CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

**Curt Palme**

So I managed to nuke a Barco 909 all by myself, and it wasn't intentional, or due to stupidity.

I was working on an HDM (8 hours, and I finally nailed it!), and was testing the HDM without one of the MOSFETS that was blown, so all I wanted to do is power the set up for about 10 seconds, and since the remote is slow to react, I had my finger on the main power button, pushed in slightly to release it as soon as the set powered up for 5 seconds.

The dog brushed against my leg, and my finger slipped, turning the set off. Instinctively, I pushed the button back in, so the main AC power was disconnected literally for 1/4 second or so. Poof! Blew the AC input board, which on the 909 is full of components.

Also, I sold a retubed G90 to Hong Kong a month ago, and about 30 hours in, the customer had a power failure, which spot burned all three tubes. He's since run the set for 100 hours, and the chassis is fine.

So I implore all of you, GET A 1000 watt UPS for your high end CRTs. This doesn't seem to apply to the Marquees and BArco 1209s, but this 909 failure really pissed me off, after spending 8 hours on the HDM, finding a cracked SMT solder joint due to 'someone' here doing a piss poor job of packing the board in a shoebox.

(no, it wasn't any of the usual suspects that you'd expect would be sending me a 909 board.. Mr. Green

Rant off.

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

Exclude the dog from your work zone.

CJ

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 2:58 am Post subject:

It still should not have happened. Power brownouts happen here a lot more than complete blackouts.

tse · Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 1014 Location: Sweatbucket, Fl.

I think Thomas Edison said it: bringing a product to completion is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. Barco should have spent the time (perspiration) testing reaction to brownouts and power dropouts. That is what makes a good product.

Scott

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 8990 Location: Colorado

ecrabb · Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 6:43 am Post subject:

Dragan making snide remarks about Sony?!?!? That's weird! Rolling Eyes

So, if the spot burned G90 was caused by Sony "engineering", then what was this:

papalek · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 1536 Location: Longs SC

Sounds like you need to buy an Ampro.

dochlywd · Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 12:13 pm Post subject:

Can someone provide a few links to affordable UPSs that meet the requirements?

THanks!

Doc

Sparky015 · Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 12:38 pm Post subject:

Oh, that sucks. Those are the days you just put down the soldering iron and do something else for the rest of the day!

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

dvh99 · Joined: 25 Dec 2009 Posts: 2158 Location: nederland

paco de lucia used that phrase too 10% inspiration 90% perspiration.
he did turn out pretty well.

CIR Engineering · Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 2:50 pm Post subject:

Curt, are you talking about a UPS to help just in the case of brown outs, or for total power failures as well?

I ask because on my G90 test chassis with shot tubes I have literally shut the projector down hundreds of times with the hard off switch at the back. This is the same as ripping the plug out of the wall with the projector running. I have done it hundreds of times and have never had any damage to the tubes.

Granted, I never turn a good projector off this way because I am always fearful that something might happen. But I have never seen a problem with the Sony projectors when power is fully cut. On the other hand, I have never experienced a brown out when a G90 was running...

Also, on the Marquee chassis I have hung out with Mike Parker a lot when he works on them. Mike will literally pull out boards while the projector is running resulting in a shutdown with errors. I asked Mike if he has ever damaged a tube that way and he says no.

craigr

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 3:05 pm Post subject:

Look, EVERY projector has issues. Every car has issues. Heck, any DSP product (digital signal processing) audio device I've used save for one brand has had massive issues that I've had to deal with.

I'm not saying that EVERY time you turn a projector off/on quickly or if you have a brownout, that sets or tubes will die. I was recently questioning Terry's claim that a brownout snaps G90 tube necks, and of course 2 weeks after that, my G90 spot burned all three tubes.

I'm just saying that someone that doesn't have access to tubes or is a tech _MIGHT_ save their set if they put in on a UPS.

You should get a 'true RMS sine wave' UPS in my opinion, rated at 1000 VA. Don't use the UPS to finish the movie in a power outage, just use it to turn off the set via the remote if your power fails.

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

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

Tim in Phoenix · Joined: 21 Oct 2006 Posts: 4409 Location: Phoenix

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 8990 Location: Colorado

draganm · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 8990 Location: Colorado

BTW, despite my reputation as a Sony hater, I just sent a bunch of free boards to a guy in Canada and helped him fix a G70 he was battling for 6 months or more. the emtpy chassis is going to recycling. So I do have sympathy (not hatred) for folks who own sony products. Razz

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

Man, with all these funny posts I could have a field day here....... but I'll keep my mouth shut..... Laughing

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

Yeah I guess your right Spanky. Very Happy

And I am not a sony or Ampro hater, i now own both Wink

To be fair i think i'll set up the 3600 before the G90 since i got that first.

And besides the LVPS which Tim says is not Ehomes proudest moment. Scott also knows about the Astig board noise and would love to re design it but the bean counters at VDC won't let him or fix many other issues he would like to.

Now i need a Barco and NEC and what the hell maybe a Seleco too ! Wink

Athanasios