CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

Spanky Ham · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 3967 Location: Comedy Central

I picked up a G500 yesterday while I am down in Miami for $15. I was hoping there would be nothing wrong with it, but unfortunately it has a brightness problem. The brightness is cranked and seems to be an issue with the Sonys. Mac commented on this in this thread.
http://www.curtpalme.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10725&highlight=g500

I have seen reference to this mod, but the website where the mod is described is gone. Someone describes it here.
http://www.network54.com/Forum/87612/thread/1099896941/Dell+P1110+excess+brightness+after+reset-

Is this the mod?

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 7059

Yeah Spank. That fix involves replacing a resistor. Before you get into that there is something else you can look for and try. Turn the monitor on and let it run for a little bit. Then bring up the menu and see if there is an "Image Restore" selection. If so then try that.

Some say that it doesn't show up in the menu until the set is warmed up. I dont have one to check so let us know.

Spanky Ham · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 3967 Location: Comedy Central

I tried the Image Restore and it didn't work. I am guessing that is why I got it for a cheap price.

Mac,
Can I get some more info on this mod? Is it pretty straight forward? How about driving down to Miami and walking me through it? Wink

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 7059

Spanky Ham · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 3967 Location: Comedy Central

That is cool. I found a Samsung monitor on Craigs from someone going out of business. Hopefully it is a 21". If so, then I will buy it for the $15 asking price.

Quick question, are the Sun monitors the same as these. I have a small brightness issue on it as well. I was under the impression that I had to use the serial cable (which I don't have) to adjust it. If I can just replace a resistor, then that should be better.

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 7059

Spanky Ham · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 3967 Location: Comedy Central

Yes, it is a Sony. I don't have the model number as it is in Atlanta. I am not in a hurry obviously on that one. I will probably get to that sometime this summer.

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 7059

Hi Spank. Sorry for the delay. I had some time to search through my crap toady. This is what I had saved for the repair. If you have any more questions just ask. Good luck.

If your is brightness too high you can change reduce the value of R457 or R459 on the board mounted around the CRT base but you must use high voltage resistors 1KV plus rating, or increase the chip resistor R463 which is 100K. Because I have 6M8 1.6KV rated resistors in stock I have found that changing either R457 or R459 to 6M8 from 10M is usually enough to bring the brightness back into spec.

This change will not affect the operation of the DAS software should you have it set up at a later date.

one other thing to check on this first is the heater voltage according to the manual the heater volts on this beast is only 4.7V not the usual 6.3

I tried a 6M8 in place of R459 (10M). That one is easy to get to right at the back of the monitor after removing the plastic cover and two metal ones.

The 6M8 made a huge improvement. I could remove the software adjustment but still had to have the front control on zero.

Next I tried a 4M7 which was recommended on another forum. With the 4M7 I was using the front brightness at 70-100. This was okay but PowerDVD XP was rather dull even at 100. (PowerDVD has the same low-level problem with its audio.)

Today I tried a 5M6, it seems to be perfect so far. I bought a 2M pot to use with the 4M7 just in case it didn't work but there's no need. Now I'm running the brightness about 40-50. Best of all the (1W) resistors cost AU$0.22 each. ':^)

Spanky Ham · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 3967 Location: Comedy Central

Thanks Mac. Can you point me to the best parts to buy at Digikey or elsewhere?

Spanky Ham · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 3967 Location: Comedy Central

Which one of these would be the one to go with? I will probably buy some 4M7 and 6M8s as well.
http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Selection

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 7059

Spank. I've attached the links for 5.6M in both through hole and SMT type resistors. You will have to locate the resistor on your board and see which type is easier to work with for the replacement. Even if the original is SMT type you can replace with a through hole type if it appears easier to install.

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=CF1/25.6MJRCT-ND

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=P5.6MVCT-ND

Spanky Ham · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 3967 Location: Comedy Central

Thanks Mac. I am going to get these ASAP.

Spanky Ham · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 3967 Location: Comedy Central

Hey Mac, I am back in Atlanta and looking at my monitor here. IT is a Sun GDM-5410. The brightness is only slightly elevated, so I just need a minor adjustment. IS this basically like the Sony with resistor changes.

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 7059

Yeah, pretty much but the location id might be different. Or it might not. Laughing

jkruger · Joined: 24 Oct 2007 Posts: 2434 Location: Carlsbad, CA

This guys posts make no sense and his sig is a link. SPAMMER?

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 5:02 pm Post subject:

Yep, seems to be so I blew him.

Off.

Smile

Spanky Ham · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 3967 Location: Comedy Central

I didn't do this to the Sun, but I did it to the Sony last week when I got back to SoFL. I put a 4.7 in first, but it looked to dim. I then went with a 5.6 and it seemed just right. I had the brightness set around 40 until I did image restore. Now, the brightness is around 10. IR improved the image, so I may go back and try the 4.7. I will take some pics, so this is archived for future reference.

Spanky Ham · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 3967 Location: Comedy Central

Mac,
Before this goes, I haven't soldered the resistor in yet. I wanted to test them. Today, the monitor flashed and then horizontal lines came up and now it is flickering. It went blank on me awhile ago. Is it toast or do I just need to hard solder the resistor?

Spanky Ham · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 3967 Location: Comedy Central

I just put a new resistor in there and the monitor seems to be working ok right now. I will have to play with it some more.