What to do with an old CRT monitor? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 14, 2016, 01:21:30 pm
content: When you've grown up through the computer evolution, it's not always easy to scrap tech that is still fully functional - but it looks like that's exactly what I am faced with on a 19" colour monitor with VGA input. It still works perfectly, but compared to LCD screens, it's big and heavy.SO.... do I try:Selling it?Giving it away?Just scrapping it?

author: botcrusher
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2016, 01:30:33 pm
content: Use the wire in the coils to make a gauss rifle?There's Lots of reusable parts in a crt, one of my good friends fried his DMM by pointing an EMP made from crt parts at it.

author: tszaboo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2016, 01:54:48 pm
content: You can make a huge bomb from it with some C4 and a swivel chair. The monitor will multiply the explosion, like John McClane style. And blow up in the garden, and share the video on youtube like russian dudes.The only reason I write this because access to C4 is somewhat restricted

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2016, 02:26:06 pm
content: At least recover the ferrite ring from the CRT , can make a common mode RF choke to feed an antenna if you are a Ham, or for the mains line by wrapping the power extention cord through the core to make a few turns. The big diameter of the core makes it easy to make common mode chokes using thick wires or coax.I'd also recommend salvaging the PCB, they have good power resistors/caps that can be reused.

author: CatalinaWOW
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2016, 02:35:25 pm
content: For nerdy fun you can break the sealing nipple off of the CRT and listen to it suck air for an amazingly long time. The shadow mask is interesting material for fabrication of lampshades and other items. All sorts of other salvage. Of course you might die from the carcinogens and sharp edges.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 14, 2016, 02:41:02 pm
content: Any ideas for a 'Dave' treatment?

author: rgawron
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2016, 02:43:02 pm
content: You may salvage flyback transformer + its power transistor, make high voltage supply from it and use it to make Kirlian photography.Here's one of the images I made - part of a leaf.Might not be the most impressive version, but worksKirlian photography is related to paranormal stuff, it was even placed in the intro of X-Files - bottom center image.Ofc, such voltage is not safe - need to be handled with care.

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2016, 04:40:22 pm
content: Quote from: CatalinaWOW on April 14, 2016, 02:35:25 pmAnother way to slowly break the seal is to run a very fine drill through the metal EHT connector insert on side of the tube. I've done it (carefully) a couple of times with a sub 1mm hand drill and it does suck for alongtime. I've often though it would be a useful way of partially evacuating something of small volume if you could get a seal onto it quickly enough.

author: Delta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2016, 05:57:38 pm
content: Find someone into retro gaming, they'll happily take it off your hands!80s and 90s computers just don't look the same on an LCD.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 14, 2016, 07:42:25 pm
content: How urgently do you need it gone?Take a photo of it displaying a test card and advertise it sold as seen @$1, buyer collects, anywhere that you wont have to pay to sell it. Also list the exact model number and the maximum resolution.That gives tube monitor aficionados a chance to keep it out of the e-waste stream.We can discuss what parts to keep if you can't find a buyer.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 15, 2016, 01:42:01 am
content: I haven't seen any evidence that we have 'tube monitor aficionados' in Australia - but no doubt there will be someone ... somewhere. It's really coming down to the fact that it's not worth the time to chase around - and the local e-waste facility will take it for free.Coompaq S910 model PE1132 19" Colour monitorDimensions (H x W x D): 50 x 45 x 45 cmWeight 19.8 kgPixel clock speed 202.5 MhzMax resolution: 1600 x 1200This is about as much time as I can justify on this.... Powering it up is only worth doing if someone is interested. I really need to get rid of it sooner than later - but I want it gone in no more than a week.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 15, 2016, 01:49:10 am
content: There are also 4 computer boxes (already scavenged a couple of things from them), an Espon CX5500 MFC that doesn't want to recognise genuine Epson ink cartridges, two 34cm portable colour TVs (analogue only) two VCRs and a DVD player headed for the scrap heap. Scavenging from those last 3 yielded a dozen or so black self-tapping screws and one mains cord (I have to be fussy - I already have a fistful of these.)All up - thousands of dollars to buy, but now it's just scrap.

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2016, 01:55:02 am
content: None in my neighborhood, as I've has 2 sitting outside for a month now (need to haul them and the rest of the equipment to the recycler, and I'm waiting on family to come back with their truck.What I guess I should have done was list it in the local Freecycle - they have those all over the US, by area, and you can post things you are giving away, or are looking for, typically offerings are left outside so if anyone is interested they can come pick it up. Too late now, it's all been rained on multiple times and is probably all trashed now. 2 CRTs, two old computer chassis, a non-functional 1500VA UPS, an old portable TV I modified with a toggle to allow a video input (TV was conveniently made with 2 boards, tuner on one side, video driver on the other, connected with coax with RCA connectors on the boards. I spliced in a SPST toggle on the center pin (grounds all tied together) and added another RCA jack in the case - worked great), some old computer cards (old SoundBlaster and Ethernet cards, mostly, and a 32" plasma TV that needed a new power supply. Maybe some other stuff I can't think of. It was out there wide open sitting in the driveway next to my garage, nothing so much as budged. I was kind of hoping at least some of it would disappear in the night.

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2016, 01:56:56 am
content: Quote from: Brumby on April 15, 2016, 01:49:10 amYou can get all sorts of motors out of those VCRs, printer. and DVD player. I have a box full of steppers from old printers. Oh yeah - should harvest the laser from the DVD player, too.

author: RobertoLG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2016, 02:01:04 am
content: I still have two LGs, both 15" one flat screen and the other rounded, I think i'll just take the rounded apart, take the board and trash the rest, the other I'm keeping as an emergency backup.

author: Smokey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2016, 02:04:28 am
content: Two words...Fish... tank...

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 15, 2016, 02:05:59 am
content: ... I was waiting for one of those suggestions.Not really interested. Sorry.

author: GreyWoolfe
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 15, 2016, 02:16:17 am
content: I put stuff like that on the curb on recycling day. It all disappears before the truck gets to the house. Even a bad 60" rear projection TV disappeared in an hour and a half.

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2016, 02:29:33 am
content: They don't take stuff like that around here, you have to take electronic stuff to this one site, that's only open for like 3 hours early on a Saturday morning, and 2 days during the week when I have to work. Or to numerous other places where you have to pay for them to take it off your hands.I showed my GF the fish tank and she's like ABSOLUTELY NOT. LOL.Anyway if I had a fish tank either the cats or the dogs would get in it and dump it.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 15, 2016, 02:41:08 am
content: Quote from: rrinker on April 15, 2016, 02:29:33 amWe have some waste management facilities around Sydney that will accept computer products and TVs without charge. Recycling costs have been covered by a levy on such products when they are brought into the country.My VCRs and DVD player aren't covered - so I'd have to pay for them to be processed through an e-waste facility. Occasionally a local council will have an e-waste drop off day where they'll take anything.

author: station240
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 15, 2016, 03:04:21 am
content: The degause coil around the edge of the tube, is many meters of enamelled copper wire, all you need to do is remove the black insulating tape.There is also a funny cylindrical inductor with an inbuilt magnet, these are almost always wound with Litz wire which is really hard to buy.Naturally you also pillage the HV capacitors, SMPS transformer etc for re-use, and any copper/wire for scrap.

author: Tim F
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2016, 03:12:51 am
content: the solution is obvious:

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2016, 05:20:04 am
content: The circuit boards have a bunch of useful parts if you're into high voltage stuff.An interesting way to reuse the case is to put a LCD monitor in it and build a PC in the remaining space. Should make a nice LAN party machine.

author: MrSlack
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2016, 06:04:36 am
content: Transistors inside CRTs are always quite useful. High Vce medium fT and heatsink friendly.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 15, 2016, 06:04:54 am
content: If you can be bothered, maybe throw it up on Gumtree if it's in good nick for $10-$20? Depend on the model, some of those old CRT's go for quite a bit of money, especially the old Sony Trinitron's which were popular among graphics artists. Collectors of old computers love them to complete the "vintage computer" look.Plugging a 386 or 486 into an LCD monitor just doesn't have the same effect.Otherwise just ditch it. Most waste management places have e-waste collection for free.

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 15, 2016, 11:58:53 am
content: I know a small electronics company whose CEO still used a CRT monitor up until recently. An insider told me about his CEO...Once his beloved CRT blew, he bought a second hand low res flat monitor about 2 generations old.His office's main printer is 7 years old inkjet that is near end of life and hundred of hours are wasted trying to fix it or waiting time for it to print.One of the company's monitors has been on loan by an employees for almost 4 years because he is too tight to provide one.He turns off the microwave oven in the kitchenette which saves about 5 cents on the digital clock power each year.He buys his the cheapest multi-meters on eBay and uses soldering irons that hobbyists would even laugh at.His employees have to bring in test equipment because he is too tight to buy the tools.The company's main laptop is one borrowed from an employee.His oscilloscope has a diskette drive in it.One of his employees asked for an SSD to speed up his old computer after explaining it would save $1600 per year in boot-up waiting time. Apparently he told him, he cannot afford the $80.So what to do with an old CRT monitor? Offer it to tight-arse CEO's of small companies.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 15, 2016, 12:45:52 pm
content: Give me an address!

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2016, 12:28:10 am
content: Just got worse for my pile of junk. The recycling place takes the electronics and so forth for free, but CRT monitors, smaller ones like mine, are $10 each for them to take.

author: Smokey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2016, 01:40:21 am
content: Quote from: rrinker on April 16, 2016, 12:28:10 amFor the parts they won't take, smash it up into small enough pieces to toss in the trash. Sounds like a job for the Widlar-izer!

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2016, 01:44:11 am
content: The charge is $35 here. On the other hand, you could leave it behind a building at a local college and it would be their problem... not that I'm recommending that...

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2016, 01:50:55 am
content: In the US, Staples will recycle CRT monitors for free.Goodwill will also take them in some places, but call first.

author: Delta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2016, 03:08:52 am
content: There is the (probably apocryphal) story of the bloke who left his perfectly good but no longer needed appliance outside his house with a sign on it saying "perfect working order, free to a good home", but it remained there for days. He changed the sign to "For sale, £50", and it was nicked within an hour!

author: Delta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2016, 03:12:46 am
content: A very true story (as it happened to me) is that I had repaired our old washing machine after the Missus insisted we buy a new one. It was only about ten years old. I put it up on Freecycle and in Gumtree freebies, not a single person got in touch. I then put it on eBay with a starting price of £2.90 (the cost of a pint of Guinness in my local), and it sold for........ £35!Couldn't give it away, but got thirty five quid for it! What is the world coming to?

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 16, 2016, 04:17:40 am
content: People don't make rational purchase decisions (or, at least, the decisions they make aren't rational in a simple economic model). There is a whole discipline of price selection that tries to exploit this.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: April 16, 2016, 05:07:55 am
content: Quote from: Delta on April 16, 2016, 03:12:46 amHave you heard the story of the greengrocer selling apples for $1.99/kg and $2.99/kg ?