65HX81 Convergence & Hyper Module

[Telecorder]

First off, kudos to the forum and extensive, detailed info especially in dealing with the issues.

Having the 65HX81 since ~2001, it's been a champ with only one service repair ever being needed a few years back [not even sure what it was for but ~$350...]

Now am at a cross roads - given the age of unit and prices of newer units, am being confronted with whether to put $$ into fixing unit by tech repair, DIY or punt and put $$ into new unit.

Current issue is the image went through an episode where it went '3-D' and collapsed to black. Now unit on power up only has the power led blinking with no sound or image. Unplug reset - same issue. In extensive research/review of multiple forums have come to this forum and the conclusion that the convergence ICs/pico have probably gone out. Anticipating this is probably a $4-500 tech repair, I'm not sure if I want to really put this much into unit anticipating possibilities of CRTs etc probably are not too far behind. Of course, the wife is against putting money to a new unit and I'm hesitent to put significant money into a 10-year old unit.

In reviewing the stickies and having some experience with DMM and replacing components on my pin ball's PCB, I'm confident I can replace the components needed.

Besides opinions on whether the ~$100 DIY IC kit approach is possibly my best bet, I'd ask if the additional ongoing recent issue before the fade-to-black' incident cropped up might be a bad Hyber module -- Good image but diagonal wavy black inteference lines through image that sometimes went away seemingly after warm up intervals of 30-40 minutes. At first, I thought it might be the video cables but swapping did not improve the issues. Could these be an issue of bad capacitors on the Hyper Module?

Any thoughts, insights offered would be most appreciated

[lcaillo]

Sounds like you have both problems. If you are a patient and diligent DIYer that is good with delicate work you could possibly do the Hyper module, but many good techs have botched them as the traces are fragile. The convergence is much easier, but can often be caused by a bad solder connection that is easy to miss. If you don't solve those problems, if any, you end up just blowing another chip.

If the CRTs are in good shape, i.e. not significantly darkened phosphors in the raster area when you look into the lenses with a flashlight with the unit powered down, it would be a good set to fix. If the phosphors are significantly aged, I would not bother.