this rocks. I've been using CRTs for a while now (video game tournaments) and i've always wanted to learn more about how to fix them or repair them!! I have zero experience and a well explained & properly cautious video like this feels like an amazing place to start. Love all the safety tips!!

Thanks so much for this video Steve! I just took a small CRT out of our basement that has not been used for 15 years and wanted to do a recap before using it. These safety procedures were exactly what I was looking for!

Discovered this channel recently and been watching a lot of your videos. Thanks for all the great content!

U can also add that dust can conduct static electricity and cause mayhem in electronics .Sometimes just dusting the tv inside at the back that had alot of dust buildup,can fix a faulty tv.

5 yrs old me: Pours an entire glass of water on an old Tv in the back....Hears a POP! and the TV didn't work anymore :(

Thanks man, this is wonderful. The key to a great trainer is the ability to articulate the subject matter clear and concise, which you exemplified well in this video. Fascinating stuff, looking to get started myself in this craft. Take care.

The fact that the composite jacks are mounted on a scart-shaped block gives me hope for RGB moddability early on.

You really are an asset to the retro tech/retro gaming community. Thank you for this informative and easy to understand video. The only criticism I have is that toward the end it seems like the audio is slightly out of sync with the video.

Always videos very useful and usable even for newbies, even for people like me who do not have a perfect command of the English language ... Thanks, keep it up!

Looking forward to the rgb mod , I kind of stuffed up my first tv mod , if you could please detail the wiring of the scart head , types of capacitors used ect , love your crt series please keep up he good work

Great video, and thorough! I am working on a cocktail style Galaga that's filthy! Thanks for the inspiration!

Dude your channel is filled with awesome stuff! My first time here and already subed!

Beautiful. Really great video Steve. Very thankful for you.

Awesome video, thanks for the infos!

Excellent information, thank you.

I made a hole on the back and installed a 12v PC fan. The heatsinks were getting so hot that I'm surprised that they ran without problems for all these years.

The chip you were pointing out, likely branded SEC, is actually the jungle IC for the set, with the micro controller responsible for the OSD being up towards the front of the set underneath the tube. No way to tell from just the video, but if it's labeled "KA2163", I can say without a doubt that an RGB mod is doable.

Wow! I’m so glad this video exists. I want to clean out a 1990 13 Inch crt I own. It works fine but It gets a bit of a gross smell after about 2 hours of use. I don’t know if it’s just because of all that dust or something else. But I want to see. So this is very helpful.

A bit over the top on safety there, I worked for samsung making theese beauties, our production lines spat out 3,5 mill a year and I was responsible for dynamic purity/static convergence. A tiny jolt of 50-60k volts is nothing to fear for normal healty people, there is no wattage behind it, so just a tiny jolt. Keeps you awake and productive :)

Thanks so much Steve. I'm curious, are arcade monitors any different than CRTs? I got a bunch that need working on, and I'm just curious if there's any additional safety measures I should know about that weren't discussed in this video. Thanks so much for sharing!

You're welcome Steve. Always a pleasure. 8^)

What do I look for as a problem with regard to diagonal lines in the picture when the TV is turned on The lines diminish after several minutes --

I got an unused RCA CRT fresh in box, unfortunately it decided to crap out after 1 short use... I guess the capacitors were old even though they weren't used.

What about opening the backcase and use isopropyl 70% or higher and then some compressed air? Or will that also be too risky? Its only to just remove the dust from the circuit board.

can i fasten the screw driver to a PVC pipe and do at a slight distance? maybe 3 feet? just so i'm not holding the screw driver's handle directly... i'd still do the gloves of course.

got a 20 yr old tv off ebay that's got a rapid flickering problem, but image is clear otherwise. As soon as I bring up the OSD the menu looks a lot more stable. Can anyone guess what the problem might be?

I’ll be working on a 1987 Zenith Space Command in a few weeks!

If I wanted to just clean it from dust, using only compressed air, would you still need to discharge? I have an old CRT that hasn't been on in 2 weeks and I was thinking recently of making sure to get the heavier dust off the board. Thanks again for the great video!

Do you have any videos on fixing the ir sensor on a crt? I have a Toshiba 14AF44 with no oem remote, but I've had no luck with universal remotes. The only thing I tried was opening it up and wiping the sensor with Isopropyl and a qtip.

Keep making these videos Steve! So thankful for them. I keep telling everyone I know about your channel. Also, if I have some questions about how to fix geometry etc. what is the best way to contact you?

hi Retro Tech! i've got this crt monitor with mitsubishi Diamondtron tube. the image is good and clear but it heats too much from the top, buzzes and smells) so i decided to take the cover off and blow out some dust. there was a lot of it. but what bothers me is the red circle where anode enters the tube is in black sticky substance and i don't know if i could just wash it off with spirit. i don't know if its an Aquadag, but graphite layer's visible sharp margins are 5 cm away from the red circle, so i think it shouldn't be there, on the circle itself. So, can i just clean it off? you will not be responsible (i mean morally) for any advice so please don't be cautious :) Sorry for long text and bad english )

Hello help me please! i cleaned my crt tv but forgot to discharg it now the crt is messed up. Is there a way to fix?

I have a iMac CRT model sitting disconnected from electricity for one full year now... Is it ok to operate on it?

Can I be on the back of a CRT TV when it’s operating and it’s not opened

i have a sony wega 24" and the text seems shakey and has some lighting jitteryness what could this be from?

Me who has mine open trying to adjust the screen tilt and stuff with it on actually using banjo tootie to do so but the white stuff is hard and can't adjust the things on the yolk to move them.

Thank you Steve for your information and i have an old samsung 32 crt tv from the 90's and it stopped working and i noticed a ceramic fuse that is not wofking .. So could i replace it with a different type and i did not notice any burn marks on the main board and what do you think the main thing that faild to burn the fuse in your experience . Thank you for the safty tips .you saved my life

There is this crt tv I can use but I'm not going to b able to open it. If there is dust there can it really heat up and damage the components

I wanna open my 27 inch to blow any distance that may be in there as I just got it and only God knows if anyone has cleaned it since 2002. Will I immediately die if I open it while unplugged it?

It's funny to me to see certain things like no potting around the anode just a rubber cover. I test these everyday at work and that's a crazy looking coil compared to what we use. Of course the crt's I test are used in aviation so things are going to be designed alot differently

Can you do a video on how to remove the bezel? I want to paint a silver bezel black and have zero clue where to start taking it apart.

Very helpfull video, really good explanations. But why do you let it sit for 15 minutes and "discharge" it again? I am just curious why. I just do it once and make sure I touch it a couple of times and for like 5-10 seconds.

Dear Steeve, Thanks for share your knowledge about CRT loving ~~ I am French so excuse me for ma bad English. Now, I have a CRT Sony kV 29 fx20b with all color working but all color are discolor (not beautiful) , color are dull. White is not pure. Bad brightness. what could be the cause of this ? Do you guess could be an capacitors issues or inside the yoke ? Thanks for your help if you see my message. Fox

Excellent video. You mentioned about the flyback and some capacitors could hold some charge, is there a way to discharge them safely to work on the motherboard? i want to try to do the mod to add rgb to my crt, but thats what's holding me back.

I have an idea for a Q&A for you in the future Steve. My question would be,.... "What would be your least favorite CRT model that you came across that wasn't to your liking". I do have to admit, I came across some doozies in the past myself. That's why I stayed with more of the popular and respect versions that were available. Anthony..

So what if you connect yourself to the ground on a nearby AC outlet?

Is it safe to touch absolutly everything inside the tv after discharging it? I heard that even after discharging the anode, there are still parts that could kill you. Is this true? And if it's true, what parts should I avoid to touch? And is it possible to be extra safe and discharge those parts too?

Any advice on removing a mildew smell from a crt monitor? I just got a fantastic condition HP Pavilion MX75 but even though it looks pristine inside it has a strong mildew smell that I haven't noticed with any other monitor or tv ive gotten.

SONY-PVM-9040/2 96年日产放了很长时间原是好的.最近开机指示灯亮,40V电源正常无光有声,实測12V,15V,24V120V电压均正常行输出菅也換新,C2555 C脚只有46V低,因此显示屏不亮,请问下一步还可查哪儿?能找到图吗?

Hi not sure if you will see this comment in this old video but I'll ask anyway. what would you do with a TV that has very bad geometry, tweak it on the tube first and then use the service menu or fix it all in the service menu and not touch the tube?

great video Steve

To clean inside can I take off the back and blow it out with a leaf blower?

Hi, I'm a complete ignorant about this subject but I wanted to ask. Tthe cathode tube is broken from the base, near the board. Is this a fixable (big) issue or should I let my crt go? Great videos.

I love CRTs and want to get into modding them, but I have no idea what I'm doing and fear death or injury for going poking around back there. This video is a great help thank you.

I'm going into an old 32" Quasar today...wish me luck! I hope I can revive it with just a capacitor replacement. If so, I might attempt an RGB mod. It's worth a try, as it is useless to anybody at the moment.

Steve is FREAKING awsome!!!!

I see the rating is Class 00 for the gloves, is the 500AC V max enough for CRT work?

I've got an old crt that's been powered off for years. Im assuming I don't need to worry about discharging the unit and being shocked. Now I'm in Australia on 240 volts. I doubt the procedures will be any different from what you've shown. Please let me know if I'm wrong in my assumptions.

Leave it a day or two each time switch it off? Is that why it had took so long to get a crt tv fixed?

I have been staring for about an hour at the focus/screen nobs that seem to need adjusting. Too scared. I made the mistake of googling it, and everyone is fearmongering. I have 1000v screwdrivers with plastic handles, or am prepared to use a shaved wooden chopstick to turn them. Still scared. I see you do it by hand and am so envious. I would love to go on a course where I can have someone at least look over my shoulder.

Any magnets worth salvaging in this type of TV unit?

Is that ground spring necessary? I was poking around in my Apple IIe computer monitor, and the spring was disconnected. That thing was a nightmare to take apart and put back together, so I just let the springs hang there.

I have a 27" Trinitron that needs a yoke adjustment bad. I play a lot of JPRGs and in the constant menu navigation and text boxes are always tilted just enough to drive me crazy. I've been wanting to adjust this yoke but have been too afraid to, at least until now. I'm going to order the gloves today and should be making the adjustment on Wednesday when they come in! Thank you for these videos, they're extremely helpful.

Got me a new and never used little 14" CRT TV made around 2006 to use for retro gaming. There was one problem though, after about 5 minutes it shut off by itself and after I turned it on again one of the AV inputs was not available and the menu was on a foreign language plus it was only 2 languages instead of like all european. That was super weird but after I unplugged it for a while it was fine again, tested it for some hours, ran ok with no problems. Somebody know what that could have been?

I only have pvc-coated safety gloves. Would those suffice?

Do you have some procedure to check x-ray emissions?

CRT bench repair techies used a pair of long-blade screwdrivers to discharge the anode. Holding them by the plastic handles of course and poking them in the right order. If hear sparks then it's done.

Need help fixing my crt stuck on blue screen.

What's the specs on those gloves? I need to adjust the yoke. I have a slight tilt on both of my crts. I'm kinda scared to do it since it's my first time opening one up

My 27-inch Sony Trinitron CRT has problems with the audio, every time I turn on the TV it sounds like a slight roar that accompanies the sounds, especially in the bass. Another problem is that one of the corners of the screen has a green color that alters the color of the image in that area.

thanks for the advice. im just about to open my first CRT and try to clean it and check for signs of damage, and hoping not to kill myself in the process. Actually i have two of them now, one is a philips and the geometry was all messed up when i got it and plugged it in. im wondering if just by plugging it in after it had sat for so long may have caused damage.. either way, appreciate the guidance.

If you try and adjust the picture geometry (the picture geometry is sorta bent to the left) by adjusting the yoke while the tv is on, wont you get electrified if it’s on since it’s not discharged?

Great video steve. I have a question, how would i fix a warping screen from left to right with the center having the highest point?

Can this adjustment be used to move the screen higher or lower? My screen is level but the bottom of the picture is cut off because the screen is too low. Can’t find much on a fix. Thanks!

What would be causing a single horizontal line to be displayed in the middle of the screen along with the picture?

How would you go about cleaning the caps? I was thinking 90% iso alcohol. Finally got a nice small Panasonic, I took to the internet because it had a tilted image, i found you because after I opened it it was filthy and hoped to glean some safety tips, it's mainly that this kind of older tech scares me lol they ain't small and sip power, they are massive and chug 200 watts from the wall lol

I see you used class 00 gloves which are rated for 500VAC. Is that enough to safely handle the yoke?

I figured out how to use a crt when I was 4 because at my old house I had a supersonic crt and it didn't have any analog channels but I moved and BROUGHT THE CRT! For some reason I got a NES and I hooked it up to the CRT but now it's in my garage, without a use, and for some reason I'm still scared of static. I always ask for help hooking up a cable in the back even when the TV's unplugged because I think it might turn in even though it won't. I am going to get a DTV box to watch antenna tv that's digital because they switched from analog to digital. But, I might get an analog transmitter even though it might be illigall. (Jk I won't I'm going to get a DTV box instead.

I have never used gloves 🤣. Oops... once left a screwdriver in the anode when discharging. Turned it on and remembered then to take it out.

what does the flyback do

Are you from Tennessee? I know someone from there and they sound just like you.

Would anyone know why the image i get look bowed? Its a bit bowed vertically .

Thanks.

I've read that CRTs can hold roughly 27,000 volts when operational. Short of buying Class 3 or 4 gloves which cost hundreds of dollars, do the lower voltage Class 0 and 00 gloves like you use (500-1000v) really even protect you? I need to do some convergence, yoke and flyback adjustments to my set and I just want to stay safe but wonder if Class 0 will achieve that.

I have the gloves! Hehe thanks for being so thorough. Also have you considered setting up a patreon?

Electronics instructor way back in high school said he was thrown to the back wall of a room after brushing the HV on an unplugged CRT.

Aren’t crt tv dangerous? I’m surprised they haven’t been banned (me owning a crt for over 5 years)

Why their should heigh potential at cathode tube terminal

I should probably be grateful for being in the uk, I think it was only American models that didn't have scart inputs? (Or RGB) scart with old games consoles especially can make a large difference over composite and in some ways s-video.

So clean inside the TV. Gave someone the excuse to help the people crawl out

Are cathode ray TV's magnetic? I wanna know if it's safe to set my laptop on top of one

I literally just shined a flash light through the little vents and looks into the opposite side so I can see everything on the inside, and HOLY SHIT, it's coated in more dust than a Christmas ham in glaze

Hi there I recently picked up a Sony KV-40XBR800.. The guys that I had move it for me were a litte rough with the tv, one of the guys didn't pick up the the end of the dolly to gently ease it out of the den, which had a small step maybe 3 to 4 inches high, instead he just pushed it off the small step with the crt on the dolly.. after I got the TV home there was a slight yellow/whitish hue or distortion on the top right corner of the screen and a slight greenish hue on the lower left corner, the side the dolly rolled off the small step and hit the ground with the tv on it.. however after some use these past few days it seems to greatly reduce.. but if someone pays close attention they can still see it.. I am wondering if something was maybe damaged during that initial push or while moving.. The gentleman I purchased the tv from said it was in very good condition, but he hasn't turned it on or used it for years.. I'm fairly good with electrinics, soldering etc.. However I'm new to CRTs and don't yet fully understand their anatomy and internal componts, but I'm learning with videos like yours... I've been searching for this model over a year now.. feedback would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

Wish I’d watched this before I got shocked 😂. I’ll take note

One thing to keep in mind is to ALWAYS attach the draining cord to the chassis BEFORE trying to discharge the tube, otherwise you will receive the discharge yourself. EVEN if you're holding it trough the plastic part of the screwdriver because there's too much voltage. Might seem dumb, but when you're tired and frustrated about some defect it's easy to forget about it.

If you really want PPE for this task (which I do, but many do not), I don't think the rubber gloves shown are adequate. The voltage rating needs to be 30kV or so, which would be class 3 or 4 rated rubber insulating gloves. They are very thick and unwieldy, like space gloves or something, so I can see why many think it is just not practical. At the very least, something to where on one hand while discharging the monitor and not much more. These are several hundred dollars everywhere I have seen, and you need to send them to have them balloon tested every so often. If there is a tiny hole in the hand / finger then it will completely invalidate the glove (the arc always finds a shortest path to ground), which is why you need the leather over the top to protect the rubber. If you try to buy them for cheap on Ebay then you probably need to send them in to be tested, too, which cancels out those cost savings basically.

Steve knows CRTS!

what geiger counter can detect radiation from a ctr tv?

CRT TV used for video and DVD player only - now only sound no Image - DVD blank Video snow - Is the tube dead ? - over 10 yeqrs old !

later model crt tv flyback has bleeder resistor to bleed the charge after off. u will be safe in 2 hours.