Fixed my convergence problem!

[bluevolume]

OK, let me start this by saying don't try it yourself.  I probably shouldn't have either, but I was tired of not being able to read the distance on my Golden Tee shots.

My k7000 had a convergence problem in the red channel at the outer edges of the screen.  Areas where there was supposed to be white text on a black background, the white was there but the red was a good millimeter to the left and above.  Looked sort of like a red shadow effect on the text.

I read up on fixing convergence, and everyone said the same thing, don't try it.  All you'll do is screw it up worse.  Well, I was waiting for the primer to dry on my control panel and had free time...

The convergence is set by these metal rings at the back of the monitor tube.  The WG manual says that the red channel can be adjusted using the furthest back ring, so I figured I would move it a little bit and see what happened.  Ran into an immediate problem -- the rings were glued in place with some type of rubber cement.  So I took a razor blade and cut the cement away around the specific ring, then tried tapping the ring again.  This time it moved a mile (actually only about 5 degrees).

I turned the monitor back on, and the red channel problem was still there, but it had moved to a different area.  I knew that I was on the right path.  Looking at the glue stain on the ring I slowly moved it back to where it was originally, then started moving it clockwise very slowly until I had the best picture I could get.  The red isn't exactly right, but it is great along the bottom where many games show the score or other text.

Like I said I'm not really saying anyone else should try it, maybe I just got lucky.  But it did work for me, and I'm very happy.

[grantspain]

well done mate,sometimes convergence is just a case of minor adjustment whilst other times it just never goes right

[bluevolume]

well done mate,sometimes convergence is just a case of minor adjustment whilst other times it just never goes right

Thanks.  This one was pretty easy, but I can see how it could get a lot more complicated.  Especially if the other rings got moved in the process.

[Level42]

Yeahhhh.

The only monitor I would consider adjusting convergence on is the Amplifone in my Star Wars Cockpit....
I really needs it, but I am terrified to ruin it completely...

[bluevolume]

Yeahhhh.

The only monitor I would consider adjusting convergence on is the Amplifone in my Star Wars Cockpit....
I really needs it, but I am terrified to ruin it completely...

Look through the manual and see how difficult the process is.  It seems to get more difficult depending on which colors are out of alignment.  I think that the red is easiest to fix, which was the case with my monitor.

Also, I may have been at risk for shocking myself -- I don't know the details around that.  I had the monitor turned off when I was adjusting the ring, but if I had a mirror and was able to see the screen while I was doing it I probably would have tried leaving it on.  I'm a little scared that I'm getting too comfortable working on monitors... 

[grantspain]

a little handy hint when messing with convergence is to mark a new very thin bright paint line as a reference to return to if you screw up.
normally i start by making sure first the yoke is at its correct position on the neck,thats usually obvious from old markings on the neck.
then i tend to line up the entire yoke with the original white paint line which is usually correct and does the trick.
of course i do this using a grid pattern

[Level42]

So when is your next trip to the Low Countries Grantspain ?

You're very welcome here to have a go on my Amplifone   

[grantspain]

So when is your next trip to the Low Countries Grantspain ?

last time i was in holland was 1995 in a place called flushing,lovely people btw