[lettuce]

I have been given an old Ferguson A59F TV, which i have decided to setup in the back room to use my retro consoles on, but have noticed a rather serious problem with the display. When using the scart input on the back of the TV, and using my modified Megadrive (which can be switched between outputing 50hz or 60hz) in 60hz mode, about 2 inches down from the top of the screen there is a whitish/greyish line roughtly 5mm in widith that runs right across the screen. This seems to push the whole screen down slightly and i think loses part of the bottom of the screen. If i flick the Megadrive into 50hz mode then the line disappears and the display is fine. Other than this the display is good, nice sharp colourful picture.
Does anybody know what is causing this problem?, its like the TV is have trouble displaying a 60hz picture, my SNES console is US/NTSC so its 60hz and that has the same problem as the megadrive in 60hz mode so its not the console. Is there a secret service menu on this model TV that may be able to help with this problem?

[Orbitalzone]

wow that's quite an old TV now (circa 1990 I'd say)

Those TV's always had problems like you've found, often if the picture height was a little off, you'd see those lines at the top of the screen.

In 60Hz mode I suspect the TV is 'squashing the image' as it's showing 525 lines instead of 625, so to keep the geometry correct, it reduces picture height but you see these lines that normally are out of view up above.

Not much you can do really, you could adjust the height control ( a small control pot round the back, accessible without removing the back cover - small flat blade screwdrive through the correct hole) but then 625 PAL would be wrong.

There are no service modes to enter, it is old after all, if I recall, most adjustments are along the rear, there are several adjustment holes with symbols on the rear cover.

Personally I'd leave alone. those sets don't like being twiddled with after all these years. If you adjust the control pots then dust moves about and they get unstable .. note I', saying this after having this numerous times myself!

I think this is Thomson ICC7 Euro chassis should you google it for a service manual.

[lettuce]

Thanks for your help, yeah i though that it must be uite old, it was my Aunties, she never used to watch TV much so has had hardly any use, so the picture is still really good! Can u remember what the symbol is for the height control pot??

EDIT: Is there no way to just adjust the screen height for the AV/Scart channel??, so it doesnt touch normal TV broadcast viewing??

[lettuce]

Anyone?

[JayCee]

Originally Posted by lettuce

Can u remember what the symbol is for the height control pot??

You will need a very small bladed screwdriver and look for the pot with an icon like = next to it.

Originally Posted by lettuce

EDIT: Is there no way to just adjust the screen height for the AV/Scart channel??, so it doesnt touch normal TV broadcast viewing??

No, not possible.

[Carl Stock]

Hi.

I know this post is not a particularly new one now, but this TV appeared in 1991 and was discontinued within a year or two (like many Thomson-chassis Fergusons at the time). A smiliar model from the same range of this TV – the NICAM 21" version, called the A51N, with “N” meaning NICAM – was actually manufactured in the now-closed Ferguson factory in the UK from a Thomson chassis, so I assume yours was made in the UK, too.

I know some Thomson and Ferguson TVs after this were capable of running 60Hz very well indeed, but I think this TV unfortunately just ‘missed’ that and so was not capable of it. Orbitalzone is correct about the chassis, which is a Thomson ICC7. Unless you have done something already, it is best to leave the internal controls alone or else the TV may throw a wobbly! If it ain’t broke, don't fix it!

Apart from that, if you are still stuck, I do not think there is anything you can do about this because I do not believe this TV can view 60Hz signals.

Regards,

Carl

[lettuce]

Yeah you where rite, i messed about with the internal controls got the picture stretch out and the TV did infact throw a wobbly. Turned it on back the other month, and on each side of the screen, there was a purple colour distortion effect. Dont really know how to fix it??