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Zebra
Joined: 02 Jul 2020
Posts: 93
Location: NJ USA
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| Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2020 9:48 pm Post subject: Anyone have a Vidikron VPF40SE installation manual? |
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While I continue waiting for that elusive good deal on a semi-decent CRT projector near where I live, I grabbed/ rescued a free Vidikron VPF40SE.
I thought I'd be ok with set-up as it came with a user manual but no. The user manual has no set-up info at all. I apparently need the dealer installation manual...
Does anyone here happen to have a copy or know where I can download it free?
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Curt Palme
CRT Tech
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 24396
Location: Langley, BC
TV/Projector: All of them!
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| Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2020 10:02 pm Post subject: |
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Download the Electrohome ECP 4500, it's the same set. (it's on the main site).
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AnalogRocks
Forum Moderator
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26706
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G
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Zebra
Joined: 02 Jul 2020
Posts: 93
Location: NJ USA
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| Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2020 5:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Curt Palme wrote: | | Download the Electrohome ECP 4500, it's the same set. (it's on the main site). |
I took a look and it seems to be a completely different projector.
The VPF40SE is an analog chassis and apparently made by Vidikron in Italy so it's not like the HD models that were rebadged Electrohome projectors.
The ECP 4500 looks to be a higher spec digital chassis.
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Curt Palme
CRT Tech
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 24396
Location: Langley, BC
TV/Projector: All of them!
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virusc
Joined: 11 Apr 2007
Posts: 358
Location: Massachusetts
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| Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2020 2:36 pm Post subject: |
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I may actually have a copy. HiRez projection in Asland MA bought all the Vidikron stuff in the early 2000's which included the manuals and parts for these. They also are out of business now but I worked their for a time and have used and seen this projector. If the tubes are not in good shape I would not bother with it. If I have the manual and I can find it I will let you know. From what I remember it had alot of adjustment pots like a 1980's early 1990s CRT projector
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Zebra
Joined: 02 Jul 2020
Posts: 93
Location: NJ USA
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| Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2020 6:26 pm Post subject: |
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| virusc wrote: | | I may actually have a copy. HiRez projection in Asland MA bought all the Vidikron stuff in the early 2000's which included the manuals and parts for these. They also are out of business now but I worked their for a time and have used and seen this projector. If the tubes are not in good shape I would not bother with it. If I have the manual and I can find it I will let you know. From what I remember it had alot of adjustment pots like a 1980's early 1990s CRT projector |
Thanks. The one I'm looking is the one that says "dealer installation manual" on the front.
The tubes on this one look to be in decent condition. It was owned by some rich guy who installed it in his 3rd home. It has seen hardly any use. It's the one with the glass lenses too.
I don't have high expectations for it anyway. I only took it because it was free (while I wait for a deal on a better one). Also, with it being made in Italy, it has a scart port and it accepts both ttl and consumer .7v rgb so it's useful for old arcade games.
It is old-school 480i only with pots for adjustments. It does have an IR remote though (which takes a ridiculous number of batteries).
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AnalogRocks
Forum Moderator
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26706
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G
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| Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2020 7:59 am Post subject: |
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Can you post a picture of the setup panel?
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Zebra
Joined: 02 Jul 2020
Posts: 93
Location: NJ USA
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| Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2020 9:06 pm Post subject: |
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These are the only controls that can be reached under the lid (aside from the lens focus screws):
For anything else I'd have to unscrew and remove circuit boards:
Unfortunately none of the pots are labeled aside from their red, blue and green color coding and some confusing pics next to each pot. I couldn't even identify the H size or V size pots without the installation manual.
Only the external controls are described in the user manual and the limited adjustments that can be made with the remote.
I can't see any wires that look like the ones people describe for switching other projectors from ceiling to floor mount orientation. Perhaps I would see them if I unscrewed and removed all the PCBs though.
These guys apparently used all of their design budget to get that Ferrari guy to do the plastic shell.
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Curt Palme
CRT Tech
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 24396
Location: Langley, BC
TV/Projector: All of them!
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| Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2020 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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I serviced maybe one or two of them, then stopped, as I hated them. 
The best I can offer is to set the convergence controls all to 50%, then map out what each one does with the test grid up. Start with the green, then go to red and blue. When new, I believe there was a paper cover around all of the controls telling you what each one did. that's obviously missing. 
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Zebra
Joined: 02 Jul 2020
Posts: 93
Location: NJ USA
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| Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2020 9:56 pm Post subject: |
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I'm OK with trial and error for the pots but I'm less confident on switching the orientation from ceiling to floor.
Maybe I just need to spend $40 to get the manual off ebay. I can't believe I'm going to spend more on a manual than the actual projector. It really is true that nothing in life is actually free...
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Zebra
Joined: 02 Jul 2020
Posts: 93
Location: NJ USA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 24, 2020 10:47 pm Post subject: |
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I finally managed to get a dusty old hard-copy of the dealer installation manual.
I was grateful to see that step 1 of their installation instructions was "remove projector from shipping box". I was going to try leaving it in that carboard box when using it as all the best projected images are projected through cardboard... Dodged a bullet there...
These companies really didn't think much of their own dealers - these instructions are apparently the ones for the experts that end users like me were forbidden from seeing... Yet, even with experts, you can't rely on them knowing how to perform an "unboxing". Complex stuff...
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AnalogRocks
Forum Moderator
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26706
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G
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| Posted: Fri Dec 25, 2020 7:12 am Post subject: |
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Wow, I'm glad they told you to take it out of the shipping box. Boy that coulda been embarrassing. 
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Zebra
Joined: 02 Jul 2020
Posts: 93
Location: NJ USA
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| Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2020 4:47 pm Post subject: |
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| AnalogRocks wrote: | | Wow, I'm glad they told you to take it out of the shipping box. Boy that coulda been embarrassing. |
Yup.
But strangely, they chose to leave out how you access the motherboard which is required for half the steps they describe.
There is no access to the motherboard without unscrewing the frame in a specific way. I had to rely on old pics on this forum of other projector models for this. It's just odd that they felt this was self-explanatory while taking it out the box was not.
No wonder half these companies went out of business. No common sense at all.
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AnalogRocks
Forum Moderator
Joined: 08 Mar 2006
Posts: 26706
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV/Projector: Sony 1252Q, AMPRO 4000G
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| Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2020 7:00 am Post subject: |
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| Zebra wrote: | | AnalogRocks wrote: | | Wow, I'm glad they told you to take it out of the shipping box. Boy that coulda been embarrassing. |
Yup.
But strangely, they chose to leave out how you access the motherboard which is required for half the steps they describe.
There is no access to the motherboard without unscrewing the frame in a specific way. I had to rely on old pics on this forum of other projector models for this. It's just odd that they felt this was self-explanatory while taking it out the box was not.
No wonder half these companies went out of business. No common sense at all. |
I see stuff like this from techies allot. In their head it makes sense because they know how to do it. However when they write it the omit it partially or completely.
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