# Philips RPTV converge chips question



## hr2 (Mar 31, 2011)

Ive got a Philips RPTV that originally came with stk392 120 chips in it, and Ive had 2 tv repair places in town tell me that I can replace these with stk392 180s. I know that the 120s are 4 amp chips and the 180s are 3 amp, and according to the stickys the recommendation is to keep the 120s, but both techs I talked to said the 180s are good replacements and that even in the Philips tvs they run cooler and more stable. Has anyone put 180s into a Philips with success? The model is 60PP9200d/37. Thanks a lot for any info! :T


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## jeffescortlx (Aug 14, 2009)

hr2 said:


> Ive got a Philips RPTV that originally came with stk392 120 chips in it, and Ive had 2 tv repair places in town tell me that I can replace these with stk392 180s. I know that the 120s are 4 amp chips and the 180s are 3 amp, and according to the stickys the recommendation is to keep the 120s, but both techs I talked to said the 180s are good replacements and that even in the Philips tvs they run cooler and more stable. Has anyone put 180s into a Philips with success? The model is 60PP9200d/37. Thanks a lot for any info! :T


The 180's should have a higher current rating then the 120's.

But yeah, the info sounds right. I think I've used 180's in place of 120's.


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## hr2 (Mar 31, 2011)

Thanks for the quick reply Jeff. I may be wrong, but I thought that the 180s were meant as direct replacements for the 110s and the 150s, which are both 3 amp, and so the 180s are 3 amp too. When you wrote that you replaced some 120s with 180s, were any of those in Philips tvs or other brands? I get the impression that the way the Philips are engineered, theyre not very forgiving when it comes to making substitutions.


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## jeffescortlx (Aug 14, 2009)

I have repaired a philips RPTV, but I dont remember if I sub'd the STK. I just remember the tin foil mirrow, bad coolent and cheaply made cabnit lolol.

any ways, I thought the higher the STK # the higher the current rating. but I could be wrong.


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## hr2 (Mar 31, 2011)

Yeah, when I first opened the thing I also thought that the mirror was pretty flimsy, but really its given us a few years of good service, and I think worth salvaging. I think that the higher the stk # the higher the wattage, not the amperage. I was trying to find the specs for the 180s to be sure, but theyre nowhere to be found. Thanks for your info!


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## jeffescortlx (Aug 14, 2009)

Well higher amp's = higher wattage at the same voltage.

But I did read "The STK394-160 is the NEW STK that Replaces the OLD STK392-110,120,150,180 IC'S The STK394-160 Runs MUCH Cooler !"


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

jeffescortlx said:


> The 180's should have a higher current rating then the 120's.
> 
> But yeah, the info sounds right. I think I've used 180's in place of 120's.


No, the 120 is a 4 amp chip and the 180 is a 3 amp chip. There is no sub for the 120. The 394-160 is more efficient and MIGHT work in place of a 120, but I would stick with the original part unless you know specifically that it works in that model. Regardless, make sure you use parts from a reputable supplier.

The 392-180 was built for Pioneer as a replacement for the 392-110 and was the same rating.


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

jeffescortlx said:


> Well higher amp's = higher wattage at the same voltage.
> 
> But I did read "The STK394-160 is the NEW STK that Replaces the OLD STK392-110,120,150,180 IC'S The STK394-160 Runs MUCH Cooler !"


The 394 series is more thermally efficient and MAY replace these other chips, but there may be other considerations as well. Some have reported differences in the muting circuits in some sets that create problems with subs. The 150 can always replace the 110. The 120 can replace any of the other 392 series chips. The 180 generally works just like the 150. I have used the 394-160 in most applications, but one must be cautious of this sub in some sets. Problems have been reported in Toshiba, Philips, and other brands when subbing the 394-160. I have not experienced them, but caution is always recommended.


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## hr2 (Mar 31, 2011)

I can only assume then that the techs who told me to sub the 180s for the 120s were hoping Id mess up my tv enough that Id take it to them instead of tackling it myself. Either that or they havent taken the time to really understand the subtle differences betw the components theyre just throwin into these sets. IDK. I was only considering the 180s cause I heard they ran cooler. I guess Ill just go with the 120s. I appreciate all the input! :T


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## lcaillo (May 2, 2006)

They probably did not know better. Many assume that higher numbers indicate greater power. the -110 and -120 follow this pattern, as do many other parts, but all of this series other than the -120 were 3 amp designs as I understand it. Some are hard to be sure about because there were never spec sheets published.

You will find that many so called techs, and many very good ones, do not know much about the parts they use. It is hard to find good info and there is much misleading information out there. That is why I started the Service and Support section here. It has helped many techs as well as DIYers. DIYers often contribute knowledge because they have the time to spend researching a particular model or part where techs have to move on to the next unit. The amount that I have learned from DIYers here and otherwise is really amazing. 

Bottom line, don't expect techs to know everything. Some will mislead you purposely, but most are just working off of limited knowledge.


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## 74f100 (Jul 28, 2011)

I personally don't like to sub the chips in the Philips sets. The convergence circuits on these are sort of weak. Make sure the 6.8 ohm resistors are good (usually at least 2 blown), and stick with the 120's.

Jim


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