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Old 31st Dec 2011, 4:20 am   #1
hans
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Default A66-120X vs A66-140X vs A66-150X

I struck gold in a Google search and found a lot of old traders magazines.

In one og theese there was an ad for the new 1973 Salora (and one for Blaupunkt?) colour tv sets. The ad said the new narrow neck A66-150X tube has 600 000 more colour pixles than the "ordinary" colour tube. I don't know if they mean the 120 or the 140 tube. Is this true?

I don't remember the "RCA" tube being very good in any way, and I didn't like the sets they were used in. My experience with the 120 tube is limited. The 140 tube was ok, but only in Philips K9 sets and Bang Olufsen. Tandberg used Mullards, they were mediocre. Grundig used Philips tubes, but they were often bad. Only a few Grundig sets had decent tubes. The Telefunken tubes were dead, and the sets were toasted. Luxor and Philps K80 sets were used for parts.

I started with tv in 1988, and at that time these sets weren't excactly new...

What are your experiences with the American tubes compared with the European types. The Americans (and the Japanese) needed less converging than the Europeans, but were they good picture wise?
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Old 31st Dec 2011, 2:30 pm   #2
Welsh Anorak
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Default Re: A66-120X vs A66-140X vs A66-150X

Hi Hans
Like you, I somehow doubt that those extra pixels were anything more than an advertiser's dream. As it says 'ordinary' then it's quite possible they could be referring to an old RCA tube rather the European tubes.
RCA tubes were used over here for some sets, They were below average in terms of picture quality and reliability, and often used to smear and pull colours as they warmed up. Over here, Rediffusion sets used RCA tubes and had a very disappointing life, though the Videocolor tubes they also used were better. The 20" Mk4 set, however, used an unusual Scandinavian 20" 110 degree narrow-neck CRT which was superb and never failed.
The Japanese CRTs were usually very good, with some notable exceptions (Hitachi Instavision, Toshiba 18"). They did need less converging but were always something of a compromise and didn't compare with a well set up 'traditional' CRT.
I preferred the 120 over the140 (except when you came to carry them!) but either were far better than the 150. Oddly we looked after many 26" Grundigs (5010-11 series) fitted with Philips A66-140 CRTs and very rarely had a faulty CRT. The Telefunken 711 series sets were so poor they never outlasted a CRT unlike the hybrid 710.
The last American CRTs I saw were 28" in Crown and Bush sets from the late Eighties. They looked extremely dated being much more rounded than any other tubes. There was also one that turned up in a massive 28" Matsui (Orion) set which was PAL but US made - I have no idea how that could have made economic sense.
Glyn
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Old 1st Jan 2012, 4:39 pm   #3
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Default Re: A66-120X vs A66-140X vs A66-150X

The Grundig tubes never died, but they went a bit green and the corners were out of focus.

I have never seen the Scandinavian tube you write about. Are you sure this isn't a rebranded Japanese tube. Loads of tubes from US and Japan were shiped trough the Soviet Union.

The Telefunken 711 wasn't someting I liked. When you got one going the tube was allways duff. I once had a set with a tube only showing a green shadow when everyting was maxed. I can't believe someone used this set with such a bad tube. The set was at a retiremen home...
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Old 1st Jan 2012, 7:48 pm   #4
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Default Re: A66-120X vs A66-140X vs A66-150X

There was an A67-150x tube - I have one in a set in my collection. It's in a "Finlandia" badged set made in Finland (by Finlux I think) for the then Granada rental chain - they had many such Finnish made sets on their books, mainly nice sets. My set worked until the LOPT failed, the picture as I remember was a bit dull but I guess the tube would be fairly low by then. It may be the (in)famous Finlux "Peacock" chassis, rebranded Granada...

I certainly prefer the A66-120x to it's 110 degree cousins, the extra depth being well worth the lack of complex drive circuits needed for the wider angle tubes.

Robert

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Old 2nd Jan 2012, 12:43 am   #5
MALC SCOTT
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Default Re: A66-120X vs A66-140X vs A66-150X

The first generation A56-120X Mullard tubes were by far the best. They had a green label. The later ones were also very good, they had a red label. Then there was the yellow label ones (made in Japan) What a load of s**t! I am not sure who made these tubes, they were fitted to many Pye CT205 sets. Mazda A56/67 - 120x tubes were made at the Skelmersdale. Soft compared to the Mullard. A Mullard crt could be re-activated a few times, but the Mazda was a kill or cure. Sylvania A56/67-120x were a good crt. Even a poor Mazda crt displayed better quality pictures than the present day lcd sets. Cheers, Malc.
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Old 2nd Jan 2012, 3:03 am   #6
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Default Re: A66-120X vs A66-140X vs A66-150X

Philips had some ties to Matsushita back in the days, I wouldn't be surprised if they made the yellow label A56-120X. Until recently I didn't know Philips ever bought in "larger" tubes from Japan, only the smaller 90 degrees tubes.
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