My CTC-15 was a curbside find. It has worked fine for 6 years now. All I needed to do when I got it was clean the cabinet up a bit.

Excellent....... I hope she continues to shine :)

The only reason I did not take the rear projection Big Screen my neighbor was giving away years ago was because I could not play static screen video games on it (Tetris, Pac-Man, Pong....the like).

I'm finding, the older I get, the less I want to replace the stuff I have. I spent all of my 20's living off of people's "old junk" that was often 15+ years old and still worked like new (My Mitsubishi CS1984R 20"console and my portable Daytron Dt-505 B&W set being two of them), all of that "old junk" still works and functions (well...except the Mistu, but I'm fixing that). When I go out to buy something new, I always look it over for build quality, and 9 times out of 10, it NEVER passes. Either the plastic is too weak, or I find out it develops a problem after awhile due to poor design choices, or that I can already grab one at Goodwill used for $10.00.

People tend to also throw away things with minor to practically pointless problems. I found an Epiphone Les Paul guitar in the trash! All that was wrong with it? A hole between the volume and tone controls with a rock glued onto it.....that and someone poured beer down the body. My friend was about to chuck his 3.5HP Craftsman mower as goodwill would not take it, I got it and found all was wrong was the carburetor jet was clogged with varnished gas. Just tore down a quarter of a lot full of 2 foot tall foilage with it yesterday. It feels sometimes that I could live comfortably posession-wise from dumpster diving and thrift shops.

I've always wondered why you couldn't play video games on a CRT projection set when a regular CRT was apparantly ok.

I use to find great dumpster stuff all the time, but not so much these days.

It's because the picture tubes in a rear projection TV require a much more powerful electron beam than on a standard TV from what I understand.

A friend of mine has a horror story about the time they hooked up the 8-bit Nintendo to a Projection Big Screen and got in big trouble with daddy because the Super Mario Bros. scoreboard was permanently etched into the top and totally visible during the Superbowl right after.

Speaking of Sony, saw an article in the paper last week that Sony isn't making a profit on their electronics anymore, and might sell that division off. If Mitsubishi buys them, I hope they don't call the new operation "Son-of-abitchi"... :D (Running, ducking for cover...) :D

I had luck at one point, with inputing a white screen on a rear projection set with very faint burns in the screen from a game. I let it run with the white screen for about 5 hours, and eventually, the burn marks went away. This worked 3 times out of 10 for me. Depended on the maker of the CRT's. and how severe the burns were. I used to hate replacing CRT's on those big sets.

I can remember when Sony was the hot-stuff with the trinitron line. It took a few years, but the other manufacturers finally caught up with them.

Sony did the same thing with SDDS digital movie theatre sound systems. They weren't making the monster profits they thought they should, so they dropped the system flat, leaving owners of the SDDS systems to fend for themselves.

Right now, Sony is building the digital theatre systems that is helping to wipe out 35mm film in theatres. The first generation digital projectors are already out of date, and don't like updates. I'm sure Sony will drop them flat, too, one day.

Thanks for the well wishes. I'm also looking for work so money is tight, before that, we were considering an LED TV. Still at least I am with Mom since I have to take her to different doctors but it is rough. At least the Zenith is free, bought and paid for. ;) The Zenith does have a couple of small issues, for about the last 8 years or so, the pic gets a red tint to it but it flickers back, it does it a bit and then for months it is fine so we might have a tricky capacitor in there. Sharp did make some good microwaves back then.

You gave me my big laugh of the day! :D

Yes and i think its sad...... DIGITAL VIDEO/AUDIO does not look as good as analogue does in my opinion...

I will not goto a theater anymore because of this.... (1 reason anyway)

I found a theater that uses 70 millimeter film. They thought that they could make us all buy a plastic picture frame and hang it on the wall.Till it fell off anyway. The world has become a very greedy place.

You guys want to know what I really think?
Digitization of old programme material is bullshit, pure and simple.
1. If it was digital in its original form. then it is fine to display that 'sampled' content in the digital realm.
2. Any content originally recorded in the analogue realm, shall persist in that realm, whether the corporations like it or not.

It is up to the VTR/tape/vidicon camera/CRT guys to maintain a healthy library of " REAL " content.
Same goes for HIFI Audio...
digital will never suffice versus grooved media and magnetic tape.

If I truly appreciated PCM audio and DVD video at first, I would NEVER want to be in the a/v community today.
Thanks,
zenith2134.

What exactly do you mean?

This thread makes me happy that I'm not the only one who thinks this way. I could EASILY have all the major electronics and appliances I'd ever need from the trash and thrift stores. I'd traditionally say except for modern game consoles, but it's come to the point where even those are so disposable that I could find them without too much trouble.

Good thing that a lot of us have our "specialties", we can cover more bases that way. I'm glad I'm not what one would call an audiophile because that is one expensive hobby. Best to let those with the necessary means take care of that. In regards to audio, I'm pleased with 8-tracks. Someone has to be. :)

I have to agree with you I don't know why so many people trashed Good Working CRT Televisions for the Flat Screens? As for tv signals, I live in a rural area and we get real good reception through the use of our converter box. We get stations now that we couldn't get through Analog. The closest station to us is 90 miles. We getsome stations that are over 100 miles away. I didn't buy and expensive antenna either. I bought one for around $38 and put it up on a tv pole. I also installed a rotor and control box and that helps alot with getting the best signals. I won't subscribe to satellite tv as it can become way too expensive. Also, don't watch that much tv anyways. I would love to see the day when CRT Consoles and TableTops come back but I am sure that isn't very likely. My folks always had a Console TV and I plan to keep using one as well. The only difference with theirs and my console is they didn't have to worry about the little converter box to select the channels. By the way, we still have that TV that I grew up with and it still works great. We had to have a new main board(module) put in April of this year, but other than that we had never done anything to it. It did get used alot too as when my sister was living at home she always had the TV on so it seemed!!!

I like 8 tracks too. Also, have to agree with digitization crap. I think it would be nice too if they could have left things they way they were.

The digital thing, just a bunch of suit dummies wanting more cash.

Today, I was at an estate sale and they tried to give me a mid '90's non-working 32" upright RCA home theatre console (probably a CTC169). The cabinet was in good shape and the instruction book was on top of the TV; but, I turned it down. Had I taken the set, it would have sat here from now on because it seems that no one around wants CRT TV's anymore and they certainly don't want consoles. Currently, I have a 26" RCA console (CTC177) at the local consignment shop and it's been there for two months with no takers. This shop always has a full parking lot; so, it's not because they don't have customers. It's just that people have gotten so snobby about what they'll own and if it's not brand new modern technology; then, they don't want it. Oh, talk about the embarrassment of having the guys come over on Sunday afternoon to watch the game on a 20 year old floor model TV. Most people around here seem to associate console TV's as highly outdated and the only people who still use them are "trailer park trash" and people who live in public housing.

Recently, I advertised a 20" RCA with jacks for $20 and a 27" Magnavox for $30 on a local facebook buy/sell page with zero interest; but, let someone advertise some POS Funai-built flatscreen and people are fighting over it. I'm a rat's behind away from not bringing home anymore TV's, unless it's something for me. I'm to the point where I'm tired of dragging this crap home, fixing it, and having it sit here from now on because everyone has turned into a snob. Used to, I could sell any kind of working TV I got my hands on because people didn't care - they just wanted something with picture and sound.

Someone's playing hardball with me over a 1988 20" XL-100. It's not in reach of the bus system and the person won't bring it to me even though I offered extra for that. He said it's been for sale for a while and will sit until it's sold. Good luck to that money-loving bastard. Also, I asked him if it were possible to get someone else to bring it into the city while on their way, to which he agreed to try, but decided not to and didn't tell me until I asked about it again. Seems that he was hoping to get that extra cash for "whenever he comes into the city". I told him straight up that he only gets the extra if he makes a special trip. Haven't heard from him since. I made an offer that many here would consider ludicrously generous. The more money these sub-humans get, the more they want.

I wish the VHS distributers thought this way!!!

Many VHS movies have been RE-ISSUED and "Digitally" altered and look/sound like crap!!

I am very grateful to have found as many as I have that havent been digitally changed....... Seems like they are going out of thier way to destroy better analog media and its very sad....

Now, the suits can control what we see. We have to jump through their hoops just to see a free signal off-the-air.

In the case of the movies going digital, all the digital copies of the movies MUST have a key that is provided by the studio. If you don't have the key, you don't play the movie. Period. With 35mm film, you could play the movie as much as you wanted.

I hate digital. It has ruined everything.

The things people are forced to throw away!

Our department is having a big cleanout. Everything must go,
unless you store it in your own space. All storage space is
being emptied.

The good new is that the things like tubes and the tube tester are being saved for now.

But vast numbers of perfectly good old vacuum pumps, perfectly good
old Tektronix oscilloscopes, 100 Variacs, beautiful old monochromators,
a few tons of stainless steel boxes, several 130 volt 10,000 amp DC power
supplies, etc. etc. are being thrown out.

Due to state law, they can't be sold for profit, only given to
other University departments or State agencies (and this is
essentially a logistic impossibility) or MUST be destroyed and sold
as scrap. We don't get any of the scrap money! They can however,
be ransacked for parts, and we sure do do that! I saved a few
very high end Viewsonic monitors and a couple of extra CRTs from them.

True antiques are an exception but somewhat a pain. A CTC-100,
for example, could be auctioned off ... but we would not get the proceeds.
But we have nothing like that, well the very high end tube testers, but those are safe.
We already have too many old scopes that aren't worth ... yet ...
enough to put on auction. Most go. All the antique lasers are going.

My 1971 vintage and now historic and antique scientific apparatus has
most of its bulk going ... no storage space ... but I saved the guts.

We're talking up to a million dollars of stuff that could be sold on eBay
for a good money, including expenses of bookkeeping, that by law can't
be sold that way, but by law must be scrapped. That money would fund
a couple of grad student fellowships forever, but we can't get it.

I wonder why people have become this way? I know we always and still do appreciate our CRT TV's. I know my family doesn't think its's cool that we prefer a Console over a Flat Screen. However, she has had to have one of her flat screens worked on already and it still doesn't work right. I think I had mentioned had our Zenith Console bought in 1991 never had a problem until the Spring of this year and once the part was replaced it works as good as new. The flat screens will never last for 20+ yrs. like some of the old CRT's. Too bad we have become a throw away society.

I've told one or two people, "laugh all you want; but, my old TV will still be going when you are on your fifth flatscreen and I won't have nearly as much money invested in my set-up." I don't think people today care if something last or not. By the time it breaks, something more "up to date" will be out; so, just toss it and buy a new one.

A long time ago, if someone spent big money for a TV, it had better last longer than a few years.

Right On Target with your above statement.

Are you the fellow that I watched a You Tube Video on fixing a 1993 RCA Color Trax Console Set that had been hit by lighting? The date was May of this year. Did you ever get that set sold? I now of a guy who just the other day hauled one to the ditch just about like it. It was a 1997 Model. Their Mother In Law was watching it and it went to snow. They took it as the Picture Tube going out, but I think from what I have been told and read it may have been a simple fix of the tuner acting up in it like they were supposedly known for? I almost told them to put it in my vehicle. I didn't though as I would have been in big trouble from my Mother for bringing another TV home. I already have 3 console sets among 2 houses. I didn't know if the TV they threw away would be fixable because instead of moving it in the upright position they layed it down on the back side of the TV. Would this have done anymore damage to it or not? I thought maybe the gases or whatever is sealed inside of the picture tube may have become ruined? Also, it was just threw out a few days ago. It has rained once or twice since then. Do you think it could still be saved or should it be left as a ditch filler? The cabinet was excellent on it and it just killed me to see it tossed away. Futhermore, it is much newer than my 1986 Console RCA Color Trax but I really like mine but sure wouldn't mind having this one too if it still could be saved.

Yeah, that's his TV, and it still hasn't sold.

Placing that console on its back side may have broken the neck off the CRT, I don't know. As for the rain, just let the set dry out.

Yes, that's me and that's the TV that's currently sitting at the consignment shop. They had $65 on it; but, I eventually told them to take whatever they could get. I know there is nothing we can do about it and I know I need to stop ranting about it; but, it seriously is disgusting and it pisses me off that I have a nice looking console TV, complete with A/V jacks for a video game or DVD player, and these SOB's in my area won't even give it a second look. It wasn't that many years ago that I would have laughed at someone for offering me $65 for such a TV and priced at $100, I would have had people fighting over it.

I have a friend, who I've mentioned before, whe sells second-hand items. About 13 years ago, when I first met him, he'd come over on Wednesday and pick up 3 or 4 TV's, sell them on Thursday, pick up more Thursday night, sell them on Friday, pick up more on Friday night, and sell them on Saturday. Even after his cut, I was still making several hundred dollars in a weekend. He was also doing very well at selling other used items.

Now, business has gotten so bad for him (not just with TV's) that he only sells stuff on Saturday; and, on some days, he only makes enough to cover his gas and food. He might sell one or two TV's a month, at $15-$25 each; which, ain't shit. He's about the only person who has luck with getting rid of my TV's; but, he only wants to deal with smaller sets that he can move by himself (he is in his 70's and not in the best of health) and he has dropped a few hints like he may be getting tired of fooling with TV's. Of course, I can't blame him. When you can only make a few dollars profit and then have to worry about these idiots who often don't understand what "as-is" means; then, it's really not worth the trouble. In the past, he has actually sold some TV's for next to nothing, only to have the idiot buyers bring them back a month later because they were not happy with the TV.

It all goes back to how snobby people have become in thinking they must have "new everything". You know, just run on down to best buy and swipe the plastic (I guess when you're already $20K in credit card debt; what's a few hundred added on here and there).

Concerning the '97 console, it probably wasn't a good idea for them to have laid it on it's back. If it's one of the RCA's with a flat back; then, it may be OK. If it's the style with a plastic cover that sticks out the back; then, they may have busted the neck off the CRT.

If anyone here was in my area, I'd give them the damn thing just to get rid of it.

If I lived near you I wouldn't mind paying the $65 for it. It's too bad there wasn't a way that we could figure out how to get this to me. I am seriously interested in it.

I am in Northern Kansas.

Yeah, the shipping would cost way more than what the set is worth. Fortunately, RCA's that new are still very common and can usually be found locally. Just check the thrift stores. At any given time, there are always console TV's at our second-hand stores.

I think it must have had a flat back on it as it was laying perfectly flat and not able to be rocked back and forth like if it had that plastic piece on the back.

I get items for personal use or to resell rather than to collect and repair, so maybe I'm coming from a different angle than you guys. If I know I can't sell it, I don't bother w/it. To me, this tv trash/treasure thing is a glass half-full thing for you--almost a Golden Age. Why bemoan what people are throwing out when you can get the pick of it for (mostly) free? You're the beneficiary. Tech moves along and people will always want the latest. How many people lusted over bag phones because it was a status item and now no one other than someone who collects them would be caught dead w/ one?

You aint kidding buddy!!!!!!


WE KNOW WHAT WE HAVE! (I hear that saying "you dont know what you have until its gone" -- I THINK WE ALL HERE REALISE HOW GOOD WHAT WE HAVE IS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN!!)

Indeed it has my friend!

Looks and sounds like crap compared to straight analog!!!!

Here is a hybrid of sorts, a CRT VGA monitor displaying 1080i.
http://www.videokarma.org/attachment...3&d=1322354005
There's a Samsung ATSC HDTV receiver box inside the cabinet, which has outputs that can drive VGA monitors directly.

The cabinet used to house an RCA CTC19, but its chassis and original CRT long gone.

I threw away a 27" Panasonic that I bought in 94 about seven years ago because it simply had no blue anymore. Just went out one day. I threw away a gas dryer that kept cycling on and off and my stove that wouldn't turn off. Now we have forums such as this and about.com to learn from, but how many people are mechanically inclined and actually do research? There are many people who prefer CRTs (I have never owned a flat screen,) but how long has it been since they were produced? Most thrift stores don't have them plugged in and showing an image, so it is a crap shoot as to whether the tube is tired or it has other issues. Unless it is something special I start with the screen size as a base dollar amount and then add or subtract for features. 25" = $25, only rf input - $10, full set of composite and component inputs + $10. Now a good Sony with dark case and little feets instead of a snail foot across the front must be looked up for tube type instead of an arbitrary amount based on dimensions. But most people are wary of buying someone elses old junk and have no interest in repairing something worth under a couple hundred dollars.

I keep looking for an original 1.7Mhz cordless phone... I WOULD LOVE HAVING ONE!! (I figure someone sometime might throw 1 of those out!! (Those got out excellent and sounded the best!! (Being analogue and all)))

Been watching the Sony 40xbr800 for six months now no problems. Bet they can't say that about the flat panel that replaced it.

Looking at some of the older USA TV's, they seem to be housed in pieces of furniture and I think they look really good. :) But I have to agree, the stuff that some folks throw away has ALWAYS amazed me!