Degaussing a TV...possible? - Videokarma.org TV - Video

AgentWinchester · #1 12-29-2004, 12:08 AM

My little RCA 13" portable fromn the early 90's had a little run in with one of my speakers...(i.e. if the screen is blue, a patch in the upper right corner is purple. When this happens with my computer, i can just use my monitor's Degauss feature. Leaving it sit for a month unplugged made no improvement. but my TV don't have that. Is there any way i can do this myself or do i have to haul it off to a repair shop?

Thanks in advance

outlawmws · #2 12-29-2004, 12:50 AM

If you know anyone with a degausing coil its pretty easy. if not, a repair guy with one will be needed.

If memory serves, simply move the coil in circular motions over the screen in thighter and tighter circles, and pull it slowly away from the center. done.

#3 12-29-2004, 12:57 AM

Most all modern TVs automatically degauss themselves whenever you turn them on. You ever notice that same kinda buzz sound as your computer monitor makes when you hit the degauss button?

A poor man's degausser is an everyday soldering iron. Don't unplug the iron until you're quite a ways away otherwise you could make the picture worse.

Anthony

Chad Hauris · #4 12-29-2004, 06:15 AM

The Radio Shack bulk tape eraser (if still made, or if you can find one second hand) is a very effective degausser. I'm not sure a pencil-type soldering iron would have a degaussing effect, but a soldering gun should.

old_tv_nut · #5 12-29-2004, 08:22 AM

Is your TV still near the speaker? If so, degaussing may or may not help. However, if you move it away and still have the problem, then degaussing is definitely in order.

And the tip about using a soldering gun, not a soldering iron, is correct. If it's working, you will see a bunch of crazy colors when you are near the set. Sweep it all around the set in circles and gradually pull away wile still making circlular motions until the crazy colors disappear, then turn it off.

dewickt · #6 12-29-2004, 08:50 AM

My old Weller soldering Gun does a good job of degaussing a color CRT, position it (while on) to get the largest rainbow effect, move in circular motion over whole face of tube, and don't turn it off untill you move it away from the tube by several feet.

AgentWinchester · #7 12-29-2004, 09:34 AM

My TV does not have any degaussing feature(no sound on turnon) or if it does, it's broke. Even if i were to try this, i'd probably screw it up royally. Come tax time it's going to a repair shop. Thanks very much for the help.

outlawmws · #8 12-29-2004, 11:11 AM

If you can get your hands on a soldering gun give it a try. you really can't screw it up, as you can always re-try, and use the repair guy as a backup only.

I once asked a repair guy, near 40 yearsa ago...) why he had to pull it away. He said "if I turn it off to close it does this... and did it. the colors went sproing! then he repeated the process, (took seconds) and all was well.

So from the previous posts ammost any tool utilizing a coil as the main function, leaving aside motors, will do it? I had always seen them built as a ring.

CUlater · #9 12-29-2004, 11:40 AM

Take a look here on various methods to degauss TVs.

Your set should have an automatic degausser, it just only works from a cold start and may require many cold turn on cycles. I gave my son a new TV for Christmas, and on the day after Christmas he moved it up to his room. Somewhere along the way the screen got gaussed (?!), and stayed that way until yesterday, when the last of it finally cleared up. It must have taken a dozen or more cold starts (TV off for 30 or more minutes) to do it, but it worked. Patience is the key.

Good luck!

AgentWinchester · #10 12-29-2004, 12:43 PM

i'll try that cold start thing. the comment in that link about bending the shadow mask with a speaker magnet worries me.

See, what caused this was, i had some friend-of-family's kids in the house, i was of course talking with said parent, and i went to get up and what do i see?

The child had foud an old driver from a radio i had laying around (Screw retreival device, that sort of thing) and had it up against the screen and was fascinated with the pritty colors. of course i ceased this action calmly once i could but the scar was left. Now i'm worried. I'll do the cold start thing a couple times, see if it works. thanks a bunch

Sandy G · #11 12-29-2004, 01:01 PM

At the risk of sounding blasphemous, new 13" TVs are only like, what, $65-70 or so at Wally World-maybe less if they had too many for Xmas & need to get shut of a bunch of 'em-you may just wanna get a new one. I don't think ANY of 'em are designed to be your good buddy for very long anyway...this one may be starting to go south on you in a big way. -Sandy G.

#12 12-29-2004, 01:13 PM

And toilet paper is now less than a buck a roll! Funny thing happened to my mother's computer monitor, the colors went wonky and she thought I may have messed with the settings.......they had that altogether most familiar purple and greenish tinge to them.....I hit the degauss button and everything snapped back to normal (except me). Don't know why it got funky on it's own overnight, just weird.....just shows to go ya, sometimes CRTs get out of sorts for no apparent reason.

Anthony

mg196 · #13 12-29-2004, 01:23 PM

I use Bean-O. An excellent degasser indeed!

AgentWinchester · #14 12-29-2004, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sandy G

At the risk of sounding blasphemous, new 13" TVs are only like, what, $65-70 or so at Wally World-maybe less if they had too many for Xmas & need to get shut of a bunch of 'em-you may just wanna get a new one. I don't think ANY of 'em are designed to be your good buddy for very long anyway...this one may be starting to go south on you in a big way. -Sandy G.

Yes, but he ho does not have the cash cannot spend it! besides, this TV has sentimental value.

bgadow · #15 12-29-2004, 03:12 PM

I rode on a ferry once that had 25" color tv sets. When they turned the tv on, at the dock, the picture was fine, but man, as that boat moved the color went all over the place. Kinda neat. Noticed same thing on some older (crt-type) monitors on an airplane.

My mother has a mid-90s RCA console that she bought at a freight salvage. There is a smear in the color in one corner that has never gone away, not near the speaker or anything like that. I suspect the mask was damaged in transit-the only other damage was a chip in the front of the cabinet. I have a good degaussing coil and would try it out but she has never said anything about it.