Found a 32 inch Sony KV-32FS12. Picture comes and goes, and snapping sounds.
 

Yep. I found a ridiculously heavy Sony Trinitron. I was excited as this is a flat screen TV, and flat screens are still worth something.

Upon getting it home and carrying it in... damn thing weighs 165 pounds, I spliced on a power cord and plugged it in. To my amazement the TV turned on. On just a static channel, the picture would be black one moment, then show static the next. This alternated every second or so.

Upon hooking up an antenna, I got a picture, then I started hearing these snapping sounds. When the snapping sounds started, the picture went crazy. I yanked the plug out of the outlet. I didn't smell or see anything burning.

Is this a simple fix like a bad cap, or does this TV need some special part?

PS: Did I mention that the f***er's HEAVY!!

First of all I own a 36 FS trinitron. Yes these are known to have issues of all types. I have had to repair the power supply 5 times now over the course of 2001 to now. Ok the snapping sounds you are hearing, take the back off turn off the lights, look at the flyback watch for a light show. Also was it damp when you got the set? I would resolder the flyback connections on the PCB, I have seen cold solder problems. Try to start there..

Ehh it was a bit damp where I found it, but the inside was nice and dry, plus I let it sit in the house for a bit before I messed with it.

I ***DON'T*** want to run it any more until I can be fairly certain it won't start doing that shit again.

Apart from resoldering the flyback connections, what else can I try to fix this?

When it snapped and the CRT went blank, was the standby light flashing before the raster came back?

The CRT didn't go blank during the snapping sounds. The picture went crazy. I don't know what the standby light was doing, as the second it started, I pulled the plug.

Snapping sounds usually are associated with HV. Either there is a crack in the flyback casing, bad connections in the flyback, bad connection between the black wire coming off the crt degausing field going to the crt neck board, bad connection on the HOT, bad HOT, or alot of dust and debris shorting something out, and of course something wet. Start there, and you could try pulling the CRT neck board, the standby light will keep flashing, but there could be a short in the crt.. I know alot of this sounds far fetched, but the B+ will shutdown sending it to standby, thats why the pic was going out and coming back on. These sets seem to be hard on the HOT although. I would turn the board over and start checking solder connections.

These units are also notorious for cracked printed circuit boards.The second anode cap could also be loose(large suction cup thing on the top of the picture tube (CRT)).Sony also uses a focus rectifier block that breaks down and does a lot of arcing (snapping) This looks like a plastic rectangular block with heavy duty red wires coming out of it.One of the heavy leads goes to the second anode.

Okay. I'm going to touch up the solder connections to the flyback, inspect the anode cap on the CRT, and I'll look at that focus block.

If I plug this thing back in, I'll keep the lights low and look for a "lightshow". Is there any danger in plugging it back in? Could the damn thing catch on fire?

Anything is possible..If it does you probably should unplug it..:D
Beware potentially lethal high voltage. Even with the set unplugged the picture tube with store a very healthy high voltage charge.(knock you on yer arse):yes:

Okay... That's tilting me more towards pitching the damn thing...

ohhh kay... I'm throwing out this TV. Flyback connections looked fine, that focus block looked fine, anode cap looked fine. Plugged it in, and started smelling smoke. So it's bye bye TV. I don't care if it's a flatscreen. I don't want to chance selling it to someone only to have it burn their house down.

I'll bet that smoke was coming from the flyback. The flybacks (and the CRT's) are not known for reliability in those sets. You'd think they would be better, given what those TV's cost.

Yeah you'd think. Oh well, the TV's now sitting by a dumpster.

The picture came, it went and now it's gone.