Useful RE Salvage Parts from CRT Monitors

[Slingshot]

I have accumulated about 8 or 10 good 17" CRT monitors.  While they work just fine, they have little commercial value (about $5 each on Craigslist).  Does anyone know whether there are any "treasure" parts that make them worth disassembly for scrounging?

Maybe a HV transformer to build a fence charger?  Voltage regulators?  Power transformers to build fluorescent drivers?  Help me out here.

Thanks!

[ghurd]

Degaussing coil has a lot of nice wire (wrapped in black tape, looped around near the front of the screen).  Better than microwaves.

A couple good heat sinks too.

With the crazy price of copper and some free time, it could be worth grabbing those coils at the rear of the tube?

G-

[Ungrounded Lightning Rod]

If you ever want to try building an air-static power collector there may be a high-voltage "dorknob" capacitor in the "doghouse".  (But I think post-semiconductor stuff mostly uses the CRT's inner and outer coatings as the capacitor so it's not there after all.)  Also the flyback transformer might be suitable for the downconverter (though I'd probably go with an automotive spark coil instead - so I know I'm not overvoltaging it when using a sparkplug for the switch.)

Atmospheric static collection is pretty low-return for high-effort, with high risk of burnout and of leading lightning back to your house.  So unless you have a lot of land at a high altitude, a lot of abandoned electric fence material, and want to play with something most people think is in the same category as prepetual motion machines and UFOs to collect no more than a few watts, if that, and IF you get it working right, you probably shouldn't bother.

[willib]

there are usually LM 7805s and or 7812s , 5V and 12V voltage regulators .

the main power transformer is good to take apart for rewinding as a boost converter inductor.

and some that i've taken apart had little 8pin serial memories , EEPROMs , usually in sockets .

Not to mention the power FETS , they come in TO220 packages , and are almost allways Gate Drain Source , from left to right

plus lots have power resistors , from 0.2 to 0.5 ohms at 5 Watts

and capacitors of all sizes.

the heat sinks and degaussing coil were already mentioned by G

[fungus]

The coils at the end of the tube are also pretty easy to get out, just make sure there isnt any charge left in the tube. They are in a wierd shape and -some- can be unwound for scrap wire but others I chuck in the copper bin. Theres usually lots of heatsinks, big and small, IC's, flyback transformer etc.

The way I go about desoldering them is to desolder the large components (transformers, heatsinks etc.. and then get out the heat gun, clamp the board in the vise and heat up the solder side. The components then come off really easily, sometimes just falling out with a small tap, others need to be pulled out with pliers. Just make sure you dont get the heat gun too close.. stinks Just collect all the parts and sort them.

[terry5732]

Many good amperage MOSFETs. 555s. Lots of heavy duty caps. Ferrite (flyback core and deflectors).

[Slingshot]

About the degaussing coils - are they just wrapped, or all they all laquered up too?  It would be nice if the wire could just be unwound onto a spool for future use.  I'll probably bust into one of these monitors this weekend anyway, but how about a guess on the wire gauge?

[ghurd]

The larger the screen, the more turns and heavier the wire. IMHO.

I got a few POUNDS of 19 gauge from a 32"(?) TV, with a doubled figure 8 coil.

The 17" seem like #20 or #21, and fewer turns.

It's just a big loop, 100% wrapped in black tape. No glue.

And I grabbed 2 TVs and a monitor from a neighbors trash at 2AM last night.

Like I needed more crap to take apart!

G-

[turboredcart]

I had thought of building a video wall. You could have a huge sign- maybe with an automatic slide show.

In Pennsylvania- they are clamping down on "electonic waste"- you are not allowed to put items in the regular garbage. This encludes tvs, vcr, printers, cell phones -etc.

I have a huge pile of peices and parts.  -with intention of either desginating projects- or trading them away.

[ghurd]

Strange results on my last coils.

The 19" monitor (circa 2000) had a tiny O.D. wire bundle, about 3/16" with the tape, smaller O.D. than most 15" I have dismantled.

The OLD Sylvania TV had 2 short fat coils, one at the top and one at the bottom. Had to remove the CRT to get the coils out.

The newer ~27" Sony TV had the coil in a square white soft plastic tube, but a lot of nice #18 wire that won't be sticky from tape... I think.

G-

[Slingshot]

Well, I got lucky and sold 8 17" monitors for $4 each.  But I'm sure I'll have more after the next auction (Thursday).  Seems every time I buy a pallet of 21" and 19" monitors, there's a pile of 17s under the candy coating.