Subject: Dimming monitors summaryI originally queried about fixing dimming monochrome monitors.
2007-12-25 7:23:00
I originally queried about fixing dimming monochrome monitors. Below are the re
sponses I received. I was able to adjust all of mine. I did discover there are
at least two types. The first which I assume is the newer has adjustments whic
h can be made by removing the plastic back cage. There are several holes in the
metal back which allow adjustment with a small screwdriver. The second type re
quires further removing the top metal screen. These are much more difficult to
access. I include the suggestions sent to me below. I would suggest trying some
of the simpler adjustments on the "newer" type since it is relatively easy. Ho
wever if you are not comfortable "reaching into the guts of the machine" you mi
ght consider the outside service if you have one of the "older" models. If the
adjustments don't help I guess it's repair or replace time. All of these are ju
st suggestions and should be taken as such!!
Daniel Schales
SysAdmin
Louisiana Tech University
*******************Use at you own discretion*****************
From: bigezsun!rex!adl.austek.oz.au!cwilson (Chris Wilson)
I can't give you a fix, but I can tell you that they will probably get
worse, to the point where they stop working altogether. Sometimes they
will give up in a big way, with smoke and smell. I believe this is
know as the "fly-back" transformer giving up. This has happened to 2
of our 4 Sun 3 Mono monitors in the last 2 months, all bought at the
same time about 3 years ago.
The Sun Tech just shook his head and replaced them. Apparently it's
quite common,
Chris
From: bigezsun!rex!pender.ee.upenn.edu!chip (Charles H. Buchholtz)
We have several monochrome monitors attached to sun3/60's and have
noticed that they have recently begun to dim significantly.
I'm sure you've already checked this, but just to be certain...
I frequently have users complaining to me that their workstation
monitor is either dim, out of focus, or both. 90% of the time I can
fix the problem by handing them a bottle of Windex.
Charles H. Buchholtz chip@ee.upenn.edu
Systems Programmer (215) 898-2491
School of Engineering and Applied Science 200 S. 33rd St, rm 154
University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 19104
From: bigezsun!rex!gumbo.age.lsu.edu!edelaney (Elizabeth Delaney)
I have the same problem on one of my monocrome monitors that was attached to a
Sun3/60 ( it's my console for the time being). Motorola, who handles our hardw
are maintainance says it's the picture tube dying!!. Yea!!
They don't even fool with fixing that, they just replace the monitor that is of
course if the maintainance contract was kept up. I have two others that died.
Upon inspection, the flyback transformers went out. One of them took the who
le board with it. I am having it repaired by
Pinnacle Data Systems
1350 West Fifth Street
Columbus, Ohio 43212
614-487-1150
my contact is Chris.
I also ordered a transformer from them for $99.00 to fix the other monitor.
Maybe they can help - I haven't approached them yet about the fading monitor.
Elizabeth Delaney
Louisiana State University
Sys Admin
Dept. of Ag. Eng.
From: Alastair Young <bigezsun!rex!eucad.co.uk!alastair>
I think it is just age and the tube is on the way out. We are on maintenance
so we just complain and Sun comes and swaps them. BUT once upon a time we
had an unmaintained Sparc2 that did something real similar when it warmed
up. We opened it up and scooshed the components one by one with freezer and
bingo, when we scooshed a particular yellow capacitor all went bright. We found
another of these in a cooler part of the board and swapped them and all was
well. Until the disk crashed....... :-)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Alastair Young Systems Supervisor (SMTS) _ ARIEL
European CAD Developments Limited aka EuCAD )/___ spares
EuCAD/Cadence mail: alastair +44-31-225-3434 __/(___)#####c bought
Full Email Address: alastair@eucad.co.uk / /\\|| \ / \ and
9 Wemyss Place, Edinburgh, Scotland EH3 6DH \__/ ---- \__/~~~~~ sold
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
From: bigezsun!rex!lpi.liant.com!trr (Terry Rasmussen)
Lot's of luck!
These monitor's apparently were designed to last for about 1.5 to 2
years continuous use before they start to go. We put our workstations
on the rest of our maintenance contract (along with the servers) mostly
for this reason. It's the big tube that is going, you will next start
to notice that the "picture" is floating to the right or you will
develop three horizontal bands of approximately the same width, with
the darker band in the center, when these happen you're out of luck.
At this point you are out of warranty and since you have turned the
screen up as high as it will go, I'll bet you've had these Sun
monochrome monitors for about 2 to 3 years now, unless you have a
supply of the "picture tubes" that Sun uses for these monitors you
will be out of luck.
Once again, lot's of luck...
From: Dan Butzer <bigezsun!rex!cis.ohio-state.edu!butzer>
There are several internal adjustments inside the unit that determine
brightness. In addition the picture tubes may need to be zapped
with a rejuvinator. If you want more info give me a call at Pinnacle
Data Systems 614-487-1150 --- we repair those monitors regularly.
They're getting a bit old but a short trip to the shop can add more
good years to their life...
--Dan
From: bigezsun!rex!UCSD.EDU!jnapier (Jim Napier)
We had a similar problem with a monochrome monitor on a 3/50. We popped
the cover off the back of the monitor where there are some adjustment pots.
Fiddling the one for the brightness fixed the problem.
Jim Napier
Programmer/Analyst
Applied Mechanical & Engineering Sciences Dept.
U.C. San Diego
(619)534-5414
napier@ames.ucsd.edu, jnapier@ucsd.edu, ...!ucsd!jnapier
Message-Id: <9105101542.AA05144@helicon.math.purdue.edu>
Ours have begun to dim also. Our engineers can get into the enclosure
and tweak the internal adjustment to brighten it some. Once that
adjustment is at the max, though, we have to replace the crt. I'm not
an engineer, so I can't tell you where the internal adjustment is.
Steve.
From: bigezsun!rex!helicon.math.purdue.edu!sjh
Steve Holmes purdue!sjh
Systems Administrator sjh@math.purdue.edu
Dept. of Mathematics (317) 494-6055
Purdue University, W. Lafayette, Indiana 47907
Steve.
From: bigezsun!rex!mayo.EDU!rhm (Russ Moritz)
If there the Philip monitors(model M19P114A/6102) we've had many problems also.
Many of ours would lose their horizontal freq. and I found that replaceing the
two 10uf caps below the pots Horiz. center and Horiz. Freq. would solve the
problem. If I recall correctly, after I replaced these caps the screen appeared
brighter on some monitors. You may want to give this a try on yours, or I
might suspect your flyback is getting weak.
I believe the locations for those caps are C205 & C209. I'd be interested on
hearing if this helps.
Russ Moritz
Mayo Foundation
Rochester, Mn.
507-284-4116
From: "alex;923-4483" <bigezsun!rex!RELAY.CS.NET!alexl%daemon.cna.tek.com>
You can take off the back and tweak the brightness limiter, contrast, etc
--
Alexander Lopez
Engineering Systems Administration
alexl@daemon.CNA.TEK.COM
Tektronix metallic and fiber optic cable test equipment
From: bigezsun!rex!sunbar.mc.duke.edu!ndd (Ned Danieley)
we recently had one of the local service guys come in and tweak up
the monitor on a 3/50. unfortunately, I didn't watch him to see exactly
what he did, but there is an adjustment inside the case.
--
Ned Danieley (ndd@sunbar.mc.duke.edu)
Basic Arrhythmia Laboratory
Box 3140, Duke University Medical Center
Durham, NC 27710 (919) 660-5111 or 660-5100
From: bigezsun!rex!bigezsun.Central.Sun.COM!matt.delcambre (Matt Delcambre Sun
New Orleans SE)
There may be something that can be done. I'll ask Travis (our Sun FE)
and see what he has to say. I'll be out of town next week (in California),
so it'll probably after that.
--
Matt
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