Alternative Way of Adjusting G2s (25EC58)

[Alex KL-1]

The factory recommended manner of adjustment are for the most repeatable and stable mode of adjusting it, but cannot be the only way. I have one TV where the red gun are only a bit weaker that others, and I simply adjusted with a B&W image at low bright settings, and repeated for low light scene/image with normal bright position of usage. Worked like a charm. Only a little deviation from the original positions. A more distance from original adjustment means weak CRT or some kind of issue in the circuits.

[TinCanAlley]

Originally Posted by Alex KL-1

The factory recommended manner of adjustment are for the most repeatable and stable mode of adjusting it, but cannot be the only way. I have one TV where the red gun are only a bit weaker that others, and I simply adjusted with a B&W image at low bright settings, and repeated for low light scene/image with normal bright position of usage. Worked like a charm. Only a little deviation from the original positions. A more distance from original adjustment means weak CRT or some kind of issue in the circuits.

I know it doesn't take much advancement of the G2s to bring up color in a B&W image, so I'm assuming the CRT is working well. Why that same advancement doesn't produce a line is beyond me.

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by TinCanAlley

I know it doesn't take much advancement of the G2s to bring up color in a B&W image, so I'm assuming the CRT is working well. Why that same advancement doesn't produce a line is beyond me.

A tiny tweak of G2 should adjust relative color level a bit on normal viewing. It's absolutely possible to still have that effect on a normal picture but no setup line...that happens when the gun bias voltages (cathode, G1,G2) are wrong or when the CRT is weak. If the cathode to grid voltage difference has the grid too negative or G2 isn't able to reach the B+ boost voltage feeding the one end, or the HV is below rated level that all could cause it.

I'm not sure how the schematic snippits you show relate to the service switch. You show the brightness limiter hooked to the Red video transistor but it probably interacts with all 3 color video transistors through paths that can't be fully seen in the snippits.

If you have a DMM and a CRT tester that's known working check the CRT and check the voltages feeding it. Maybe write them down and report back on the voltages VS schematic.

I used to have a Zenith 4-tube hybrid (basically a CCII flat chassis chassis but with tube horizontal sweep) with a bad CRT previous owner got it used in the mid 70s and it was his main daily watcher TV until 4 years ago. Two of the guns couldn't produce a line and I think I just turned off color and did what I could with color at minimum and a full screen grey scale pattern. It looked ok as long as adjusted several minutes after warm up after gun emission drift stopped.

The service switch isn't a rare part and I have seen dead ones completely kill raster in both positions...I just replaced the switch to cure the problem.

[TinCanAlley]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

A tiny tweak of G2 should adjust relative color level a bit on normal viewing. It's absolutely possible to still have that effect on a normal picture but no setup line...that happens when the gun bias voltages (cathode, G1,G2) are wrong or when the CRT is weak. If the cathode to grid voltage difference has the grid too negative or G2 isn't able to reach the B+ boost voltage feeding the one end, or the HV is below rated level that all could cause it.

I'm not sure how the schematic snippits you show relate to the service switch. You show the brightness limiter hooked to the Red video transistor but it probably interacts with all 3 color video transistors through paths that can't be fully seen in the snippits.

If you have a DMM and a CRT tester that's known working check the CRT and check the voltages feeding it. Maybe write them down and report back on the voltages VS schematic.

I used to have a Zenith 4-tube hybrid (basically a CCII flat chassis chassis but with tube horizontal sweep) with a bad CRT previous owner got it used in the mid 70s and it was his main daily watcher TV until 4 years ago. Two of the guns couldn't produce a line and I think I just turned off color and did what I could with color at minimum and a full screen grey scale pattern. It looked ok as long as adjusted several minutes after warm up after gun emission drift stopped.

The service switch isn't a rare part and I have seen dead ones completely kill raster in both positions...I just replaced the switch to cure the problem.

The parts of the schematics I showed how the setup switch connected those two circuits together. I'm assuming the switch when connected to the brightness circuit kills the brightness control and on the video side, I don't know what it does to that circuit. I could post the entire schematic, but with the size limitation here, it wouldn't be very readable.

I do have a B&K 470 with correct socket. I'll test the tube. I'll also get my small clip-ons for my DMM and test voltages. I'm assuming the best place to do that is directly to the CRT pins?

[TinCanAlley]

Just tube through entire test and it is in great shape. So now it's on to voltage testing. I'll scan back through past posts as I recall doing something similar back in 2013. Will be interesting to see what I get now compared to back then.

[TinCanAlley]

Originally Posted by Alex KL-1

The factory recommended manner of adjustment are for the most repeatable and stable mode of adjusting it, but cannot be the only way. I have one TV where the red gun are only a bit weaker that others, and I simply adjusted with a B&W image at low bright settings, and repeated for low light scene/image with normal bright position of usage. Worked like a charm. Only a little deviation from the original positions. A more distance from original adjustment means weak CRT or some kind of issue in the circuits.

I will give this a try as testing the CRT puts it as being good and I don't want to push it harder than it should be so I lasts as long as possible.

So when I do this I should turn the brightness control down to a very low level, but the image should still be visible for adjusting. Contrast matter? Then once I adjust for a good grayscale, I turn up the brightness to a normal level and readjust the guns.