That sounds like the picture IF alignment is off, or maybe has a bad tube in the IF section... If there is video shift(moving smear) when varying the fine tuning, alignment issues are a definite possibility...

Tom

yes, fine tuning effects the amount of offset from the Y signal to the chroma signal. If I detune it way out the offset is not so much and I can turn the color way up, but then I lose the green again.

the 1st and 2nd IF are in a single tube, 8AR11. I will try a sub there tomorrow to see if anything changes.

You've got a SPARE 8AR11?

LOL, I have approx eight dozen 11FY7 that were used in these sets, 8AR11 are thin though...

I have a pretty good supply of tubes, plus a couple good suppliers locally if I don't have one.

geez I forgot I had this thread so figured I would tie them together

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=191420

Bottom line is it is working GREAT now, green is fine after a minor tweak of the top slug on one of the chroma circuit coils.

Very happy with it now

one thing I have noticed is the chroma is WAY too strong, will over load if tuned to the normal point of just before the audio interference. It also smears as it gets closer to that point. I have found the best color with least smear takes by setting the color pot in about the middle and then detuning until the smear is gone. at that point its best.

just a guess here, but I have a feeling the IF in peaking around the chroma part of the signal. Taking a break from in now but will at least sweep it later and see if that is the case.

this might be a case where a direct composite video would be a good test as well.

here are some pix after correcting the chroma

I like the ME pic as it give a good test of yellow, which of course needs good green to look right.
the last shot of the car on the beach was a moving pic, the focus is actually pretty good. I turned up the color just a bit to allow the camera to pick up on the greens in the 5-0 shots. If you look closely at one of the weather shots I think you can make out the NBC peacock colors.

Those are better greens than Portacolor typically produced from the factory. Congrats.

thanks, it was really as easy as turning a single coil about 1/4 turn. Again the vector scope make it easy, being able to see all the color bars represented in one pattern that was easy to understand was key for me. Up to now I had only used it as a pattern generator, but some of my books go on and on about them so I decided to try hooking up the scope part and using it. It was a really neat seeing the pattern change from an ugly line to a decent circle, then passing thru the optimum back to a line sloped in the opposite direction. I was happy to see that pattern that I did not spend much time fiddling with anything else. I did try to adjust the R and B balance pots using the VTVM. The process is to try and get 0 DC volts by checking the center wiper of the trim pot to the center of the R or B detecting diodes. This is NOT the user adj G1 or G2 pots but rather the trimmers mounted on the PCB back in the chroma section. the process is to put up the bars, tune and detune the fine tune knob and see if the voltage moves of zero (plus or minus), adj the trim pot for zero thru this fine tune change. The only thing I have left to do is try a new HOT/DAMPER tube (single compactron) as there is a slight horz non lineairity on the left side.

after some use I noted the pic was degrading esp compared the my new H4. Looking back at these old pics confirms that things were getting worse. I opened it back up and found I had not replaced the .1 boost filter cap or the .047 B+ filter cap (both ceramic tube types). the .1 was a bit leaky at 450v and the .047 was acting up a bit as well so I replaced them both. the pic seems better back to the way it was in the early post. My only guess is the boost voltage may have been some what suppressed. I am not sure if the focus is on the boost or not, but the screens use boost so maybe that had something to do with it. What ever, its better now, not as good as my H4 but not a lot worse either. At some point I plan to do a full alignment but for now will button it back up and just use it some more.

both of the porta colors seem a bit weak in contrast. Even with AGC maxed out it needs to be at nearly full contrast. Perhaps its just the set since both do this. I plan to try a few subs of the IF and video out tubes. there is a single .015 bypass cap on the video out cathode, but I doubt its bad. I may jump it just to see the effect, easier to do that than to pull out the old one. I should get out the scope and see if the PP is correct out of the video detector. If that is correct then I can focus on the video amp. Good thing about these sets it there are not a lot of parts to check out.