[Coco] Can I fix an old monitor?

[Salvador Garcia]

 Like others say, it could be the circuit that lights up the screen.

With LCD monitors, there might be separate modules that you can swap out. Replacing caps is an option, but might be difficult if you lack equipment and skills.

I've got two LCD monitors that need fixing and both have to do with ON/OFF circuitry (one has a visibly broken ON/OFF button).

The typical method is to find information about the particular brand and model of monitor to determine what you are up against. Also helps to get part numbers of the main modules. I prefer swapping out modules because LCD monitors usually (not always) use surface mount components and replacing those can get "interesting".

And as Gene said, beware high voltages! Discharge everything that you even suspect might have a voltage, even if it is just 5v. :-)

Good luck! Salvador


    On Monday, April 27, 2020, 10:24:53 AM CDT, Walter Zambotti <zambotti at iinet.net.au> wrote:  
 
 The symptom it displays is a little odd.

It has trouble turning on and trouble coming back out of sleep mode.

I can use it for hours and hours but go away for twenty minutes and
it wont redisplay.  I can see it is trying because I get some screen
flashing.

And sometimes after several flashes it might come back on.

But once it's on its stays on until I stop using it a let it sleep.

Walter

On 2020-04-27 23:09, Arthur Flexser wrote:
> Two things that come to mind:
>
> First, look for capacitors that are swollen or leaky.  Though I don't know
> that the symptom there would be dying after a few minutes rather than just
> not working at all.
>
> The dying after a few minutes sounds more characteristic of a chip
> overheating.  Carefully feel if any chip has gotten very hot after the
> thing dies.  (Be careful to avoid high voltages!)  That chip would be a
> prime suspect.  You might time how long it takes for the thing to die after
> you turn it on, and see if holding an ice cube in a plastic bag against the
> suspect chip lengthens this time significantly.
>
> Good luck!
>
> Art
>
> On Mon, Apr 27, 2020 at 10:55 AM Walter Zambotti <zambotti at iinet.net.au>
> wrote:
>
>> I have an old 4x3 1280x1024 LCD monitor that is still working but is
>> loses picture when it has been on for a few hours. It's an ACER AL1916 A.
>>
>> I would like to repair the thing to use with my CoCo but I have no
>> hardware experience with these things.
>>
>> How hard is it to diagnose what the problem is?
>>
>> And what are my chances of fixing it?
>>
>> Walter
>>
>>
>>
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