CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

Melifluonze

I'm sure you smart folks have discussed this to death elsewhere, but I can't find where...

I'm looking at these 8510 machines (8" LC Coupled HD117-12 lenses, I think) and noticing that while the electronics looks similar, the tubes have a very different number from the 8500 tubes...

Are the CRT tubes themselves the same, but the mounting system different, making the tube number different?

Also looks like the VDC information on the 8510 was taken down. Does anyone have any information on these projectors (user's manual, sell sheet, maintenance, whatever). I'm sure I'm fine without that, but it's always nice to read up on it.

Still haven't turned one on yet. Going to shortly. And I'm going to have to see if I can do a tube swap from my 8500 to the 8510. Going to be interesting, since there's that extra piece of glass on the front of the 8500 tube that isn't there on the LC machines...

Does anyone have one of these 8510 Ultra's actually running and in use in their theater?

- M

Nashou66 · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 16171 Location: West Seneca NY

you'll have to take the metal cover off the top of the plastic tube casing to read the sticker on the bell housing.

I have been curious too.

Nashou

Melifluonze · Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2015 6:24 pm Post subject:

That's what I did, that's how I know... But, FYI, there's no metal cover covering the label because there's no plastic casing around the tube in the 8510, it's out in the open (with fans on the neck board covers).

I'm going to have to take a better look at the neck boards. The power supplies are the same, as are the VIM's FCMs, HCMs, etc... I bet the tubes swap fine...

I REALLY want to get one of these working! They look like sweet machines!

The one thing is, the tubes actually look SMALLER than 8"... but I don't think they are. The black anodized housings are smaller, and the LC chamber "C" elements are MUCH smaller. The optics are weird.

But the tube numbers on the bell sticker are vastly different. Both have an '8' in them, so that's a good start, I guess...

Nashou66 · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 16171 Location: West Seneca NY

do they say P16?

Nashou

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2015 7:22 pm Post subject:

They are most likely sharper simulation tubes, but I'll bet the pinouts are the same. try one of the neck boards... cautiously... in your 9500.

I have nothing in the way of 8" tubes any more, save for reds. Whatever I have for R and B will be stock DMB/DVB tubes, and I'm selling those at good prices to planetariums when I get the call. It makes no sense for me to blow them off cheap here at this point (sorry!).

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 8990 Location: Colorado

Melifluonze · Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2015 9:59 pm Post subject:

So, yes, they say P16 on the label.

So, I was reading that the H114-12 lenses (LC) on the projector are good to a screen size of 5 feet. That's perfect for a blend setup (at least for me). That's what I'm working towards, an 8" liquid coupled blend setup with the projectors really up close to the screen...

Don't the air coupled tubes have some kind of extra glass or chamber on them, glued to the tube face?

- M

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2015 10:01 pm Post subject:

to do this, I think you'd have to smash out the 8" tubes, as there's no wiggle room between the tubes and the housings. Why just not convert to 9"? I should have the plates for the tubes, and I can throw in HD10L lenses. Smile

Melifluonze · Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2015 10:06 pm Post subject:

Actually, there seems to be about 1/4" all around, some black foam rubber stuff, but the tube bell might curve into that a bit inside the tank. Have you taken one apart that far, Curt?

'Cause there's that odd "wow, this thing is cool and I wanna make it work" factor... I can't explain it. It's an incredibly expensive part of my psyche!

I don't mind smashing out the old tubes, they're the ones with the darned pentagon pattern burned into them.

I think I have two sets of good 8" air cooled tubes collected now (that aren't Nash's old Longbow ones).

- M

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 8990 Location: Colorado

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2015 1:26 am Post subject:

I have tried, but haven't succeeded. I'm just switching everything to 9" sets, and the 8" are parts units only at this point.

Melifluonze · Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2015 2:40 pm Post subject:

Hey Draganm, I understand that there is a "chamber" on every tube... The LC tubes actually have a chamber made by the aluminum housing and C element. The air coupled tubes are also in aluminum housings, but there doesn't seem to be any liquid in a chamber in the aluminum housing itself.

I assumed that the AC tubes have a glass chamber glued right onto the front of the tube, which is done PRIOR to insertion into the AC housing, and that the chamber is sort of integral to the tube itself. Like, if you were to remove an AC tube from it's housing, it would still have the chamber on the front of it...

Is this not the case? It'd be great if the tube face was just the face, and not a liquid chamber glued to the face. Then, if you could get the tube out of the aluminum housing, you could mount it into an LC housing without a problem. See where I'm going?

I can't see how the AC tubes would have chambers right on the front, because I've never seen a bubble, and if there is no expansion space, then the liquid would shatter the tube by expanding...

- M

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 8990 Location: Colorado

Melifluonze · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 8:32 pm Post subject:

Thanks Draganm

I'll take a look tonight. That is really good to know! I'll just cut the aluminum assembly off the tube then. I don't need any AC tubes, but I'd like to see the 8510 work!

- M