service menu convergence

[Kevin_in_ga]

I've had my 46H84 for about a month, and I am finally emotionally ready to enter the service menu. I figure it would be a good idea to do a service level convergence.

From what I have read, this is how I do it:

1. On the remote, push mute once, then release.

2. Repeat.

3. Push mute on remote and keep holding it down. While holding the mute button down, press "menu" on the front of the TV. Release both bottons. A small "s" should appear on the upper right corner of the screen.

4. Now press "menu" once again on the front of the TV. This gets me into the service menu.

5. Pressing 'Channel Up/ Down' on Remote scrolls thru the various items - for a convergence none of these need to be adjusted.

6. From within Service Menu, I press '7' to enter Service Convergence grid. Buttons 100, 0, and ENT turn the Red-Green-Blue CRT , on/ off. The color of the flashing box cursor is the CRT that is being adjusted.

7. Pressing '3' switches the cursor color & CRT. With a flashing cursor, press 2 (up), 8 (down), 4 (left), or 6 (right), to move the flashing cursor around the grid.

8. Pressing '5' changes cursor from flashing to solid, to do an actual adjustment. Now, pressing up/down/left/right actually moves the grid color corresponding to the cursor color.

9. I leave the green grid alone, and converge the red and blue to it (just like the user menu convergence).

10. When this is done, press "7" to save the new convergence settings, then "7" again to exit the convergence menu. To get out of the service menu, shut off the TV.

Is this still the correct procedure? This is directly from the Keohi site, but I just want to make sure that it still is valid (you guys keep warning us newbies about the service menu - I just want to be sure).


I am assuming that a service level convergence is better than the current 56 pt "white cross" convergence I am currently doing. Is this true?


TIA, Kevin

[Lobstah]

Once you get into the service menu, take the time to write all the values down and tuck that sheet of paper away for "Just In Case".

I'm not sure it will produce a better convergence than the user crosses, but I find it easier to use, and easier to see what's happening overall.

Also, on the newer sets, you push mute once, release, then push and hold, while hitting menu on the TV...if you do it 3 times, you won't get in.

Lob

[kevinw]

You got it.

be calm it is really easy...While looking at just the green gri,with the others off, check for any misalignments that may need touching up.
In the future-
Use a HT set up disk to check overscan and horizontal/vertical positioning as well. Then next start looking for a grid to purchase to correct geometry of your TV.

Of course once you enter service mode you may be hooked into tweaking your TV on a regular basis.
Good luck and go slowly.

[ovalnut]

One tip I found handy was that once you write down ALL of your service menus settings, put that in an envelope and tape it to the back of your set. That way it'll always be right with the TV in case you need to update it with any setting changes, or actually need to refer to it in a pinch.

Other than that, I can relate to that feeling like being the new surgical resident who just got handed the scalpel for the first time. Just breathe in and out, and you'll do great.

Once you get this tweak down, post back when you're ready, and I'd recommend doing an E&M focus next. We'll walk you through it.

Take care,

Tim
:patriot:

[ovalnut]

Hey Kevin, where in GA are you? North of Atlanta here.

Tim
:patriot:

[Kevin_in_ga]

Ovalnut: I'm in Alpharetta, west of GA400 in that little corner of Fulton that touches both Forsyth and Cherokee counties.

It sounds like it might make more sense to do the E&M focus first? Wouldn't that aid in the accuracy of the convergence?

Kevin

I keep thinking I should just offer Ovalnut and Kevinw beer and pizza to come over and tweak my set!

[kevinw]

Ovalnut: I'm in Alpharetta, west of GA400 in that little corner of Fulton that touches both Forsyth and Cherokee counties.

It sounds like it might make more sense to do the E&M focus first? Wouldn't that aid in the accuracy of the convergence?

Kevin

I keep thinking I should just offer Ovalnut and Kevinw beer and pizza to come over and tweak my set!
Works for me :guiny:
If you do the focus, be carefull that you dont touch the other 3 trimpots. It really messes up you color and gray scale.

[ovalnut]

kevin_in_ga,

That works for me. I'm maybe 10 mins from you in the SE corner of Cherokee. I'd be happy to help out. Drop me a line on when might be good for you and we'll work it out. :wave:

Meanwhile, take some time now and write down all your service menu settings.

See ya,

Tim
:patriot:

[Lobstah]

Hey Oval...wanna come up to Mass and help me? I'll provide the lobstahs :) :) :)

Lob

[ovalnut]

Ooooo... you're hitting my soft spot with an offer of tasty crustaceans. :drool11: Same offer applies for you to come down here, get you some lip smacking good bar-b-q under a cobalt blue sky. Maybe time it to coincide with the next race at Atlanta or Talladega, and we'll get silly watching it live in real HD.

You know I'd be there in a heartbeat anyway, just a matter of a thousand or so nautical miles to deal with... Cross your fingers that one of us can make the trip.

Tim
:patriot:

[Kevin_in_ga]

Small world Lobstah - I was born and raised in New England (go Sox!). Got my PhD from UMass-Amherst, and lived in Grafton for years while working in Natick. Moved down to Atlanta seven years ago.

[Lobstah]

I'm about 5mi from Grafton :) And yeah...incredibly small sometimes!

Lob

[ovalnut]

FYI, keein_in_ga, you have the right idea. Right after you finish the E&M focus you go right ahead and do a service menu convergence, due to convergence changes introduced by the focus.

Tim
:patriot:

[Kevin_in_ga]

Lobstah: Where exactly? Upton? Shrewsbury? Millbury? Westboro? (hopefully Westboro, it's the nicest...)

Ovalnut and Kevinw: My wife is away this weekend. Perfect time for a tune-up and some beer, pizza, and pool. PM me if this timing works for you guys. I'll bet you haven't met each other yet.

Kevin

[ovalnut]

I'll be at the Busch race on Saturday, so that's out for me. Friday night or Sunday might work for me.

Tim
:patriot:

[57U]

I hope you guys can arrange something, but after the first such post, please use PMs.

Thanks.

[Jotmon]

I've had my 46H84 for about a month, and I am finally emotionally ready to enter the service menu. I figure it would be a good idea to do a service level convergence.

From what I have read, this is how I do it:

1. On the remote, push mute once, then release.

2. Repeat.

3. Push mute on remote and keep holding it down. While holding the mute button down, press "menu" on the front of the TV. Release both bottons. A small "s" should appear on the upper right corner of the screen.

4. Now press "menu" once again on the front of the TV. This gets me into the service menu.

5. Pressing 'Channel Up/ Down' on Remote scrolls thru the various items - for a convergence none of these need to be adjusted.

6. From within Service Menu, I press '7' to enter Service Convergence grid. Buttons 100, 0, and ENT turn the Red-Green-Blue CRT , on/ off. The color of the flashing box cursor is the CRT that is being adjusted.

7. Pressing '3' switches the cursor color & CRT. With a flashing cursor, press 2 (up), 8 (down), 4 (left), or 6 (right), to move the flashing cursor around the grid.

8. Pressing '5' changes cursor from flashing to solid, to do an actual adjustment. Now, pressing up/down/left/right actually moves the grid color corresponding to the cursor color.

9. I leave the green grid alone, and converge the red and blue to it (just like the user menu convergence).

10. When this is done, press "7" to save the new convergence settings, then "7" again to exit the convergence menu. To get out of the service menu, shut off the TV.

Is this still the correct procedure? This is directly from the Keohi site, but I just want to make sure that it still is valid (you guys keep warning us newbies about the service menu - I just want to be sure).


I am assuming that a service level convergence is better than the current 56 pt "white cross" convergence I am currently doing. Is this true?


TIA, Kevin
the most important difference is
consumer convergence goes bye bye after long period of A/C interupt
service mode convergence writes the NEW data into the magic D/A box that drives your convergence IC's
these values get loaded then customer values added to them

if you have already performed a consumer level convergence you may be in for a surprise if you adjust in service mode with out first performing a consumer setting reset first.

you could of course just unplug the TV the night before adjustment and
verify in the morning that the convergence settings have reset before beginning

also a trick I have used for may years is to set the BLUE focus ELECTRICAL
not mechanical adjustment at just a smidge past perfect rotational direction positive or (CW) this will slightly defocus the edge of blue (slightly is the key word here) this allows for the most perfect convergence

adj green geometry for as close to perfect equal lin top to bottom and left to right An overlay is best for this proceedure unless you wear graph paper embossed contact lenses.

then adj red convergence to green always look for the most out of adj area first even if second to last of 2 adj's CURVED line errors take priority over positional shifts work patiently . EXIT convergence and repower set and reenter and verify the stored results for RED and green are what you expected to see.
now with BLUE just a smidge out of focus adj blue so you see a little blue on every edge of the cross hair it will be wider because its FATTER focus centering will be faster and visually easier

If you observe programming from more than 5-6 feet with the blue slightly out of true focus the set will appear to be more 3D.
this is because with sunlight the blue is just that slightly outta focus and your eyes will be more easily fooled into thinking its real picture.
try it the boys at Hitachi were very impressed by the setups I was performing
I think if you look at current production Hitachis you will notice the blue MECH focus is right on the TURN TO GREEN point (positive defocus)

[kantonburg]

Not to ride from the dead ;)

But when doing the service convergence what order is best to follow? Straight across, up and down, or four corners and from there?

[ovalnut]

Start in the middle and work your way out from there in a somewhat 'circular' manner.

Tim
:patriot:

[kantonburg]

Thanks Tim,

Now that I think about it that makes the most sense. Your focus is generally the middle of the tv so.....(slaps self)

[Lobstah]

Tim always says that...
Look at his nick! ;)

j/k

It's not a question of one looking better...you're going to end up in the same place...but it's generally believed that starting in the middle reduces "re-do's"
:)

Lob

[kantonburg]

...but it's generally believed that starting in the middle reduces "re-do's"
:)

Lob


If thats the case I'm glad I asked. I found myself going back to each side when I "thought" I was done fixing a little here and a little there.

[Lobstah]

Yeah...sometimes it's like being in a round room and looking for a corner to pee in.

Lob