CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

mkamp50 · Joined: 03 Jul 2008 Posts: 13

I purchased a Runco 9" two years ago for over $5k to replace my dying Barco 1208. It showed up damaged and took a couple of months of getting exchanged boards and me soldering broken connections (I will say the support was helpful). I finally got it to where it looked like it was going to work OK. I then purchased a house that I have spent the last two years remodelling and living in so the pj has been sitting on a table in the theatre room untouched.
This week I decided to get the room back up and running.
I turned on the unit and it fired up but now I cannot focus the right side of the green tube only electronically. Even the text box for the adjustments is almost unreadable. The adjustments worked on center and left but nothing at all on right side. It is out of focus on the crt face. There also seems to be an area just left of center that is also slightly out of focus. Switched focus board with no change in ability to focus.
I have watched about 10 hrs on this thing 2 years ago. At this point unless this is easily fixed or someone wants to buy the whole collection of parts (old 1208 included) I will be having a "smash the projectors party" very soon.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 8:27 pm Post subject:

Don't do that! Smile

THis should be an easy fix. If not, where are you located?

We can troubleshoot if you want, or send me a PM..

mkamp50 · Joined: 03 Jul 2008 Posts: 13

House is in Orlando. Trouble is I am not there very often. Anything to try first?

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 8:48 pm Post subject:

Put on sunglasses and look into the lens. Are the menus in focus on the tube face? If so, you have optical alignment issues. I was going to say the focus board, but you've changed that already. Try swapping convergence trays, the astig board is on there, and that could do it as well, but my guess is that it's an optical issue.

mkamp50 · Joined: 03 Jul 2008 Posts: 13

It is definetly not optical. It is out of focus on the crt face. The only converg board I have was what went bad on the 1208.

jeffslife · Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 9:46 pm Post subject:

I know the feeling but dont give up hope, it gets better. I have been talked off the ledge (twice). Let cooler heads prevail, chances are all will be well. Then you reap the rewards of CRT HT. All the help you need is right here, if it cant be solved here it cant be fixed.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 10:41 pm Post subject:

Can you post a pix of a screen shot with the test pattern up?

BTW, the astig board isn't the convergence board. It's the one next to it with the other module connector on it.

mkamp50 · Joined: 03 Jul 2008 Posts: 13

I powered up today and same thing with right side out of focus and adjustment does nothing. Changed out the conerg tray and no change to focus or ability to change focus on right side (this converg tray has other issues with split vertical lines on left side. Removed lens to be 100% sure and it is out of focus on face.
Focus board swap - no change
Complet converge tray swap - no change
Running out of options...

Posting a not so good picture of crt face with lens off.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 1:58 am Post subject:

Well, short of getting in there with a scope to check waveforms, it's a bit strange. It does look like the astig is a mile off on the right side, looking at the dots. Any chance that the cable to the focus yoke on the green has wiggled off?

Otherwise this is a case where you might need to send me boards to test. The focus is controlled by the focus board and astig board, that's it. NOthing fancy about the circuits. It's possible that both focus boards are bad? you say the right side cannot be adjusted. Do you notice change on the left side with both the astig and focus controls? THe chip that controls the left side also controls the right, so it would be a bit weird if one side worked, but not the other. I usually find of the focus board is dead, both sides, left and right, look like the right side does. The fact that the left side is fine, but you say it's the tube face that is out of focus is mystifying to me.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Fri May 11, 2012 2:03 am Post subject:

Oh, one more thing: If the center focus is defocused, can you get the right side to get better? If not, then this isn't a focus issue, then it's an astig issue, which is what I'm leaning towards.

Even if the focus board is bad, as long as the center focus can be adjusted, you should be able to ignore everything but the right side of the screen, and by iusing the center focus control, you should be able to get the right side as sharp as the left side looks right now.

I'll bet a donut that the centre focus won't fix the right side.

mkamp50 · Joined: 03 Jul 2008 Posts: 13

I have reached the end of the line. Cannot get it to work and I quit trying. New digital stuff is on the way for the new house. As I said in the first post a while back, if anyone wants to make an offer (and arrange pickup in Orlando) on this 9" Runco, a Barco 1208 (which the Runco was replacing), and collection of spare boards let me know. If I do not get a good offer I will carry on with the "smash it up party!"

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 8:38 pm Post subject:

If you don't sell it as a whole, I'd be intersted in some parts.

mkamp50 · Joined: 03 Jul 2008 Posts: 13

As I am sure you will understand, you have my $5000 and I have a unit that never worked. I will not be piecing anything out.

dvh99 · Joined: 25 Dec 2009 Posts: 1964 Location: nederland

unplug the green astig wire and set up the astig rings first.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 9:21 pm Post subject:

Nashou66 · Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2013 10:05 pm Post subject:

MKamp, whats your location? Maybe someone near by can come out and have a look as well.

Athanasios

mkamp50 · Joined: 03 Jul 2008 Posts: 13

I may still have the emails but the last of the issues is in this thread. Short history is the unit appeared to have damage in shipping and I had to re solder jumpers and a number of other things (all done with your help in trying to get it going).
Bottom line is that I am done. Unit is off of the ceiling and the theatre room has been remodelled to add two bedrooms to the house which is on the market. New house in under construction and all digital stuff is on the way. I have had CRT's for almost the last 20 years but I am now officially finished.
I appreciate the offer for someone to come look but the only help I need now is to find someone that wants to buy the stuff (the Runco, the Barco 1208 and spare boards) or bring an extra sledgehammer. The party will be in the next month.
The house and stuff is in Orlando near Disney.

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

I may be interested, but I won't be driving to Atlanta till probably Easter. I don't think I have any other reason to drive up to Orlando before then.

Phoenixed · Joined: 13 Oct 2011 Posts: 487 Location: The mitten

If youre gonna smash em...are the projectors free then?

papalek · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 1478 Location: Longs SC

I had the same issue one time and it was nothing to do with the electronics. It was very simple and seems to be overlooked so far in this thread. Fungus on the one side of the tube. If it has fungus there is no way you will get that side to focus. Drain and cleaning the tube may fix the whole issue.