SCOOTERDOG Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 Well last week my big screen took a dump. The service guy came out on Monday and knew exactly what the problem was. Turned out to be a chip that controls the green gun. So after a $200.00 for the service call and a $50.00 for the part I was on my way. He was kind enough to clean the whole unit. He took off the front screen to expose the guns and the mirror. To my surprise they were so dusty I couldn't believe that I was still getting a decent picture. He cleaned the lenses and the mirror, refocused evreything and then went on to do a convergence using this little box that I wish I owened. When all was said and done my picture was just outstanding. So much crisper and clear. He said that all you have to do is remove the screws that hold the front screen on and clean the lenses and mirror about twice a year and you will keep that nice crisp picture. So for those of you that have big screens and have never done this. Get out the phillips screw driver, your bottle of windex and a soft cloth and clean away. You to will realize the clarity that you deserve Scooterdog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael hurd Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 That's good to know information, even for those who are looking at buying a big screen tv as well! I don't think I have ever heard a salesman tell a person on why they should, or even how to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 I did that to mine not to long ago due to cobwebs, I thought they were actually between the screen protector and the screen but it turns out they were behind it. The mirror in there was filthy and had a film on it. I gave it a thorough wipe down and clean up. I thought the picture was nice before until I cleaned up the internals. My set has an auto convergence feature that I ran after the cleaning so I did not need the box. Quite a few screws to remove to get the front off. It is so big you need two people to remove and reposition it back on though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikjohn Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 Great post scooter! I think I will do mine this weekend. EJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael hurd Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 This forum is great! With the combined knowledge of the members here, almost anything is possible! Just think of how many years of experience are posessed by all the members combined. Without this forum, I probably wouldn't have decided to build a subwoofer. But, thanks to all the members here, I have decided that adire's tempest shall be my next purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 I have a question. What is the source of the dust and how does it get inside? Many years ago I bought a suitcase IBM computer, used. This was when the PS2's just came on line. The dealer was forced to take PC's as trade ins. The saleman said it was a creampuff because it was only used in an office. Not quite; on boot the fan made a sound like a dentist drill, and the guy reduced the price. I took it apart to replace the fan and found so much dust, more like dark wheat flour, that I became convinced it had been used on a construction site. Grrr. But I loved it. Really well built. The IBM equivalent of a Compaq suitcase. Then I upgraded the office IBM PC computers to add a hard drive. Yeah, that long ago. There was the same sort of dust in some, not in others. All of these had been purchased new and sat in a big office suite up until that time. Finally the answer became clear. The dusty computers were used by people who smoked cigarettes while working in front of them. The forced air cooling drew in the smoke, which had a fair amount of particles, and the particulates settled inside. So, back to the question. Does the RPTV have a fan, and is there a smoker in the house? I'm curious. Best, Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael hurd Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 You should have seen the inside of the home computer when I took it apart to add a cdr burner. When we bought it ( used ) it was spotless inside. 6 months later it was packed with dust. Neither of us smoke, but the dog probably makes up for it with all the dog fur, and the fan sucks the dust right in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 Very interesting. I should not be so quick to blame smokers. I do smoke, but in much more moderation than I used to. Sharper Image sells its variation on an electrostatic precipitator for big bucks. However, it seems like our computers, and perhaps RPTVs are doing the same. Something to think about. Honey, the new RPTV and computers will remove harmful allegens and dust, making our life more healthful. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q-Man Posted November 7, 2003 Share Posted November 7, 2003 I have a maintenance contract on my set. They come out once a year to clean and adjust the set. After seeing how dusty the guns get I started cleaning them once in between their visits. This means the set gets cleaned every six months. The picture always looks brighter after the cleaning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philooh Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 I had some remodeling done on my basement and the HVAC (furnace) sucked all the dust from the drywall and deposited it all over the place after cleaning all that up and changing filters something said look in the backof your RPTV it had enough dust to film a movie so i cleaned it broke out the THX Optimizer and voila new picture after that i cleaned it twice a year every year until bought my HDTV cleaning your set is very important extends tyhe life of your tv because the crt's are just burning the dust into the lense killing your pictureby the way the new HDTV is superb I cant go back to standard tv. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyKlipschFan Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 Soft cotton always, and Never paper towels... Might scratch. just my 2 cents.. I helped my sister do hers and BOY what a difference. She bought a great Mitsubishi at a garage sale.. They thought it was ggoing bad in a basement.. 300 dollar purchase...50 inch screen. It was just dirty is all. HUGE improvement. On the outside screen, both inside and viwers side.....warm water, nothing else if you have a plastic screen...Again cotton. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
htxpert Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 Hi All A little word of caution here Know what you are doing ,how to do it, and what tools to do it with. Some sets are very hard to service and you can damage yourself or your RP very easy if you don't know the procedure (Be very careful with Pioneer/Pioneer Elite) If you try to go in through the back the mirror will dislodge and come crashing through the front of the set and on some Rear projectors if you are not careful removing the front you could scratch the entire screen with the hardware Before any service unplug the set and let it sit for 10 minutes. Always wear a static bracelet when servicing your set . Rear projectors should be cleaned and calibrated every year or so This includes cleaning the CRTs, (Do not disassemble CRT from lens assembly unless you know what you are doing) (Windex can remove protective finish on crt lens) NEVER SPRAY ANYTHING ONTO THE CRT! Moister can get trapped between the CRT face and the lens creating a permanent fog . A slightly damp baby diaper works fine. Rub in one direction do not rub hard, leaving the streaks is better than rubbing in a mark on the lense the Mirror can be cleaned the same way The electronics package should be cleaned. Cover the CRTs first then You can blow off the electronics package with non moisture compressed canned air this should be done first I use a small wet vac while I blow the dust off so the dust does not fly everywhere Try to minimize the amount of dust that is blown upward into the CRT area Tubes should never be touched with your hands (Not the crts the tubes below ) also do not touch the yoke on the tubes unless your set is way off and needs major calibration (raster centering/astigmatism adjustment) a full center and edge mechanical focus should be done If you don't know how the crt should be focused with a dot pattern or a pattern generator leave it alone electronic focus should be touched up using the focus block The blue crt should be slightly defocused for better gray scale tracking do not touch the screen level pots unless you have the voltage spec after all this is done you can go into the service menu and start the electronic calibration/geometry portion of the service If you want to go into your set to do a little cleaning just be careful If you don't have a service manual and do not understand how the controls work leave all adjustments alone and call an ISF calibrator Here is a little tweak for the DIY Guys and Gals that are going in to clean there sets at there own risk When you remove the screen you will see the mirror directly in front of you you will also notice wood or plastic on the sides top and bottom around the mirror (mirror housing) this material is most often painted black or is black or it can have no paint at all. The reason the manufactures paint it black is to minimize reflectivity around the mirror. Black paint helps but if you want to improve the performance of your set by minimizing reflectivity inside you cabinet consider applying Fireproof Duvetyne to the sides, top and bottom around the mirror. If you have a wood enclosure you can staple it If you have a plastic enclosure you can glue it DO Not spray any glue inside the cabinet apply the glue to the Duvetyne until tacky then apply to the enclosure this prevents anything dripping on crts , mirror or anything else It is also a good idea to cover the CRTs wile working on your set If you don't have lense covers old stretched out tube socks work well The Duvetyne will absorb reflected light bounce in your cabinet and improve contrast and black level This is a simple tweak that takes a couple of hours cost is about $25 Take your time when installing it cut out around the crt table if you are installing it on the bottom keep it away from the electronics it only needs to be in the upper section of the mirror housing Hope this helps Duvetyne is available at Rose Brand or Set Shop and Show Biz Enterprises RLA Home Theater & Hi-Fi Your Inland Empire THX Certified Dealer/Installer www.rlahometheater.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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