Show us your Toobz (CRTs)!

[ThePhleo | 2,276]

@SNESNESCUBE64 Are we reaching a point where sourcing CRT's is impossible?

As in: do you have to accept the fact that even if you have a $100,000 arcade cabinet (if such a thing existed) that there would be no way of getting a mint, or new CRT replacement for it.

Edited May 29 by ThePhleo

[SNESNESCUBE64 | 625]

1 minute ago, ThePhleo said:

@SNESNESCUBE64 Are we reaching a point where sourcing CRT's is impossible?

As in: do you have to accept the fact that even if you have a $100,000 arcade cabinet (if such a thing existed) that there would be no way of getting a mint, or new CRT replacement for it.

Short answer: not really. They can still be acquired even though tubes haven't been made in quite some time. Some tubes are much harder than others, such as ones for color vector monitors which are rather uncommon these days. But in terms of normal monitors, there are many burn free examples still floating around. Tube swaps also exist. I pick up every set off the side of the road to steal their tube. I actually just got a nice 25" set that I did a tube swap for. I picked up the donor off the side of the road. Even so, NOS pops up every so often. A few just sold on KLOV for about $500 each. I have a lot of tubes because I plan on staying in this hobby for the long term. Ultimately I think we have a while before even the common tubes are impossible to get.

One thing people have to realize is that burn/imperfections are just part of the arcade hobby. You can chase burn free but you will spend a pretty penny for little benefit (in my opinion). Under normal circumstances you won't see it nor will you care. The best thing to do is get what is in the machine working to the best of your ability. This involves recapping and any other repairs.

I like showing the absolute worst case burn because it is interesting to see just how far it goes. But the truth is not all of them are burnt like that. The UV light really shows what burn. For example with the space fever: you can hardly see it without the UV light.

[The Count | 600]

Is screen burn being evident when non-powered repairable, for example with your Double Dragon monitor? Also, am I to understand that it isn't noticeable when powered on?

[SNESNESCUBE64 | 625]

51 minutes ago, The Count said:

Is screen burn being evident when non-powered repairable, for example with your Double Dragon monitor? Also, am I to understand that it isn't noticeable when powered on?

Burn cannot be reversed. It is the result of physical damage to the phosphors due to a static image being on the screen for a very extended period of time. Unfortunately it's just something you gotta live with in the arcade hobby.

Whether or not you notice it is dependent on what kind of game it is paired with. For example, my Mario Bros cabinet has burn in from two or three games that aren't Mario Bros, but it isn't noticable due to the game having a mostly dark background. At the same time, don't put a burn free tube in games like Pacman, which will burn it due to the static maze.

With burn it is best to pair it with a game with matching burn. But if it is severe enough pair it with a darker game. Another thing that helps a lot is tinted plexi, it does an excellent job at hiding burn. In an arcade environment, it is going to be a dimly lit room in many cases and the game is going to have tinted plexi, so you won't notice minor burn. With the space fever machine I have, you would have no idea because of this. If it is severe like the double dragon burn, then it will be a bit more noticeable.

[MegaMan52 | 2,592]

OK, so maybe this doesn't quite count but I'm posting pics of it here anyway 'cause I feel like it.

Got a 40" Samsung DLP TV from 2004. It has Coaxial, A/V, S-Video, Component, and DVI connections. It can display 240p, 480i, 480p, and 720p resolutions. The seller included the remote, manual, and warranty paper. Plays some classic sound effects when turned on and off. Oh, and it was also free.

Edited September 16 by MegaMan52

[Rhuno | 163]

Spotted this Sony KV-24FS100 on the side of the road while taking my son to school on Friday; picked it up on the way back home. I wasn't too sure about it's condition as it had rained the night before and the tv was pretty wet. Anyway I got it home, dried it out, cleaned it up and the old girl works wonderfully. 

Before:

Cleaning:

After:

Edited September 7 by Rhuno