CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

Soupguy · Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 5 Location: Pittsburgh, Pa.

With being off from work because of the virus shutdown I've have time to catch up on long over due tinkering. I used to work for a AV sales company about 17 years ago and acquired a few CRT projectors that were trade ins. One was a Barco Data 808 that has a dead green tube, I was able to also get a base with the projector from a Retro Data 808. This projector had issues with a few boards because of a coolant leak so it was broken down for parts but the tubes in this I believe were OK

So here are my questions,

First, I was able to remove the mounts on all the Retro tubes so they are bare glass, I also carefully removed the mount from the dead green tube from the other projector and intend to replace it with the new tube from the Retro using ATV silicon to make the seal to remount the tube and hold the coolant. The tubes look the same but have different numbers I hope only because of the different mountings. First the good Retro tube PT186G part#7626475, the other dead tube is 180DVB22 part# 7625205. Any thought on if this will work?

Second question, for coolant, what should I use? from this forum it's my under standing that Ethylene Glycol is what was in them which I found on Amazon as a wood rot repellent but I also found MG Chemicals 803 Projection Tube Coolant on there too. Will either liquid work?

Getting a picture out of this projector has been on my bucket list. I have a working Graphic 801S that needs recapped as it wont converge on the edges with a hi-def signal. Both my projectors have been on climbing up on the list of things to go to E-waste recycles as I could use the space in the basement and my wife would be happy to see some of my old electronic toys exiting the house (I also have old reel to reel audio decks and some tube radios) but if I got the 808 making a picture I might want to play more with it.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2020 2:35 pm Post subject:

1) you're on the right path!

MY first question would be..are you SURE the green tube is dead? Unless the set has super high hours with original tubes, the video output amp right above the CRT socket is far more likely to give you a dead tube than the tube itself.

2) The replacement tube(s) should work fine, and should be a bit sharper than the DVBs.

3) I'd get the MG Chemicals stuff.

4) Don't waste too much time on the 801, it's nowhere near as sharp as the 808.

I do RTR work full time right now as well if you need pointers, www.reeltoreeltech.com

Soupguy · Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 5 Location: Pittsburgh, Pa.

Thanks for the quick reply Curt
To verify the tube had issues I was able to feed all the stuff connected to the green tube to the blue tube and got an image. I believe I determined the green tube has a bad filament. If this works and I decide to keep the projector I may decide to swap the other 2 tubes for the sharper tubes. I do want to find something to put around the edge of the tube to make sure the sealant doesn't ooze down on to the face while its setting up. It looks like maybe there was a plastic piece there on the old tube but it was damaged in the removal.
The 801s was the first projector I brought home and had it a couple years before the 808. When I was originally playing with these years ago I always limited back then to what I could feed them as they both only had RGB inputs and all the consumer stuff used YPrPb for component. But now you can a decent converter for cheap. I also have an Iris box that I'll give a try on the 808. I use to a ton of Barco stuff that I scavenged form my old job, at one time there were also 2 Graphic 800 that I ended up giving to an apprentice tech at my current company to play with. The old Retro base I put a counter top on and use at the new job as rolling bench to put large audio consoles on for servicing.

Thanks for the reel to reel link I'll check it out. My current inventory is a Tascam 48 with the Dolby units, Teac 3340s, Technics 1700 and an old Ampex 300.