Steve Grobe wrote: > > Sounds to me like the refresh rate my be set too high and the monitor is > eating itself. But I would think that a recent monitor would just reject a > refresh rate that was set too high. All my Sony and Hitachi monitors just > refuse to run at a refresh rate that is not supported. > > Both flyback transformers and caps will discolor when abused, this is visable > if you open the case. Caps are easy if they are not too burned, you can > order a new one through digikey, if you can read the specs. > In the case of a fried flyback I always just replaced the HV card in the > monitor. The flyback will often have a needle sized hole burned in the > casing. You can both smell and hear this , it smells like a thunderstorm > and sounds like a car with a pinhole leak somewhere in the catalytic > converter, much like pushing air through your teeth. > > If you decide to swap the HV card on your own be careful to discharge the > tube before you try to disconnect it, two screwdrivers work well for this. > One the is inserted into the hole in the back of the tube and one that is > slid down the first and makes contact with the back of the tube, you will get > a nice blue arc about 1/4 inch long. Do that a couple of times before > attempting to disconnect the card from the tube, the connection will often > look like a suction cup with two prongs in it. If you don't do this it you > will probably not die but you will jump higher and faster than you ever have. > (50KV will do that) The couple of times I didn't fully discharge a tube > before trying to change out a HV card I lost the feeling in a couple of > fingers for a week or so, it burns a really neat hole in your finger as you > jump straight up nearly 3 feet. Interesting to say the least. > I used to repair computers and TV's as a side business - I had a huge old TV on my bench (actually it was probably a 20", but we are talking 20 years ago), and I had noticed one small thing wrong that would probably fix the problem with the TV, but it required reaching in right along the tube. I decided to go for it, and had my hand a ways in when I felt that tingling feeling... I started to pull my hand out fast, and was hit with a big blue spark. My arm spasmed and I hit myself in the face with my fist so hard I knocked myself across the room. About 2 hours later I had matching bruises on the back of my hand and my cheek and chin. I tell my son the only person to ever knock me out with their fist was me... Oh, yeah, to put this back on topic, ummm, BE CAREFUL, yeah, thats the ticket.