Calling all convergence gurus

[m_mcgovern]

I've filtered through many previous posts, but I am hoping that my questions can elicit some more tutorial like suggestions to fix my convergence issue. I am putting together a 25" "amplifone" vector monitor to go into my Star Wars cockpit de-conversion. Like others have done previously, I am using a 100deg 25" medium resolution tube (ID# A63ADG25X), wells gardner 6100 yoke, and amplifone deflection/high voltage pcbs. Here is a zoomed out pic of what I've been able to accomplish (the fading on the right hand side is an artifact of the camera pic...color looks uniform in person):

As you can see all three colors are pretty well converged left/right/up/down in the center (although you can see the green starting to diverge towards the bottom in this center close up pic):

I have the red/blue pretty well converged everywhere. However, I cannot get the green to lay on top of the red/blue near the top and bottom edges. In addition to a small vertical offset, the green does not bow inward to the screen's center as much as the red/blue does:

The sides are fairly well converged, though (certainly better than the top/bottom):

OK. So here are the questions. What can I do to get the green to lay on top of the red/blue on the top and bottom edges? I cannot seem to get there by adjusting the convergence rings. And, further yoke movement left/right/up/down from where I am seems to undo the work to get the red/blue to pretty much align well everywhere. I've also tried moving the rings forward/backward relative to the yoke and re-adjusting them, but I can't get that to do the trick either.

At this point, am I just down to working with the strips and chevron magnets (I have a good supply of both)? If so, are there any tutorials or step-by-step instructions for *how* to use these to achieve convergence on the top and bottom? So far, my experiments where I am just moving them around never gets all three colors to align (most of the time it looks like I am undoing what I have). And, both the strips and chevron magnets seem to have more impact on the corners than the center of the edges, which is where my biggest convergence issue is. Now, I am only fiddling with one strip at a time...perhaps their effect is non linear and using more than one in close proximity will have a greater impact?

Any help or suggestings are greatly appreciated! I want to get this monitor converged and placed back into the cabinet so I can play Star Wars again.

Thanks in advance

 

[mtp66]

I, too am at this stage with my Star Wars Cockpit de-conversion. I pieced together a 25" amplifone setup as you have using a WG 6100 Yoke, 25" tube from Hawk Eye Picture Tubes and rebuilt Amplifone HV and Deflection. I also managed to get the center areas of the monitor converged properly but I cannot seem to get the outer edges done. My picture looks very similar to yours. I have tried experimenting with the magnetic strips but they have had very little effect. If you would like to discuss this PM me and we can exchange numbers. Thanks !

I've filtered through many previous posts, but I am hoping that my questions can elicit some more tutorial like suggestions to fix my convergence issue. I am putting together a 25" "amplifone" vector monitor to go into my Star Wars cockpit de-conversion. Like others have done previously, I am using a 100deg 25" medium resolution tube (ID# A63ADG25X), wells gardner 6100 yoke, and amplifone deflection/high voltage pcbs. Here is a zoomed out pic of what I've been able to accomplish (the fading on the right hand side is an artifact of the camera pic...color looks uniform in person):

As you can see all three colors are pretty well converged left/right/up/down in the center (although you can see the green starting to diverge towards the bottom in this center close up pic):

I have the red/blue pretty well converged everywhere. However, I cannot get the green to lay on top of the red/blue near the top and bottom edges. In addition to a small vertical offset, the green does not bow inward to the screen's center as much as the red/blue does:

The sides are fairly well converged, though (certainly better than the top/bottom):

OK. So here are the questions. What can I do to get the green to lay on top of the red/blue on the top and bottom edges? I cannot seem to get there by adjusting the convergence rings. And, further yoke movement left/right/up/down from where I am seems to undo the work to get the red/blue to pretty much align well everywhere. I've also tried moving the rings forward/backward relative to the yoke and re-adjusting them, but I can't get that to do the trick either.

At this point, am I just down to working with the strips and chevron magnets (I have a good supply of both)? If so, are there any tutorials or step-by-step instructions for *how* to use these to achieve convergence on the top and bottom? So far, my experiments where I am just moving them around never gets all three colors to align (most of the time it looks like I am undoing what I have). And, both the strips and chevron magnets seem to have more impact on the corners than the center of the edges, which is where my biggest convergence issue is. Now, I am only fiddling with one strip at a time...perhaps their effect is non linear and using more than one in close proximity will have a greater impact?

Any help or suggestings are greatly appreciated! I want to get this monitor converged and placed back into the cabinet so I can play Star Wars again.

Thanks in advance

 

[m_mcgovern]

I, too am at this stage with my Star Wars Cockpit de-conversion. I pieced together a 25" amplifone setup as you have using a WG 6100 Yoke, 25" tube from Hawk Eye Picture Tubes and rebuilt Amplifone HV and Deflection. I also managed to get the center areas of the monitor converged properly but I cannot seem to get the outer edges done. My picture looks very similar to yours. I have tried experimenting with the magnetic strips but they have had very little effect. If you would like to discuss this PM me and we can exchange numbers. Thanks !

PM being sent as I type!

 

[kiphartzell]

Okay, I went through this 6-8 months ago while restoring a 25" SW CP that had a blown tube. I was able to source 25" 100 degree tube through Hawkeye (actually two tubes) and was successful at getting the first tube converged. It was some trial and error along with a good bit of patience. I use both the Amplifone Color Raster manual (starting page 18) and the WG 6100 XY Quadrascan manual (starting on page 6) for the general directions/procedures for setting purity and convergence. If you have trouble finding this info, PM me. Purity needs to be set first. After purity, static convergence is set (this will converge the center area of the tube only). Once the center is looking good, then dynamic convergence (around the edges) can be set using convergence strips. Again, trial and error because the position of each set of rings on the Convergence Magnet assembly (purity rings), the position of the yoke (sliding on the neck and the wedges themselves), and the convergence strips have various effects that will work with and against each other depending on what you do.

 

[mcandrewsoun]

Probably a POS yoke...;-)

 

[m_mcgovern]

Nope. I'm not using yours yet...that may be next!

 

[speleo_de]

Have you ever been able to resolve this "green not overlaying red/blue" ?

 

[TheShanMan]

Nothing you can do about the green other than getting a different tube. The yoke is not compatible with the gun configuration in the tube. I've experienced the same thing a couple of times and Scotty at Hawkeye informed me of the bad news.

 

[douglasgb]

Nothing you can do about the green other than getting a different tube. The yoke is not compatible with the gun configuration in the tube. I've experienced the same thing a couple of times and Scotty at Hawkeye informed me of the bad news.

Several places list the A63ABZ26/40X as direct replacements for the original A63AAX00X, but those are also now hard to find.

Do you recall any other info that Scotty gave you about the A63ADG25X? Wondering what specifically is different in the ADG vs. the ABZ, and the 25 vs. 26 vs. 40.

 

[speleo_de]

Nothing you can do about the green other than getting a different tube. The yoke is not compatible with the gun configuration in the tube. I've experienced the same thing a couple of times and Scotty at Hawkeye informed me of the bad news.

That is disappointing to hear but I will try to work on this when time allows, not giving up yet.

So, despite various other information sources, the A63AAX00X tube MAY NOT work as a direct replacement for the 25" Amplifone Vector monitor.

 

[douglasgb]

That is disappointing to hear but I will try to work on this when time allows, not giving up yet.

So, despite various other information sources, the A63AAX00X tube MAY NOT work as a direct replacement for the 25" Amplifone Vector monitor.

The A63AAX00X is the number of the original tube, so if you found another it would work with the yoke. The A63ABZ26 and A63ABZ40X are supposed to be compatible replacements and therefore supposed to work also. It's the A63ADG25X that Scotty has said is not compatible with the yoke. Close, obviously, with the tube having the right pinout and heater voltages and such so you get a picture using it with the Amp HV and deflection boards, but not for aiming those electrons perfectly.

 

[jrok]

Looking at the pin cushioning... I'd guess the 25" Amplifone yoke had pincushion correction magnets built in too.

- James