RCA CTC16XL CRT Cataract Repair

[@PhaQ2]

Use the "green" issue to push right to repair. If we can repair what we have, the landfill sees less of what we have!

[@billharris6886]

I was a TV Tech in 1974 and 1975 and worked on a lot of CTC-16 sets. The CTC-16 was the last and probably the best chassis used with the 70 degree deflection (19" round) CRT. In that day, problems were loss of connection due to solder fatigue on some of the tube socket pins and where the chassis tabs soldered to the PC boards. That 20 watt concrete resistor under the high voltage compartment, elevated the flyback transformer temperature, causing shortened life. The horizontal output tube is driven very hard on color sets so, they had to be replaced about every 2 years. The high voltage should be set at 21 - 22 kV, runing it higher is hard on the flyback. When replacing aluminum electrolytics, I only use Panasonic (best), Nichicon (2nd best), and United Chemi-con (3rd). Use the highest temperature and life hour ratings, only bought from Digi-key, as there are a lot of counterfeits out there. The 19" round CRTs were never designed for high brightness so, keep the brightness at the minimum level required in a room with the drapes pulled.

[@davepike6170]

Bill Harris, I completely agree about the CTC-16, I worked in a TV repair shop from '77 to 1981, and was still servicing several 16's that customers were still using! Also saw a few CTC-20, the last RCA roundie, back then.

[@MaximRecoil]

"When replacing aluminum electrolytics, I only use Panasonic (best), Nichicon (2nd best), and United Chemi-con (3rd)." What do you base that on? Sounds like an opinion you pulled out of thin air to me, since I very much doubt you've ever done exhaustive long-term tests to arrive at that conclusion, since that would be an enormous undertaking. Also, Panasonic has fallen behind when it comes to through-hole aluminum electrolytic capacitors. They don't make a very wide variety of them these days, and the ones they do make often have lower specifications than ones from the other first-tier Japanese brands. For example, try to find a 1uF 400v Panasonic rated for 125°C or 130°C. Digi-Key has 6 results for Panasonic in that value; 3 of them are 2000 hours @ 85°C, and 3 of them are 2000 hours at 105°C. On the other hand, Rubycon has 12 results, and they don't even bother with 85°C. For their ones rated at 2000 hours, the temperature is 130°C. For their 105°C ones, they have a choice of 8000 or 12000 hours. They also have 125°C ones @ 4000 hours. Nichicon has 30 results with the highest hours @ temperature rating being 12000 hours @ 105°C. UCC has 9 results but none of them are in stock. Their highest is 10000 hours @ 105°C. Rubycon has been my first choice for years when buying through-hole aluminum electrolytic capacitors. They often have the best specifications among the first-tier brands, plus I've worked on a lot of '70s and '80s Japanese-made electronics that had Rubycons from the factory; classic Nintendo coin-operated arcade machines (e.g., Punch-Out!!, Donkey Kong, Popeye, Mario Bros., etc.) for example, and arcade machines in the '80s tended to be on all day, every day, for years on end.

[@billharris6886]

@@MaximRecoil I started out repairing TVs and Radios in 1970, then moved on to aircraft communication radios, and then the design. The advertised temperature range was -55 to +70 Celsius (-67 to +158 Fahrenheit) with some radios actually experiencing an additional 10 degrees C in some installations. To design radios to be reliable in this environment, I would take many weeks pouring over all the different capacitor technology databooks, taking the closest look at capacitor manufacturers having the best track records. Once a design was formulated, it went through accelerated life tests, being operated at temperature extremes with vibration for several months. At the conclusion of these tests, all the components were evaluated to see how well they held up., I have also worked as an electronic component engineer for 2 years plus, have been restoring old tube radios since 1970 so, this is the background I am coming from. Keep in mind that capacitor manufacturers have been increasing or reducing their offerings depending upon sales, and this market is constantly changing. I have been familiar with Rubycon since the 1970's. It is one of the better quality capacitor manufacturers but, I would rank it just behind United Chemi-con. However, I retired in 2018 so, Rubicon may have improved. Here are a few tips to maximize the life of electrolytic capacitors: (1) Mount them away from heat producing components. (2) Measure the capacitor ripple current and de-rate it if near its limit by using 2 half value capacitors in parallel. (3) Super small case size electrolytics should be avoided because they dry out quickly. Instead, use a plastic film capacitor. (4) If you need a higher voltage capacitor and no such value is available, 2 capacitors can be connected in series but, must use a resistive voltage divider to ensure equal voltage sharing. (5) Solid tantalum capacitors should never be used on power supply lines. These capacitors (although having superior low ESR) are guaranteed to short out at random, which can catch your unit on fire.

[@MaximRecoil]

​@@billharris6886 "Once a design was formulated, it went through accelerated life tests, being operated at temperature extremes with vibration for several months. At the conclusion of these tests, all the components were evaluated to see how well they held up" When is the last time you did that, and how many different brands of capacitors did you test in the same design? And which brands were they? "I have been familiar with Rubycon since the 1970's. It is one of the better quality capacitor manufacturers but, I would rank it just behind United Chemi-con. However, I retired in 2018 so, Rubicon may have improved." I doubt very much that there's any meaningful difference between any of the first-tier Japanese capacitor brands, when using capacitors of the same or similar specifications. At that point it comes down to which of them have the highest specifications, and that's often Rubycon these days, like in the 1uF 400v capacitor example. If trying to go with Panasonic or UCC, sometimes you can't even find the value you need from them at Digi-Key or Mouser. Here's another example: 470uF 200v, which is a value I recently used to replace the main AC filter capacitor in a 1988 CRT TV. I used a Rubycon, 12,000 hours @ 105C. Nichicon and UCC also have ones rated for 12,000 hours @ 105C. But once again, Panasonic is bringing up the rear, with their highest hours @ temperature rating being 3000 Hrs @ 105C. "Here are a few tips to maximize the life of electrolytic capacitors: (1) Mount them away from heat producing components. (2) Measure the capacitor ripple current and de-rate it if near its limit by using 2 half value capacitors in parallel. (3) Super small case size electrolytics should be avoided because they dry out quickly. Instead, use a plastic film capacitor. (4) If you need a higher voltage capacitor and no such value is available, 2 capacitors can be connected in series but, must use a resistive voltage divider to ensure equal voltage sharing. (5) Solid tantalum capacitors should never be used on power supply lines. These capacitors (although having superior low ESR) are guaranteed to short out at random, which can catch your unit on fire." That's some good information; thanks. I'll point out that in the case of your #3, if replacing capacitors in a pre-existing design which used a small case size electrolytic, same-value film capacitors tend to be too large to fit in the location, unless you extend the lead length to mount it remotely, which changes the electrical characteristics (perhaps not by enough to matter in some instances, but it still does). Also, with regard to #5, if the design has proper fusing, nothing should ever catch on fire due to a shorted component.

[@billharris6886]

@@MaximRecoil I'm not trying to debate here, I was just giving you some of my 50 years of experience. Most of the accelerated life tests were done during the 1980's and 1990's. At that time Sprague was the best electrolytic cap manufacturer. There are 2 types of electrolyte used; a consumer grade and an industrial extended range, the industrial one can be identified by its lower temperature rating. Other than the electrolyte used, the biggest other factors in life ratings are the body size. The longer life caps have a larger body so they can hold more electrolyte. I agree, the plastic film cap takes up a lot more space than the electrolytic but, only mentioned it in case you have the space. That's all I care to discuss.

[@69A12SuperBee]

I just love this one! Boy if I could remember how many CTC 25 chassis I went through just brings back a lot of memories LOL thanks for the walk down memory lane! Still can’t beat good old factory RCA CRT television 😊

[@mechtrician1]

Awesome! I love that some of the car folks like the vintage electronic stuff too.

[@MaximRecoil]

I would have used 3M urethane (08609; the stuff they use to mount windshields and rear windows in cars) instead of silicone. Silicone isn't much of an adhesive, while 3M urethane can hold the rear window in a car while going down the interstate at 75+ MPH with all the windows rolled down. Also, it's very thick/viscous stuff, so you wouldn't need the double-sided foam tape for spacing. Just lay down, say, a 1/4" thick bead of urethane and set the safety glass on top of it, and it will stay on top without compressing the urethane much.

[@crist67mustang]

*English/Spanish lesson for today:* Cataract: cataratas (blur view of eyes) Water fall: cataratas 😉🥰

[@tomcarlson3913]

When I do cataract procedures on CRTs that are already converged and set up I leave all the neck hardware on. When you do it that way you have to remove the convergence board and be careful not to crunch it, but doing it that way saves a lot of work. I don't know if the California stores carry a product called "Goof Off" but the lacquer thinner like clear liquid version in the metal can (not the colored stuff in the spray bottle) does a good job of removing PVA residue. What I do is peel the thick stuff and as much as my hands and fingernails will readily get, then use Goof Off (and possibly an expired credit card) to get the rest, then clean with glass cleaner, and if necessary go back to the Goof Off step. It works fairly well.

[@mechtrician1]

I was going to leave it all on there but Shango actually suggested I remove it all. He said it would be easier to handle, especially for my first one. I have goof off, acetone, and lacquer thinner. I just used acetone because it was most handy in my solvent sprayer but good to know goof off works. That’s what I did though. I peeled as much off by hand as I could before I had to scrape.

[@johnnytacokleinschmidt515]

You. Lucky. DOG! Cool set and I wish I had it. Enjoy!

[@aerotro]

Nice job I am sure Shango will help you get it setup right very nice first time de-cateract job was referred from his channel.

[@pyeltd.5457]

looks like Shangos telly

[@crist67mustang]

Darling, I wonder to my self if that blury image given may be cause of the safety glass originally had a solution ( glue film like a ham in a sandwich) in all screen, remember that you removed it all, not only in borders, and now it has not that. I don't know if I am being understood, cause my English is limited. XD Huggs from the far city of Santiago, Chile (SouthAmerica).

[@michelescanzano5025]

thank you

[@janestucker1020]

I was watching to see if Hoss Cartwright was going to appear! #Bonanza

[@charris939]

Neat Job, I wonder if the softnes of the Picture ture is the fact that there is an air gap between the screen and the protecting sheet,? It's like you might need a clear flexible laminate sheet between or even an ultra clear silicone which you can adhere it with? EIther way it's gonna be tricky!

[@mechtrician1]

It was mostly all in setup actually. I finally got the focus sorted out the other day. That will be out in a future video.

[@charris939]

@@mechtrician1 cool

[@tomfranco4866]

Was this shangos I like this particular model❤

[@mechtrician1]

It was

[@joshuaupham5993]

Ever tried a plastic razor blade?

[@mechtrician1]

I sure have. I even have some. They don’t work very well.

[@justinjoyit13]

Interesting but found myself FF when you talk about doing things for ages but not doing them...