How do I line up the neckboard with the pins on the neck?

[quarterback]

I have a monitor that wasn't working (got neck glow, but no picture).   It ends up that one of the pins was bent and not going into the neckboard.  It was literally poking out off to the side of the neckboard.

First off, I'm assuming that this is a problem.  If, for some reason, there are monitors which are SUPPOSED to have one pin bent out of place and not connected to the neckboard, somebody correct me.   Otherwise I'll assume I'm right.


So now the neckboard has been removed from the neck so I can straighten the pin and put it back together.  The deal is, it's been a while since I removed the neckboard and now I'm not sure which pin goes where.   Is there a 'key' or 'marking' or something that would let me know so I get the right pin in the right place?

Thanks

[grantspain]

i have never known a tube to require a pin to be bent out of place.
the pin will go where it looks correct-perfectly straight and spaced at the same as the other pins
first count the pin holes in the crt socket and compare to the crt pins just to check that something strange has been done to match a chassis to a tube

[kjoel0123]

The reason pins bend is because the pins are soft , you need to line up the key and straighten the bent pin and slowly connect the board back taking your time and applying light pressure..

[quarterback]

Yeah, the only way this pin got bent out was if somebody had removed the neckboard and then shoved it back on without lining anything up first.  It was pretty far bent.

I don't have the monitor in front of me, but my real question is how to figure out the orientation of the neckboard.  I know all the pins will go from one hole to the next, but I'm not sure which end is "up" on the neckboard.  In other words, as I spin the neckboard, how do I know when I have it lined up correctly and not all one-pin off. 

When I asked about a 'key' or a 'marker', I'm referring to something that would indicate which pin goes where.  Like when you line up the dotted corner of your CPU with the dotted socket so you don't put it in 90, 180 or 270-degrees wrong.

Is there something like that on the neckboard that would tell me the proper orientation?  If it's just a circle of equally-spaced pins and a circle of equally-spaced holes, how will I know which pin goes where?  Or do the pins not go all around.  IOW, is there a 'key' of missing pins or missing holes that would indicate the proper orientation?
Thanks

[Kevin Mullins]

There should be a noticable gap between two pins that will corrispond with the "key" on the neck board. The neck board will be in a perfectly horizontal position with this line up correctly. You shouldn't be able to line it up any other way without forcing it on.

[quarterback]

There should be a noticable gap between two pins that will corrispond with the "key" on the neck board. The neck board will be in a perfectly horizontal position with this line up correctly. You shouldn't be able to line it up any other way without forcing it on.

Excellent.  That's exactly what I was hoping
Thanks Kevin!