benes · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1356

secstate · Joined: 20 Mar 2006 Posts: 718

zGman · Joined: 22 May 2006 Posts: 598

8500LC housings are different, and so are the tube covers - 9" tubes are
longer. So if you are converting to 9", you need to buy used housings from
Tim, and new bellows, plus find a set of 9" tube covers.

Blorton · Joined: 27 Jan 2009 Posts: 105 Location: Hotlanta, GA

Thank you all very much for your thoughts. TBH, I've had this set almost a year now and it has yet to really be used. It was a remote purchase and turned out to have HD10L's in addition to the worn tubes. I fired it up long enough to go "gee gaw" at the ACON and marvel at how much sharper the image was. That the previous owner was a heavy smoker was another strike. So I've pulled the boards and power supplies out to clean and just let the thing sit.

We're still using the 1272. The hdfury gave that a new lease on life and for awhile there, I was using also using it a couple of hours a day for the P90X workout videos. Thumbs Up

In a perfect world, I'd get a set of Greg's awesome LUGs and call it done, but the truth is, higher priority things have kept coming up, hence the reason for this thread.

I like the idea of going to the PT16's, but keep coming back to how much work the swap will be and that I really ought to go with 9's, frankenyokes, etc., since I picked up a set of HD10E's. I just don't want to get bogged down with having to hunt a bunch of parts, if that makes sense.

I guess I need to get new bellows at the same time - those are the same for both tube sizes, right?

Athanasios, care to pm me more information and a price on those tubes you mentioned? Don't worry, if I do decide to sell these lenses, I'll let you know.

Paul/Elaine, I really do appreciate the shopping tips, but I've never been able to find these hot prices on good used sets. I'd appreciate actual names/links to some of your sources if you would be so kind. PM is fine.

Again, thanks so much for the input.

Dan

P.S. Naturally, some of the smoking deals for >$1k digitals are pretty tempting. BB had some great ones for around $600 during the holidays I almost picked up.

Elaine Benes · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1356

AVForsale is an ebay seller located in your area, they are one of the LARGEST mover of this type of equipment. They are pretty clued into the value of stuff though, so REAL bargains are slightly harder to come by from them, but they could lead you to similar businesses(their competitors) who could maybe be better sources.
You are located in a hotbed of used projectors, I've bought at least a dozen from GA over the years, back when shipping them was economically feasible...

This is one of their current auctions, btw, not a crt projector: http://cgi.ebay.com/Digital-Projection-Highlite-5000gv-DLP-w-Case_W0QQitemZ380200109283QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5885b144e3

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 5086 Location: Colorado

that's typical, the old arguments about how utterly stupid it is to buy brand new tubes because CRT's are worthless and you can get mint G90's or 50 bucks but when asked for specifics all we get is some vagueness about "recyclers" and such. AVforsale hasn't had a CRT projector in at least a year, maybe longer.
Dan if you really want to keep your machine just buy a set of brand new P16 8 inch tubes from Eismann. They're $2400. a set but, with $200. for new bellows, would drop right in and with those HD10E lenses be equal to a machine costing 3 times that much.

Nashou66 · Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2010 10:15 pm Post subject:

I offered him my P18 tubes with new bellows and Glycol for a nice price, lets see what happens, I really wanted to keep them and convert one of my AC set to a 8 inch LC but I think my EVO VIII needs a new clutch soon so selling the set is sorta priority right now.

Athanasios

km987654 · Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 1:02 am Post subject:

CRT Projectors are much like computers in that the actual machine may not hold value so you just cannot look at CRTs or computers from a dollar value perspective you really have to look at both from the perspective of what they do for you. In business computers usually do something that either directly or indirectly produces income so there the value of the computer right there. For CRT projectors it comes down to the movie experience. If you value that then tubes and parts are not expensive.

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 5086 Location: Colorado

Blorton · Joined: 27 Jan 2009 Posts: 105 Location: Hotlanta, GA

Nashou66 · Posted: Mon Jan 25, 2010 5:19 pm Post subject:

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 5086 Location: Colorado

9" housing vs. 8" LC

Blorton · Joined: 27 Jan 2009 Posts: 105 Location: Hotlanta, GA

Wow! Thanks Draganm - you are my hero. Very Happy

That's a much HUGER difference than you'd think.

Does anyone know the relative lumens difference between 8's and 9's? I'm in a light controlled room, but anytime we entertain, that invariably means having the room lights up on low.