Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!uwvax!oddjob!gargoyle!att!alberta!filip
From: filip@alberta.UUCP (Don Filipchuk)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Screen Blankers
Keywords: Screen Blankers
Message-ID: <305@cadomin.UUCP>
Date: 20 Jul 88 16:17:14 GMT
Reply-To: filip@cadomin.UUCP (Don Filipchuk)
Organization: U. of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Lines: 59






  Hi everyone,
    Here is my summary of responses I got on screen blankers
   (I use MachII).  As a result of these replies, I now just 
   leave my monitor on.  Even as I write, my Amiga at home is 
   tracing a picture with the monitor (and screen blanker) on.
       My only concren... will my electric bill go up %250
   as a result of the screen blanker being on constantly?

 
(notes on screen blankers follow...)
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  I have had my A1000 since 1985, and I've had it on practically the
  whole time I've had it.  For technical reasons not worth
  explaining, it really is much better to leave your Amiga on all
  the time - ESPECIALLY the monitor.  The most wear and tear you can
  cause on your monitor (unless you throw it up against the wall
  ;-)), is to turn it on and off.

  All a screen blanker program does is basically open a window
  with a black background whenever it detects no mouse or keyboard
  activity.  When you move the mouse, or hit a key, the screen
  blanker simply destroys the window that it created.
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The two most common things to get zapped in a monitor are the 
filament and the phosphor on the screen.

If you turn the monitor off and on a lot, each such cycle puts more
wear on the the filament than just leaving it on. Once the filament
goes, go buy another tube at $200.

But if you turn it on, and leave the same pattern on the screen
for hours at a time, then everywhere that's bright ages the phosphor,
so that phosphor gets dimmer.
..... [ stuff deleted ] 
As should be clear, the answer to your question is
"Leave it on and use the blanker."
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With Electronic equipment in general, the fewer times you cycle the
power, the better. Doing this causes thermal expansion and contraction
and produced mechanical stress on the equipment.

The only good reason that I can see for not leaving a monitor on is
that phosphors have a limited use life, and one can get uneven phosphor
"wear" from constant displays. 

...[ stuff deleted ]
I have had a monitor switched on almost constantly for almost 2 years
now, and it shows no signs of suffering from it.
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    Well there you have it...
            A screen blanker seems to be the way to go...
                            
                             Don