Way to tell if a 19" tv has a 19" tube in it?

Malice95

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Way to tell if a 19" tv has a 19" tube in it?

So I found a ton of 19" tv's that I can get at a really reasonable price.
I want to make a bunch of monitors using universal chassis's

I measured some of them. Some are actually larger then 19".. 19.5, 19.6
etc.

Is there any way to tell if a 19" tv actually has a 19" tube in it?

I've heard some 19"" tv's had 20" tubes in them.
 
Good advice.. might be tough. They are in a retail store.

What are the actual diagonal dimension of a 19" Coulld they be
19 and change? Or is it always dead bang 19"?
 
Well, on the surface, it sounds like a stupid question, but I guess you're right.

The most important thing is the mounting tabs. If they're not spaced right, you won't be able to mount the tube to your existing frame.

I don't know how you can check out the mounting without taking the back off.
 
Most TV's have vents on the back that you should be able to shine a light through and get an eye on the tube number.

I've asked the folks at Goodwill dozens of times if it's OK if I shine lights on their TVs, and they could care less. After about a half a dozen trips to their electronics shelves, one of the guys there asked me what I was doing, and I told him I was looking for suitable tubes for arcade monitors. He was intrigued. I left him the B&K list, and my phone number, and now he calls me when he gets compatible tubes ;)
 
Mounting tabs aren't a big deal. You can use spacers and longer bolts if the tabs are in the front rather than on the backside of the band.

And I always take a small flashlight in to shine in to see the tube number or neck. I can tell by looking whether it is a small neck (22.5mm CR-31) or large neck (29mm CR-23). Then I check the number to see if it starts with 19, A48, or 510. Those are 19" monitor. A50 is a 20" monitor.

Sometimes the model number can help you, if it says something like Model # 19CT34Z, then it's a 19". Sometimes the model number will have a 20 in it and still be a 19", so try to check the tube number if possible.


It's always a good idea to print out the BK list and take it along, too, as I've found 19" tubes and gotten them home to find they had the wrong neck sockets and couldn't be used...
 
So I am looking for CR-31 and CR-23 socket tubes?

Are those the sockets compitable with the Alva Amusements
Universal Chassis?
 
Usually. Alva can match other neck sizes, too.

But CR-31's also are used with 19" K7000's (and maybe 20EZ's?) and CR23's are also used with 19" G07's, K4600's, K4900's, med-res K7000's, and some others, so they are good to find for tube swaps...
 
I called Alva and they dont know the CR numbers.. just that their chassis works with 8 pin and and they have a 10 pin model as well.

Looks like according to the CRT adapter wiring chart.. CR33 is wired the
same as a CR31

and CR24 wired like a CR23 but the red and green are reversed.

Do you know any other neck sockets that might work?
 
The likelihood that you're going to find any 19" TV that DOESN'T have a CR31(8 pin) or CR23(10 pin) is very very slim. I've looked at hundreds of TVs and I've never seen one that used anything but those two tube styles.

Just look at the necks and get a feel for the fat or skinny necks. Then you'll know whether or not you have a CR31 or CR23.

FYI - STAY away from Trinitron screens. NOT compatible with arcade chassis.
 
The likelihood that you're going to find any 19" TV that DOESN'T have a CR31(8 pin) or CR23(10 pin) is very very slim. I've looked at hundreds of TVs and I've never seen one that used anything but those two tube styles.

Just look at the necks and get a feel for the fat or skinny necks. Then you'll know whether or not you have a CR31 or CR23.

FYI - STAY away from Trinitron screens. NOT compatible with arcade chassis.

I've picked up older tubes that DIDN'T have neck pins at all - just the slide tabs like the 6100 uses - and newer tubes that had TWO focus pins - and that won't work either.

So - you just have to buy and hope. Try to stick to mid 80's to mid 90's as far as production dates....
 
Thanks for the advice everyone.. I picked up 8x 19" tv's tonight. Didn't have
time to look in the grills so I had to take the shotgun approach, but I got
them so cheap ($25!! for all of them) I'll be happy if I get a couple good tubes.

Supposedly they get them in all the time so I'll swing by weekly and clean
them out:)

BTW.. I actually fit all 8 TVs in my Hyundai Elantra. I was amazed.

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About 4 months ago I bought 6 19" tv's and 3 had cr 31 and the othe 3 had cr 23 and 2 or the cr 23's were drop ins for k4600. Hope you get lucky also.

Andrew

Thanks for the advice everyone.. I picked up 8x 19" tv's tonight. Didn't have
time to look in the grills so I had to take the shotgun approach, but I got
them so cheap ($25!! for all of them) I'll be happy if I get a couple good tubes.

Supposedly they get them in all the time so I'll swing by weekly and clean
them out:)

BTW.. I actually fit all 8 TVs in my Hyundai Elantra. I was amazed.

attachment.php
 
The likelihood that you're going to find any 19" TV that DOESN'T have a CR31(8 pin) or CR23(10 pin) is very very slim. I've looked at hundreds of TVs and I've never seen one that used anything but those two tube styles.

Just look at the necks and get a feel for the fat or skinny necks. Then you'll know whether or not you have a CR31 or CR23.

FYI - STAY away from Trinitron screens. NOT compatible with arcade chassis.

I've gotten a few CR-25's.....good for Toei monitors.

I found a 100 degree WG6100 compatible tube once.....It was inside a Toshiba television.

Edward
 
How could you tell it was 6100 compitable? Same tube number?

The 6100 tube is 100 degrees. All the other color arcade monitors are 90 degrees. A 100 degree tube is obvious, once you know what one looks like. This tube number used the same BK CR number as the 6100, plus being 100 degrees.......6100 compatible!:D

Edward
 
Okay so I cracked them all open tonight. I got 5x CR23 and 3x CR31! All 19"

No 100 deg tubes:(

I see what everyone means by fat neck/skinny neck.

Now the question is how do you "Ohm out" a tube? The wires colors
coming off the yoke dont appear to be standard.

How can I tell which is the vertical pair and which is the horizontal pair?

Beyond Orion 31's webpage.. is their any other resource that would
tell me what arcade monitor chassis I could pair these tubes/yoke with?

Thanks,
Mike
 
Usually the horizontal pair is red and blue, and the other two (usually green and yellow, but sometimes brown and yellow) are the vertical.

If you had a G07 yoke, though, the horizontal would be red and white and the vertical would be brown and gray...
 
Ahh thats makes sense.

I Ohm'd them all out..

19" 8 pin H=3.1 V=10.4
19" 8 pin H=1.5 V=11.2
19" 8 pin H=2.2 V=8.6
19" 8 pin H=1.5 V=11.2
19" 8 pin H=2.5 V=8.6

19" 10 pin H=3.7 V=12.7
19" 10 pin H=3.1 V=14
19" 10 pin H=3.1 V=14.5

None are good G07 replacements (most of my monitors)
but they will work fine for universal chassis's.

Thanks for the advice everyone. You were a big help!
 
Hey Malice,
Would you mind documenting which tubes came from each brand of TV? Maybe we can compile a good list.
 
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