Well, I'm still pretty new to all this and I've never even touched a DuMont before, so I can't comment on anything techical here. Following this thread has been really interesting and I admire Cary for all that he's done. It's a great job to get this far and an inspiration to newbies everywhere.

The discussion is starting to remind me of what happens with a lot of car guys. They get their car repainted and then worry over a minor imperfection because they're so close to it and want it to be totally perfect. However, nobody else ever notices and can barely see it even when it's pointed out to them.

The truth of the matter is it's impossible to get something totally perfect and it wasn't even that way when it was new. Just go to a new car lot today and really look over the cars and you'll see lots of flaws.

Of course I'm not seeing the DuMont in person so I might change my mind if I did, but the pictures look pretty darn good even if it is a little darker. I would say a few things to keep in mind are:

A) This set probably wasn't perfect when new.

B) It was designed to pick up weak over the air signals that an owner in 1950 might have only been able to get with a huge antenna, a lot of static, and only at night if they were far enough out. They would have considered it good if you could even see a face.

C) They ain't makin' parts or CRT's anymore, so I say unless it's for daily use, get all you can out of the existing stuff.

D) I bet everybody you show it to will oohh and aahh over it, congratulate you on a job well done, and never even notice the imperfections. And, if somebody does, just mention points A through C above, or tell them to go buy their own DuMont and see if they can do better!

Finally, somebody above mentioned just sitting down and watching the set for a couple of hours and see how you like it. Watch it as if it was a regular tv, not a family heirloom. If it's still objectionable to you, then try tweaking it.

I think a good test might be to throw in a Girls Gone Wild tape and after the end of it you're still noticing the lines, it might need adjusting.