Pioneer Elite Pro-510 problem - Page 91

Where are you located?

I'm in Wilton, Connecticut

I will be flying to Dallas tomorrow, for the PrePaid Legal convention on Friday and Saturday. I have a calibration scheduled for the following day, the Sunday, and am scheduling cals for various times that upcoming week, in Dallas, San Antonio, Lubbock and surrounding areas.

I will be doing primarily CRT tech - front and rear projection RPTVs and ceiling projectors - but also all the new flat panels and fixed pixel projectors.

If anyone wants to just have their CRT RPTV optics cleaned, that is being offered too. It's a great way to restore that "new set" sparkle and gleam back into your picture without having to spring for a complete CRT level calibration, which of course includes all those structural things that a normal ISF calibration does not cover.

Contact me ASAP if you want in on this trip -

b

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Mostly professional grade work done by Pioneer, just not nearly enough of it







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Not quite up to par - most pro techs know not to make their soldering work look like revolving guns on the Death Star...






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Resoldered joints to keep solder fluidly connecting all points of the joint together






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Some joints not redone at all by Pioneer, and some others redone by me. Can you tell which? Hint - Dull, thin and mottled = will eventually go out. Gleaming and glossy = will never go out






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An entire section left unresoldered by Pioneer. One of many






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Seemingly innocent original Pioneer factory solder joints, unresoldered by Pioneer in their rebuilt PS board






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The truth - an accident waiting to happen. See the halos? These joints have already started their journey to the dark side. It's only a matter of time now before those cracks go 360 around the leg and cause a complete non-connection. Which could unground a voltage clamp in a voltage regulation circuit, exposing your set to runaway amounts of voltage downline from the power supply, which is what this board is






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More halos. These will take longer to go than others, but will eventually go. They have already begun to degrade.






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What happens to a super thin joint whose halos have already formed and are near going 360, when I have touched my soldering iron to it but before I have added the required solder






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More unsoldered areas






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Verdict: If you trust your set to Pioneer's rebuilt boards, you'll be right back where you started soon, and this time it might not be the innocuous joints that let go. It could be the more advanced ones that will hit your set hard and possibly total it. The ones that let go early on are not the dangerous ones. The blue flash is a warning shot across the bow. If you don't heed that warning and continue using your set in a normal viewing fashion, you're playing Russian Roulette with it. The ones that happen after that are the much more serious ones. If you get only those joints that are presently bad taken care of, that exposes the later ones sooner, and with no further warning.

Recommendation: If you have somebody do it or you feel the need to do it yourself, be aware that 99% of the solder joints on that board need to be resoldered to professional grade level. If you have it done by them or do it yourself, you must insist on this. It's a tedious, time consuming job that takes hours and requires the best lighting and magnification - and the greatest of care to not allow even one solder bridge (or any other mistake) - but is the only way to get it done right, and permanently. If you are not professional grade at soldering and don't know anybody who is, let me take care of it for you. I'll do it the right way, and permanently restore your set to 100% solid reliability again. You also get a lifetime warranty on my work on this operation. I stand by my work on these PS boards forever.

b

Mr Bob is truly the Ray Kurzweil of Pioneer Elite RPTV Life Extension. No other individual has done more to extend the lives of these exceptional video displays.

My beautiful Pioneer 53 inch Piano Black Lacquer monolith Elite fires up every day with the brilliance and clarity of a Kuro thanks to the tireless efforts of Mr Bob to help us keep these devices operating at peak performance. My Elite still gets startled and admiring looks from my Plasma and LCD 1080P widget obsessed friends.

While its monetary value dimmed to nearly zero years ago, its screen shines brightly and its personal value as the center piece of our Home Theater far exceeds any dollars and cents valuation.

I for one can forgive Mr Bob for a certain amount of self-promotion and advertising throughout this thread. He's earned it and must earn a living to keep our Elites alive.

He's repeatedly said these RPTVs can live almost indefinitely with the right care and maintenance. This is no stretch. My Elite has held center spot in our Home Theater since 1999. That's 12 years and counting!! Take that Plasma and LCD/LED TVs.

b

I'm dumping my Elite 64" 710HD. Currently doesn't turn on, no red lights; external or on the boards. PB the main issue. Would anyone like parts? Cost depends on how much time it takes me to remove/package plus shipping

A 710 is a wonder to behold once fully cleaned and dialed in. I just did 3 of them in Texas, and 1 610. 3 of those 4 had the resoldering op done prophylactically - nothing wrong with them yet, now there won't be - and 3 had the shimming op done, along with the complete cleaning and calibration inherent in all my calibrations. All are 11 years old, only halfway thru their 20 year service life. All are looking absolutely faboolous now, and all 4 owners are supremely happy with them and have absolutely no interest in buying anything new. These are classic, ageless sets.

Probably just needs the resoldering op.

Hope somebody pounces on this!

b

I too have moved on from my 610 after a rebuilt power board bit the dust recently. Have moved to a higher end 50" Panasonic plasma and could not be happier. The RPTV's have just become too much of a chore to keep maintained. I too am gonna remove all the boards and contact a few online used parts resellers/refurbers. River Valley Electronics is one of them. You may also contact them about your 710's boards.

Nate

Was this one of the official Pioneer rebuilds?

b

There is an overall integrity about these units that should be preserved and prioritized over simply parting them out no matter what condition the set is in. When nothing appears to be wrong with your set except the cold solder joint situation and you part out the set, you really don't know exactly what the status of each board you part out is.

If you get it resoldered and fully operational again, then decide to part it out - of course at that point it would be working properly - - and hopefully you won't want to let go of it - you can then at least promise whoever you're selling the parts to that they are from a fully operational set.

b

I purchased the set used. All I know is the power board had been replaced at sometime. It has at least 1 bad tube in it and needs retubed. I'm not putting another dime into it myself and doubt anyone would even pick it up for free in non-working order. The parts place I mentioned also repairs boards - they have like 20 techs. I will sell them the lot of boards and they can test/fix them as needed.

That's fine, but it's really hard to test a board once it's outside of its set. You have to have a complete jig for that, usually, or the set itself. They may be able to cook something up, and I hope they do. But if you're really interested in keeping the set's innards going, see if they will take the entire set. That's how these things are tested.

I have a set that was given to me, a broken 610 that I fixed (was just the convergence), from someone close by that I use to test out the boards sent to me. I wouldn't have it any other way for these Pioneers, I really don't trust breadboarding this kind of circuit for testing when you have high voltage and feedback regulated circuits you have to keep tabs on.

I have been instructed on how to do it by Mit for some of their boards, and the Mit techs know exactly how big a resistor to put in to load a cirucuit, or when to use the correct wattage of light bulb instead, etc. But no such luck with Pioneer boards.

b

Where are you located?

East Bay side of SF Bay Area, CA

b

Not you Bob I know where your at. I was wondering where the other two are at. Bamadawg_63 and CD710 Hd.

Just to give a update. I finally got my 710 (in Fla0) working. It took a long time but it's finally there. It this wasn't easy either. When I put the power supply and conv boards in, the main fuse on the power board blew as soon as I plugged the TV in. I replace the fuse and checked the connections and everything has worked perfect since.

Now the only problems I have are minor. The picture seems to be off to the right and its a little dark. I'm going to clean it just get that out of the way and I'll take it from there

Once you have done that contact me and I'll guide you thru realigning the energies getting to the guns, so you can have that perfect shadow detail at Black Level midpoint, like when it was new. And full dynamic punch again from your picture.

Nobody has to put up with dimness on these displays.

b

I'm in Baltimore, Md

A tour is being formed for your area right now, including WA DC and possibly Boston. I am flying to Ontario Canada Monday via Buffalo, NY, for a G90 calibration. We can get your tour going after that. And then PHX after that, Mr Prazak, or maybe even on the way back. Sorry I have not been too available lately, but that should soon change...

Contact me directly if you want in on any of these tours, and put them out here on this thread as well, so others will know about them and can join up -

b

Bob is planning to visit me in NH late this week. Anyone interested in joining this tour, feel free to contact me:
scooterdog02@comcast.net

To bad i didnt know you where coming to Ontario Canada i would of tried to get you to come and clean and calibrate my Pioneer Elite 710 RPTV. I live 1 hour east of Toronto. Oh well maybe next time your up this way i can get you to do your magic on it.

I am on my way there now, layover'd in Philly as we speak, will arrive in BUF later and tomorrow morning will be driven up to Toronto. There should be more than enough time to get your optics cleaned and your set calibrated while I am there, before I go back to BUF and continue in NH. We shouldn't waste that I am already so close by. Contact me directly so we can keep in touch on it. If my cell does not operate up there, I can give you the number of the G90 owner so you can call him directly to get me. Scooterdog will be glad to wait another day or two, I am sure.

The Baltimore leg may not happen on this trip, I'll do the Toronto projector first, then after yours I would be headed to NH next. We made those plans yesterday morning when he was going to send me his boards, but since I was so close by we decided to have me do it in person.


So owners, if you live near Scooterdog, give him a ring and get on the list for this one. Will do the Baltimore one ASAP after that, maybe even on this trip if there's time.

b

I've commented a couple times about the interchangeability of Pioneer parts in the Elite series... well, I just stumbled in this incredibly useful file...

For you Pioneer peeps... enjoy!

Joe

 

Ptvqchrt_oct05.pdf 307.5146484375k . file

Well I never made it into Canada. At Customs their probing questions plus their promises of what would happen should I say any mistruths finally led me to telling them I was doing a job for an owner in Canada, working on a very expensive projector that nobody in Canada works on in this capacity. Which I am sure is true, but they were not going to take my word for that, they say I need to have them do research on it that none of their own people would be misplaced and lose money, and if that passed the test, get cleared for a work permit.

So we'll see if you Canadian owners can make that happen. They say I can't be the one to do it, it has to be a Canadian citizen.

So I went to work for several owners in the states instead, starting with New Ipswich NH and moving on to Wakefield nearby for 2 more jobs, just finished the first 710 tonite...

More later -

b

Well it looks like Monday may be the last day I'll spend here in Boston. The owner who was scheduled for after I finish this calibration dropped out, his wife was not going to stand for him repairing his 720. WAF strikes again!

So I am still in Boston, if anybody wants work done on their big screen while I am still here, whether it's repair or calibration or just optics cleaning. Or work on your new or old flat panel. I"ll finish up today's cal and then take tomorrow off. It's been a busy week!

If so give me a call on my cell immediately -

b

I am actually presently in Wakefield MA, near Boston, and have someone in NY conteimplating having me over, but needs to go in with somebody else on the travel expenses. If you're interested, contact me at once -

I will flying out Tuesday to go back to CA if my work sere is done. I have done 2 major 2 day each calibrations and am taking today off. Would like to do 1 or 2 more before I go back to CA -

b

Bob was in town and worked his wonders on my 510hd. He cleaned it, shimmed it to reduce overscan and calibrated it. Looks better than I ever remember it!

Earlier this summer Bob repaired my failed power supply board and it's been rock solid as well!

Jeff was kind enough to allow me to stay at his place all week when he was out of town, since he only had the first half day to observe my work before he had to fly away, with my work still more than half undone yet. This gave me a little breathing room and to get it done in stages, rather than having to be on a deadline and get it done all in one feld swoop, which is what usually has to happen.

As such I was able to space out what I needed to do and relax along the way, watching a couple of good movies in the process. At first on a half-done but better looking set than when I arrived, and finally on his ultimately stealth-grade display, once it was done. First movie was Maid in Manhattan, which I had already seen once but on this occasion it was like I was watching it while on vacation instead of on a weekend night. Even tho I had seen it before, it still left me completely blitzed and satisfied afterward. Great movie, it you haven't seen it you must!

This trip is the first time I have ever relaxed and watched a full movie with my owners, on their "new" set. This was after I had finished Tim A's display from the day before, where on my last night there I had the chance to spend the evening watching Tron on it with him and his wife, just before Jeff's job.

Both owners were incredible hosts to me, and all my gratitude is extended to both sets of owners. Thanks so much, Jeff and Tim, and a special thank you to Tim's wonderful wife Jean, who had dinner waiting for everyone once we had arrived home from the airport and had finished shopping for the parts for the shimming op.

You all made me feel right at home!



b

I haven't posted here since 2005, at which time I found a fix for my "blue flashing light" problem. (I re-flowed several solder joints on the "power supply board." Thanks again everybody.)

All has been well...until last night, when I had some difficulty powering off the set with my DirecTV remote control.

The TV wouldn't turn off as usual. So I hit the remote control on-off buttons a couple of times--in rapid succession--and it turned off OK. Boy, did it turn off!

I heard a "pfft" emanating from the TV...and it just locked into standby. Neither the remote nor the front panel on-off buttons would budge it.

Sooooo.....I took out the power supply board for a quick inspection. (Man, is it dirty in there!)

The first thing I did was to check the fuses. Sure enough, a 5A 125V fuse had blown.

I replaced the fuse, buttoned everything back up, and all is well again.

I'm going to write this problem off as "user error" on my part. I think the rapid on-off/on-off cycle overloaded something.

Just an FYI for all.