Rant...just turn down the G2 and recap it

[radiotvnut]

I'm a member of several Facebook groups that have to do with CRT TV's, and other vintage electronics.

I'll focus on one of the CRT TV groups that primarily has to do with later CRT sets, since that relates to the subject of this group.

More than once, someone will ask what's wrong with their 1995 Sony or their 1999 JVC "D-series" and the answers often given will be "recap the board" and/or "turn down the G2 control on the flyback."

I can tell you from 30+ years of fixing TV's, it's usually not necessary to recap a solid state TV (unless it's either a very early one or one that is know to use a crap brand of capacitors); but, if someone wants to do it.....go ahead, it's their time and their money. Mostly, the caps that fail in TV's are limited to the power supply, sweep circuits, and the boost filter cap. Also, there is a lot more that can go wrong besides caps and instead of someone learning to be a "cap changer", they need to learn some basic troubleshooting skills and diagnose the problem. On that note, I've seen more than one piece of equipment that had been recapped; but, it still didn't work and the owner was then clueless. At that point, the equipment usually went up on the shelf until the next clean out, and then I wound up with it.

On older tube stuff, re-capping is often needed; but, I still don't like to jump in and "just do it." Instead, I like to troubleshoot along the way....just to see what I'm up against and to make sure that a major component is not faulty. It's not good to re-cap a set...only to find out that something major is bad that you either can't get or is very costly.

A little earlier today, someone posted in a certain TV Facebook group about a 9" Sony with a dim green raster with retrace lines and wanted suggestions as to what could be wrong. Of course, it's a little hard to diagnose a TV via Facebook; so, I suggested that one of several things could be the problem....including a shorted CRT, leaky or shorted green video output or driver transistor, or improper grey scale adjustment (from possibly someone fiddling with the controls).

Someone then jumped all over me, telling me that my reply was totally unnecessary and confusing, and that all they needed to do was turn down the G2 control on the flyback transformer. Their comment flew all over me and I let them know that I'd only been doing this for 30 years and that I knew what I was talking about. As far as the G2 control on the flyback, they don't just turn themselves up and if the picture suddenly gets bright, something else is wrong and turning down the G2 control may put a band aid on the problem; but, the root cause needs to be looked into.

At that point, they accused me of just being a "ball buster" and at that point, I just let it go....no sense in arguing with them.

Sometime back, in another group, someone accused me and another prominent Youtube member (who makes TV repair videos) of being incompetent morons because we don't have a shop full of lab grade test equipment. Having high end, fancy equipment is nice; but, the best equipment is that thing called a brain that is between your two ears.

In conclusion, I don't claim to be a "know it all" and as long as I continue to engage in this hobby, I will continue to learn. On that note, anything you encounter an argumentative "know it all".....don't walk away from them; but, run away because, in reality, they probably don't know as much as they think they do.

OK, rant over.