This 7-year-old Acer CRT monitor that I've been using started flickering a
little and then something suddenly happened to cause the screen to
permenantly get narrower. It's not the computer, because I had two
computers connected via KVM switch and it happens with both regardless of
the screen res I select. It's not the KVM switch because I tried connecting
the monitor directly and it still happens.

Is a narrowing screen something that typically happens when an old CRT
monitor is dying? Even if I increase the geometry settings, the screen
display still is narrow. Also sometimes the power LED appears not to be as
brightly lit as usual.

Is it time to get rid of this monitor?

Thanks,

J.

JYMusic wrote:

This 7-year-old Acer CRT monitor that I've been using started flickering a
little and then something suddenly happened to cause the screen to
permenantly get narrower.
If with 'narrow' you refer to the pictures breadth, then two things
may have happended
- the deflection current is smaller
- the anode high voltage of the cathode-ray-tube is higher.
The cause for both deviations will have to be found in the innards
of the device. Often it is just a failed capacitor, but which one?

Is a narrowing screen something that typically happens when an old CRT
monitor is dying?
This may happen with a new device as well. You can usually not
assume that all parts in a device age with the same speed or start
with the same health.

Is it time to get rid of this monitor?
You will have to decide this on the basis of your preferences and
your economics. If you find a freak who likes to repair monitors, you
may well regain at low cost a device that serves you another 15 years.

Regards,
H.

On Apr 21, 5:58 am, Heinz Schmitz wrote:
JYMusic wrote:
This 7-year-old Acer CRT monitor that I've been using started flickering a
little and then something suddenly happened to cause the screen to
permenantly get narrower.

If with 'narrow' you refer to the pictures breadth, then two things
may have happended
- the deflection current is smaller
- the anode high voltage of the cathode-ray-tube is higher.
The cause for both deviations will have to be found in the innards
of the device. Often it is just a failed capacitor, but which one?

Is a narrowing screen something that typically happens when an old CRT
monitor is dying?

This may happen with a new device as well. You can usually not
assume that all parts in a device age with the same speed or start
with the same health.

Is it time to get rid of this monitor?

You will have to decide this on the basis of your preferences and
your economics. If you find a freak who likes to repair monitors, you
may well regain at low cost a device that serves you another 15 years.

Regards,
H.

Some of us who repair monitors to help keep them out of landfills for
a little longer really do not like to be called "freaks".

H. R.(Bob) Hofmann

On Apr 20, 11:48 pm, "JYMusic" wrote:
This 7-year-old Acer CRT monitor that I've been using started flickering a
little and then something suddenly happened to cause the screen to
permenantly get narrower. It's not the computer, because I had two
computers connected via KVM switch and it happens with both regardless of
the screen res I select. It's not the KVM switch because I tried connecting
the monitor directly and it still happens.

Is a narrowing screen something that typically happens when an old CRT
monitor is dying? Even if I increase the geometry settings, the screen
display still is narrow. Also sometimes the power LED appears not to be as
brightly lit as usual.

Is it time to get rid of this monitor?

Thanks,

J.


Without a model number, all you wil get here are generalizations.

After 7 years, it is probably still fixable. But, you didn't say how
the overall picture quality was before the series of events. If
everything else was ok, it might be worthwhile getting it fixed. You
would have to find someone who is willing to look at it and give you
an estimate. After 7 years, it probably is marginal to spend the
money, especially when new CRT monitors are so cheap.

H. R.(Bob) Hofmann

Without a model number, all you wil get here are generalizations.

After 7 years, it is probably still fixable. But, you didn't say how
the overall picture quality was before the series of events. If
everything else was ok, it might be worthwhile getting it fixed. You
would have to find someone who is willing to look at it and give you
an estimate. After 7 years, it probably is marginal to spend the
money, especially when new CRT monitors are so cheap.

H. R.(Bob) Hofmann

I don't have the model number handy, but it's only a 17" CRT, likely was
marketed as a flat-screen-crt, but not really flat. Likely no better than
the monitors that Circuit City is selling for around $99 now.

I just moved the Acer to the basement and I'm now using the 17" Dell monitor
that has been sitting around unused, and which came with a Dell computer I
bought around 4 years ago.

The Dell monitor is the same screen size but has a less bulky case, and may
even be generating less heat than the old Acer did.

J.

I you can find someone with an ESR capacitor Tester it would be a easy fix.
About 90% of the time, a few capacitors fix that type of problem.
Clarence
"JYMusic" wrote in message
news:hgsWh.571$A72.417@trnddc07...
Without a model number, all you wil get here are generalizations.

After 7 years, it is probably still fixable. But, you didn't say how
the overall picture quality was before the series of events. If
everything else was ok, it might be worthwhile getting it fixed. You
would have to find someone who is willing to look at it and give you
an estimate. After 7 years, it probably is marginal to spend the
money, especially when new CRT monitors are so cheap.

H. R.(Bob) Hofmann

I don't have the model number handy, but it's only a 17" CRT, likely was
marketed as a flat-screen-crt, but not really flat. Likely no better than
the monitors that Circuit City is selling for around $99 now.

I just moved the Acer to the basement and I'm now using the 17" Dell
monitor that has been sitting around unused, and which came with a Dell
computer I bought around 4 years ago.

The Dell monitor is the same screen size but has a less bulky case, and
may even be generating less heat than the old Acer did.

J.

hr(bob) wrote:

Some of us who repair monitors to help keep them out of landfills for
a little longer really do not like to be called "freaks".

Dear Bob, please allow me aboard the little boat with the rest of this
nearly extinguished species of CRT-monitor-repair-freaks. I call
myself such a freak, too. We here in Krautland call somebody a freak
who does, other than the dumb public, devote a special interest to
something and develops a special ability in that area.

Regards,
H.

On Apr 22, 3:15 am, Heinz Schmitz wrote:
hr(bob) wrote:
Some of us who repair monitors to help keep them out of landfills for
a little longer really do not like to be called "freaks".

Dear Bob, please allow me aboard the little boat with the rest of this
nearly extinguished species of CRT-monitor-repair-freaks. I call
myself such a freak, too. We here in Krautland call somebody a freak
who does, other than the dumb public, devote a special interest to
something and develops a special ability in that area.

Regards,
H.

Here in the USA, the word has a more sinister connotation, such as the
Virginia killer from last week.

Bob Hofmann