1996 RCAColorTrax TV Service Menu - Videokarma.org TV - Video

Console User · #1 02-23-2021, 09:08 PM

My 1996 RCA Console Colortrax TV is in the Service Menu Mode. When I turn the TV On it clicks ON and Off and On and Off about 3 or 4 times. I have no sound or picture. I sometimes can get it to come on and after clicking on and off it will have sound, but my picture is rolling as its evidently in the Horizontal and Vertical Adjustment Mode. I do not know how to get my Picture back and to get back to the Service Menu to adjust back to where it was.

Thanks.

1993ctc175 · #2 02-24-2021, 03:42 AM

My Question is What Model is It????

JohnCT · #3 02-24-2021, 06:41 AM

The service menu isn't going to help you. Even if you can get just the vert and horiz readjusted, I can promise you that there are parameters all over the place that are kludged.

You've got a corrupt eeprom caused by bad grounds in 1) the tuner, 2), the LV regulator heatsink ground tab and 3) the horiz output heatsink ground tab.

When these used to come in, I wouldn't even open them up. I'd call them a couple of hours later and give them the estimate, then repair and upgrade the chassis. I would do between 5 and 10 of these a day including several from other servicers.

Towards the end of their run, that series of chassis also had two electros in the power supply that had to be changed as well.

I don't know if anyone on youtube has the procedure videoed, but the tuner grounds must be done immediately along with the heatsink ground tabs. If you were to install a new eeprom, or realign the original eeprom, it would end up being corrupted in minutes.

John

Console User · #4 02-24-2021, 07:05 AM

The TV was in the TV Shop in January. They repaired the grounds on the chassis, etc.
He ran short wires where needed to repair grounds. It must just be time to retire this one.

JohnCT · #5 02-24-2021, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Console User

The TV was in the TV Shop in January. They repaired the grounds on the chassis, etc.
He ran short wires where needed to repair grounds. It must just be time to retire this one.

If you get me the exact chassis number including suffix, I'll see if my buddy has a "preprogrammed" eeprom for it.

Now, in an analog TV, there's no such thing as a preprogrammed eeprom as every part has a slightly different tolerance including your CRT (even if they didn't age). The pre-programmed eeproms were loaded with values that were an average taken from a dozen properly running chassis. Of course it won't be optimized for your chassis, but they'll get you a picture for sure - probably a decent one. You'll have to touch up the gray scale and vert height, center, horiz width and centering etc. to improve it.

I had to do several tuner alignments on TVs that had a previously installed pre-programmed eeprom in them done at other shops. Even a digital varactor tuned circuit has knifed coils and even varactor diodes have different curves.

If he has the eeprom, he'll give it to me and I'll mail it to you. It's an 8 pin chip that isn't difficult to change. You can always put a socket in before putting in the new chip.

John

zeno · #6 02-24-2021, 07:34 PM

Last ditch that works most the time.
1) Do the resoldering first Be careful in that tuner !
2) install socket for e-prom.
3) install NEW eprom & start the set.
4) while the set is running carefully put in the old one.
Now you can get the old numbers to try on the new one.
Above all WRITE DOWN ALL NUMBERS.
DO NOT go above any peramiters.

Dont know if it helped but I also ran a ground wire from the tuner shield
to the eprom. Never had a recall after that.

73 Zeno

LFOD !

Console User · #7 02-24-2021, 09:59 PM

This set has the CTC177AM2 Chassis in it. I can also get model number of TV if that helps too. The chassis in it isn't the original chassis as that number on back of TV differs from the actual chassis inside the cabinet.

Thanks.

Console User · #8 02-25-2021, 08:12 AM

If you leave TV unplugged for a period of time and then reconnect to outlet then turn the power button on it briefly powers up then shuts down as soon as it comes on. There is the visible green dot in the middle of CRT when it clicks off like it shows after powering set off after using it. Then it does the click click click.

JohnCT · #9 02-25-2021, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Console User

This set has the CTC177AM2 Chassis in it. I can also get model number of TV if that helps too. The chassis in it isn't the original chassis as that number on back of TV differs from the actual chassis inside the cabinet.

Thanks.

The model number is unimportant. I'm pretty sure my buddy will have an eeprom for that chassis. I'll check tonight.

John

Console User · #10 02-25-2021, 03:03 PM

The Repairman who has down the work on this TV and other Sets for me says the eeprom part number for the CTC177AM2 Chassis would be 22887. Would that be a preprogrammed eeprom that he has? This set originally had a different chassis in it, but must have been replaced with the current one I gave the number of.

Thanks.

Console User · #11 02-25-2021, 03:15 PM

Anyone have a A63ADT15X 05 Picture Tube they would part with? That set could use a better Picture Tube than it has in it. I don't like the Blue Masking on the edges of images. It's been made as good as it can be before the set failed.

Console User · #12 02-25-2021, 06:17 PM

My 1996 RCA Set has the CTC177AD Chassis in it now. The CTC177AM2 is the stamped on the TV Sticker on back of TV. However, it must have been replaced with the CTC177AD. That would be the chassis number I would need the eeprom for not the original chassis as I previously stated. I do not know, if by chance anyone would have a complete chassis for this set or not?

Thanks

zeno · #13 02-26-2021, 04:21 PM

What ever chassis is in the set use that number for repairs.
Eproms are probably different. The reason is the Eprom holds
info on the TV's features & OSD. You can not get to that info
to change it. So a set may run with the wrong Eprom but all its
features may not work.

73 Zeno

LFOD !