Barco Cine 9 / 909 performance modifications

Have we invited most of the 909 users that we know?

I changed some hfa1100 with 5166 on the switcher and driver. Also upgraded a transistor. Pretty doable if you have learned to handle smd opamps. I can post some more info in time perhaps add a few coils on the supply lines and or increase capvallues. Think it adds a little sharpness. On the neckboard one can try experimenting with ferite beats on g2 wires and fillament wires. That might lower these Noise lines. Do not know if anyone has experimented with that.

In my experience the 909 is without the modifications the best projector out there. Only after doing the very best mods the Marquee will show more background detail and resolution. Even modified the Marquee is less sharp in focus and I could not get it to show clear scanlines yet. Now it makes sense that if you can improve somewhat on the video chain in a 909 you will get a much sharper image so it might be worth modding but to be realistic it is not easy to improve there.

The biggest problem in modifying the video chain is that you have to buy from guys that are very difficult to deal with so doing it yourself might pay off after all

Things we should do is to substitute with better opamps and transistors and on the neckboards it is difficult to find substitutes. Playing with the gain in the stages that requires playing with resistors on the opamps. lowering noise from the supply lines. If oneday someone sends me some info how to do the neckbords I might work on the rest again.

High frequency electronics is a sort of art. Needs full understanding how circuits work, not a cheap hobby. I started to learn about this about two years ago and I would not consider myself as an expert, what is sadder is that under this period I couldn't make any improvement on CRT's bandwidth, not even the least. I only recently reached the level where I am able to measure what is actually happening in the ciruits, note: measure, not tune...

You'd need a fast oscilloscope with a bandwidth of at least 300MHz (the more the better), for CRT amplifier measurements active FET probe is crucial (note a FET probe alone can only handle ~1V so you need further divider /10:1, 100:1/ accessories), a good signal generator (a selected VGA card might do it).

Are you refering to 909 neckboards? I have noticed a reasonable drop off since swapping my tubes from my 909 into my Cine 9, i took those neckboards from the 909 out and left them with the tubes.

I dont know what is different, i didnt compare them when i swapped them.

I havent swapped the new tubes into the housings yet, id be better off trying it then.