Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!rice!sun-spots-request From: karl@cis.ohio-state.edu (Karl Kleinpaste) Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun Subject: Re: Reliability of Sun 3/50's Message-ID: Date: 22 Dec 88 11:36:06 GMT References: <8811222108.AA04335@triceratops.cis.ohio-state.edu> <2476@stpstn.UUCP> Sender: usenet@rice.edu Organization: Sun-Spots Lines: 24 Approved: Sun-Spots@rice.edu Original-Date: 15 Dec 88 15:00:25 GMT X-Sun-Spots-Digest: Volume 7, Issue 72, message 7 of 9 karl@triceratops.cis.ohio-state.edu (Karl Kleinpaste) writes: >In just the last couple of months, we have had rather a lot of the flyback >transformers in our 3/50 monitors going bad. aad@stpstn.UUCP (Anthony A. Datri) writes: I've had more problems with monitors (2/50, 2/120, 3/50) than any other piece of hardware. What are the symptoms of the flyback transformer going bad? A dead screen and a high-pitched whine. I received some extremely useful mail yesterday from Lewis Jansen , detailing what his group has learned about dealing with this problem. The short version is that there's a high voltage line (24kv) going to the CRT; it presses against the left side grounding shield. After being heated in the monitor a long time, the insulation decays followed by arcing. The final eventuality is shorting completely through, ruining the flyback. He says they've taken to taping some folded `fish paper' onto the ground shield, which insulates and also holds the wire out a bit from the shield. Be CAREFUL around those high voltages, folks... Many thanx to lrj for the pointer. --Karl