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Sony KV - 36FS100 - 36" CRT TV problem

post #1 of 10
3/14/10 at 3:19pm
Thread Starter 
I know it's hard to believe that anyone would still own a CRT TV, but I love my Sony 36" flat screen. The picture is great, and DVD's look immaculate on it. It's heavy, but I only paid $150 for it (used) 3 years ago.

Lately, though, I've been having a recurring problem with getting it to turn on. Once it's on, everything is fine, but when I turn it off, I have to wait close to 8 hours before I can turn it on again. When I try to turn it on within a few minutes of turning it off, the TV clicks a few times, and the stand-by light comes on, but no picture or sound. The TV is not overheating. When I turned it on this afternoon, it came on without a problem. I'm now just leaving it on and turning my cable box off instead.

I know it's inevitable that will eventually get a plasma (can't afford it right now), but for now I'd like to know why my CRT is having this problem. I'm certanly not going to pay someone to come out and fix it, but if there's a remedy I can try, I'm open to suggestions.

People are selling these TV's on craigslist all the time, so I'm sure I can get another one, but hauling it up a flight of stairs is quite a chore.

Thanks.


Craig
Sony KV - 36FS100 - 36" CRT
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post #2 of 10
3/14/10 at 3:42pm
Normally the LED blinks continuously until the set comes out of blanking.
When the set fails to turn on, the Red LED should pause, then blink in a repeating pattern.
For example: 3 blinks, pause, 3 blinks, pause and so on.
The blink code will give a starting point for troubleshooting.
The possible number patterns for this set are: 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10
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post #3 of 10
3/15/10 at 2:11pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks, Steve. Once I determine the blink code, what would be my next step?

Craig
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post #4 of 10
3/15/10 at 4:06pm
Next would be to post the results.
I (or someone else) can look it up, determine some possible faults, and advise you what options you have.
I did Sony warranty work for over 30 years and can probably give you some ideas after I know the blink pattern.
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post #5 of 10
3/15/10 at 8:15pm
Thread Starter 

The blinking pattern appears to be 5. I tried to turn it on today after having been turned off for over 12 hours, and no luck. It blinked 5 times before pausing, but I have a feeling this TV may be done.

 

If you have any suggestions, now that we know what the blink code is, I'll look into it. Otherwise, I'll be out shopping.

 

I would love to get my hands on the Sony KV40XBR800 40-inch CRT - the largest one ever made.

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post #6 of 10
3/15/10 at 8:52pm
5 blinks is a blanking issue.
It could be a weak picture tube. A picture tube checker has a rejuvenate feature that could get it going again.
Component failures are unlikely because they would not be intermittent.

The 40" sets were over 300 lbs. (and usually had geometry and purity problems)
The sets were geographical also. A Colorado set would have problems in Illinois.
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post #7 of 10
3/15/10 at 9:11pm
Thread Starter 
A picture tube checker has a rejuvenate feature that could get it going again.

Is this something I could do myself? Or do I need to call a repairman?
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post #8 of 10
3/16/10 at 6:36am
While it is not difficult, it's not really a do-it-yourself job.
The set weighs 216 pounds so moving it is a hassle.
Rejuvenating a Sony CRT generally has one of three outcomes:
1: the problem is solved for a long period of time.
2: the problem reverts within a short period. (weeks or months)
3: the picture tube starts arcing intermittently, possibly causing additional problems.
#3 is the reason that I consider rejuvenation as a solution only after the set becomes otherwise unusable.

You need to find a smaller shop, who has a CRT tester with a "cleaning" or "rejuvenate" feature and a universal socket adapter. (the universal adapter is just a cable with clip leads ("grabber" type) instead of a socket - easy for a shop to build out of junk parts).

They will need to "clean" or "rejuvenate" before they adjust G2.
The pin connections are labeled on the TV's circuit board.

You'll have to convince them to run a service call and give it a try.
You will have to explain that the symptom is unique to Sony because of their IKB circuit.
(cathode current blanking - used by almost no one else)
(on HD-Ready sets a weak picture tube will even cause complete protection shutdown)
You'll have to pay for a call even if the results are negative.
You'll probably have to prep a work area so the back can be removed from the TV easily.

To DIY, you would need to find a used, working, tester with a universal socket. Building your own universal socket would require some sort of schematic of the unit. I use a "Heathkit" tester and built my own universal socket for my shop.

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post #9 of 10
3/21/10 at 3:02pm
Thread Starter 
I decided it's not worth repairing, so I've been looking for a replacement. 

I went and looked at a used XBR450, and I loved the additonal features over the XBR400 . Unfortunately, there was something strange going on with the picture. I put in a few DVD's, and the letterboxed images were arcing - they didn't form a perfect straight line from left to right or vice versa. When I called up the menu, even the menu options were curved. The seller had never seen this happen. We tried adjusting the tilt control, but that did nothing. This was real disappointment, because the TV was otherwise a great buy.

Anyone know what was causing this curve effect? Is it a sign that the picture tube is failing?

Thanks!
Edited by Hendryk - 3/21/10 at 10:58pm
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post #10 of 10
3/28/10 at 3:22pm
The curve is geometry distortion and is a fundamental weakness of large CRT TVs. AFAIK, it can't be eliminated. I had a 36" WEGA (circa 2002) that suffered from this. It's not apparent with 4:3 content that fills the screen. But in letterbox / anamorphic mod the curvature is obvious.

For that and other reasons, I was very happy to replace it with a flat-panel TV last year :)
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