CRT rebuilding, Thomas Electronics

[John Adams]

https://www.thomaselectronics.com/faq/ ……. While researching this company looking for 1956 color crt manufacturer, I found this. May be cost prohibitive. They even do glass to metal frit, sealing, and lay new phosphorus in certain radar tubes and pull vacuums, but no mention as to gun replacement. Long shot, but maybe a 15” gone to air could be repaired.

[zeno]

I think what you have here is CRT's for super high end military use.
IIRC F-15's & some other aircraft used Zenith EFL or FTM CRT's. Zenith
is all but gone including CRT mfg & rebuilding. So if you need a new CRT
in a half million dollar system they can rebuild it but the cost would probably
in the tens of thousands. You get what the market bears.
Zenith also built the monitors used back in the 80's on GM personal
luxury cars ( Toronado, Riviera ). They were monochrome & a rebuilt
was abt $800. Never worked on one but I think most had bad CRT's
after many years on the road.
Interesting stuff but them doing consumer CRT's is like us spending 2 hrs on a ten dollar radio & charging $5. In that time you could do $200 + on
other repairs.

73 Zeno
LFOD !

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by zeno

I think what you have here is CRT's for super high end military use.
IIRC F-15's & some other aircraft used Zenith EFL or FTM CRT's. Zenith
is all but gone including CRT mfg & rebuilding. So if you need a new CRT
in a half million dollar system they can rebuild it but the cost would probably
in the tens of thousands. You get what the market bears.
Zenith also built the monitors used back in the 80's on GM personal
luxury cars ( Toronado, Riviera ). They were monochrome & a rebuilt
was abt $800. Never worked on one but I think most had bad CRT's
after many years on the road.
Interesting stuff but them doing consumer CRT's is like us spending 2 hrs on a ten dollar radio & charging $5. In that time you could do $200 + on
other repairs.

73 Zeno
LFOD !

There was a CRT firm out east, NJ? Admiral used them and Motorola, in a few models. They were better than National Video!
I don't think they made color CRT's back then.

[John Adams]

I got to looking in to this after reading that around 1956 RCA had to buy some tubes from them and Tungsol. The article indicated they were buying 21” color tubes. I knew that Tungsol built tubes, but never heard of Thomas. At that time Thomas was in NJ.

[old_tv_nut]

From their site:
"The biggest maintenance upkeep needed throughout the life of your CRT is refreshing the phosphor coating. "

As we all know, this is BS. Gun replacement is the most needed process. This tells me they are selling what they can do, not what we need. Plus, it's impossible they could re-phosphor color tubes, so it's a good thing that's not a major need.

[dishdude]

Originally Posted by old_tv_nut

From their site:
"The biggest maintenance upkeep needed throughout the life of your CRT is refreshing the phosphor coating. "

As we all know, this is BS. Gun replacement is the most needed process. This tells me they are selling what they can do, not what we need. Plus, it's impossible they could re-phosphor color tubes, so it's a good thing that's not a major need.

They specialize in displays for equipment, so I can see burn in being a major issue for the CRTs they reman.

[ppppenguin]

I think I approached Thomas Electronics a few years ago and got nowhere. May be worth asking again. The prices will be high. I doubt they will get out of bed for under $1000.

[old_tv_nut]

Originally Posted by dishdude

They specialize in displays for equipment, so I can see burn in being a major issue for the CRTs they reman.

I was too dismissive. Display burn-in is a thing, plus they would have to do something with the gun once they broke the vacuum.

[zenith2134]

That does it....after reading this thread and remembering those 80s Toronados...I have to buy one. Lol. Remember Charles Bronson had one in the movies at the time. Epitome of cool.

[FrankDuVal]

Buick Reattas (1988 to 1989) also!