Arcade Repair Tips - Safely Discharge An Arcade Monitor

[whiskeyify]

good video, one time I got a shock off the tube, the set was unplugged. these tubes can hold a charge for some time. it made me jump around, but it wasn't all that bad. It was a fairly big jolt, but it won't hurt you unless you have a weak heart. I also saw my teacher get hit by the full high voltage from a set when it was on, he really jumped. but he was not hurt. But always be cautious and follow the safety rules to be sure.

[CajunGodfather]

help.....i have a monitor that works fine for about 3 min. then it goes crazy blink goes off ...please help. what can i do??

[NESAtariSegaNerd]

What does this do to fix it?

[badboytommy2001]

A typical CRT run about 10KV to25KV.I even heard they have heard some run about 35KV

[sambo6476]

i should have watched this this morning! i did it the wrong way:(

[AreYouLuckyWoW]

@sambo6476 dang what happened

[ZZSFAN]

"Take these precautions..." Yep, but you aren't wearing rubber gloves LOL

[Billkwando]

This video may also be known as "How not to die"

[SigEpBlue]

Just wanted to say thanks for mentioning that the discharge should be done several times. It's scary, the levels of charge that can build up on these things, merely sitting there unplugged!

BTW, I often work with antique guitar amps now. Many of them have non-polarized plugs, and it's very easy (in fact a 50/50 chance) to make the chassis a live component. I've found that possibility out the hard way, a couple of times. Do you ever see arcade machines with this design problem?

[UpNorthLiving2011]

here is a question..... my mario arcade monitor turns off in the middle of a game..now it wont turn on at all.. what do you think is wrong with the monitor?

[varcadegames]

@UpNorthLiving2011 Sounds like you're having issues in the power supply section of your monitor chassis. Check the power going to the monitor to make sure it's correct. Also, it could also be a shorted wire somewhere. Might want to do a visual inspection to see if you can find any exposed wires.

[kcfreeloader]

Good video but another good idea is to put your free hand in your pocket to reduce the risk off shock and reduce the chance of sending the voltage through your heart.

[corp55555]

Great safety tip well explained. THANKS!!!!

[BACKWARDSVOMIT]

Thank you Sir!!

[MrHammadmossop1988]

Yeah I have to agree with you sometimes you have too discharge the anode about a number of times because you know a few minutes later it could build up even more charge you discharge it once and then it could end up building up even more charge you ould have too stick your screwdriver under the cup which is called the anode but you would have too do it a good number of times because you would have too stick the screwdriver under the cup till you hit the metal and it would make a loud pop

[CreativeGraham]

I used my multi-meter to check continuity directly between my screw dirver and chassis, when I had the clip on the right side of the chasis I got no reading, when I moved it over the left side I got a beep. I then proceeded to dis-charge and had no problems. Is it a good idea to use the multi-meter to check that the clip is on the chasis properlly? I didn't hear a pop either, but the monitor had been off for a couple days.

[varcadegames]

@CreativeGraham While we usually don't check for continuity between our screwdriver and monitor frame, it's a good double check and definitely recommended if you're not sure if your screwdriver is properly grounded. Also, you might not hear a pop from your monitor the first time but we still encourage you to do it twice as a matter of safety.

[djfreebey]

it same for pc monitor

[MrSPLman]

GREAT super safety tip - excellent !

[dwarfer777]

if you live in the uk you can keep it plugged in (but turned off) coz we have an earth pin.

americans!

[Ucic1]

@dwarfer777

Most American electronics are required to have a ground pin as well, but that doesn't mean that it's safe to keep it turned on. A ground system is in place so that if there is a short of the wiring internally there is a much lower chance of the chassis of the device to become electrically charged and potentially dangerous.

If you're the quickest path to the ground, you WILL be shocked. ALWAYS unplug your devices before working on them.

[ryoaska1]

damn, I have to do diagnose some issues with my monitor, but this sounds scary! I know it's just as simple as what you're saying in this video, but the idea of sticking a metal screw driver right into a place that say "warning high voltage", and that we've been warned NOT to remove by hand.....just goes against all intuition, haha. I will probably freak out and drop the screw driver when I hear the 'pop'....

[Geo63]

@ryoaska1 I know what you mean, those HIGH VOLTAGE stickers scare the shit out of me!

[Abasuto]

Nice video.

I learned the hard way my first time swapping a monitor out.

[scorpius26]

hey! great videos - thanks for that ;) one question about the discharging: can I get sure that it actually worked? without getting shocked I mean ;)

[JediJonL]

scorpius26,

You could always use a high voltage probe instead of a screwdriver but if you are careful to listen for the popping and repeat this process multiple times you can be about 99% sure that your monitor is discharged. If you have done these steps and your monitor still has a charge it would be minimal at best.

Thanks for watching and good luck with all your future projects.

[ArcadeGames]

Nice video, and make sure not to scratch up the monitor with the screw driver, and you shouldn't ever touch the monitor neck board when it's on or off. Maybe I'm just paranoid but I discharge it again after I'm done working on one and putting it back in. Thanks for the videos!