Sun 21" true flat monitor woes (continued)

[Curtis H. Wilbar Jr.]

There was a discussion on 21" CRTs a while back where I mentioned
the odd bzzt and bluring of my 21" Sun CRT.  It has never happened
again... however, one thing the monitor has now is an inability to
have true blacks.

I'm not sure why I didn't see it... maybe because it still has a good
picture.... but I notice it when screen saver is on (mostly black screen).
The background looks a light brown... and I can see slightly brighter
brown lines tracing upwards from left to right.... I think something
has gone faulty inside.

I now have brightness turned all the way to 0 and it looks a bit
better... but still don't have true black (or even close).  Black isnow a
dark brown (/brownish gray ?).

Wonder if anyone has ever seen anything like that before.

Been contemplating replacing this with an LCD, but it is a nice
monitor, and the number of power on hours it sees in a day, I'll be
waiting a long time for the power savings to pay for a new LCD.
(especially of this sort of size).

Hoping this is something someone has seen, and may know the 'fix'.

-- Curt
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rescue list - http://www.sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/rescue

[Curious George-2]

Hi,

> There was a discussion on 21" CRTs a while back where I
> mentioned
> the odd bzzt and bluring of my 21" Sun CRT.  It has
> never happened
> again... however, one thing the monitor has now is an
> inability to have true blacks.

Yes.  The brightness goes wonky.

Which model?  I have schematics for some of these...

> I'm not sure why I didn't see it... maybe because
> it still has a good
> picture.... but I notice it when screen saver is on (mostly
> black screen).
> The background looks a light brown... and I can see
> slightly brighter
> brown lines tracing upwards from left to right.... I think
> something
> has gone faulty inside.
>
> I now have brightness turned all the way to 0 and it looks
> a bit
> better... but still don't have true black (or even
> close).  Black isnow a
> dark brown (/brownish gray ?).
>
> Wonder if anyone has ever seen anything like that before.
>
> Been contemplating replacing this with an LCD, but it is a
> nice
> monitor, and the number of power on hours it sees in a day,
> I'll be
> waiting a long time for the power savings to pay for a new
> LCD.
> (especially of this sort of size).
>
> Hoping this is something someone has seen, and may know the
> 'fix'.
>
> -- Curt
> _______________________________________________
> rescue list -
> http://www.sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/rescue

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rescue list - http://www.sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/rescue

[Curtis H. Wilbar Jr.]

> Hi,
>
>> There was a discussion on 21" CRTs a while back where I
>> mentioned
>> the odd bzzt and bluring of my 21" Sun CRT.  It has
>> never happened
>> again... however, one thing the monitor has now is an
>> inability to have true blacks.
>
> Yes.  The brightness goes wonky.
>
> Which model?  I have schematics for some of these...

I'd have to look that up... but it is 21" true flat, with dual
input (1/2 switch on front).  I have another 21" that is
'semi' flat (flat one way, curve the other) with the same features...
it's black level is great.

Is this likely a cap ?

While I have fixed arcade games... it is a painstaking timeconsuming
process... and their circuitry is simpler.  And now beeing a dad vs
the last time I spent hours on arcade game repair... I have far less
time now...

If I could easily rescue this monitor, it is a wonderful monitor and
would love to save it.

-- Curt

>
>> I'm not sure why I didn't see it... maybe because
>> it still has a good
>> picture.... but I notice it when screen saver is on (mostly
>> black screen).
>> The background looks a light brown... and I can see
>> slightly brighter
>> brown lines tracing upwards from left to right.... I think
>> something
>> has gone faulty inside.
>>
>> I now have brightness turned all the way to 0 and it looks
>> a bit
>> better... but still don't have true black (or even
>> close).  Black isnow a
>> dark brown (/brownish gray ?).
>>
>> Wonder if anyone has ever seen anything like that before.
>>
>> Been contemplating replacing this with an LCD, but it is a
>> nice
>> monitor, and the number of power on hours it sees in a day,
>> I'll be
>> waiting a long time for the power savings to pay for a new
>> LCD.
>> (especially of this sort of size).
>>
>> Hoping this is something someone has seen, and may know the
>> 'fix'.
>>
>> -- Curt
>> _______________________________________________
>> rescue list -
>> http://www.sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/rescue
> _______________________________________________
> rescue list - http://www.sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/rescue

_______________________________________________
rescue list - http://www.sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/rescue

[Curious George-2]

Hi,

--- On Thu, 7/31/08, rescue@... <rescue@...> wrote:

> > Yes.  The brightness goes wonky.
> >
> > Which model?  I have schematics for some of these...
>
> I'd have to look that up... but it is 21" true flat, with dual
> input (1/2 switch on front).  I have another 21" that is

Ys, I have four of them in my workspace currently.  Heavy
mutha's...

> 'semi' flat (flat one way, curve the other) with the same
> features... it's black level is great.
>
> Is this likely a cap ?

Dunno.  In the past, when this has happened, I've
just swapped out the monitor for another one (I
come across these pretty often)
 
> While I have fixed arcade games...

<grin>  I spent a bit of time in gaming...  :>

> it is a painstaking timeconsuming
> process... and their circuitry is simpler.

Yes.  Arcade monitors, in particular, are usually not
near the same level of performance, are built much
cheaper, etc.  Just accessing the boards inside one
of these monitors is no small feat (IIRC, there are
5 or 6 boards in this monitor -- surrounding, and/or
attached to, the neck of the tube -- enclosed in
a metal skin)

> And now beeing a dad vs the last time I spent hours
> on arcade game repair... I have far less time now...

*Realistically*?  Probably best to just use the monitor
until you can't tolerate the black level any more and
then recycle it (please don't put it in a landfill)

> If I could easily rescue this monitor, it is a wonderful
> monitor and would love to save it.

If you think you can spend the time (figure at least a
solid day) dicking with it, send me model numberand
I'll look for schematics.  I suspect, though, that once
you start poking around inside it, you'll quickly
run out of time  :<  (note you will also need someplace
where you can leave it disassembled if yoou can't work on
it nonstop -- someplace "Junior" can't get at it!)
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[Phil Stracchino-3]

rescue@... wrote:

> I'd have to look that up... but it is 21" true flat, with dual
> input (1/2 switch on front).  I have another 21" that is
> 'semi' flat (flat one way, curve the other) with the same features...
> it's black level is great.
>
> Is this likely a cap ?
>
> While I have fixed arcade games... it is a painstaking timeconsuming
> process... and their circuitry is simpler.  And now beeing a dad vs
> the last time I spent hours on arcade game repair... I have far less
> time now...
>
> If I could easily rescue this monitor, it is a wonderful monitor and
> would love to save it.

If it's the GDM5410, I have one, and the black level does drift badly
over time.  It's a design problem in the entire series.  There is a way
to adjust it, given the correct cable and some downloadable software.  I
successfully rescued mine.


--
  Phil Stracchino, CDK#2     DoD#299792458     ICBM: 43.5607, -71.355
  alaric@...   alaric@...   phil@...
         Renaissance Man, Unix ronin, Perl hacker, Free Stater
                 It's not the years, it's the mileage.
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[Erie Patsellis]

Phil Stracchino wrote:

> rescue@... wrote:
>  
>> I'd have to look that up... but it is 21" true flat, with dual
>> input (1/2 switch on front).  I have another 21" that is
>> 'semi' flat (flat one way, curve the other) with the same features...
>> it's black level is great.
>>
>> Is this likely a cap ?
>>
>> While I have fixed arcade games... it is a painstaking timeconsuming
>> process... and their circuitry is simpler.  And now beeing a dad vs
>> the last time I spent hours on arcade game repair... I have far less
>> time now...
>>
>> If I could easily rescue this monitor, it is a wonderful monitor and
>> would love to save it.
>>    
>
> If it's the GDM5410, I have one, and the black level does drift badly
> over time.  It's a design problem in the entire series.  There is a way
> to adjust it, given the correct cable and some downloadable software.  I
> successfully rescued mine.
>
>
>  

simple adjustment of the G2 will solve the problem, google WinDAS for
info on cable and s/w. Pretty simple, my 2 haven't bothered me enough to
do it (yet...)


erie
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