I have three TVs in my house but only one is a “tube TV”. It is in the basement and only use it when I am ironing. Yes, I am a plugger! When it finally dies, I will replace it with a flat panel, probably a smart TV, if they make one in a 19" size.
I didn’t do much with tubes growing up (but I knew about them and remember seeing the testing stations), but I did get a chance to play around with non-functioning electrical devices (toasters, non-tube radios, my dad’s 1939 H/O gauge train set, etc.). I could take them apart, clean them up, replace/repair parts, put them back together and get them running again. I had so much fun! I never lost pieces. I always took them apart in such a way as to keep track of what when where so I never had pieces left over, either. It is such a thrill when they worked afterward.
My husband and I took the Jeep to the PO one day. Came out and the steering wheel, for reasons known only to the Jeep, was frozen. We tried EVERYTHING. Called my son, a Benz-certified mechanic of some years experience. He came out, tried the same stuff, then took out a rubber mallet and whacked the steering column, after which we never had a problem. Not to mention how satisfying it was.
Used to work on a SPA-4 repeater on the bridge of the USS Blue Ridge back when the Blue Ridge was new 52 years ago. Now it’s the third oldest commissioned ship in the Navy. USS Constitution, USS Pueblo, USS Blue Ridge.
Funny…. I remember those days, when the vertical, or horizontal hold went askew, and we’d bang on the cabinet to get it to straighten out…provided the horizontal, and vertical hold adjustment knobs didn’t work. chuckleThen, I also remember the tv having a reset button on the back, which would occasionally do something, but I never was quite sure what…. I remember the whole picture going black, until it narrowed down to a little white dot, then, disappeared.
Zykoic over 2 years ago
He’s a tube man.
Templo S.U.D. over 2 years ago
Nothing like a good slap, tap, bang to get things working again.
Farside99 over 2 years ago
Works some of the time, and vents some of your frustrations at other times.
kingdiamond69 over 2 years ago
I remember those days with the out of control vertical control flipping the screen.
Gent over 2 years ago
Ah the old hit em and make em work again trick.
jmolay161 over 2 years ago
In the pre-computer era, that trick might just work.
some idiot from R'lyeh Premium Member over 2 years ago
Pluggers have CRTs?
I’m actually surprised nobody is making consumer ones, if only to make a bit of coin from the retro gaming market.
Doug K over 2 years ago
It works on some things some of the time.
juicebruce over 2 years ago
Nothing like a Do It Yourself repair that works ;-)
gokarDun over 2 years ago
What the heck is he banging on??? Lmao!
ibmken3961 over 2 years ago
It works on desktop pc’s too!
BadCreaturesBecomeDems over 2 years ago
Take all the tubes out, blow the dust out, wash the circuitry with tuner cleaner, and reassemble.
ctolson over 2 years ago
Also worked for ‘fine tuning’ the picture.
david_42 over 2 years ago
Replacing tubes was easy, but fixing the power supply for a flat screen TV is much easier than for a tube set.
losflemings over 2 years ago
Why does this sound like an actual thing?!
sfreader1 over 2 years ago
I have three TVs in my house but only one is a “tube TV”. It is in the basement and only use it when I am ironing. Yes, I am a plugger! When it finally dies, I will replace it with a flat panel, probably a smart TV, if they make one in a 19" size.
timzsixty9 over 2 years ago
there’s a growing number of PEOPLE that need “percussive maintenance” performed on THEM!!
kaycstamper over 2 years ago
Haha, it works on my PC!
William Robbins Premium Member over 2 years ago
Dislodges dust. Or just spit in the back…
pheets over 2 years ago
Because it works. Sometimes.
the lost wizard over 2 years ago
Even Pluggers need to update sometime. :)
g04922 over 2 years ago
LOL… and aluminum foil on the rabbit ears antenna, too…
Gen.Flashman over 2 years ago
That old CRT would still have an analog tuner and thus unable to pick up digital OTA stations; don’t see any cable/converter box.
KEA over 2 years ago
I first heard that term on “Only Connect”. Excellent nomenclature.
contralto2b over 2 years ago
I didn’t do much with tubes growing up (but I knew about them and remember seeing the testing stations), but I did get a chance to play around with non-functioning electrical devices (toasters, non-tube radios, my dad’s 1939 H/O gauge train set, etc.). I could take them apart, clean them up, replace/repair parts, put them back together and get them running again. I had so much fun! I never lost pieces. I always took them apart in such a way as to keep track of what when where so I never had pieces left over, either. It is such a thrill when they worked afterward.
dogday Premium Member about 2 years ago
My husband and I took the Jeep to the PO one day. Came out and the steering wheel, for reasons known only to the Jeep, was frozen. We tried EVERYTHING. Called my son, a Benz-certified mechanic of some years experience. He came out, tried the same stuff, then took out a rubber mallet and whacked the steering column, after which we never had a problem. Not to mention how satisfying it was.
Deogheh about 2 years ago
Used to work on a SPA-4 repeater on the bridge of the USS Blue Ridge back when the Blue Ridge was new 52 years ago. Now it’s the third oldest commissioned ship in the Navy. USS Constitution, USS Pueblo, USS Blue Ridge.
tinstar about 2 years ago
Funny…. I remember those days, when the vertical, or horizontal hold went askew, and we’d bang on the cabinet to get it to straighten out…provided the horizontal, and vertical hold adjustment knobs didn’t work. chuckleThen, I also remember the tv having a reset button on the back, which would occasionally do something, but I never was quite sure what…. I remember the whole picture going black, until it narrowed down to a little white dot, then, disappeared.
Billy Yank about 2 years ago
The “Sullivan Adjustment”, a tribute to the famous boxer.
DaBump Premium Member about 2 years ago
Ah, brings back the memories. Can’t do that with TVs now.