CRT problem

[packerfan444]

Good Evening All,

I'm having another problem with my PE+ double double video poker machine. It's been working really well since the last fix (thank you). I turn it off every night when we're finished playing. Tonight I turned it on and no screen. There is an audible clicking like its trying to "start" but I can only see a small white dot blinking on and off in the middle of the CRT. Tried on/off with the power switch but nothing.
WAAAAHHH!!!!!

Any help would be greatly appreciated as usual.

 

Thank you.

[Amechanic]

Sounds like the chassis that powers the monitor is acting up. I'm guessing you have a Ceronix chassis. If you can open the door and take a picture of the front of the monitor, I should be able to tell what you have. I know that the slot repair company Klar in Las Vegas can fix them and others. Your other option would be to buy a new LCD monitor assembly, but there your talking around the $400 price range.

[packerfan444]

Will do, Thanks

Funny thing, sitting here with the power on for 2 minutes and the audible click goes away and the screen comes to life. Something not right obviously. Here's the picture with the door open. I have some family in Vegas and will be traveling there soon just in case. I could drop it off.

[Amechanic]

You need to contact Alan before hand. You can find there web page by clicking on there ad on the home page. Sounds like you could have bad capacitors on the Ceronix chassis.

[rokgpsman]

Good Evening All,

I'm having another problem with my PE+ double double video poker machine. It's been working really well since the last fix (thank you). I turn it off every night when we're finished playing. Tonight I turned it on and no screen. There is an audible clicking like its trying to "start" but I can only see a small white dot blinking on and off in the middle of the CRT. Tried on/off with the power switch but nothing.
WAAAAHHH!!!!!

Any help would be greatly appreciated as usual.

 

Thank you.

this is just a guess....

I'm not a crt repair person but that clicking you hear when there is no image on the screen could be the flyback transformer arcing. They sometimes go bad that way. That's the part that makes the high voltage that is needed for the crt to work. With the door open and the lights in the room turned off or way down you might be able to see the blue-white arcing at the rear of the crt when the clicking is going on.  Don't poke around back there, it is several thousands of volts.

[erbs]

I had run into that on a crt monitor in a video game. There was an arch from the flyback. What I did was sealed around the arch with a product called goop. Never arched again. Good luck with yours.

[packerfan444]

Thank you all for your quick replies. I'll check it in low light and see if I see the arcing. I'll see what happens the next time I turn it on.
If this repeats soon it will have to be fixed, by a pro, not a newbie. I'll take the advice and look toward Vegas for the fix. We're up there 4 or 5 times a year. Is there anyone that sells these rebuilt for drop-in? Just a thought.

Thanks again everyone. 

[rokgpsman]

I had run into that on a crt monitor in a video game. There was an arch from the flyback. What I did was sealed around the arch with a product called goop. Never arched again. Good luck with yours.

yep, that's the fix in a lot of cases. The flyback transformer has windings of wire inside that are near each other. The wire has a varnish insulation layer but due to the high voltage there can be an arc between two nearby wires that breaks thu the insulation layer. Once the crack in the flyback body develops that allows air with moisture to get near the wires and that makes it worse. If you inspect the flyback and find a crack in it you can put some goop down in there to fill the crack and keep the wires from arcing across. Besides insulating the bare spots on the wires the goop also doesn't allow air to get in there, air contains moisture that allows the arc to occur. The liquid goop needs to be pressed firmly into the crack, than allowed to completely dry. Something like silicone sealant would work, also DOW RTV-145 Silastic.   

If you want to you can try this repair yourself. Just get a pair of those latex or rubber gloves that restaurant dishwashing guys use. Remove the monitor and look for a large black part on the circuit board below the crt. That's the flyback transformer. There will be a large wire coming out of the flyback that goes over and attaches to the side of the crt. Take a strong light and look on all sides of the flyback for a crack in its surface. Use the gloves when handling the monitor, they will keep you from getting shocked. If you find a crack as described then go to the hardware store and get a tube of silicone sealant or RTV-125 Silastic, it won't take much. Fill in the crack, use a popsickle stick or a wooden spoon - no metal tools. Then let it dry overnight and test it the next day. If it is still broken then you can get a pro involved. But if it does fix it then you're the pro, so come back here and do some bragging!

[Badbaud]

There is a big difference between clicking and arching, the zzzztt of a arch is very unique.
That clicking means the power supply on the board is failing, not a fatal problem as it can be fixed with the correct parts.
KLAR has those parts.
When you come to Vegas you may want to visit our shop.
email me via contact on www.slotmachinerepair.com

[Jim]

sent you a pm.    Jim

[packerfan444]

Good Evening all,

Just want to say again thank you for your replies and detailed instructions. The CRT is still "clicking" but comes to life in a couple of minutes. I will be checking the items mentioned here this weekend. If it looks too hairy to get into, it's gonna be expert time, either get a rebuilt chassis or drop off for repair. I will definitely use one of the sources mentioned. I have some more questions but I'll do it on another topic.