Would this be consider a monitor burn?

[buyersan84]

Hi guys,

 

So I just got my Sega Astro city yesterday and lovin it!

 

I noticed two dark patches on right side of the screen when the unit is off and am wondering if they are monitor burns or just something harmless. I also noticed that the colours on the top left corner of my screen are a little different to the rest of the screen.

 

Love to know what you guys think! Thanks again for all the wonderful advice I'm getting!

[namastepat]

I can't really see what it is in the first photo, but it's not burn. Monitor burn is when an image is burnt into the phosphors on the tube. The image will be burnt in white, while the surrounding non-burnt screen will be darker.

 

Have you run a degaussing wand over the screen yet? That will likely fix up your colour issues.

[Womble]

Doesn't look like burn in, may be a scuff mark on the outer surface of the glass.

[buyersan84]

Thanks guys for the feedback. Maybe I got lucky! So with the first pic there is a faint green patch hardly noticeable. No, I haven't heard of degaussing wand. Will check that out. Thanks.

[namastepat]

If you own arcade machines, a degaussing wand is a must. Basically it creates a strong magnetic field that can fix colour issues on tubes. Everytime you move an arcade cabinet it will be affected by magnetic interference created by its location. A degaussing wand can fix that.

[buyersan84]

I didn't know that. Thanks for the info. Is this what might be causing the slight shift in colours in the second image?

[namastepat]

Almost definitely. If you can't degauss it out, it's due to the way the cab is facing and its specific location. Could be caused by unshielded speakers in the cab also, or monitor purity issues, or other magnetic interference. A degauss with a wand is the first step to take.

[Gemini2544]

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[buyersan84]

Almost definitely. If you can't degauss it out, it's due to the way the cab is facing and its specific location. Could be caused by unshielded speakers in the cab also, or monitor purity issues, or other magnetic interference. A degauss with a wand is the first step to take.

 

If it doesn't really bother me and I just leave it. In the long term, will this affect any of the internal hardware?

[namastepat]

 

If it doesn't really bother me and I just leave it. In the long term, will this affect any of the internal hardware?

 

Nope, no issues with any other hardware and it will not cause any damage to the monitor.

 

I do recommend getting a good degaussing wand though, it's one of the essential items of arcade ownership. Even a cheapie one will enable you to give it a degauss and if you don't move the cab around, it will stay fine.

[buyersan84]

 

Nope, no issues with any other hardware and it will not cause any damage to the monitor.

 

I do recommend getting a good degaussing wand though, it's one of the essential items of arcade ownership. Even a cheapie one will enable you to give it a degauss and if you don't move the cab around, it will stay fine.

 

Thanks I will look into it. Is there one you recommend on ebay or something?

[namastepat]

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Degaussi...frcectupt=true

 

That's a common cheapie one. It will die on you, only a matter of time, as they generally melt the power cable. They are pretty much pieces of shit, but they will allow you to degauss your cab before it dies. I used one of those for a year or so until the power cable literally melted off in a puff of smoke.

 

What you want to try to get is a second hand Arlec one, they are the best and will last a lifetime. They don't come up that often, so grab one if you see one.

[buyersan84]

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Degaussi...frcectupt=true

 

That's a common cheapie one. It will die on you, only a matter of time, as they generally melt the power cable. They are pretty much pieces of shit, but they will allow you to degauss your cab before it dies. I used one of those for a year or so until the power cable literally melted off in a puff of smoke.

 

What you want to try to get is a second hand Arlec one, they are the best and will last a lifetime. They don't come up that often, so grab one if you see one.

 

Thanks mate really appreciate it! Anything else I should get while I'm at it to maintain or care for the arcade?

[namastepat]

A basic multimeter to test voltages and wiring continuity is always helpful.

[buyersan84]

A basic multimeter to test voltages and wiring continuity is always helpful.

 

Whats a wiring continuity?

[redferatu]

Arcade owning is a fun and rewarding hobby. You will need basic basic to moderate skills and knowledge in electronics, woodworking, fabrication, computers, graphic art, etc. Best to get into reading and learning from others as things come up though. Because it is so varied no one can really prepare you for it by saying you need these 10 things. But I do recommend if you're playing with old tech that is rare and fragile like game boards, look up some how to guides or watch maintenance videos to get you started so you don't damage something by accident.

[Vadership]

The trick with the cheap degaussing wands is to not hold the bottom down for too long...

Just a tap on the button each time does the job, otherwise I've had one melt and blow the cable clean OFF the wand !! :o

And yes I shit myself ! :lol

[oldhank]

The trick with the cheap degaussing wands is to not hold the bottom down for too long...

Just a tap on the button each time does the job, otherwise I've had one melt and blow the cable clean OFF the wand !! :o

And yes I shit myself ! :lol

 

Haha

[buyersan84]

The trick with the cheap degaussing wands is to not hold the bottom down for too long...

Just a tap on the button each time does the job, otherwise I've had one melt and blow the cable clean OFF the wand !! :o

And yes I shit myself ! :lol

 

Hahahahahaha! Man that would have been a Kodak moment mate! 🤣Thanks for sharing I'll treat mine gently. Just got one from Ebay.

[buyersan84]

Arcade owning is a fun and rewarding hobby. You will need basic basic to moderate skills and knowledge in electronics, woodworking, fabrication, computers, graphic art, etc. Best to get into reading and learning from others as things come up though. Because it is so varied no one can really prepare you for it by saying you need these 10 things. But I do recommend if you're playing with old tech that is rare and fragile like game boards, look up some how to guides or watch maintenance videos to get you started so you don't damage something by accident.

 

Yea. I am starting to read all these information online. I think it's a good little hobby to get into while we're all in lockdown.

[mrjamma]

@buyersan84

Out of interest, have you tried pressing the degauss (demag) button on the astro city psu with the machine powered on?

My present astro city (and a 2nd one i also previously owned simultaneously) is literally the only cab ive ever owned where i have had no need to use a wand on it.. the factory fitted degaussing button has worked to perfection every time ive ever moved my cab.

 

For my other cabs, I find Jomacs advice spot on with a wand. Go to the rear of the tube itself with the wand -> then from the centre of the tube (or even closer to the edge area where the impacted area is) -> swipe the wand from that spot, to the outward edge of the tube all the way out, with a quick flick of the button in a motion at the same time.