Anode Cup Removal

quickray

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I've always wondered what others do when it comes to discharging and removing the anode cup.

I always discharge it several times, until I don't get a reading on my discharge tool, then remove the anode cup by hand, praying I don't get shocked.

Do others do it that way?

I've seen videos of folks on YouTube and they literally pry the anode cup off using the discharge tool, I've never been able to do that.

Wondering what other folks do, if it's the former or the latter.
 
Is there really any other way to do it?

If you have a HV probe, use that to bleed it. If not, screwdriver to the frame does the same thing. Some monitors "self discharge." In that case, just yank it off with your hand.
 
It worries me every single time I do it. I've been zapped from it before.
you didn't die. I've taken full shots. you just don't need any caffeine products afterwards.

I use alligator clip (to monitor frame/ground) and long Craftsman 1/4" flathead. be mindful a picture tube functions much like a capacitor, all that charge on the back of the tube will seep back into the anode hole after awhile and you will thus need to discharge another time when you go to reinstall monitor chassis.
 
you didn't die. I've taken full shots. you just don't need any caffeine products afterwards.

I use alligator clip (to monitor frame/ground) and long Craftsman 1/4" flathead. be mindful a picture tube functions much like a capacitor, all that charge on the back of the tube will seep back into the anode hole after awhile and you will thus need to discharge another time when you go to reinstall monitor chassis.
I've been shocked many times and didn't die. But it still scares me. It's like watching a movie and knowing that a jump scare is coming. The part that worries me more than the shock is the cut I could get from yanking my hand away. I've had some really nasty metal cuts from the edge of appliances, ductwork, meta frames, etc. over the years. Usually brought on from jerking for some other reason.

You'd laugh if you saw the tool I use for discharging. But I'm not going to subject myself to that!
 
I've used the screwdriver many times and its worked fine.
A guy I work with was sending out high voltage gloves for testing. I mentioned using the screwdriver to discharge 19,000 +/- volts from a CRT.
He said the metal tip of the screwdriver runs into the handle and was still at risk of transferring the voltage to my hand. "less than 2 inches", he said.

Oich!

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I've used the screwdriver many times and its worked fine.
A guy I work with was sending out high voltage gloves for testing. I mentioned using the screwdriver to discharge 19,000 +/- volts from a CRT.
He said the metal tip of the screwdriver runs into the handle and was still at risk of transferring the voltage to my hand. "less than 2 inches", he said.

Oich!

View attachment 711982
Not if you ground the blade. Electricity follows the path of least resistance. Always. Your handle is rated for around 2,000 volts, but it doesn't see a thing.

I've never had a problem with mine.

I discharge the tube with the HV probe, then lift the edge of the cap with a grounded screwdriver, and work the clip from there. Some are wires, some you need to pinch the top of the anode cap. Lifting up the edge while wearing a lamp on your head lets you see what you have, so you don't damage the connection on removal.
 
I've used the screwdriver many times and its worked fine.
A guy I work with was sending out high voltage gloves for testing. I mentioned using the screwdriver to discharge 19,000 +/- volts from a CRT.
He said the metal tip of the screwdriver runs into the handle and was still at risk of transferring the voltage to my hand. "less than 2 inches", he said.

Oich!

View attachment 711982

I use a mini pocket screwdriver and a 12" jumper wire with alligator clips on both sides from Harbor Freight hundreds of times. I've never been zapped doing it that way. There's way too much hype over this whole process.
 
I have been zapped a few times even after discharging a tube. I use a HV probe and keep it in the hole as I pull the suction cup by hand. I've never been bit doing it this way.
 
- Many monitors self-discharge. Not that this means you shouldn't still care, but the difference between a mostly-discharged tube and a fully charged one is significant. But that's why some monitors can pop louder than others.

- Tubes WILL regenerate some charge after you discharge them. They can build up charge again in as little as a few minutes, enough to give you the equivalent of a good static zap. Not enough to hurt you, but the real risk is what you do involuntarily when you're startled by it. That's when you drop things and whack things unintentionally. So always discharge the anode hole again, right beforehand, any time you're going to do anything near or around it. Even if you 'just discharged it', as it only takes a few minutes to regenerate residual charge.

- To get the anode cup off, push the cup sideways, tilt it at an angle to get one prong out, then the other will come out.

- If it's a monitor that you know self-discharges, or it's one you've already discharged, it's possible to get the anode wire out of the hole without touching anything that will zap you, by grabbing the back of the anode cup and removing per above. YOU SHOULD STILL DISCHARGE THE HOLE IF YOU'RE GOING TO TOUCH IT. But this can be a useful trick in a pinch if you're just swapping out a chassis on a self-discharging monitor. And you really only want to do it on monitors that you know really well, and that you know self-discharge. I shouldn't even be saying it, but it can come in handy.

- If you want to be 100% safe, always discharge the tube, always treat any tube as if it's charged, and always re-discharge any recently charged tube, whether it's been sitting a few minutes or 24 hours.

It's possible to get comfortable with HV, but you never want to get TOO comfortable, and you always want to respect it. When you fail to do so is when you get zapped.
 
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