CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

Ridebreck · Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 4:33 pm Post subject: Mits WS-55909 *Fixed!*

I've given up on the Panny that I was tracking on C.L., as the seller (who was extremely slow from the start) has completely stopped replying Thumbs Down

. BUT, I'm pretty close to closing the deal on a Mits WS-55909. I believe this is a Diamond Series unit with an ~2003 build date. The only problem is the infamous blinking green LED on the front, which by everything I have researched can be fixed by replacing some caps. Plus, the seller so far has been very prompt in responding Thumbs Up

. For $100, it's a risk I'm willing to take.

I'm really exciting about this, as I'll once again be able to tweak a CRT. By all accounts, when properly set up, these units deliver one hell of an image. Since we're selling our house (and hopefully my HT equipment too), this would be a great transitional unit for us to use until I get my new HT built out here in CO at some point in the future.

So Mac, I'll hopefully be begging you for another SM in the next couple of weeks. If so, then it means that I got the unit. If I don't get it, then I won't ask for one.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 5:30 pm Post subject:

Nice set.

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

I have the manual so let me know if you need it. Plus, if you do get it, dont go changing anything in there until you post here. I have lots of info on that chassis for repairs of different problems and you dont always replace with the same value part. Good luck....... Smile

Ridebreck · Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 7:00 pm Post subject:

Oh, I plan on posting quite a bit. I want to bring this bad boy back from the dead and get it shining. Much thanks in advance for the help.

Spanky Ham · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 5643 Location: Comedy Central

Mac,
I think you might have said, but which brands are the most reliable in CRT RPTVs?

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

I have the 65817 diamond series and its sweet!!! i had the same issue but it was under warranty(3 months old at the time) and it was the power supply. they fixed it and worked for about 4 months and Craig rounds came and calibrated it with a lumagen HDP in the mix... al I can say was wow!!! but a few weeks after the red tube went out of focus, bad tube still under warranty and fixed. still using it to this day and love it. HD looks fantastic.

Athanasios

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

Ridebreck · Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 8:50 pm Post subject:

I may be picking this bad boy up tomorrow. Good times (I hope).

Edit: I could have, but the lack of an available truck at such a late hour is preventing me from doing it. Damn! Hopefully the seller and I can find a day & time that work for both of us so I can snag this sucker.

Spanky Ham · Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 5643 Location: Comedy Central

Thanks Mac!

I have been trying to talk everyone I know into buying these instead of some of the crappier flat panels. I still can't understand why someon would pay a couple of thousand for some of these flat panels.

Ridebreck · Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 1:16 am Post subject:

There really are some great deals to be had out there. Shoot, there's another person giving a 65" Mits away for free. I'm going to check on it to see what model it is, but I may snag it too if it's a good one. Sure, a flat panel doesn't require the same level of effort to get a really good image, but for a couple hundred bucks and some elbow grease, I can have me a damned nice set. Toss in a HD Fury and I'm even HDCP compliant. I'll likely get a flat panel one of these days, but for now, I'm all about diving into one of these beasts.

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10270

I've been trying to give away from 65" Mits for at least two years. No [real] takers of the 375-pound beastie.

Ridebreck · Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 6:55 pm Post subject:

Wednesday is pickup day!

Ridebreck · Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 9:43 pm Post subject:

Picked it up a few hours ago. Sometimes it's good being in construction, since one of my subcontractors let me use one of thier box vans that had a lift gate on it. We had to roll the beast down the seller's driveway to the truck and again from the truck to the door of my apt, so hopefully it didn't get beat around too much.

It's dusty as hell from sitting in the guy's garage. Overall the chassis is in good shape. The very bottom is dinged up a bit from being moved around. It looks to have a slight faux burlwood finish to the case. The screen needs a serious cleaning. It looks like the previous owner used some kind of regular ol' glass cleaner, since I noticed an pretty obvious residue when we had it outdoors. Hopefully that will clean up, but all in all there weren't any scratches to the screen. The speaker fabric is still in good shape, but definitely needs to be carefully vacuumed.

First order of business will be some exterior cleaning to get rid of the dust, then I'll crack open the back to check out the internals. I'm going to hit the store on the way home tonight to buy a cheap flashlight so I can get a look at the tube faces (keeping my fingers crossed for no unwelcome darkness). I'll post some pics later tonight.

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

If it has the gloss screen on it take it off and leave the main screen on. the outer screen does diddly squat!! Just creates reflections.

Athanasios

Ridebreck · Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 11:03 pm Post subject:

I'm hoping it is the protective screen just in case the previous owner's cleaning residue doesn't come off well.

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10270

That high-gloss protective screen was designed more to add a sense of crispness than anything else. I have never figured out how to get mine off the 65907.

Ridebreck · Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 12:50 am Post subject:

Yep, it's what Mits calls a "DiamondShield". According to the SM, you manually pop the molding clips off, flex the screen slightly, and remove. I'll leave it on until I get the unit cleaned up and running again, but it definitely is a glossy, glare inducing sucker. Looking at the reflection, it seems to introduce a lot of distortion as well.

MikeEby · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 5237 Location: Osceola, Indiana

I have the previous circa 2000 model....It has about 6 zillon hours on it, still looks great other then a little 4:3 burn.

Mike

Ridebreck · Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 4:33 am Post subject:

Here are a few pics. I was anxious to get a good look inside, so I didn't snap any of the assembled unit before grabbing the screwdriver. By the way, are most of these RPTV's liquid coupled with C-elements? I'm so used to the front projectors that my first reaction was "score!!".

Screen? What screen?

Tubes. There's definitely a good amount of dust (and a few cobwebs) in there.

Green. Definitely some wear, but what do you expect for $100?

Blue. Yep, no maxing the rasters on this bad boy.

Red. I can spot a tiny bit of wear, which is to be expected given the condition of the B & G.

I looked around the boards a bit too and didn't see anything that looked out of the ordinary, so with any luck, the repair will be relatively simple and I can start playing with this bad boy. I've got plenty of cleaning to do between now and then...

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 4:35 am Post subject:

Wow that's pretty clean. The last one I opened up was coated with grease across the mirror and had 2 inches of dust on everything.