The best solid state color TVs ever made

[etype2]

I purchased the following Sony color sets new back in the day. All continue to operate well without any servicing except as noted.

1968 KV 7010U Wife gave away in 2006. Found replacement.
1969 KV 1210U Wife gave away in 2006. Found replacement.
1969 KV 1220U.
1970 KV 1720U Sold 2004.
1973 KV 1722.
1980 KX-2501A Profeel.
2004 KD-34XBR960

[JohnCT]

Originally Posted by etype2

I purchased the following Sony color sets new back in the day. All continue to operate well without any servicing except as noted.

1968 KV 7010U Wife gave away in 2006. Found replacement.
1969 KV 1210U Wife gave away in 2006. Found replacement.
1969 KV 1220U.
1970 KV 1720U Sold 2004.
1973 KV 1722.
1980 KX-2501A Profeel.
2004 KD-34XBR960

I guess you don't have brownouts where you live...

John

[jr_tech]

Originally Posted by JohnCT

I guess you don't have brownouts where you live...

John

So what’s the story about Sony tvs and brownouts? Certain years, certain designs killed by brownouts?

jr

[Alex KL-1]

I have witnessed some 80's japanese TV's in waiting rooms where their owners have said that these TV's have been in use for well over a decade. Especially one Sharp here in the driver's/car pool; is from mid-80's and only recently was retired due to absence of HDMI input ... (was working, with great bright)!
Some serious run hours for this CRT.

[ARC Tech-109]

Originally Posted by jr_tech

So what’s the story about Sony tvs and brownouts? Certain years, certain designs killed by brownouts?

jr

I've had problems with those Sanken STR3000 series hybrid regulators on the larger Sony KV TV's from the 80's, don't recall if it was due to a brownout low voltage condition but they were a pain regardless.

[JohnCT]

Originally Posted by jr_tech

So what’s the story about Sony tvs and brownouts? Certain years, certain designs killed by brownouts?

jr

Sony TVs of the 70s were pretty reliable but they didn't like running at 90V or below - in fact, when the voltage went down the current went up and they'd blow. They eventually revised the design. Before they did, rolling brownouts in New York city particularly would cause a power supply failure on an otherwise properly working TV. I can't recall the chassis involved any more - maybe someone else remember them.

What caught a lot of techs back then was that when SS electronically regulated power supplies came out, a Variac was a useful tool when troubleshooting them. Many manufacturers like Zenith, RCA, Sylvania, Motorola, etc. had flowcharts that would often recommend starting the chassis at 60V or so and bring them up to 130V measuring for current and voltage regulation after the supply was repaired and to test the performance of the regulation.

Bringing up these Sonys on a variac would destroy them even if they were properly repaired.

John

[jr_tech]

Thanks

I will avoid using the variac on early Sony sets, although I think I did on a KV-9000 that got flooded, without harm.

jr

[Tube TV]

Without a doubt one of these RCA's



I have one that I picked up used for $3 at a thrift shop back in 2002. I estimate that It's ran at least 70,000 hours as a surveillance monitor from 2007 to 2018 till it was having something arcing in the HV when it's cold and first startup in the morning.

It still works and outside of a bit of burn in the picture is still sharp as a tack and the colors are bright and dead on accurate. I've still have to track the arcing down and correct it.

[JohnCT]

Originally Posted by Tube TV

Without a doubt one of these RCA's



I have one that I picked up used for $3 at a thrift shop back in 2002. I estimate that It's ran at least 70,000 hours as a surveillance monitor from 2007 to 2018 till it was having something arcing in the HV when it's cold and first startup in the morning.

It still works and outside of a bit of burn in the picture is still sharp as a tack and the colors are bright and dead on accurate. I've still have to track the arcing down and correct it.

Looks like the venerable CTC107/8/9 series. And you're correct - other than the early 1981 run where they had a lot of flybacks fail, your example was not an aberration. They were a simple and low cost design, but they could run up ridiculous hours without breaking a sweat. When I was selling new TVs in the 1980s, one of the ways I was able to get sales was to give a three year parts and labor warranty with every new TV. Up until the CTC140 (a great performer) came out, I never had to repair a single one of those.

John