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tv screen cleaning question

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Albee Kuminova

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Aug 24, 2004, 12:15:13 AM8/24/04
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What is the best way to clean a television tube screen. One tv is a Sony
XBR maybe close to 20 years old. Another is a 12 year old Sony XBR
squared. 3rd is a 13" stereo Toshiba tv with built in DVD. Best Buy and
Circuit City say Monster Cable tv screen cleaning kit for 20 bucks is
only way to go. In the past we've used windex with ammonia sprayed on
paper towel. Toshiba says use Windex without ammonia. I can't get
through to Sony.

It's very confusing. What IS a good, safe way to clean a dusty tv
screen?

Michael A. Covington

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Aug 24, 2004, 1:23:37 AM8/24/04
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Windex (the ordinary glass-cleaning kind) is perfectly safe. It's even safe
to use on precision coated optics if you don't do it every day. Unless
there's a delicate anti-reflective coating, you have ABSOLUTELY nothing to
worry about. If there's an anti-reflective coating, you can still use
Windex as long as you don't do it too often. If you need to clean a
delicately coated piece of glass every day or two, half Windex and half
distilled water is a good cleaner.

Clear skies,

Michael A. Covington
Author, Astrophotography for the Amateur
www.covingtoninnovations.com/astromenu.html


Art

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Aug 24, 2004, 5:47:34 AM8/24/04
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Do not spray the cleaner onto the front of the tube, spray it on your
cleaning cloth and then wipe the face of the tubes. Have the sets turned off
to avoid any possiblity of static shock from the set. Generally the material
referred to will do a nice job on also cleaning the cabinets.
"Michael A. Covington" <lo...@ai.uga.edu.for.address> wrote in message
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Jerry G.

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Aug 24, 2004, 12:26:46 PM8/24/04
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I use distilled water only. It is mainly dust that you are trying to clean
off. If it is grease, and cigarette smoke stain, use water with a about 20%
isoprophal alcohol mixed in. You don't want anything too strong, that can
damage the coating on the CRT glass.

--

Jerry G.
==========================


"Albee Kuminova" <albee-k...@yawwhoo.com> wrote in message
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Eric

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Aug 24, 2004, 2:14:14 PM8/24/04
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I must say as a experienced TV service person I approve of the suggestions
in the thread made at this newsgroup question.

I must point out that the reason you do not spray the screen is because,
most TV's today have electronics under the picture tube like customer
controls, so the spay will drip down and cause the components to rust and
"partly short out" what is called in the trade as a "gone leaky" This
would cause a lot of problems in the months to come when parts will need to
be replaced.


"Art" <plot...@comcast.net> wrote in message
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Michael A. Covington

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Aug 24, 2004, 10:26:29 PM8/24/04
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"Jerry G." <jerr...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:2p18otF...@uni-berlin.de...

>I use distilled water only. It is mainly dust that you are trying to clean
> off. If it is grease, and cigarette smoke stain, use water with a about
> 20%
> isoprophal alcohol mixed in. You don't want anything too strong, that can
> damage the coating on the CRT glass.

True, but if you're not going to do it every day, there's nothing wrong with
Windex. I've cleaned lots of optical equipment with Windex (carefully).
The main thing is to get it off again, or follow up with distilled water (to
ensure it dries clean) or sufficiently pure alcohol.


James Sweet

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Aug 25, 2004, 12:30:00 AM8/25/04
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"Albee Kuminova" <albee-k...@yawwhoo.com> wrote in message
news:412AC104...@yawwhoo.com...

Windex on a paper towell works great, anybody trying to charge you 20 bucks
for a cleaning kit is ripping you off.


Art

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Aug 25, 2004, 8:02:06 PM8/25/04
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Actual material inthe RPTV cleaning kits is DNA, probably not much purer
than the regular drugstore or grocers supplies.
"James Sweet" <james...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
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Michael A. Covington

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Aug 25, 2004, 11:26:16 PM8/25/04
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"Art" <plot...@comcast.net> wrote in message
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> Actual material inthe RPTV cleaning kits is DNA, probably not much purer
> than the regular drugstore or grocers supplies.

Do you mean deoxyribonucleic acid, digital network architecture, or
denatured alcohol?

I normally use isopropyl alcohol (electronic grade -- it dries clean) at
work. At home I use Windex or diluted Windex.

Leonard Caillouet

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Aug 26, 2004, 6:34:20 AM8/26/04
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DNA? Do you mean denatured alcohol? Why would a drugstore carry this? It
certainly should not be used on a RPTV screen.

Leonard

"Art" <plot...@comcast.net> wrote in message
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Art

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Aug 26, 2004, 12:11:23 PM8/26/04
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Supplied in the cleaning kits furnished under the PHILLIPS BRAND. Contents
in the spray bottle is denatured [rubbing] alcohol, very similar to the
grocery and drugstore materials readily available. Kit comes with the nice
red spray bottle already filled, the corduroy type cloths, and the wooden or
plastic applicator over which the cloths are stretched. Instructions
included was to spray a liberal amount on the cloth and wipe the fresnal
screen in a circuiar motion from centre out to edge, to wipe the lenticular
from top to bottom in one continous swipe. Seemed to work great in getting
the kids fingerprints, etc off the screen. BTW one wipe over normally was
suffucient, had some customers attempt to rub out a scratch using the stuff,
actually began taking the paint between the lines on the lenticular off
leaving a nasty blemish. Strangle it was supplied as the recommended product
with many Phillips, Magnavox, Philso, and Sylvania RPTV units.
"Leonard Caillouet" <n...@no.com> wrote in message
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Leonard G. Caillouet

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Aug 26, 2004, 12:53:22 PM8/26/04
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Rubbing alcohol is isopropanol, water, and perhaps other substances,
different than denatured alcohol, used as a solvent or shellac thinner. You
find rubbing alcohol (aka isopropyl) in drugstores, denatured alcohol in
hardware or paint stores.

Leonard

"Art" <plot...@comcast.net> wrote in message

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chri...@yahoo.com

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Dec 8, 2004, 3:56:21 AM12/8/04
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150" Bigscreen TV for only $16.95!

http://www.inspire-solution.com/max

BWL

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Dec 8, 2004, 10:57:12 PM12/8/04
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This guy probably bought up all the existing old Polavision lenses from the
early 80's. My dad and I actually built one of these, and it worked, although
we had to do considerable work to the set to fix the keystone effect, Also, the
picture was very dark, requiring an almost totally dark room to be able to see
anything, and the individual phosphor dots were clearly visible on the image...

NSM

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Dec 8, 2004, 11:43:03 PM12/8/04
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"BWL" <btv...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20041208225712...@mb-m18.aol.com...

Don't you have to reverse the yoke connections also? I like the picture with
the bright wall lights on - not likely!

N


James Sweet

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Dec 9, 2004, 12:05:08 AM12/9/04
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"NSM" <now...@to.me> wrote in message news:rJQtd.6601$Ya4.2719@edtnps84...

Depends on whether you want front or rear projection, either way it's a
silly idea, there's much more modern ways to hack together mediocre
projection TV's these days, as well as a plentiful supply of old real
projection TV's, I've gotten 4 or 5 of them for free over the last few
years, and most required a lot less work to fix up than building something
from scratch would take.


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