CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

[cmjohnson]

Truth be told, I'm not THAT serious a hobbyist. I do like to spend time messing with these things, but really, only a few hours a week, in the evenings, is enough for me.

However, part of my less serious attitude toward it has always been because I haven't had a really good tech bench with the equipment and tools I need to be able to take any given board and bench test it.

Signal generator, scope, variable power supplies, multimeter. Those are the essential items that a bench starts with. I just bought a killer HD signal generator
which should be here early next week, and I've only recently reacquired a good scope (and now I have four of them, and will be looking to put two in good homes once I decide which ones I'm keeping) and just now finally got a nice beefy variable HP power supply, 0-60 volts at up to 10 amps. I need more power supplies and then I need to build a connection point board and at that point, I'll be ready to do some more serious electronic study and experimentation.

I'm getting more serious about this hobby. In part because I want it to become a valuable, employable skill. And in part because I like using my brain and there are
few brain challenges that are more satisfying than figuring out why a complex piece
of electronic gear is not working right, and repairing it by making the correct diagnosis the first time.


CJ

[CZ Eddie]

Greg, what are you talking about? The things we are discussing in this thread have absolutely NOTHING to do with improving image quality. Nor are they in any way a mod that is currently offerred by anyone I know of. I've asked Tim and Mike and ? more than once if they would do the sort of things for me, that are discussed in the marquee maintenence thread. They all say "nope".

The only way anything covered in the marquee maintenence thread will improve your image quality, is if the component it's replacing was already broke.

Mike Parker has devoted his time and parts of his livelyhood to making the Electrohome Marquee capable of delivering the worlds best picture. Not to "maintenence" items.

Unfortunately, I doubt CJ will ever really take off with offering a marquee maintenence service. Most projects he talks about, never end up going anywhere.
You don't make any money by offering maintenence service for boards anyways.

[JustGreg]

<sigh>
What I was trying to say in my long winded way, was that one thing leads to another. Today it's everything to do with stability and bringing an older device into the 21st century as far as component evolution goes, and tomorrow it may lead to something that MAY perhaps affect someone's liveiihood. That's all. Linearity. I was trying to take the optimistic and perhaps idealistic and naive high road.

I was also trying to say that it's just all for fun. Not everyone, myself at the head of the list, has the skills to perform higher level TRUE enhancements no matter how much I would like to think I can.

It would just be fun to throw the dart, at any skill level, and see where it lands... to "give it your best shot" even though it may not turn out like your ego thought it would.

I don't know Chris' skill level. I don't CARE about his skill level. As a hobbyist I'm predisposed to respond positively to most all enthusiastic support regarding the things I do with my disposable time.

I'm not going to just start hacking into things without doing research and achieving an acceptable comfort level. Someone could propose the Cat's Ass of mods and if I wasn't comfortable doing it, I guess I'd just live with what I had and not let what "could have been" bug me.

But if I like the sound of it, and I'm fairly sure I can handle it, ....I'm warming up the soldering iron!
My life will continue on whether I dick up my projector or not. I'll never know 'til I try tho.

--Greg--

[cmjohnson]

[CZ Eddie]

Sorry CJ, didn't mean to offend.

[cmjohnson]

The way to avoid offending someone is to consider carefully how your comments will be received by the membership in general, and most importantly, by the people who are mentioned or referred to in the comment.

It's easy to step on toes. It's not even possible to UNstep on them. You can't really take back words.

I'm not bent out of shape over that, but if it were me I would not have said that.

Not every dealing I've ever had with some of the more prominent members of this
forum and the other site have been 100 percent perfect. But I don't say anything
about it as there's no benefit to doing that. It can only create hard feelings by
saying such things in a public forum.

CJ

[poorbeek]

I am also interested in the maintenance parts. next to that i also like to have the neckboard and VIM upgrades.

you can count me in times 2 because i have two of these beasts.

Is there a difference between a Vidikron Vision One (1 of them is normal and the other is the Ultra version)

Please remind that i live in the netherlands so the totall costs will be important for me to make a proper decision.

Paul

[CZ Eddie]

Guys, it's "maintenence", not "maintenance". So if you do any searching on yahoo or google for the term, try both words for maximum hits.

Anyways, I sent www.digikey.com an email requesting a quote and they returned one to me. But I still have to clarify how long it would take to get parts mailed out.

In the meantime, I'll post the list of parts that digikey has. I didn't search for the LVPS, VIM or Neckboard mods, since Tim at www.etechvideo.com modified my LVPS for the filament voltage and noise reduction, and Mike Parker modifed my VIM & Neckboards already.

So here is my parts list. Keep in mind that I'm not enough of a tech to know if every part will work or not. Most of the stuff in the marquee list on the other thread, was located. A couple items I had to guess on.

[CZ Eddie]

Okay I got confirmation today. Any of the parts from the above list will be mailed promptly after ordering. The lead time is only for "out of stock" items. But all the items above are currently in stock.
I'll probably place my order in a couple of weeks!

[Joust]

you should look to different elecronics parts distributors. You will get better pricing, especially with a group purchase.
Places like digikey cater to the individual but the cost is a premium on parts.
I thought the point of this excecise is to get a better deal for a group of guys.
Granted, it is more work for the project manager.

[CZ Eddie]

I looked into parts awhile back and everywhere I checked, the companies wanted a minimum quantity order of anywhere from 100 to 1000 pieces. Thats why I figured on a group buy.
But I was pleasantly surprised to find that Digikey was different. If someone wants to be the go-to person for a group buy, then I'll get in on it.
It would be difficult for me to be that person right now.

[benareeno]

Any chance that we can get back on track with this one?? I'm interested in doing these mods to my new quee....

Ben

[Joust]

I'm sure there is a fair amount of interest. but no-one is bellying up to the bar to take on the primeship of this project.
I'll help you if you want to do it. otherwise I'll do it latter after i get some other things off my plate.

[JJSuperfly]

Not sure if the group buy is still active or not but if it is then I'm interested in the group buy of parts with the exception of those for the VIM and neck boards; which I've purchased from Mike already.

For what it's worth, I don't want to infringe on Mike's business for the other mods; I'm just trying to limit the costs and headaches related to there and back trans-border shipping. I'd prefer to buy all the mods from him.
/JJA

[Joust]

Mike has stated many times that the improvements outlined in this doc are not preformance mods as he sells privately.
this is mostly just improvements and mantenance stuff because most of these projectors are over 10 years old and can benefit from newer compoenets in many areas.

[mp20748]

Don't forget the LVPS:

You'll need to upgrade C64, C 55 and C56 to 105c (temp) caps.

Some of the earlier LVPS may have 85c caps, and if so, they should be placed with 105c caps.

As well check C60, C61, and C67 and make sure they as well are 105c.

These caps are on the +/- 85 volts rails. And if the projector has any age on it all the 85c caps are most likely weak and would cause excessive noise on the rails, and these rails are the main Vcc for the neck boards.

I'll see if i can dig up a few other things that are not related to my mods...

[Joust]

Thanks for the tips Mike. are those not in the Doc? is it time for a up-rev? 8)

[JustGreg]

A very timely reply Mike...I've got quite a bit of noise on my '96 8500. I'd be interested in a parts n' pieces group purchase. I'll see if I can find the parts list Clarence was kind enough to compile a year ago while the Marquee Maint Thread was active on AVS.

I'd be willing to tear off a chunk of it and contact those vendors for best pricing. Would the request be better coming from someone who performs electronic repairs for a living?? Say... somebody who owns a business doing that?? <hint hint....CURT!>

Greg

[benareeno]

I would be down for buying all the parts!

First things first though...I can't even find the damn 20 Ohm pot for my lvps!! Even digikey shows out of stock!

What substitutions, if any...are permissable for that pot?

Ben

[CZ Eddie]

I ordered all the parts today and they were mailed same day, via USPS priority. Good phone service from digikey! I should have everything by Saturday or early next week.

I'm not sure what's up. But they charged me less than I was quoted originally. I paid $93 including shipping costs.

I'll post up once I tear down the 'quee and start my soldering.