CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

**Curt Palme**

Gents, it's possible that I MAY have a chance to pick up some dirt cheap 909s out of simulators, something like 17 of them. Go figure.

it won't happen for a bit yet, I know zero about the projectors, other than they most likely will have sim wear on them, on all tubes (let's assume), and I don't know what kind of lenses are on them, let's assume the curved screen lenses that are useless for HT use.

My concern is that I will spend a pile of cash to get the sets here, and the last thing I need is a bunch of Barco 909s sitting here that won't sell.

So would there be any interest if I blew them out dirt cheap, like $750 USD each, guaranteed working, but you'd need to put in tubes and possibly lenses? For those that have 1209s still, the 909 would be a big upgrade due to the extra focusing and astig capabilities.

Post here if you're interested. If I can flip 1/2 of them via interested parties here, then I'd get them.

Tim in Phoenix · Joined: 21 Oct 2006 Posts: 4379 Location: Phoenix

Guys

CM has an excellent pipeline for new and minty LUGs so getting tubes should not be an issue.

cmjohnson · Joined: 03 Apr 2006 Posts: 5180 Location: Buried under G90s

I'm not sure how "excellent" my pipeline will be in the foreseeable future. I'm sure I'll be getting more tubes but
no promises as to when or how many. That supply WILL eventually dry up, but I don't know when.

That being said, if I were to dip into my stores of spare tubes and assemblies that are either in complete projectors
or on reserve for other chassis I have, I could provide quite a few sets of tubes.

In any event, I can get truly brand new LUGs, ordered special for me and made by Mikado (first rate tubes, BTW) if
there is demand for it. For 909s there might be.

ElTopo · Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 1608

Curt, from what year are those ?

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2017 1:58 pm Post subject:

I don't know any info on the ones still in the installation, but I realized I have one here that I can sell at that price. 2001 build I believe.

I bought 9 out of a flight simulator in Washington state about 4 years ago. two of this lot is in my own home theater, and have worked without issues for the last 3 years, I've put about 1000 hours on them, maybe a bit more since I put them up.

Reddman · Joined: 28 Feb 2007 Posts: 70 Location: South Carolina

I have a 1209s. I may be interested in upgrading to a 909. What would it cost approximately to retube one?

cmjohnson · Joined: 03 Apr 2006 Posts: 5180 Location: Buried under G90s

I truly don't know if I should let Curt answer that and I provide tubes to him to resale, or if he's OK with me just dealing with the buyer directly.

It's Curt's call. Out of respect for him and his board.

Reddman · Joined: 28 Feb 2007 Posts: 70 Location: South Carolina

I understand completely and I agree. I was just wanting to see if a 909 would be a viable option for me based on how much it would cost to retube one. I wasn't attempting to cause an issue. I was just trying to gather information to make the best choice.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 1:36 pm Post subject:

Reddman, the idea would be for you to take the tubes out of your 1209s (assuming they are in decent shape) and drop them into the 909. Ditto for the lenses if you want.

Feel free to PM Chris for a price on tubes. I also have a couple of decent set of 909 tubes here, I just bought a couple, including a NOS green tube in Barco housings (need to test it of course), but right now I am balls to the wall in sound installations that will take me right through until Sept, in and out of town, so I don't know when I'll get to testing them. Eventually I will retube the last of my 909s here and sell them as complete units as well, but again, that won't be until Sept. sometime.

cmjohnson · Joined: 03 Apr 2006 Posts: 5180 Location: Buried under G90s

I'm hoping to get a 909 for myself, not that I really NEED one but I WANT one. So I am going to try to help Curt make some
sales by giving special pricing on tubes to anyone who BUYS a 909 from Curt.

If you buy a 909 from Curt I will provide, subject to availabilty, a SET of good tubes for 500 dollars. That is for the raw tubes,
if you need tubes transferred into your LC hardware I charge 25 dollars per tube and you provide the 909 or 1209 hardware
in exchange.

If you want to add red and green C elements I have, currently, about five pairs available and the special pricing on those is 100
dollars for either red or green.

These prices apply ONLY to those who buy one of Curt's 909s.

By good tubes I mean, GOOD tubes. They will have no visible wear or defects in the image area, assuming the image area is a 16:9 widescreen pattern. Actually I've never HAD a tube that had a defect that was outside that area but I'm being specific. If there's
a mark on the phosphor outside of the 16:9 viewable area, I don't call that a defect. They'll be in new or nearly new condition.

Reddman · Joined: 28 Feb 2007 Posts: 70 Location: South Carolina

Curt, thanks for clarifying that for me. I don't know why I thought the 909 took different tubes than the 1209s. The tubes in the 1209s I have are in excellent condition. and I do have a BNIB green tube as well. Also the red and green C-elements are installed. So essentially I'm all set.

Curt you have a PM

cmjohnson · Joined: 03 Apr 2006 Posts: 5180 Location: Buried under G90s

Yes, 1209 and 909 tube housing assemblies are the same. The magnetics are different, but you can swap the magnetics and then drop a 1209 assembly right into a 909 and vice versa.

Reddman · Joined: 28 Feb 2007 Posts: 70 Location: South Carolina

A change from the 1209 to a 909 looks more appealing the more I learn.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 10:49 pm Post subject:

Answered!

I don't think anyone here can argue, the 909 is the sharpest CRT out there. I know Mr RoCo (who saw my stack) has said that his Marquee blew everything else away. I haven't seen his Marquees, granted, but I have seen LUG Marquees with the HD10E lenses in action (I had a few here), and while they were sharper than a stock Marquee, they simply don't have the astig and focus adjustments that the Barco 909 does.

The Sony comes close to the 909, but not quite. Just IMHO.

If your 1209s tubes are good, it's not a big deal to swap them over to the 909. I'd leave the burnt 909 tubes in place so you can see how it all goes together.

cmjohnson · Joined: 03 Apr 2006 Posts: 5180 Location: Buried under G90s

Incidentally, I'm looking to, at least, get some 909/1209 LC housing assemblies to have as spares for rapid tube exchange.

I'll give some money for those assemblies with worn out tubes.

I don't need a lot but at least one or two sets of three would be good to have on the shelf.

gregstv · Joined: 27 Aug 2007 Posts: 628 Location: Australia

Chris,
You should grab a couple of these for you collection. Once you see how sharp they are you won't look back.

cmjohnson · Joined: 03 Apr 2006 Posts: 5180 Location: Buried under G90s

Getting one is certainly the plan. Two? Maybe. But the reliability (or lack thereof) of the EHT/quad is a concern.

gregstv · Joined: 27 Aug 2007 Posts: 628 Location: Australia

Understand,
It may be a coincidence but I re-capped my 909 and 919 and have had no quad or splitter failures. The only one failures I have had was on a 808 that wasn't re-capped.
After saying that I am watching Kong tonight and will have jinxed myself.

redfox001 · Joined: 16 Mar 2009 Posts: 2251 Location: The Netherlands

Could it not be that we need a way to savely revive quads and splitters that have been unused for years? I know from old tube radio's that we bring them up at a very low voltage and than slowly adjust in time.

redfox001 · Joined: 16 Mar 2009 Posts: 2251 Location: The Netherlands

Apart from that I would advise to grab one of these to anyone.