CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

rungabic · Joined: 17 Apr 2011 Posts: 17

(cross-posted at AVS -- I've been away for awhile and wasn't sure where most of the action is now...)

After 6+ years of flawless performance, my XG110LC just tonight has developed it's first problem, and I'm crushed (I've always dreaded this day).

This afternoon, it was business as usual, but when I turned it on tonight, I immediately saw the picture looked "weird", and I was tipped off by the NEC-generated green text displaying my current input -- it was blurry and "bloomy".

I threw up the internal crosshatch pattern and discovered that R was perfect, B was perfect, but G (although still converged fine) was not only blurry/blooming terribly, but was also crazily jittery (as in, rapidly shaking around...probably like an inch of movement in all random directions on-screen).

The problem is identical on both of my two sources, and since it's evident in the internal test patterns, I assume that it has nothing to do with my ISS switcher or cabling (neither of which has been touched).

Can anyone help me out? (Terry -- are you there?) Unfortunately, I'm not the type to be able to open the thing up and do anything major (opening it up would be tough enough...I haven't even dropped the hushbox since Terry [Chuchuf] installed the whole thing 5 years ago...)

Any help is greatly appreciated. I'm going to bed, massively depressed.

Thanks,

Brent

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 4:26 am Post subject:

Sounds like HV arcing. Either the green HV lead has worked out of the HV splitter boot, or the lead itself is bad.

rungabic · Joined: 17 Apr 2011 Posts: 17

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 2:11 pm Post subject:

1) Yes
2) none if the power is off, 100% if the power is on. Smile

3) No.

Basically the HV leads plug into a splitter block next to the blue tube. Push down HARD on the red HV lead/rubber boot for the green tube to reseat the HV connector in the HV splitter.

You can take the HV lead off, but you need to take the side panel of the set off, and work a small screwdriver around the rubber boot to break the seal while pulling up on the boot. If you don't do that and pull on the red HV lead, you'll rip it out of the metal connector. Been there, done that.

If that doesn't work, you may need to change the HV lead, and I'd do that with the tube out of the set. I've got good used HV leads here.

Be sure to power down, wait 10 minutes and unplug the power cord from the set so your kid doesn't turn the set on via remote while you're working on it. Mr. Green

rungabic · Joined: 17 Apr 2011 Posts: 17

Hi Curt -- I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate your help -- I've been reading your posts since I was first researching CRTs, 8 years ago...

Maybe it will become more apparent once I open it up, but am I trying to re-seat a cable into this splutter you described, or on the actual tube itself...or wherever you're describing where I can open a side panel? I'm confused as to where the likely points are for failure here... And if something is loose, will I feel something re-seat if I push hard enough? Not sure the force required and don't want to push too hard and break anything. And do I grab hold of the cable to push, or just try to push the boot around the cable?

Lastly, as pertains to electricity, is the 10 minute waiting period something that allows something to discharge, such that it becomes safe to poke around in there? Is there anything nearby I have to fear touching?

Thanks again for your generous help -- if you were closet, I'd surely pay you to come by and do this.

Brent

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

Splitter is in the lower left of this pic, where the red wire attach. Just make sure the projector is unplugged before opening. The 10 minutes is just a generalized figure.

rungabic · Joined: 17 Apr 2011 Posts: 17

I appreciate the pic, though I'm still confused as to which red wire to push, how hard, and in multiple places (splitter, tube, under the side panel)?

Brent

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

rungabic · Joined: 17 Apr 2011 Posts: 17

Thanks, MacGyver. So the idea is that there could be a weak connection at the splitter block? Is it possible to have a bad connection at the tube itself? Or in that case, is that when you basically need to replace the wire to find out? I hope to take a look at this tonight -- I just don't want to end up breaking something when I'm in there...

Brent

A Rogers · Joined: 14 Feb 2011 Posts: 133 Location: Toronto On

If your still having a bit of trouble, I can take some photos of the areas of concern. Looks like I'll be taking apart my xg again.

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

rungabic · Joined: 17 Apr 2011 Posts: 17

rungabic · Joined: 17 Apr 2011 Posts: 17

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 7:14 pm Post subject:

It sounds like a bit of HV arcing going on, thus the shaking and out of focus pix. Usually if there's a problem on the focus board, all three tubes will be affected in some way. The shaking leads me to believe HV issues.

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

Hmmm, my speed reading read over the pic moving part. Maybe even try swapping ports on the splitter.

Then I want to know if changing focus control changes image.

rungabic · Joined: 17 Apr 2011 Posts: 17

Hey guys -- well, very little progress tonight. I located the splitter block no problem, and I think I determined that the green tube's lead is the center one of the 3 red leads in the block (?)

The problem is that even with my very small hands, the best I could do was to press the top of the boot with 2 fingertips, one on each side of the lead, and not what I would consider HARD, like Curt indicated.

I don't see any way to exert any force into that location, unless I was supposed to open up something on the inside of the projector to gain more access (?) I think there's a board that swings downward or something -- I've never done that before -- maybe I was supposed to?

I googled removing the side panel, and found some tutorial that said you first have to remove the back panel and also the lower front panel. As luck would have it, one of the back panel screws is stripped, and the others are crazy tight. Plus, if there are additional screws for that (and/or for the lower front panel) in between the bottom of the PJ and the ceiling, I don't think I'd be able to get in there.

So now I'm just back to frustrated and depressed. I did take the opportunity to shoot a quick video for diagnostic purposes, just to confirm that we're barking up the right tree here. You can download it here:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/99olm5

The video is quick and dirty handheld, a couple of feet from the screen, and you can see that R & B are solid and focused, whereas G is vibrating and is just as blurry and unfocused in person as it looks in the video. For whatever it's worth, when you first power on the PJ, the green is blurry but motionless, and then after about 5 seconds or so it starts vibrating and very quickly ramps up to what you see here.

I'd appreciate it if you guys can confirm the diagnosis with this example.

Regardless, I'm feeling very wary of tackling this myself, since I haven't even managed to do what seemed to be relatively simple. Do you guys know of any tech in the Miami/South Florida area? I don't know of any, and I only see one person on the referral list (who says he knows Electrohome), and I don't even know if that's up to date. I'd feel so much better having an expert do the work here.

Anyway, I REALLY appreciate your thoughts on this...

Thanks!

Brent

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 2:03 pm Post subject:

You do need to take the back panel off to get at the side panel screws. you don't need to take the front off. Go ahead and drill out that stripped screw, you'll need to take that back panel off down the road anyways for future servicing.

I would interchange the green and red HV leads on that HV splitter, and it's really easy to do with the side panel off.

rungabic · Joined: 17 Apr 2011 Posts: 17

Hi Curt -- does the back panel come off with just the 3 screws on the back, or are there more on the underside of the PJ? I ask because without removing part of the hushbox frame, I can't see or access the space in between the bottom of the PJ and the ceiling.

If I can manage to remove the rear panel, how do I remove the side -- it only screws in at the rear, or is it that I at least need to remove the plastic cover that surrounds the lenses?

Lastly, if I break the seals on those boots in the splitter (pry them up somehow?), do they not need to be re-sealed somehow?

And is it your thought that it might be a bad port on that splitter?

Did you get a chance to watch the video clip I uploaded?

Sorry for the barrage of questions and abusing your goodwill -- but I'm desperate (and depressed)...almost feel like taking the thing down and throwing in the towel, which seems a shame...

Brent

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2011 2:23 pm Post subject:

Just the three screws on the back, then it lifts up and comes out. Two screws under it hold the side panel on, then there's also one at the top front holding the front of the side panel on (front top meaning floor mounted, so the screw is facing the floor as it hangs).

there's no 'seal' to speak of, only the suction between the rubber boot and the plastic part of the splitter. Wedge a thin screwdriver under it, wiggle it around the boot and pull up on the rubber boot all at the same time.

I really think it's a bad HV lead. I suspect a break in the cable somewhere internally. I can't view the video, my video player is screwed up, but swapping the rubber boots between splitter outputs will confirm that the problem is isolated to the green tube.... or the splitter.

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508