Removing a monitor - Discharging - Newbie

heilxmq

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So I recently bought an arcade game with a monitor that has some burn in. I want to just get the monitor out of there. I got a 19" vision pro ready to replace. I am new to this stuff. I'm sure you guys love these questions. Sorry in advance.

I figured since this is the 1st repair I've ever made on an arcade game maybe I should get a pro to discharge the monitor and remove it. The only issue I'm running into is no one seems to want to do this. The TV repair guys tell me not to worry about it... that it won't have a charge or just a minor one if it's been unplugged for a few days now. (Not sure if that really sounds right based on what I've read elsewhere.) I haven't been able to get an arcade repair tech scheduled. (They seem to be busy these days.)

So I've been considering doing it myself and want a sanity check. Basically, take off anything metal. Wear rubber soled shoes. Make sure the game is unplugged. Don't stand in water. Just use 1 hand and put the other hand in your pocket. Put an alligator clip on a screwdriver like the one below (Maybe put some black tape around it to make sure it stays in place) and place the other end on the metal piece with a white dot below.... then take the screw driver and shove it underneath the cap area where the other white dot is and hit the metal piece under the suction cuff. I may hear a pop.... I may not.... wait 5-10 minutes and repeat.... wait 5-10 minutes and repeat... wait 5-10 minutes and repeat.... then I should be ok to remove this stuff keeping in mind the PCBs and stuff attached to the monitor could still carry a shock... but not a deadly one... also keeping in mind to handle the monitor carefully so it doesn't implode into 1000000 pieces.

What does everyone thing? Good idea/bad idea? I'm semi-confortable with the process. If anyone is in the KC area and knows what they are doing definitely let me know. I can pay in beer, cash, arcade parts, beer etc.
 

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Yeah if you are just removing the monitor but not the chassis you dont have to discharge it....just dont go poking around under the 2nd anode cap....

Josh
 
I always discharge a monitor even if Im just pulling the tube and not the chassis. Ive seen a neckboard pop after sitting in a box for several weeks so to say its safe after a week or so is nonsense. THe flyback CAN HOLD A CHARGE FOR WEEKS! All you have to do is get a good long screwdriver and either some wire or some alligator clips. Ground one side of the wire to the chassis and the other attach to the screwdriver. Carefully slide the screwdriver under the pronged anode connected to the back of the tube and you should hear a small or sometimes loud discharge. Wait a few minutes then do it again and to be safe wait even longer. Now Ive yanked tubed out of a cab that I had plugged in before and only did a single discharge and was fine but its hard to say sometimes. Especially after witnessing a neckboard pop rather loudly once it was grounded after sitting in a box for weeks. Just be careful, it could put you on your ass.
 
You are just pulling the old monitor and replacing it not repairing it right? If so just make sure to disconnect all connections to the old monitor, unbolt it and pull it out. If the monitor has not been on for a few days it will likely not have much if any charge. Of course still be careful and only grab the monitor by the frame. Basically just pull it out though. No need to discharge in this case. Mount the new monitor in place and wire it up. FYI discharging a monitor is only scary until you do it then you realize how big a deal it's not and wonder what you were worried about. Just use common sense and be careful.

It sounds like you are replacing the monitor because the burn in not because it's not working. This is a great opportunity for you to learn to discharge a monitor on your own after it has been pulled. If I were you I would do this just as a learning experience. I assume the monitor will be of no use to you and you may consider it junk but please pull the useful parts before junking it. Pull the chassis, neck board, yoke and purity rings and keep them all together so you know what they go to. Either keep them for yourself for the future or sell them to someone here for a few bucks.
 
Where's that video?? Don't foget to clean the dust out of the hole. lol..

There might be a charge on the tube, but it won't be any worse than running your socks over the carpet.

The thing to worry about is poking around back there when the monitor is running. That's when you have a nice source of 19Kv-25Kv constantly. Not a zap, but constant.

So get to pulling the monitor, and replace it.
 
So basically it sounds like if I pull the whole thing out I'm ok. So I can pull the monitor and metal cage around it.... all out at once without discharging it?

The monitor chassis is just the metal cage and PCBs around the monitor right?

I just want to take it out so I can swap it with a new one. I do not really need to open up the monitor or work with any it's components.
 
if you want someone to help, i live in Belton and can be easily bribed with beer...
just PM me your number.
monitor discharging should be an easy part of your tool box, like picking up a multimeter when troubleshooting...
 
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the metal part that surrounds the tube and basically everything else is the frame. The pcb that mounts to the frame is the chassis. The pcb that mounts to the neck of the tube is the neck board. On the neck of the tube you will find some plastic tabs that stick out away from the neck and look as if they cab be moved (they can be but many are glued or stuck) these are the purity rings. The piece on the neck of the tube that sits closest to the widest part of the tube is the yoke. You can usually see the tight wound copper wire on this part.
 
How bad is the burn in..don't trash the old monitor..at the very least if the chasis is working somone here will buy it from you.
 
So basically it sounds like if I pull the whole thing out I'm ok. So I can pull the monitor and metal cage around it.... all out at once without discharging it?

The monitor chassis is just the metal cage and PCBs around the monitor right?

I just want to take it out so I can swap it with a new one. I do not really need to open up the monitor or work with any it's components.

then just remove the wires and pull it , no need to discharge , whole operation may take you 10 minutes
 
The flyback holds no charge at all.

The tube, OTOH...


I beg to differ. I saw one sitting in a pile of a few others that had been there for a few weeks discharge a pretty good pop when the anode touched another board and grounded it. Grabbed it to get a few parts of of it, when it grazed another neckboard it popped pretty good.
 
Man everyone needs to watch Randy Fromms videos on monitors...Especially the part where he is touching everything on the chassis with the power off on a recently turned on monitor......
 
Update if anyone is interested.

Well splattergatz helped get me going today. He showed me a bit about everything. Very knowledgeable guy. He showed me how to ground the CRT. It's really not too difficult at all. He also helped me put in a ground wire too since none existed when I bought it. The cabinet wasn't serviced very well.

The old monitor was removed and we hooked up the Vision Pro LCD. I haven't had a lot of time to mess with it but the LCD just isn't very crisp. It like I need a sharpness setting to adjust. There doesn't seem to be an option for this though. If I hit select with nothing it on it says "New Game". I wasn't sure if there's a preset game I need to flip it to or if it auto adjusts for anything. If is familar with this I'd appreciate some insight. Hopefully there will be a way I can tweak this to get it a bit crisper.
 
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