Main > Monitor/Video Forum
[Solved] Did I permanently damage my CRT with out-of-range signal?
rogerxyz:
Happy to finally close the loop on this thread. I really, REALLY thought I had screwed the pooch in a big way - I mean even more than I had at the start of this thread. After hooking everything up again after doing some debugging it turns out I hadn't inserted the anode cap securely enough. It started spewing high voltages all over the place, real real bad news. But seemingly not fatal, after I discharged everything and reseated the anode cap (after about a week of grieving lol).
So all of that is besides the point, it just explains the delay. To the original issue:
* None of the service menu adjustments I made changed the dim lines. Interestingly, even turning off the red channel didn't affect those lines.
* An incredibly simple fix that I should have tried immediately (at least I got around to it). I simply turned down the overall DC offset? bias? G2 voltage? Not sure the correct term, at the flyback. Honestly this issue may have totally been there before anything I mentioned in the OP, and I simply bumped the G2 voltage during some of the dis/reassembly. Those dim lines receded away and I didn't lose any brightness that I couldn't bring back in the main menu.
As for triggering the TV power cleanly, here's where I ended up:
* I 3d printed some rails to mount the TV's main PCB cleanly with lots more support
* took those extended leads out to the front panel's standby switch and instead of risking messing around with the main switch, I pulled this out to be a nice chonky button that's still inside the cabinet but just relocated to be convenient. Not the primary means of toggling the power.
* dug up an Arduino Pro Micro and some IR LEDs and receivers I had lying around, used it to record the most common button presses from the Sony remote. Using the awesome IRemote library
* desoldered the IR receiver from the Sony's main board and extended its leads too, mounting it inside the cab
* wrote an arduino sketch that listens on USB for serial commands and translates them into the desired IR blasts (e.g. w a s d for up left down right, m for menu, ! for power and so on)
* wrote some python code that takes an argument and sends that command to the arduino over serial. So you have like `sonyir m` → serial → arduino → IR blaster → IR receiver on TV
* wrote another python script that 1. fires off power toggle 2. idles forever 3. registers a handle for SIGINT that fires off the power toggle again
* installed the python script as a Windows service with nssm, which cleanly shuts down the service on shutdown, instead of killing it berofe the signal could send out like other approaches I tried
So far so good! I can post the code if there's any interest but I'm sure it's all been done a hundred different ways. (Where's the fun if I don't solve the problem my own way though)
Zebidee:
Wow, someone really should have suggested that you turn down the flyback focus knob - it is actually the first thing I thought of, but assumed you hadn't touched the knob and it had happened spontaneously. Reminds me that when troubleshooting you shouldn't assume, check the simple and obvious things first!
Glad the TV is OK.
Using an Arduino like this is an innovative way around the TV on/off issue, and in addition it lets you access remote functions easily. The "cap trick" I mentioned before, or resistor/capacitor (RC) delay on the switch, is cheap and easy but won't emulate a remote like you've done here.
I see a GreenAntz hiding back there, makes me happy :D
Any screenshots of games?
buttersoft:
Truning down the flyback knob turns down the G2 bias and reduces brightens but it doesn't fix the colour imbalance. You'll probably still want to look at that.
Zebidee:
screenshots will tell :D
rogerxyz:
By popular demand, some shots, as you know it's not that easy to capture CRT well, and daylight + a glass bezel don't help, but I tried here :)
Also keep in mind I think I'm on the cool temp preset, and I haven't had time to recalibrate after these last rounds of modifications :)
https://imgur.com/a/I5R0NC2