Weird Monitor Shaking

Captain-Bort-BortsonCaptain-Bort-Bortson New Orleans, LA Member
edited September 2003 in Hardware
When i moved into my dorm room i noticed that my monitor (a nec AccuSync 95f on a geforce ti4600) the image shakes constintly, it not a degause issue, I have no idea, i tried different plugs for the power. The monitor is located on a "desk" area there is a built in light with two 3 port plugs on each side above the monitor and there is a ethernet and cable tv plug to the right side. The monitor refresh rate is 72, which is the normal setting. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. The shaking is slight but it does give me a headache. The shake is sorta like when another electrical device is nearby, but nobody elses monitors in the dorm do the same thing.

Comments

  • TD_IslesTD_Isles
    edited September 2003
    Is there a fluorescent light on the desk? The ballast from the light might be causing a problem if it's too close to the monitor or if the monitor is plugged into the outlet that is attached to the light.
  • SteTheDudeSteTheDude Rochdale, England!
    edited September 2003
    also any speakers that are un-shielded can distort the picture.
  • TBonZTBonZ Ottawa, ON Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    I have a sneaky suspicion you have some over heating going on, take the side cover off your case and see if anything changes, if you have a fan nearby blow it inside for further cooling.

    This has happened to me and it was my video card getting too hot and caused my image to shake.
  • KometeKomete Member
    edited September 2003
    I've had a simular problem with my ati 9500pro where it kinda looks like something is shakeing it on teh right and left side of the screen or sometimes a flicker in the corners. It goes and comes.

    I would try one thing at a time starting from moveing your tv checking the heat like Tbonz suggested and looking into the ballist situation. If all else fails move it to a differnt part of the room and see what happens.

    I used to have a problem whith a 27inch sony tv that when I would put it in the corner of my living room the bottom left courner would turn green. I had a tech guy come out and look at it and get this it was the magnetic pull of the earth in the one spot that was causeing it. At least that was what the tech guy said. Go figure

    I have since gone with a 51inch hidef Big screen that is less sensitive to magnetic pull and is sitting in the same spot with 0 problems and teh 21inch is in anouther room working flawlessly.
  • KometeKomete Member
    edited September 2003
    Woa i just relized my moniter is parallel to the place where the sony was.. LOL
  • Captain-Bort-BortsonCaptain-Bort-Bortson New Orleans, LA Member
    edited September 2003
    There is a light above the monitor, its almost touching, so i think ill take the monitor off and take the lightbulb out perhaps. Its not over heating because the screen shakes immediatly and the temp on my monitor is less than at home. No speakers, ill try the light thing and then report back. thanks for the help
  • Captain-Bort-BortsonCaptain-Bort-Bortson New Orleans, LA Member
    edited September 2003
    The monitor still shakes, im gonna try and find out a way to unplug the built in light on the desk. I think that should fix the problem.
  • TheBaronTheBaron Austin, TX
    edited September 2003
    try taking the monitor apart and dusting off the CRT and all the components. this will fix quite a few monitor problems. if thats not it, take it away from anything causing magnetic interference, i.e. cell phone or laptop
  • verselloversello New
    edited September 2003
    Originally posted by TheBaron
    try taking the monitor apart and dusting off the CRT and all the components. this will fix quite a few monitor problems. if thats not it, take it away from anything causing magnetic interference, i.e. cell phone or laptop

    Whoa there nelly! Before you give off advice on taking apart monitors, make sure you mention the hazards! Like getting a major death-shock if you mess with the anode :|
  • jwersanjwersan LI NY
    edited September 2003
    Be VERY careful inside of your monitor, for every inch of diagonal length equals 1000 volts charge on the CRT. Enough to make you fly completely across your room.

    A 17” monitor will have a 17000-volt charge on the CRT, EVEN with the monitor off, and the power plug pulled from the monitor. (Makes a nice arc though!)
    :D
  • meepsmeeps
    edited September 2003
    Make sure you don't have any fans near the monitor... Something about a magnetic field I think :>
  • HackingGuruHackingGuru
    edited September 2003
    :eek::eek::eek::eek: ARE YOU SEIROUS!? EVEN WHEN ITS PLUGGED OUT ITS 17.000 VOLTS for my 17" CRT?!?!??! What about LCD"S!??!?!?!? :eek::eek::eek::eek:
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited September 2003
    LCDs are a totally different technology, and as far as I know, are very low voltage devices.
  • danball1976danball1976 Wichita Falls, TX
    edited September 2003
    LCD's don't require tons of voltage to activate the pixels like CRT's do to produce an image and direct the electron beam. Some CRT's have a charge of up to 25kV. That giant capacitor holds the charge so it won't have to recharge next time you turn it on. I believe there are gates and diodes that prevent reverse electron flow which would discharge the tube driver.
  • Captain-Bort-BortsonCaptain-Bort-Bortson New Orleans, LA Member
    edited September 2003
    Figured out the problem with the shaking. It is the two damn tube flaurescent lights above my monitor. The thing is built into the wall so there is no way to unplug them. So the question is, what can i do to shield the monitor from the interference? Any help would be appreciated.
  • TheBaronTheBaron Austin, TX
    edited September 2003
    okay i NEVER said to actually TOUCH IT. i just said DUST IT OFF
  • KometeKomete Member
    edited September 2003
    You will have to remove the ballest, Then of course use electric tape on the wire ends.
  • jwersanjwersan LI NY
    edited September 2003
    You are correct, LCD monitors are LOW voltage, but high on amps.

    Yes, even unplugged, there is a charge on the CRT, there are NO capacitors that hold this kind of charge. Though several can hold a few hundred volts.

    The CRT, the glass part of the monitor, that give it ALL it's weight is a GIANT capacitor.

    I worked bench repair for a few years, so I have seen my share of ARCs, explosions (Yes the tube will IMPLODE (its at a vaccuum) and the glass can go flying!!) and a few people, besides me who have taken a NICE shock!!

    We would always ground out the CRTs before we did ANY work on them, so don't get any ideas that removing the flyback anode lead to the CRT will make it safe, "off", the flyback itself is harmless ("On" is another story!) I have had tubes, I had grounded still give me a nice jolt!

    Best bet is stay away from the tube, and the inside of the monitor, too many parts to screw up!

    I could tell you some stories though, one was a capacitor, only rated at a few hundred volts, that refused to be discharged, and waited for flesh to zap!!!
  • jwersanjwersan LI NY
    edited September 2003
    NO NO NO, do not go after the balast...

    Try to find the AC to the lamps, and kill the breaker or fuse, if you can...

    If not just get a sheet of ferious (SP?) metal, bigger than the balast or the side of your monitor, and put it between them. this will block the EMF from the balasts and shield your monitor.

    My company had this problem with the early electrohome monitors we used, had to put the monitor inside a metal shroud, no internal shielding from outside EMF.

    Or you could move you computer to another spot away from the lights!! :D
  • Captain-Bort-BortsonCaptain-Bort-Bortson New Orleans, LA Member
    edited September 2003
    Well the light is kinda stuck. Whats the ballest?
    The light is one of those tube kind with connectors on each side. I dont think i can unplug the lights, they are built into the wall, ive tried to unscrew it but thatll take some work.
  • TD_IslesTD_Isles
    edited September 2003
    The ballast regulates the current. Don't remove that. The bulbs are connected (at least all the ones I've seen) to the socket with 2 pins on each end. They should twist and come right out with just a small bit of force.
  • jwersanjwersan LI NY
    edited September 2003
    Ballasts

    Unfortunately you can not just hook a fluorescent lamp up to an electrical outlet and expect it to work as you can an incandescent bulb. The principal problem is that it normally takes a voltage greater than the typical line voltage (110 Volts AC) to start a fluorescent lamp (i.e., initiate the electrical arc in the tube) in fact it can be several hundred volts depending on the specific lamp design. The second problem with operating a fluorescent lamp is that once the electrical arc is started in the lamp its electrical resistance drops due to the ionization of the gases in the lamp’s tube. This lower resistance would in turn cause higher current flow in the lamps electrodes causing more ionization and even lower resistance in the lamp causing even higher current flow an on and on till the lamp would quickly burn out. So to successfully operate a fluorescent lamp you have to provide two things, first a high enough starting voltage to initiate the electrical arc in the tube and then secondly a means of limiting the current flow in the tube to keep it from burning itself out. The normal way of accomplishing both of these tasks is through use of an added piece of hardware called a ballast. There are two fundamental types of ballasts, standard or iron core ballasts and newer electronic ballasts.

    You probably have an iron core type, and they emit a lot of EMF.

    I would move the computer, if you can, otherwise you need to shield the monitor from the ballast. This requires my previous recommendation.

    Or you can just live with it, or use you computer in the dark :-)

    Sorry I can't help more....

    John
  • danball1976danball1976 Wichita Falls, TX
    edited September 2003
    I do believe that on many 4' flourescent lights they require as much as 4000V to start the lamps.
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited September 2003
    Do the large roof 8ft strip lights produce much interferance?

    NS
  • Captain-Bort-BortsonCaptain-Bort-Bortson New Orleans, LA Member
    edited September 2003
    The light isnt on and it still gets interference which is wierd. and i know its the light, because when i turn on the light, the shaking increases. I think i will go out this weekend and find something to shield the monitor, or take the wall apart
  • imported_godzilla525imported_godzilla525 Western PA
    edited September 2003
    Main electrical supply lines will do that too... in one of the buildings I had classes in, the image on some the monitors close by the building's power feeder lines outside the window would wiggle. I thought it was kind of odd myself, but when you get hundreds of amps flowing...
  • jwersanjwersan LI NY
    edited September 2003
    It's not the amps that cause the waving, it is the EMF off of the high voltage lines. On some very high voltage cables, you can actually see a corona (Not the beer!!).

    The feeder cables to large buildings can be over several thousand volts, feeding step down transformers, similar to the ones you see on the poles.

    Even if you have the light switch off, the ballast could still be powered up...
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