Wg6100 vector monitor: discharge with a screwdriver or not?

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Wg6100 vector monitor: discharge with a screwdriver or not?

So what is the concensus on discharging a wg6100 vector monitor with a screw driver and alligator clip? Do we do it or not?

Do i buy a hv probe? Or can i get by with the screwdriver because its said they are self discharging monitors but not actually confirmed.
 
You own 17 arcade games.
All have monitors.
Do the math. What is the wise thing to do? :D
 
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6100's are self-discharging. I work on them regularly, and I don't even bother discharging them anymore. Take your own risks with that, but the main point is that if you do try to discharge, you will not hear anything, and a bare screwdriver without resistors will not damage it.

That said, you do need an HV probe to set the HV properly after putting it back together, especially if you worked on the HV cage. The adjustment very sensitive, and it's hard to get it right without a probe.

Plus, what VectorCollector said. If you have 17 games, you should own a probe. 50-80 bucks for a used Fluke 80k-40 on eBay. Do yourself the favor. You won't regret it.
 
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Always discharge a monitor. What if the self discharging doesn't discharge? Getting zapped hurts and is dangerous. Granted it's not voltage that kills it's the amperage. But why take the chance.

ALWAYS DISCHARGE A MONITOR!
 
Always discharge a monitor. What if the self discharging doesn't discharge? Getting zapped hurts and is dangerous. Granted it's not voltage that kills it's the amperage. But why take the chance.

ALWAYS DISCHARGE A MONITOR!



I don't disagree with this.

But I don't do it.
 
6100's are self-discharging. I work on them regularly, and I don't even bother discharging them anymore. Take your own risks with that, but the main point is that if you do try to discharge, you will not hear anything, and a bare screwdriver without resistors will not damage it.

That said, you so need an HV probe to set the HV properly after putting it back together, especially if you worked on the HV cage. The adjustment very sensitive, and it's hard to get it right without a probe.

Plus, what VectorCollector said. If you have 17 games, you should own a probe. 50-80 bucks for a used Fluke 80k-40 on eBay. Do yourself the favor. You won't regret it.

All my games are crt monitors..no vectors....i use a screwdriver and alligator clip and it works perfect.

I know vectors require a hv probe but i also read the 6100 is self discharging and the screw driver method would be suffice.

I do see a hv probe on ebay, working for $40 plus $10 shipping...i may scoop it up.
 
My second set of 2cent nonsensical opinion on this ->

I have a HV probe.
I use it for rasters and vectors.
I've found that all types have residual voltage after powering down.
I always use a HV probe to discharge, monitor and set my HV voltages.
CRTs are essentially large capacitor (storage) devices with "memory" and tend to recharge themselves to some extent.
There is also some controversy that too high a set voltage will cause the CRT to emit low-level xrays. Be this true or not, why take the risk.

In general, for XY monitors, follow the datasheet/FAQ and set the HV correctly. For this you need a HV probe (or sometimes you can estimate that it is correct by measuring a lower voltage on the HV PCB; YMMV).

(Never use the screwdriver method on a B/W XY monitor; as that will likely reduce the lifetime of those HV diodes)
 
(Never use the screwdriver method on a B/W XY monitor; as that will likely reduce the lifetime of those HV diodes)


There is no actual data to support this. (If you have any, please post a link.)

This idea started many years ago, dating back to the RGVAC days, and has perpetuated, however nobody has ever shown it to be true. And if anything, there is more data the other way, as if you dig through the archives, there are multiple instances of folks (gamefixer is one, IIRC), who have been using a screwdriver on b/w vectors for years with no problems.

I researched this myself a while ago, and came to the conclusion from the discussions I read that it is basically the equivalent of an arcade urban legend, and there is no actual data supporting it.
 
I didn't imply it would "kill" the diode.
I said it would reduce the lifetime of the diode.
This is my opinion. I don't claim to be a reliability engineer and have historical data where I've sacrificed a statistical quantity of HV diodes by "hard shorting" the CRT anode.

Per VectorList, in respect to BW XY diodes, even NOS ones fail randomly. This likely is due to aging and limited shelf-life. Again - YMMV.

I don't think anyone can argue that "soft shorting" the HV anode with a HV probe with large impedance to ground would cause any stress on any HV component. (As with any semiconductor, the diode has a max/peak current specification; repeated stress of any component over its maximum would reduce the long-term usefulness of that component). This is the logical "safe bet" - soft discharge with a HV probe.
 
All my games are crt monitors..no vectors....i use a screwdriver and alligator clip and it works perfect.

I know vectors require a hv probe but i also read the 6100 is self discharging and the screw driver method would be suffice.

I do see a hv probe on ebay, working for $40 plus $10 shipping...i may scoop it up.

Is this a good choice?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/252380966671?ul_noapp=true
 
No.

That one only goes to 6kV. You want the 80k-40, which goes to 40kV. Monitors are around 15-25kV, generally speaking. The 6100 is 19.5kV.
 
FLUKE 80K-40 HV is what you need.

In the world of HV probes, "bigger is better".

80k-40.jpg

Example ->

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FLUKE-80K-40-HV-HIGH-VOLTAGE-PROBE-/361889617043?hash=item54424d5493:g:l1wAAOSwo4pYiR-S

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fluke-80K-40-High-Voltage-HV-Probe-40-000-Volts-40kV-Handheld-Probe-Sensor-/191868995698?hash=item2cac488872:g:mQ8AAOSwzaJX5GV7
 
this is one of those discussions that drives me nuts.

As mentioned above, I've used nothing other than a screw driver and a piece of wire to discharge monitors since 1984. Thats 33 years. Not one failure, not one time getting zapped, nothing. I kinda like the huge discharge....

The diodes... If the monitor was powered up and you stuck a grounded probe under the anode cup then yeah, you're going to stress the diode out. Hopefully the monitor is OFF when you try to discharge it so the potential is the TUBE not the DIODE.

Have I mentioned that I've probably discharged 1000's of CRTs? :)

But yeah, get a high voltage probe. I have one and only use it when I service a 6100 high voltage cage.
 
my latest "discharge" tool of choice is my 19 year old Snap-On flat head screw driver and an alligator clip. After I discharge the CRT I clip the nipple in the tube to GND so that when I come back to the CRT it hasn't "recharged" itself.
 
I just watched John's 6100 tempest videos...he discharged the 6100 multiple times with a screwdriver and the monitor was fine.
 
Just get the probe. It's "cheap" test equipment, and better than waiting a week for one to show in the mail when you actually do need it. Kinda like CraftyMech's TPG. Sure, most games have a test pattern, but why not have one in the toolbox?

:)

Besides, it's something that will hold it's value if you are ever reaeeeaalllalalllallkyyyyyy strapped for $50.

And, lastly, you can whip it out (in front of your non-electrical friends) and ask them if they ". . .want to see something . . ."
 
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Tubes recharge themselves just sitting there, even with nothing connected. I've been stung many times brushing my arms over an anode hole while installing/removing a chassis. Even if it's still just a small static shock, it's sometimes enough to startle you into dropping important equipment.

Discharging a tube should be the norm in monitor work. Those of you who don't wish to, that's fine. But don't try and pass off your shortcuts as the proper way to do things. Very few of us are actually professionally trained to be doing the work we're doing, and the more safety precautions that we can take, the better.
 
this is one of those discussions that drives me nuts.

As mentioned above, I've used nothing other than a screw driver and a piece of wire to discharge monitors since 1984. Thats 33 years. Not one failure, not one time getting zapped, nothing. I kinda like the huge discharge....

The diodes... If the monitor was powered up and you stuck a grounded probe under the anode cup then yeah, you're going to stress the diode out. Hopefully the monitor is OFF when you try to discharge it so the potential is the TUBE not the DIODE.

Have I mentioned that I've probably discharged 1000's of CRTs? :)

But yeah, get a high voltage probe. I have one and only use it when I service a 6100 high voltage cage.

> The diodes... If the monitor was powered up and you stuck a grounded probe under the anode cup then yeah, you're going to stress the diode out.

Isn't that what you're doing when you measure HV with it on?
 
> The diodes... If the monitor was powered up and you stuck a grounded probe under the anode cup then yeah, you're going to stress the diode out.

Isn't that what you're doing when you measure HV with it on?

Not really. The impedance to GND is so high on that probe that the diode doesnt even see it.
 
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