Re: [arcade] rotating monitors frequently (fwd)

I'd like to summarize the gist of this thread for my FAQ to answer some
questions a few people have had. Does anyone object to my paraphrasing
and/or quoting them? Please let me know.

--- saint
    Build Your Own Arcade Controls FAQ
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On Wed, 14 Jul 1999, Mark Jenison wrote:

> On Jul 13, 11:25pm, Jeff Anderson wrote:
> > Subject: Re: [arcade] rotating monitors frequently (fwd)
> > >
> > > You'll see my version of a raster cabinet with a easily rotatable monitor
> :-).
> > > It's a 25" monitor. If the game has been off for a good amount of time
> (maybe
> > > 20+ minutes), I can rotate the monitor in any direction, and the colors
> will be
> > > fine.
> > >
> > > However, if I go from playing a Horizontal game to a vertical game, as I
> turn
> > > the monitor, the colors will change. By using a degausing coil, I can fix
> 90%
> > > of the monitors color in about 15 seconds, but for some reason the upper
> right
> > > corner (which would be the lower right corner in horizontal mode) remains
> > > unchanged :-\. Of course, if I turn the game off and turn it on a few
> hours
> > > later, the corner color is fine again.
> >
> > There is a really easy way around the problem of having to wait for a
> > monitor to "straighten itself out" by letting it sit for a while.. The
> > reason you have to wait is because the PTC is cooling down. Just short it
> > out and put a switch inline with the degaussing coil (DGC). Whenever you
> > want to DG just press the button for about 3 seconds.
>
> Way ahead of you. Already did that.
>
> > DGing doesn't hurt
> > the monitor, just dont hold the button down for a few minutes or you may
> > see smoke.
>
> Did that too :-)
>
> > the PTC (positive Temperature coefficient) is basically a resistor that
> > limits current flow when it heats up. When the monitor is cold the PTC
> > passes current to the DGC, and after a few seconds it heats up and cuts
> > the current off. It will "trickle" enough to keep it warm (and thus the
> > DGC off) whenever the monitor is on. it usually takes at least 10 min
> > for the PTC to cool off enought to do a complete DG. The PTC is that
> > little black box with 3 pins on the monitor chassis, usually right next to
> > the DGC connector..
>
> While this is all nifty in theory, the monitors built-in degaussing coil is no
> where near as strong as the hand ones. Doing what you expressed above does not
> fix the colors in my situation, even my original intention was exactly what you
> stated above. I didn't want to have to get the hand one, but it was necessary
> in my case.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Mark Jenison E-mail address: jenison@cig.mot.com
> Cellular Infrastructure Group Motorola--Arlington Heights, IL
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
>
Received on Wed Jul 14 13:13:53 1999