sorry to make new thread but just need some quick advice before i do anything.

problem i had for the past 2 weeks is my sony GDM-FW900 monitor stopped working so earlier this morning i brought it to a trusted tech i had experience with but he refused to want to work on it. told me it was not worth it and it was too heavy for him to carry around his shop.

while disappointed already day couldn't get worst..... i had a ride and way back and friend wasn't thinking and opened the trunk(it was automatic thing) before i even got out the car and since it was leaning due to broken stand it just fell out and stand broke more and back casing plastic piece broke off in the back. the front bezel chipped as well. the screen tho was not affected with not even a scratch on it. just the plastic casing is now beat up.

anyways. need to ask is it still even worth keeping anymore and still try to get it fix? or should just put it out on the curb and just forget about it? i mean it was a well known CRT monitor and had wonderful picture that out-classed S-IPS panels. i don't know what to do now really. i just feel really bad this had to happen and worst day i ever had.

Once brought a 60's Grundig console to a shop that specialized in them. We did not know that the changer was not held in by anything other than gravity and the pickup arm got smashed. When we got to the shop in chicagoland the b!tchy german lady that ran the place accused me of breaking it (I was about 12 at the time) a verbal fight insued, and I threatened take it home and put it out at the curb. I then brought it to the shop of the good friend that got me started fixing radios, and he had an acident with it that dammaged the only remaining good part of the set. We were moving at the time and I just had it with the thing and when my friend told me there was a collector that wanted it for parts I told him to sell it to him for as much as the guy would pay.

Some sets just get very unlucky very fast.

Tom C.

so should i try to just sell it as parts?

You might be able to find or badger some tech to fix it. I did not know it was rare/sought after so I figured that any run of the mill monitor would be an equivalent replacement. When techs say it would be cheaper to get a new one it often translates to a polite version of "I don't like working on those...bug someoen else". You might want to bounce back from that line by quoting a high used price on that model, and saying that you want to have that exact same monitor for some reason that is tough to argue with. If you can calmly and logically blow the not worth it polite BS out of the water they will have few outs form working on it that will not lose all your future buissness, and will either agree to work on it or get cranky.

alright. yea i was plan on calling some specialized video equipment repair shops and try to bug them cause i would like to see this unit up and running or at least try everything to get it running again but was told as long as the tube is fine it can be fixed.

never had problem before with my previous tech i went to before till now.....he seemed very annoyed when i brought it in so i don't know if i'll continue going there anymore. if i can't find any stores i might put a sign up on craigslist or something requesting anyone with knowledge to work on it cause i want to try everything i can first before i make bad decision on letting it go or worst.....on the curb.

they don't make CRT tubes like this anymore and was considered the best of sony engineering so i would like to try everything as possible to get it working.

That fall out of the trunk could have trashed the mask inside the crt. No real way to know until the monitor is powered up. But a fall like that onto concrete can totally wipe out a color crt.

Yep, I was going to mention the same thing that Leadlike did.

Since the cabinet is broken in more than one place, it is probably not worth fixing but someone may want the CRT or other parts.

If the circuit boards are not crushed or cracked and the CRT aint messed up it can still be fixed. Won't look as pretty if it can be revived, but can be fixed.

only the body casing is messed up. i heard i can special order the casing from sony if i really want to but it'll cost me like 120-130 for it from what i remember hearing. i'll take look inside tomorrow inside but like i said the tube itself is not damaged at all and without a scratch. seemed only the outer plastic casing took some damage.

I had to look this up, it's not a run of the mill CRT Monitor but rather a 16:9 CRT Monitor and a highly regarded one at that.

It's a shame it got dropped, I would really have to think twice at this point about investing in fixing the electronics because as pointed out the CRT could be toast, even if it isn't visibly damaged.

The shadow mask could easily be damaged, I think Sony's are probably even more likely to suffer from shock damage because of the way they are made.

There's one on eBay for $200 right now:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sony-GDM-FW900-24-16-9-CRT-Monitor-/110749264596?pt=Computer_Monitors&hash=item19c92baad4

I can't tell if it has a purity problem or if it's just the material displayed that makes it look that way?

and another for $899.00 (which seems a tad preposterous) http://www.ebay.com/itm/SONY-GDM-FW900-24-TRINITRON-WIDESCREEN-PRO-DISPLAY-/270679006271?pt=Computer_Monitors&hash=item3f05b9dc3f

Same seller as the first one so something must be wrong with the other one.

Neat! I'd want to fix that too if I were in your shoes.

i took some pics of the inside.

http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac26/RexAeterna/DSC01143.jpg
http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac26/RexAeterna/DSC01154.jpg
http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac26/RexAeterna/DSC01155.jpg

any ideas? i checked boards and nothing has been cracked or anything. even the thin metal shielding that protects the boards you have to take off seem to not be affected.

also on the last pic what the heck is that near the tube? it look like it's not suppose to be like that....

Last picture looks fine around the CRT to me.

If I were you I'd try to track down a copy of the schematic and start checking voltages from the power cord in towards the main output lines from the power supply and start checking/replacing parts between the first point where a stated voltage is missing and the last point behind it that still has proper voltage.

It is a lot easier to find defects when you have the schematic.

Tom C.

i do have the schematics since it is free to download from sony. i know how read little but not everything and all i have is a radioshack multi-meter. is that fine?

Most multi-meters will work fine for voltage checks just make sure you measure DC volts with the appropriate DC scale, and AC volts with the appropriate AC scale. If the scale is wrong you can dammage your meter or get incorect readings (measureing AC on a DC scale of vice versa will also cause wrong values to be displayed if any stable value is displayed at all).

I personally prefer digitlal display type meters as they tend to be easier to read the precise value on, and less confusing. The old analog meters are good enough to spot large discrepincies in voltage (which is what you should look for ) so those will work well too.

Tom C.

alrighty then. where should i start measuring? i never measured a monitor before really. how should i check the power supply and stuff?

Start at the place the power cord connects to the PS board and start working your way towards the output of the power supply. Check for proper voltage at ALL points the schematic list a voltage value for, and the first point that has the wrong value or no reading is where you should start checking/replacing parts. Usually the defect is in one of the parts connected to the first point that is at the wrong voltage.

I'm by no means the best person to ask about solid state (there are few SS devices that I will bother with, and most that that I have and would consider fixing I've never needed to), but there are many here who are. That trouble shooting procedure can be applied to any power supply of any vintage and point one to the region of the failed part(s), and in some cases the exact part(s) that died.


I hope you can find the problem easily, and if you get lost I'm sure someone here can help.

Tom C.