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Main => Monitor/Video Forum => Topic started by: Retro_SA on March 10, 2008, 07:20:44 am

Title: Do I need to discharge my tv?
Post by: Retro_SA on March 10, 2008, 07:20:44 am
I want to open my tv so that I can take out the tube for my cabinet.  I'm not going to be doing anything else with it, just take out the insides so that it doesn't take up as much space in the cabinet.  Do I still need to discharge it first?
Title: Re: Do I need to discharge my tv?
Post by: Pac-Fan on March 10, 2008, 09:30:19 am
Unless you have a need to remove the anode (red wire with grey suction cup) from the tube, no.
Title: Re: Do I need to discharge my tv?
Post by: ChadTower on March 10, 2008, 10:11:49 am

The fact that you need to ask the question means you should discharge it.  You don't know what you can touch and what you cannot - so make sure it is all safe enough to touch.

The CRT anode is not the only thing that can zap you hard.
Title: Re: Do I need to discharge my tv?
Post by: Pac-Fan on March 11, 2008, 11:14:25 am
The fact that you need to ask the question means you should discharge it.  You don't know what you can touch and what you cannot - so make sure it is all safe enough to touch.

The CRT anode is not the only thing that can zap you hard.

And therefore discharging the anode doesn't protect you from getting zapped from anything else.
Title: Re: Do I need to discharge my tv?
Post by: shardian on March 11, 2008, 12:52:16 pm

The fact that you need to ask the question means you should discharge it.  You don't know what you can touch and what you cannot - so make sure it is all safe enough to touch.

The CRT anode is not the only thing that can zap you hard.

Care to elaborate?

The way I understand it, the anode cup, possibly the large red anode lead, and the flyback can knock you on your ass. I learned recently that the flyback was designed originally to reduce the chance of death by reducing the amount of current.
Certain capacitors can also shock you pretty darn good, but not at the HV level of the anode.
Title: Re: Do I need to discharge my tv?
Post by: ChadTower on March 11, 2008, 12:56:17 pm
Certain capacitors can also shock you pretty darn good, but not at the HV level of the anode.


You just said it yourself.  I didn't say death, I said hard.

You can also easily short across anything if you don't know what you're doing.  Grab the chassis and put one finger under the HV transformer and three others across random solder pads... there's a reasonable chance you could get a pretty bad zap.  The point of discharging isn't only to discharge the tube - it is to discharge the whole HV circuit.  The tube just happens to be the most dangerous part.

My basic point is that he doesn't know where any of those things are so there is nothing to be gained from taking the risk.
Title: Re: Do I need to discharge my tv?
Post by: HaRuMaN on March 11, 2008, 02:23:52 pm
I've been shocked by a monitor a couple of time...  I kinda like it...   :dizzy:
Title: Re: Do I need to discharge my tv?
Post by: Retro_SA on March 12, 2008, 04:45:09 am
Ok, now I'm even more worried about getting shocked.   :o

If I just handle it by touching only the chassis, should I be safe from getting shocked?
Title: Re: Do I need to discharge my tv?
Post by: shardian on March 14, 2008, 10:07:24 am
Ok, now I'm even more worried about getting shocked.   :o

If I just handle it by touching only the chassis, should I be safe from getting shocked?

That's the problem. Arcade monitors are designed to have open frames. There are plenty of places to safely grab them. TV's and pc monitors don't have any of this stuff. The plastic frame you are removing is the support for everything. There won't be anywhere good to grab ahold of it.

Title: Re: Do I need to discharge my tv?
Post by: ChadTower on March 14, 2008, 10:14:53 am

Yep.  In a TV, ground is not necessarily isolated from the housing bracket - so there is a chance the only thing structurally strong enough to be grabbed is going to be live.  It really seems to depend on the TV.
Title: Re: Do I need to discharge my tv?
Post by: Pac-Fan on March 14, 2008, 11:23:11 pm
The frame on an arcade monitor is attached to the aquadag on the outside of the tube. Touching the metal frame of an arcade monitor is identical to grabbing the bare tube out of a TV set touching the back side of the tube.  You cannot get shocked from touching this in either case, even with the monitor (or TV) turned on (!!so long as it is isolated from mains if it's on of course!!).

Assuming it's off, your only chance of shock on any monitor is via touching both terminals of a non-discharged capacitor at the same time. Since the picture tube is a large capacitor, touching either it's anode connection point and aquadag at the same time, or two connected points to a still charged (large) filter capacitor such as those on a G07 which can hurt more than the tube if they don't get discharged due to a blown fuse or other circuit failure.