Hey Kirk,

This sounds very much like a problem I had right after purchasing a Sony 17" Trinitron set back in 1977. It turned out to be some kind of power issue and not a problem with the CRT even though it would go dark after the snapping sound. One day it went dark and never recovered, and some very small part was to blame.

While people are in agreement that it appears your CRT may have issues, it would be worth checking your power supply. I know we're talking apples and oranges some 30 years apart, but even with my limited knowledge I know there are certain elements of TV receiver theory that have remained in use since the beginning so your problem could be located somewhere outside of the CRT.

Hopefully one of these days you'll find a Capehart that won't present a nagging problem as you attempt to revive it. They are nice sets.

Ralph