I wanted this SONY to monitor a video synthesizer which I am making.
This is the video synth which I will use for an upcoming project I'm really excited about:
The Sony Trinitron (in any size) is a great colour CRT. This unit is on the small side, however the display is amazingly crisp at that size. It has extra height with the video player, which is handy for tabletop use (it sits higher on the surface = easier to see)
I picked this guy up for 15e, sight unseen (I love that phrase - I know it's slightly incorrect here, however it's the closest use case I have this month, so I'm taking it) at a flea market type shop (proceeds to charity so I don't feel too bad if it doesn't work)
It didn't work : ) Although there were bits of black and white on the screen, it was not completely dead. The buttons were unresponsive and there was no image. The fan turned very slowly and grindingly. Undervoltage issue, at the least.
I replaced 2 caps in the power supply, one had leaked. It now was working again though there was an issue with the vertical hold. I replaced two more caps in the vertical section, though I think the issue was only that the vertical hold pot (external user control) was in the wrong position! It was fairly easy to work on, being modular in construction, you just have to get to it. Sony are good for maintenance.
CRT work is inherently dangerous! Do not try this unless you know how to work with lethal voltages.
I took the fan apart and cleaned it and put some oil on the bearing. Works much better.
In could do with a full recap of the PSU I think, however I checked the voltages from the service manual, and they are all in spec, nothing immediate to fix.
The video part is not working well. It came with a tape stuck inside, I managed to make him eject the tape, though I inserted it again and then he chewed it : 0 I don't have any more tapes to test it with, so I will leave this part alone. It's also difficult to work on being underneath the TV block (you have to remove the TV block entirely) Whilst working video would be enjoyable, it's not worth the work to me. I only really want to monitor and not record or playback tapes, so this is fine for my purposes.
Finished and working again:
Some images and video (below) of the process:
(I'm not a fan!! I just grabbed a DVD player + disk to provide video signal)
Intro:
Elation:
Additional info:
Finish: