Marantz RPTV repair

**mrstampe** · **12-13-07, 12:23 PM**

I have a Marantz PV6080W 60" CRT RPTV with issues. I think the blue lamp is going out, as all blue images on the screen have significant halo or border fuzziness. All other color images are crystal clear. Is that typical of a failing lamp, or one that needs to be redirected/refocused?

I've tried dealing with Marantz CS for hours on hold and through their poor online support. Finally, they just told me to talk to Phillips CS, as they don't support their own DLP products anymore.

If it helps, I could take a picture of the screen to demonstrate what is happening. If it is one of the above problems with the blue lamp, is it reasonable for a relatively tech savvy person to attempt the repair?

**Bear5K** · **12-13-07, 01:48 PM**

A picture would be good. Did this just start? If it did, then I'd have to think about causes. My first reaction is "chromatic aberration" (aka "fringing"), which is a lens quality issue, often with blue.

BTW, for a DLP, there is only one lamp, so it would be the blue filter (segment of the color wheel) that might be dirty.

Bill

**mrstampe** · **12-13-07, 02:13 PM**

This has been going on for some time and seems to be stable, but very annoying. For example,what is intended to be a sharp blue box image actually appears to be cloudy at the edges, like a street light in fog. The soonest I could post a picture would be tomorrow evening. Also, I might have the technology wrong -- it may be a CRT RPTV (see link to model info here). Thanks a lot for the help!

**lcaillo** · **12-13-07, 05:39 PM**

I am not specifically familiar with that set, but I suspect that it was made by Philips and you are experiencing the contaminated coolant in the blue CRT that is very common with Philips CRT RPTVs. The green will do the same thing. The CRTs will have to be taken apart, cleaned thoroughly, re-assembled, new coolant installed, and the set will need to be focused, converged, and gray scale will need to be adjusted.

As far as I know, Marantz never had a DLP set in a RPTV design.

Because this is a common problem, I will be starting a thread with details about the problem and how to resolve it. Look for it over the next few days if you plan to DIY. If you will have it done by a tech, stay away from anyone who says that they change the coolant without taking the tubes out and without disassembly. This is not the proper way to solve this problem and is dangerous. Any drips or leaks that get onto a circuit board, the high voltage leads, or the yokes can be catastrophic.

**mrstampe** · **12-16-07, 02:01 AM**

The blue glowing is most evident in a dark room. The image below is supposed to be a sharp blue rectangle on the screen. So, do you think this looks like contaminated coolant on the blue lamp? If so, I'll look forward to your DIY repair thread. Thanks in advance for you help!

**lcaillo** · **12-16-07, 10:57 AM**

I would say that it is very likely, but it could be some focus related problem as well. The only way to know is to look into the lens with a flashlight when the set is off and see if the coolant is clear or cloudy.

**lcaillo** · **12-16-07, 04:44 PM**

I changed the title of the thread from "Marantz DLP repair" to "Marantz RPTV repair" to avoid confusion.

**Bear5K** · **12-16-07, 05:38 PM**

CRT Fungus and other issues are definitely out of my league. Have to bow out now.

**mrstampe** · **12-19-07, 12:02 AM**

Here are two more examples of my problem:

**lcaillo** · **12-19-07, 05:29 AM**

This definitely looks like a focus or coolant problem. Have you taken the set apart to look into the lenses?

**mrstampe** · **12-19-07, 02:12 PM**

Quote:

lcaillo wrote:

This definitely looks like a focus or coolant problem. Have you taken the set apart to look into the lenses?

I'll take the back off tonight to take some shots of the lenses. Is there something else I should be checking for if this is a focus problem? Also where would I buy coolant and sealer if the problem turns out to be contaminated coolant?

**lcaillo** · **12-19-07, 06:05 PM**

Just look into the lenses with a flashlight and see if the blue coolant is cloudy or clear. The coolant can be bought from distributors like Tritronics, Fox, or Andrews. The sealer can be found at any hardware store.

**mrstampe** · **12-19-07, 08:50 PM**

It looks like I may have two contaminated guns. It appears the middle gun is green, but I'm not sure which of the others are blue and red. Red images do not appear to be distorted, only the blue ones.

**lcaillo** · **12-19-07, 10:04 PM**

It is always the blue and green in the philips sets.

**mrstampe** · **12-19-07, 10:28 PM**

If I undertake a coolant exchange, how big of a deal is it to aim and focus the guns afterward? Is there a thread that discusses this procedure?

**lcaillo** · **12-20-07, 09:30 PM**

I have not gotten that far in the coolant thread yet. Focusing is pretty easy. Convergence and geometry can be a bit of a patience test in the philips sets.

**mrstampe** · **01-26-08, 12:38 PM**

Quote:

lcaillo wrote:

I have not gotten that far in the coolant thread yet. Focusing is pretty easy. Convergence and geometry can be a bit of a patience test in the philips sets.

I'm still glowing!! My RPTV, that is... I'm anxious to perform the coolant exchange on my CRTs, but unless I can focus and aim the guns afterward, I dare not disable my home theater. Lcaillo, you advice has been awesome! If you could direct me to a resource for focusing/aiming, I'd be ready to go. If you have the extra time to explain the process here, even better! Thanks again for all of your help on this forum.

**lcaillo** · **01-26-08, 01:28 PM**

I don't know of such a resource, though one might exist if you do some searching. Focus is easy. You adjust the electrostatic focus controls on the black box for best focus looking into the lenses at the face of the CRT or on the screen. You adjust the lens focus by putting a black cloth or blanket over the screen, then looking from the back at the screen (I like to look up at the mirror to see the middle of the screen straight on) and adjust the lenses for best focus there then tighten the wing nuts. Nothing tricky about any of this, assuming you got the tubes back together and filled just like they were before and did not reverse anything or leave a bubble.

Convergence is a little more complicated. I recommend leaving the red alone and using it as a reference to match the green and blue to. Remember to mark the yoke position on the CRTs carefully, then tweak the rotation for the best overall tilt and skew match, then you have to do the rest from the remote.

**mrstampe** · **01-26-08, 02:27 PM**

Great, I'll be ordering coolant today. Any guess as to how much I'll need to order (approx)?

**lcaillo** · **01-26-08, 03:12 PM**

About 8 oz per tube generally. I waste a little and rinse the chamber with about an ounce or two and discard that to be sure I have no contaminants. I usually preceed that with a rinse with isopropanol and let it dry overnight.

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