Monitor/TV Tube/CRT Swap resources

[MameFan]

Here are a few great tools I found after some digging tonite.  Be sure to search and read the other topics here about swapping tubes/chassis to replace old broken or burned in arcade tubes with TV tubes.

Do NOT just willy-nilly attempt to connect any old 19" TV tube to your arcade chassis, even if you know all the risks about shock and implosion.  Many posts of mis-information are cached in google's Usenet archive and the more information you have, the better the results you will have.

Here are four that I found VERY useful:

1) Cross-reference chart of most every picture tube out there. I found 1970's thru 1990's on it.  Note: The cross-reference is small, but if you follow one, you can then find a link on the other and perhaps come up with 2-3 options per tube instead of the 1 usually listed.  Note: This chart seems to be VERY conservative. It is apparently matching everything (pin count, pin assignments, KV required for tube, phosphor coating, cutoff-voltages, deflection angle, etc..)  while you can often find one that is close enough and is safe to use too.

http://artsarcadegames.com/VDC-CRT-X-Ref.pdf

2) A VERY helpfu tool that lets you enter in a particular tube number (pre 1982 USA/Japan numbers like 19VJTP22 or 510UTB22 or post 1982 international numbers like A48ABH26X) and it will give you a listing of what pin is connected to which function, and the cut off voltages and other information. VERY useful in determining if the tube is compatible.

Note: You must first "create an account" on their site to use this form. Creating is free.

http://www.sencore.com/custsup/crt/crtsearch.cfm


3) 2 Tech Tip documents that give information about how CRT's are numbered (old and new formats) and about how they function in relation to each pin (what they do to make it work). Much more info than I've seen posted elsewhere.

Understanding How CRTs Work And How They Are Numbered: http://www.sencore.com/custsup/pdf/TT145.pdf

Determining the Setup of CRTs: http://www.sencore.com/custsup/pdf/TT226.pdf



Please let me know if you find this information helpful. If so, I will keep posting more things like this.

[BobA]

Good solid info.  Don't need it now but have filed it away in my tech docs for future ref.

Thanks
BobA