RCA tv 36" color problem

[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

I was over at alt.home.repair and some fellows over there said this was the
place where all the brains was hiding out on repair of electronics
equipment.

I have a RCA tv Model # 36668 / serial # 049622039 / Chassis # CTC-203CA5
and about 3 or 4 years old. The problem is the picture will not show light
enough to see tv views at nite at all. The faces will not show up if it is
dark time when viewing the picture. I've tried britting up the picture but
it just stays too dark to see the pictures at nite time on the shows. When
there is game show on it , it shows up good because of all the lites in the
show room where they are but start watching a show of people in dark area,
You just can't see their faces well at all. This started about a week ago
and has staied the same everysince.

I really need to know is to bring it to a shop about 40 miles away and wait
a week to see what is wrong with it and be told to buy a new one. If I knew
it could be fixed for couple hundred dollars i would wait a week and have it
repaired. What i don't want to do is wait a week and not have TV for a week
to find out. It can't be fixied and to buy a new one. I think I give $700
something for it and did not want to spend $700 something repairing it. I
don't mine waiting if this is a repairiable problem for say $200.00 or
$300.00 but not a $700.00 problem. I'm in the HVAC business and answer
question over at alt.hvac and hope you guys will answer my question here.

I don't mine spending the time and money fooling with it if this is a
repairiable problem. I can let my brother in law work on it but he has let
the smoke out of the last two that I let him work on. After he let the smoke
out of it . It never worked again. You just can let the Smoke out of them at
all and still work again.

If you'll could give me a good ideal of this problem . i would thank you
very much.

TURTLE

 

[Arthur Jernberg]

First: What voltages do you have at the crt and video output devices?
Second: Are you familiar enough to know what not to touch when inside a
tele?
Third: Do you have any idea how to access the service menu if required?
Initially it would be wise to post any voltage measurements and parametres
that you have checked. Then expect appropiate responses.<

What you have done is posted the make, chassis number, and serial number of
your specific item. Then you go on and describe a symptom what may be due to

minor required adjustments or may be due to other faults. Then you start
ranting about not wanting to have the unit serviced! Please: if you are not
competent enough to add the required information then take the set into the
a qualified service shop, have an estimate given to you, and make a decision
regarding the information you have been supplied. Not to slam you but for us
to assist you in a qualified way we need the pertinent information.

"TURTLE" <turtle@worldnetla.net> wrote in message
news:bj1c9n$e8j3v$1@ID-79743.news.uni-berlin.de...

This is Turtle.

I was over at alt.home.repair and some fellows over there said this was
the
place where all the brains was hiding out on repair of electronics
equipment.

I have a RCA tv Model # 36668 / serial # 049622039 / Chassis #
CTC-203CA5
and about 3 or 4 years old. The problem is the picture will not show
light
enough to see tv views at nite at all. The faces will not show up if it is
dark time when viewing the picture. I've tried britting up the picture but
it just stays too dark to see the pictures at nite time on the shows. When
there is game show on it , it shows up good because of all the lites in
the
show room where they are but start watching a show of people in dark area,
You just can't see their faces well at all. This started about a week ago
and has staied the same everysince.

I really need to know is to bring it to a shop about 40 miles away and
wait
a week to see what is wrong with it and be told to buy a new one. If I
knew
it could be fixed for couple hundred dollars i would wait a week and have
it
repaired. What i don't want to do is wait a week and not have TV for a
week
to find out. It can't be fixied and to buy a new one. I think I give $700
something for it and did not want to spend $700 something repairing it. I
don't mine waiting if this is a repairiable problem for say $200.00 or
$300.00 but not a $700.00 problem. I'm in the HVAC business and answer
question over at alt.hvac and hope you guys will answer my question here.

I don't mine spending the time and money fooling with it if this is a
repairiable problem. I can let my brother in law work on it but he has let
the smoke out of the last two that I let him work on. After he let the
smoke
out of it . It never worked again. You just can let the Smoke out of them
at
all and still work again.

If you'll could give me a good ideal of this problem . i would thank you
very much.

TURTLE

 

[Jason D.]

On Tue, 2 Sep 2003 05:34:15 -0400, "Arthur Jernberg"
<stubby@comcast.net> wrote:

Turtle is a HVAC guy who resides at alt.hvac, he's fine. I lurk there
because I enjoy reading their discussions.

Now on this RCA 36" TV. This is also my RCA area as well. Dim
picture mean anything but if it is pretty high hours on it tube itself
is dying. Usually tinted purplish or greenish if it's good grey scale
and still sharp then CRT is still good.

The serial # in that RCA, first digit is year. "0" means it is 2000,
I guess April bec of 4. Too young to condemn, consider it fixing.

Snip!

"TURTLE" <turtle@worldnetla.net> wrote in message
news:bj1c9n$e8j3v$1@ID-79743.news.uni-berlin.de...
This is Turtle.

I have a RCA tv Model # 36668 / serial # 049622039 / Chassis #
CTC-203CA5

Nice chassis, CTC203A5.

Get it fixed! Total cost if you and a buddy carry it in, that tv is
heavier than an Janiratol! (sp?) should cost about 250 or less total
(parts & labor). 700 is wild guess and way out of line.
Like you have made a estimate to HVAC customers, the tv tech does this
same way and spot the problem, and give a estimate. Also tech will
let you know how healthy the tube is.


Oh, be easy on that Turtle, the HVAC season is busier than before.

Oh, make a note to pass to tech to look for glue on the coil location:
L14401, if glue present, tech must remove that coil and clean all glue
off including that hole wire goes through.

TV is digital controlled and have to be adjusted via service menu
except the external focus and screen on back of (flyback) high voltage
transformer.

This is one you can try: Need plastic allen or plastic small flat
blade screwdriver to fit these. Focus is top, bottom is the screen
that set the overall brightness. Before adjusting, go in menu: press
menu once, select picture quality, I think number 4, press 2 for
"preset..", press 2 again to select normal. Back out by pressing zero
repeatedly. It may ask you to save new settings, select yes.

If screen is adjusted too bright, picture look lousy (washed out) the
blacks will light up (becomes grey, or visible lines) this means you
have actual fault that prevents you to get decent pix, that when it is
time to take it in for repair.

Cheers,

Wizard

 

[TURTLE]

"Jason D." <jpero@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:3f55267d.1293430@news1.on.sympatico.ca...

On Tue, 2 Sep 2003 05:34:15 -0400, "Arthur Jernberg"
stubby@comcast.net> wrote:

Turtle is a HVAC guy who resides at alt.hvac, he's fine. I lurk there
because I enjoy reading their discussions.

Now on this RCA 36" TV. This is also my RCA area as well. Dim
picture mean anything but if it is pretty high hours on it tube itself
is dying. Usually tinted purplish or greenish if it's good grey scale
and still sharp then CRT is still good.

The serial # in that RCA, first digit is year. "0" means it is 2000,
I guess April bec of 4. Too young to condemn, consider it fixing.

Snip!

"TURTLE" <turtle@worldnetla.net> wrote in message
news:bj1c9n$e8j3v$1@ID-79743.news.uni-berlin.de...
This is Turtle.

I have a RCA tv Model # 36668 / serial # 049622039 / Chassis #
CTC-203CA5

Nice chassis, CTC203A5.

Get it fixed! Total cost if you and a buddy carry it in, that tv is
heavier than an Janiratol! (sp?) should cost about 250 or less total
(parts & labor). 700 is wild guess and way out of line.
Like you have made a estimate to HVAC customers, the tv tech does this
same way and spot the problem, and give a estimate. Also tech will
let you know how healthy the tube is.


Oh, be easy on that Turtle, the HVAC season is busier than before.

Oh, make a note to pass to tech to look for glue on the coil location:
L14401, if glue present, tech must remove that coil and clean all glue
off including that hole wire goes through.

TV is digital controlled and have to be adjusted via service menu
except the external focus and screen on back of (flyback) high voltage
transformer.

This is one you can try: Need plastic allen or plastic small flat
blade screwdriver to fit these. Focus is top, bottom is the screen
that set the overall brightness. Before adjusting, go in menu: press
menu once, select picture quality, I think number 4, press 2 for
"preset..", press 2 again to select normal. Back out by pressing zero
repeatedly. It may ask you to save new settings, select yes.

If screen is adjusted too bright, picture look lousy (washed out) the
blacks will light up (becomes grey, or visible lines) this means you
have actual fault that prevents you to get decent pix, that when it is
time to take it in for repair.

Cheers,

Wizard

This is Turtle.

You had spoken about high number of hours on the tube causing the tube to go
bad. The TV is turned on at 7:00 am and stays on till 11:00 or 12:00 at nite
7 days a week . Like you said it is a 2000 model so it has run like this
eversince this time. Does This make the thought of a heavy run time on the
tv 7 days a week 17 hours a day for 3 years?

Now if heavy use is not into play here , we will move to the below
statement.


I will try the setting of brightnest and look at it but what we are talking
here on repairing it is not a major fix and cost less than $300.00. Is this
true?

TURTLE

 

[RonKZ650]

Turtle, It could be as simple as an adjustment. There are the 2 adjustments on
the rear of the set labled "S" and "F", they are black and shaped just like AV
jacks. I can't even count how many CTC203s have come in where people have
inadvertently tried to plug audio/video equipment into these adjustments
causing too bright or too dark picture. Try putting a screwdriver in the lower
"S" adjustment and turn it up a little.
Ron

 

[Jason D.]

On Wed, 3 Sep 2003 10:56:11 -0500, "TURTLE" <turtle@worldnetla.net>
wrote:

"Jason D." <jpero@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:3f55267d.1293430@news1.on.sympatico.ca...
On Tue, 2 Sep 2003 05:34:15 -0400, "Arthur Jernberg"

The serial # in that RCA, first digit is year. "0" means it is 2000,
I guess April bec of 4. Too young to condemn, consider it fixing.


You had spoken about high number of hours on the tube causing the tube to go
bad. The TV is turned on at 7:00 am and stays on till 11:00 or 12:00 at nite
7 days a week . Like you said it is a 2000 model so it has run like this
eversince this time. Does This make the thought of a heavy run time on the
tv 7 days a week 17 hours a day for 3 years?

Appox 6,000 hours, not too terribly. I have seen RCA made tubes go
well over 6 to 8 years. I even just fixed an 18 year old RCA console
with great picture.

Depends how tv was set up if tv was in a shaded room without direct
sunlight, tube should last long time if not overdriven (so bright).

Sometimes picture get deaker casued by a fault or needs a bit of
adjustment to account for tube wear. The tech can check for that. I
suggest no big store like dealer, try the shop who is authorized for
RCA stuff and who repairs for bunch of stores (contract & warrenty).

Now if heavy use is not into play here , we will move to the below
statement.


I will try the setting of brightnest and look at it but what we are talking
here on repairing it is not a major fix and cost less than $300.00. Is this
true?

Yes, this is true because this may involves some minor parts if needed
since the major parts like tube, flyback transformer this part that
generates high voltages to power tube are still working, etc. $300
still can cover cost of new pricy part like flyback (appox 80 retail
to customer.) if it comes to that. 700 is way over and nobody will OK
that.

User adjustment is there in that menu, and you can access the focus
(top) & screen (bottom) on back of tv without opening that tv.
Reset the user controls for picture quality first by selecting normal
defaults before adjusting that screen pot on the flyback.

Adjust screen pot till raster diappears then adjust beyond that a
touch. Raster is scan lines that you can see on black picture if
screen is too high, do it with bit dim lights so you can see that
easier.

TURTLE

Cheers,

Wizard

 

[TURTLE]

"RonKZ650" <ronkz650@aol.comnospam> wrote in message
news:20030903170642.13308.00000386@mb-m15.aol.com...

Turtle, It could be as simple as an adjustment. There are the 2
adjustments on
the rear of the set labled "S" and "F", they are black and shaped just
like AV
jacks. I can't even count how many CTC203s have come in where people have
inadvertently tried to plug audio/video equipment into these adjustments
causing too bright or too dark picture. Try putting a screwdriver in the
lower
"S" adjustment and turn it up a little.
Ron

This is Turtle.

Thanks there. i will look into the adjusting you spec'ed out here for it is
on the outside of the cover. I work on 150 ton Air Conditioning Computorized
controlled Gas Rooftop package units and feel right at home. When I'm inside
a TV , I'm a fish out of water.

Thanks

TURTLE

 

[TURTLE]

"Jason D." <jpero@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:3f56ab1d.737636@news1.on.sympatico.ca...

On Wed, 3 Sep 2003 10:56:11 -0500, "TURTLE" <turtle@worldnetla.net
wrote:


"Jason D." <jpero@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:3f55267d.1293430@news1.on.sympatico.ca...
On Tue, 2 Sep 2003 05:34:15 -0400, "Arthur Jernberg"

The serial # in that RCA, first digit is year. "0" means it is 2000,
I guess April bec of 4. Too young to condemn, consider it fixing.


You had spoken about high number of hours on the tube causing the tube to
go
bad. The TV is turned on at 7:00 am and stays on till 11:00 or 12:00 at
nite
7 days a week . Like you said it is a 2000 model so it has run like this
eversince this time. Does This make the thought of a heavy run time on
the
tv 7 days a week 17 hours a day for 3 years?

Appox 6,000 hours, not too terribly. I have seen RCA made tubes go
well over 6 to 8 years. I even just fixed an 18 year old RCA console
with great picture.

Depends how tv was set up if tv was in a shaded room without direct
sunlight, tube should last long time if not overdriven (so bright).

Sometimes picture get deaker casued by a fault or needs a bit of
adjustment to account for tube wear. The tech can check for that. I
suggest no big store like dealer, try the shop who is authorized for
RCA stuff and who repairs for bunch of stores (contract & warrenty).


Now if heavy use is not into play here , we will move to the below
statement.


I will try the setting of brightnest and look at it but what we are
talking
here on repairing it is not a major fix and cost less than $300.00. Is
this
true?

Yes, this is true because this may involves some minor parts if needed
since the major parts like tube, flyback transformer this part that
generates high voltages to power tube are still working, etc. $300
still can cover cost of new pricy part like flyback (appox 80 retail
to customer.) if it comes to that. 700 is way over and nobody will OK
that.

User adjustment is there in that menu, and you can access the focus
(top) & screen (bottom) on back of tv without opening that tv.
Reset the user controls for picture quality first by selecting normal
defaults before adjusting that screen pot on the flyback.

Adjust screen pot till raster diappears then adjust beyond that a
touch. Raster is scan lines that you can see on black picture if
screen is too high, do it with bit dim lights so you can see that
easier.


TURTLE

Cheers,

Wizard

This is Turtle.

So you say 6,000 hours is not to bad of run time if kept out of sun light.
It is out of sunlight all the time in the Den. this area never get direct
sun light throught the window at all.

I will reset it to default and see to the adjustiment you stated here and
what RonK650 said too.

I sure Thank you here and will let you know the results.

TURTLE

 

[TURTLE]

"TURTLE" <turtle@worldnetla.net> wrote in message
news:bj1c9n$e8j3v$1@ID-79743.news.uni-berlin.de...

This is Turtle.

I was over at alt.home.repair and some fellows over there said this was
the
place where all the brains was hiding out on repair of electronics
equipment.

I have a RCA tv Model # 36668 / serial # 049622039 / Chassis #
CTC-203CA5
and about 3 or 4 years old. The problem is the picture will not show
light
enough to see tv views at nite at all. The faces will not show up if it is
dark time when viewing the picture. I've tried britting up the picture but
it just stays too dark to see the pictures at nite time on the shows. When
there is game show on it , it shows up good because of all the lites in
the
show room where they are but start watching a show of people in dark area,
You just can't see their faces well at all. This started about a week ago
and has staied the same everysince.

I really need to know is to bring it to a shop about 40 miles away and
wait
a week to see what is wrong with it and be told to buy a new one. If I
knew
it could be fixed for couple hundred dollars i would wait a week and have
it
repaired. What i don't want to do is wait a week and not have TV for a
week
to find out. It can't be fixied and to buy a new one. I think I give $700
something for it and did not want to spend $700 something repairing it. I
don't mine waiting if this is a repairiable problem for say $200.00 or
$300.00 but not a $700.00 problem. I'm in the HVAC business and answer
question over at alt.hvac and hope you guys will answer my question here.

I don't mine spending the time and money fooling with it if this is a
repairiable problem. I can let my brother in law work on it but he has let
the smoke out of the last two that I let him work on. After he let the
smoke
out of it . It never worked again. You just can let the Smoke out of them
at
all and still work again.

If you'll could give me a good ideal of this problem . i would thank you
very much.

TURTLE

This is Turtle again.

I took the advice of Jason D. , Ronk650, and Greyhound and took out my
trusty screw driver and turn the S screw 1/4 of a turn and picture became
very good and pretty as can be. I would like to say Thank you all very much
and if you need any words / advice on Air conditioning or refrigeration from
1/8 of a ton to 150 tons please e-mail me and I will be happy to discuss it
with you.

Thank you again.

TURTLE

 

[Jason D.]

This is Turtle again.

I took the advice of Jason D. , Ronk650, and Greyhound and took out my
trusty screw driver and turn the S screw 1/4 of a turn and picture became
very good and pretty as can be. I would like to say Thank you all very much
and if you need any words / advice on Air conditioning or refrigeration from
1/8 of a ton to 150 tons please e-mail me and I will be happy to discuss it
with you.

Thank you again.

TURTLE

You're welcome! 1/4 turn? That's lot, usually less but if that rocks
your boat, then that's fine.

That "S" is screen pot, it has resistive network that screen taps off
this contact which moves along a strip of resistor powered by a
voltage to give varible voltages much like audio volume knob. Same
with focus.

Cheers,

Wizard

 

[TURTLE]

"Jason D." <jpero@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:3f5b52fe.1466091@news1.on.sympatico.ca...

This is Turtle again.

I took the advice of Jason D. , Ronk650, and Greyhound and took out my
trusty screw driver and turn the S screw 1/4 of a turn and picture became
very good and pretty as can be. I would like to say Thank you all very
much
and if you need any words / advice on Air conditioning or refrigeration
from
1/8 of a ton to 150 tons please e-mail me and I will be happy to discuss
it
with you.

Thank you again.

TURTLE

You're welcome! 1/4 turn? That's lot, usually less but if that rocks
your boat, then that's fine.

That "S" is screen pot, it has resistive network that screen taps off
this contact which moves along a strip of resistor powered by a
voltage to give varible voltages much like audio volume knob. Same
with focus.

Cheers,

Wizard

This is Turtle.

It might be the theory of someone sticking plugs in the S hole for they
moved the TV about this time we started having this trouble. we have a DVD
Player, Vidio Player, Surround Sound System, Stereo system hooked / + 2 more
speaker to it, and Cable buster too. They was putting plugs everywhere for a
hour tring to get it hooked back up when they moved it. I think the S screw
got move in the tring of the plugs when moving it.

Thanks Again.

TURTLE