TV Test/alignment gear on the cheap (and small)

[CoogarXR]

Originally Posted by Findm-Keepm

Having worked in my dad's TV shop for 30 years, here is the list of stuff I'd get first, arranged in most useful to least:

A Mirror - get one for the back of your bench and a portable one - handy for portables and the test jig. Use it enough, and folks just don't look right unless they are reflected in a mirror.... Ours were broken back of diplay case units from the glass place, and our portable was an unbreakable one about 16x20 or so used in prisons....

You can get a free big mirror the first time you scrap a DLP TV! That's where mine came from, lol.

[Jon A.]

Originally Posted by CoogarXR

You can get a free big mirror the first time you scrap a DLP TV! That's where mine came from, lol.

Plenty of those around! I see them in the free ads almost every day. And to think, Brent from Corner Gas was over the moon about getting one in season 2 I believe.

My big mirror was part of a scrap heap from a home remodeling. Last time I did a setup was before I had the mirror; bruised my arm up quite a bit as I recall from looking around front with one hand in the back.

[Findm-Keepm]

Originally Posted by CoogarXR

You can get a free big mirror the first time you scrap a DLP TV! That's where mine came from, lol.

Back in the 70s, not too many DLP sets around.....the unbreakable prison issue one came courtesy of a local DMV that was closed for a while to install handicapped access. The contractor did business with dad, and well......we had an indestructible mirror. One bench mirror came from a hotel furniture sale, and the rest from an auctioneer that had to clear out some broken display cases - the mirrored backs were intact, but broke when removing them. Voila - disjointed mirrors for our 26' long main bench.

I musta carried that unbreakable mirror on 500 service calls. Dad behind the set, me acting as an easel. I could follow his gaze and know just where to aim the mirror.
Dad carried two caddies - one with parts and tubes, and the other with tools and test equipment. One Xcelite P8(Pocket "8" / 1/4" hex nutdriver, not to be confused with Motorola's "Flat 8"..) in his pants pocket and an Xcelite R183 (sans the pocket clip - shock hazard...) in his shirt pocket along with one of those fantastic PTS Gray Diddle sticks. Between the three, 99% of sets could be opened, adjusted, tested for Horiz Drive, or knocked around to find an intermittent...

Not to hijack the thread. OP/Vintage PC: Be sure to check out the mid-60's January and December issues of Radio Electronics. Huge Color TV and general TV focus in those issues, with lots of good info. I prefer to use the search function at ARH ( http://www.americanradiohistory.com/...IDX/search.cgi )to find specifics, as I have most of those issues, courtesy of Dad.

EDIT: Bob Andersen has extensive experience aligning IFs - see his many posts for some insight.