SOS - Monitor Problem

[winstonsawyer]

I am looking for a guru in the way of monitors.  I have a Princeton Graphics Aracdia 27" monitor (800 x 600).  I am assuming that it is very similar to a Well Garner 27".  Regardless, I had to take it out of the case in order to fit into the cabinet.  This was relatively easy with the exception that the monitor is now malfunction.  When I turn it on, all is fine, looks great.  After about 5 minutes, I hear a pop and the screen goes away.  The power light is still on.  I wait 10 seconds, nothing comes back, so I turn it off and back on.  It works for another 5 minutes (maybe less the subsequent times) and pop again.  I am stuck in the loop at this point.  There is one wire that is not connected.  We didn't notice it at first.  I will post a picture asap, but for now let me try to explain.  The wire is attached to the metal housing behind the gun and the other side is loose.  I believe from the twist in the wire that it attaches to "hole" closer to the front of the monitor above the gun.  It looks like maybe on the coil itself.  I didn't think about how hard this would be to explain.  I will post a picture ASAP.  

The only good thing is that my friend bought the exact same monitor and is going to verify the connection later tonight.  For some reason, I don't believe that this one wire is the problem (it is just a ground, right?)

Anyway, any help would be greatly appreciated.  I just got the monitor and haven't got to even use it in the cabinet yet.  

[winstonsawyer]

OK, here is an update.  First, pictures will not help.  I found out that the missing ground wire went to a "clamp" around the yoke (from visual confirmation of a duplicate monitor).  We have taken this monitor apart a few times and I have taken pictures everytime - precursor to mounting - and have never seen this wire connected there.  Anyway, connected it up and turned on the monitor - 5 minutes and pop.  Turn monitor off, 10 seconds, back on, 5 minutes and pop.  Turn monitor off, 10 seconds, back on - still on been about 1:30 hours.  What is the deal?  Is it that the monitor needs to heat well first?  I doubt that.  Was the ground wire necessary and the monitor needed to discharge a couple of times to "reset" it.  Finally, on the second pop, I was next to the tube and it didn't come from the tube.  It was somewhere on the circuit board (where the power and vga plug in).  I am letting it run in the garage for a couple hours to test and will update as soon as anything changes.  In the meantime, any clues would be again greatly appreciative.

P.S. The Pop is more of a light snap.  It just scares the ever loving piss out of me everytime it happens, so I was imagining it louder.

[menace]

might be as simple as a capkit--but thats just a guess, I've never heard any discussion on these types of monitors.

[shadowdrak]

A snap pretty much means something is shorting.  Could be caps a crt or I dunno what.  If there are bad capacitors somewhere, it could possibly cause some sort of cyclic failure.  Is this a new monitor?  You should probably talk to who you bought it from.  Otherwise you might try a cap kit or talk to a TV repairman(one might be able to help you).

[DaveJ-UK]

I have a monitor that pops and crackles when for the first 30 mins of use. I'm told it is caused by condensation on the tube (the cabs stored in my garage). Sticking a heater inside the cab for ~ 30 mins prior to turning it on prevents it. However it sounds unlikely this is your problem since the sound appears to be coming from the pcb.

One thing I would say is now that you have established it works for 5 mins then pops, etc. don't keep turning it on and off! You'll just make it worse if anything.

Go over the PCB - with a magnifying glass if necessary - and check for any obvious shorts, solder splashes, damaged components, etc.

Failing that, try a cap kit.

Good luck.

[MoonDog]

i'm no monitor expert, but my dad is pretty handy with them.  the folks were just visiting this weekend and i asked him about a monitor i have which has a similar problem (mine keeps snapping and i can see sparks through the vent holes in the top).  he said to fix it just remove the case (which you have already done) and clean the outside of the tube with a can of air.  then spray the tube with a little bit of clear krylon (spray paint).  he said the arcing is due to dust or in some cases salt on surface of the tube that presents an alternate path for the high voltage.

just a suggestion.  others may have more to say on this.

-edit- i see that you said the sound may be coming from the pcb so the above may not be your solution.  might want to clean the area where you heard the snap with some air still though.