Bad monitor mojo...screen flickering

[Reverend Maynard]

Howdy all. This has really started to bug me. The left side of my monitor, and the right a little tiny bit, has been flickering badly of late. The edge just moves back and forth really quickly. Whats interesting is in dos it doesnt do that. I am running win2k, nameless monitor with a trinitron tube, and of course a g400 max. Anyone ever see this happen?

[Rags]

that is usually an indication of EMI (interference). try isolating just the PC and the monitor on the circuit you are running it on in the house if it goes away, plug in one device at a time and see which one is causing the problem.

Rags

[Greebe]

Try changing the refresh rate (lower, try everything down to 60, noting each) and posting back if there is any change after you have done as Rags suggested if that in itself doesn't solve the problem.

[spoogenet]

Yeah, that does sound like EMI. I've got that problem BIG time with mine. At 60 Hz it isn't very noticeable (AC is @ 60 Hz), but at other refresh rates I get horrible wobble in my image. Mine changes location depending on the orientation of the monitor, as expected. See, I've got this problem because I live too close to power lines....doesn't matter which room I'm in. Hopefully yours can be taken care of.

b

[LvR]

Reverend Maynard

If your monitor is a few years old and have seen quite a bit of use, it may be time to have it looked at in order to get this problem sorted.

These symptoms are associated with the "drying out" of the flyback tuning capacitors. There is normally a selection of capacitors, one of wich gets switched into the circuitry depending on the horizontal and vertical refresh rates chosen by the user.

The problem stems from the operation of the caps in a high temperature environment under very high voltage conditions (typically 1300V).

I have in a few rare cases also found that the actual flyback transformer is at fault - the potting resin goes brittle (heat+high frequency mechanical stress) allowing small local inter winding "flashover" points that change ever so slightly the scanning period - if this is the case it should be looked at pronto as it will eventually starts arcing seriously and cause a fire hazard.

If the problem is a 60/50Hz problem you will have the whole of the pictur affected and not just the horizontal edges.

[Greebe]

Actually the flyback won't cause a fire hazard per se, as the windings are of such small gauge that it'll burn them out long beforehand. But it may damage other associated componets. This is what I believe to have happened to my 21" monitor that died two weeks ago. (and replaced for FREE by my good friends at Cornerstone

BTW if it is the flyback, typically you can hear a poping/arcing sound eminating from it.

I'd suspect your seeing a harmonic being generated due to the caps starting to fail... it'll eventually start causing loss of resolution/ lower refresh rates until it dies. I was waiting to post this until after you replied (where you be?), hence my querry to you

Get it look at asap... tho in many cases it is more cost effective to just replace the monitor. If it can be caught beforehand you'll save some $$ if serviced properly, by a quality minded tech. I've serviced many a monitor/projector and know the going rate is astronomical once it's fried.

[The PIT]

I can remember a flyback transformer blowing on me. Plenty of smoke and a quick turn off of the mains. Bought a new one from the company and the monitor lasted a few more months before it gave up the ghost altogether.

[Reverend Maynard]

Howdy all, thanks much for the response. I tried changing where the monitor was plugged in, no change. I also tried changing the resolution, now it may be my imagination but I could swear the flickering got worse the higher res I went. As for servicing the monitor, it's probably not worth the trouble/cost eh? The monitor is about 2 years old is all, which certainly isn't much of a life span, considering my 5 year old 15's are still chugging along with ney a problem. Any idea what having the monitor serviced would cost? Always assuming I can find someone to do it of course.

[Maggi]

maybe it's already enough to clean the monitor inside, ie. after some months it is a pretty hefty dust collector and can build some really interesting piles.

make sure you have the power plug pulled and try carefully to use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of those fractal piles ...

[Greebe]

When I did repair the company charged $85/hr

Your looking at ~$200-300 min+parts typically

(I know, it really sucks!)

[Reverend Maynard]

Ouch. Considering I only payed 220 bucks for the monitor in the first place, I don't think I'll pay for repairs. If cleaning doesn't do anything I guess I'll upgrade. Anyone throw me a bone as to who makes the best 21 inch screen? Hopefully something that won't break me.

[Greebe]

See my post...

Monitor Dilemma part Deux

[Fat Tone]

Careful Rev...

Reverend

I don't want to teach you to suck eggs, but incase you don't know, there are some very high voltages stored inside monitors. If you take the back off for cleaning, make very sure you don't actually touch anything, even if it has been off for a while. Areas to watch out for are connections to the tube and anything connected with capacitors.

Good Luck!

Tony.

[Reverend Maynard]

Heh, yes I'm aware you can get a nasty shock from the inside of a monitor. I was just planning on taking the compressor to it, nothing moves dust like lots and lots of air.

[Maggi]

Originally posted by Reverend Maynard
Heh, yes I'm aware you can get a nasty shock from the inside of a monitor. I was just planning on taking the compressor to it, nothing moves dust like lots and lots of air.

good plan, but don't do it inside your house ...