RMS Pix Eye TE-5

[miniman82]

Recent eBay find, tells you what you already know (your CRT is dead, but they wanna gouge you before having to pay for a replacement!)

Thought it was neat use of scrap/leftover parts- it’s apparently built from an octal socket, CRT base, an FP style capacitor case, and a cardboard tube. Not sure what they sold for, but they probably made money on each one lol.

Looked up the address, apparently they were located in the Bronx.

[Notimetolooz]

It mostly tells you if the voltages on the CRT base are in the correct range.
If you had a voltmeter and knew what the voltage ranges were suppose to be you wouldn't need it. I think a lot of those "TV owner test equipment" were simplified versions of standard service test equipment. Very limited in usefulness.
I ended up with one of those in an auction lot once.
The eyetube was the most valuable part.

[DavGoodlin]

I have one and no idea WTF it did, so its a dummy load for a CRT socket ?

[Electronic M]

Seems less like a dummy load and more like a "the gun bias is/isn't in the right to make a picture" meter.


Though someone who actually owns one will probably now tell me I'm mistaken.

There was a special vacuum tube that was basically a 10BP4 gun and base firing into a small anode which was a proper dummy load...This tube was basically the proof of concept for the 6BK4 and was like an oversized version of it.

[N2IXK]

The tube you are referring to is the 5890.

http://lampes-et-tubes.info/vs/vs060.php?l=e

https://frank.pocnet.net/sheets/049/5/5890.pdf

It was intended for use as an HV shunt regulator in early theater projection TV sets, making it a forerunner of the 6BD4, 6BK4, 6EL4 etc. It is a pretty rare item, due to the limited application.

It consists of the gun structure of a 5TP4 CRT, aimed into an anode structure from a 2X2A. Has the standard 12-pin duodecal CRT base and a 3/8" anode cap.

I have a couple of them, and they do make a handy way to provide an HV load on a chassis without a CRT, or for testing a CRT tester.

[Notimetolooz]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

Seems less like a dummy load and more like a "the gun bias is/isn't in the right to make a picture" meter.

Not so much a load.
Most of the internal parts involved resistor ratios to scale the voltage, etc.
The CRT filament supply went to the filament of the eyetube to check that voltage.
The G2 (first anode) voltage is the plate supply for the eyetube. No green glow means the first anode voltage is not in the right range.
The G1 bias is connected to the eyetube grid. Changing the TV's brightness control would vary the shadow on the eyetube.
It doesn't check electrostatic TVs, color TVs, the HV or focus supplies.
Very simple idea, very limited. Almost like a test CRT but without deflection or image display.

[DavGoodlin]

This would have been helpful in the field, but not the shop.
Can you imagine going on a housecall, then somehow confirm there is HV yet no raster appears.
This would be faster than measuring socket voltages at least.

[N2IXK]

I would imagine that the presence of a video signal would make the eye tube "flutter", as well...