Re: Monitor Burn-in

[Mitchell Spector <mitch2gs@hotmail.com>]

"Simon D. Williams" <bb065@chebucto.ns.ca> wrote:

>I have a IIc monitor that has some images and text burnt into the screen
>(it was running in a store window for 6 months straight!)... is there any
>way to remedy this? I thought of leaving it on with an all-white hgr image
>for another six months, but I don't know if that would actually even
>things out.

    Burn-in on a CRT is _permanent_ damage. The phosphor coating on 
the inside face of the glass tube is affected and there's no way to "repair"
what is inside a sealed vacuum. Either you'd have to replace the picture
tube (typically more expensive than a new monitor) or purchase a brand
new monitor.

    Monochrome screens, especially with the brightness up high, are more
likely to experience screen burn. I bought a Vectrex game console (has a
built-in monochrome screen) last month that was running in a shop window 
24/7 for almost two months, with the brightness too high. By no surprise
any part of the game that was static is lightly burned in. I'm stuck with it
but it should be unnoticeable with a color screen overlay normally used
(actually that could help with the IIc monitor: find an anti-glare filter?)

>On the bright side, if anyone's looking to refurbish a IIc, I can
>recommend six months in direct sunlight to bleach the case to a pristine
>white ;-)

    It'll "bleach" alright, to mustard yellow or brown. :) That is another
case of permanent damage, UV discoloration is a chemical change in 
the plastic that cannot be reversed. You can scrap off the surface layer
of plastic or repaint with an airbrush, but in either case you'll  lose the
textured finish.

    About a decade back I found a brand new condition memory expandable 
Apple IIc, perfectly white. I set it up on a desk in room that was sunny (not
even direct sunlight) and after about two years the plastic changed
to a yellowish hue.

Mitchell Spector