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General => General Technical Chat => Topic started by: dzarren on February 04, 2017, 07:31:20 am

Title: What to do with a bunch of old crt tubes?
Post by: dzarren on February 04, 2017, 07:31:20 am
I have a bunch of old CRT tubes. Rayonic 3BP1A 3" tubes.
I don't have too much electronics experience, just sort of getting really into for the first time. I know the super basics, but not much more than that.

I was wondering what projects I could maybe use these tubes for, if you guys had any ideas for someone getting into electronics.

It actually was CRTs that drew me into electronics initially. I fell in love with old scopes, because electrons were my favorite elementary particle.
I have an old CRT scope that works great as well if that may aid me.

I saw a project online turning a crt into a clock, and that seemed cool, but I'm still unsure as to how to approach that.

Any advice would be awesome!
I have a few variable power supplies and meters and such, but not too many components, although I can get any small components i might need I need to.
Title: Re: What to do with a bunch of old crt tubes?
Post by: Gixy on February 04, 2017, 08:27:05 am
Here is an exemple. You can find the schematics of the microcontroler (dutchtronix) board and driver board (electronixandmore) easily on the net.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/oscillo-clock-3bp1-crt-problem/25/ (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/repair/oscillo-clock-3bp1-crt-problem/25/)
Title: Re: What to do with a bunch of old crt tubes?
Post by: daqq on February 04, 2017, 07:17:40 pm
Build a robot. Duh! (http://www.daqq.eu/?p=212)
Title: Re: What to do with a bunch of old crt tubes?
Post by: SingedFingers on February 04, 2017, 07:21:47 pm
Build an oscilloscope! Project using a similar 3JP1 tube: http://ludens.cl/Electron/scope/scope.html (http://ludens.cl/Electron/scope/scope.html)

Title: Re: What to do with a bunch of old crt tubes?
Post by: james_s on February 04, 2017, 07:29:33 pm
Buy a kit for a scope clock or build one from plans online, that's probably the most common use.

Title: Re: What to do with a bunch of old crt tubes?
Post by: tautech on February 05, 2017, 06:32:18 am
You could use 2 to make these 2 projects by member GK:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/2-inch-video-monitor/ (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/2-inch-video-monitor/)
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/oscilloscope-under-construction/ (https://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/oscilloscope-under-construction/)

Or once you proved they work put the whole thing together as a DIY package.

Now how many did you say you had ?
Title: Re: What to do with a bunch of old crt tubes?
Post by: TerraHertz on February 05, 2017, 07:49:14 am
Quote from: tautech on February 05, 2017, 06:32:18 am
Now how many did you say you had ?

He didn't. Or include a photo, so I had to go a googling. Why can't some people be more specific?

Anyway... Make a CRT-clock. Then add animated eyes to the image, and an arduino ultrasonic scanning ranger that can identify people walking nearby. Animate the eyes to watch them. In retro clock display, clock watches you.
Title: Re: What to do with a bunch of old crt tubes?
Post by: basinstreetdesign on February 05, 2017, 07:55:06 am
My uncle Ernie had a business in his house during the 40's to the 60's.  He was a tube radio and B&W TV repair man.  He had quite a few dead TV CRTs in his shed.  My aunt Marge would dig big holes in her garden in the fall and bury them, one at a time, face up.  In the spring the frost would force them to the surface.  I don't know if she painted flowers on the screen but it would have been like her to do so.
Title: Re: What to do with a bunch of old crt tubes?
Post by: dzarren on February 05, 2017, 08:13:32 am
Quote from: tautech on February 05, 2017, 06:32:18 am
Now how many did you say you had ?

Hey. I have 6 of them, but I also have a few (three or four?) large tektronix ones as well, i think they are 5 or 6 inches across.