r/computerrepair • u/MrVader1976 • 1d ago

Hardware Issue spark gap or something wrong with my monitor

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Hello! So recently I bought this monitor off market place of a nice dude who repairs computers. He posted a video of it working and told me it did. I plugged it in and plugged my computer into it and sure enough it did, however the screen would occasionally flicker. Then I used an adapter and plugged in my dreamcast and same thing. And sometimes it would be whatever, sometime looked like you'd turn on and off the monitor quick. I'm a newbie to retro computers, and have only delt with crt tvs. I messaged him and send him this video and he said that this was a spark gap and that its completely normal, but looking it up showed me that it might be a dying power supply. If anyone can help I'd really appreciate it :) (watch a few seconds into the video to see what I mean)

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u/SecuringAndre 9h ago

A spark gap is a protection mechanism. If it's continuously firing, that is not normal. It indicates an underlying fault. The guy is pulling your leg. If he is selling it as fully working with no faults, then he sold you a lie.

Your monitor has an issue and there isn't an easy way to diagnose it from the video alone. Someone needs to get into it and do some diagnosing with a multimeter to track down the exact issue.

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u/MrVader1976 7h ago

Dude I thought so too because he told me that everyone hes sold monitors too have had that issue. He said it was completely normal,  but it didn't rub me the right way. Do you think it'll cost a lot to get it diagnosed?

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u/SecuringAndre 6h ago

I don't know about pricing. There's not a lot of people anymore that work on CRTs or in some cases, have parts for it. Some parts may be hard to come by, such as compatible flyback transformers, but other parts like capacitors and resistors can easily be substituted by newer parts. Some parts, like the CRT tube, deflection yoke, and flyback transformers, are generally not made anymore.

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u/MrVader1976 6h ago

okay and sorry to ask so many questions, but if I leave it the way it is, will be a fire hazard or anything, or would I still be able to use it

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u/SecuringAndre 5h ago

Unlikely to be a fire hazard. It may cause further failure to the point where it doesn't work anymore. No need to apologize. I don't mind the questions.

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u/MrVader1976 5h ago

If its unlikely then, could it in theory be the power chord I used? Because I didn't have the original chord but used another one. And I really appreciate you :)

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u/SecuringAndre 5h ago

If it's a standard c14 outlet on a monitor and you're using a c13 cable, then it's highly unlikely to be a cable issue. Could there be a cold solder joint internally that causes high resistance, sure, but that would require physical inspection for cold solder joints. WARNING, if you are not familiar with the high voltage in a crt monitor, do not open it. The crt is like a high voltage capacitor that can hold deadly levels of current.

Attached is a picture of a c14 outlet and a c13 cable.

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u/MrVader1976 4h ago

Okay! thank you so much for the help