Electronic gremlins still working overtime

[yungatart]

Following on from the electronic disasters of the last few months...Gixxer, Holden, cell phone, 2 x pc's and the fridge...
tonight the TV decided to make horrible crackling noises and spit out blue sparks around the rubber boot indicated by the arrow.
Is this terminal, or an easy fix?

[pete376403]

very (VERY) high voltage goes into the tube from here. Be careful - the tube can retain a charge for a long time after the set is powered off.

CRT type tvs are pretty old now anyway, just about time to upgrade to a flat screen of some description

[Gingin]

easy fix but be VERY CAREFUL there is about 20,000 to 30,000 volts sitting on that connection and it can stay there for hours after the screen is turned off.
esssentually the procedure is to discharge the tube by clipping a clip lead to an earth point and sliding under the rubber cap to discharge the tube ( the louder the crack and longer the blue spark the greater the excitement). then removing cap cleaning under side of cap and glass under with meths or alcahol then applying some silicon to create a good seal

[MSTRS:Me]

So you are saying that there is 'crud' under/around that seal which is causing the arc? And it just needs to be cleaned off? I've touched the wire and seal etc without experiencing any 'excitement', but now I'm not sure I want to go near it

[Jantar]

very (VERY) high voltage goes into the tube from here. Be careful - the tube can retain a charge for a long time after the set is powered off.

CRT type tvs are pretty old now anyway, just about time to upgrade to a flat screen of some description

easy fix but be VERY CAREFUL there is about 20,000 to 30,000 volts sitting on that connection and it can stay there for hours after the screen is turned off.
esssentually the procedure is to discharge the tube by clipping a clip lead to an earth point and sliding under the rubber cap to discharge the tube ( the louder the crack and longer the blue spark the greater the excitement). then removing cap cleaning under side of cap and glass under with meths or alcahol then applying some silicon to create a good seal

25kV from the HV transformer can give you a nasty belt and burns. It may be a simple insulation breakdown as described by Gingin, or it can be symptomatic of a failure of the CRT itself. What other symptoms were there at the same time. Did the picture fade to a small circle then come back? Or did the picture go out and stay out? Have you noticed any deteriation of picture quality lately?

[MSTRS:Me]

25kV from the HV transformer can give you a nasty belt and burns. It may be a simple insulation breakdown as described by Gingin, or it can be symptomatic of a failure of the CRT itself. What other symptoms were there at the same time. Did the picture fade to a small circle then come back? Or did the picture go out and stay out? Have you noticed any deteriation of picture quality lately?

No strange shit happening with the picture. No hints that all is/was not well. TV owned from new. Less than 10 years old.

[pete376403]

I'd take a guess and say that dust and the greasy shit that seems to accumulate on electronics has created a ground path for the EHT and it's flashed over.

Clean it up as detailed previously. Unplug the mains lead from the wall socket frst. Make sure you discharge the tube. (connect a wire from the metal chassis and push the bared end under the insulation to the metal contacts in the centre of the connector. You might get a spark and a noise.) Then you can peel up the edges of the insulator and clean underneath.

[nadroj]

I hope the vibrator's not the next to short out - it could make a hell of a mess!