Thread: HELP!!! CRT Monitor destroyed

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I recently purchased a CRT monitor from a pawn shop. I wanted to make a Jacobs ladder. when i first opened it up, it was sparking nicely. In my attempts to reduce the size and bulk I cut/unplugged all the wires that were going to the tube. It now doesn't work. I can't get pics up now but if needed i will post em.
I don't want to have to spend another 25 bucks for a monitor.

Originally Posted by znelson710

I recently purchased a CRT monitor from a pawn shop. I wanted to make a Jacobs ladder. when i first opened it up, it was sparking nicely. In my attempts to reduce the size and bulk I cut/unplugged all the wires that were going to the tube. It now doesn't work. I can't get pics up now but if needed i will post em.
I don't want to have to spend another 25 bucks for a monitor.

The high voltage in a tube crt is generated by the flyback transformer and it's associated oscillator/transistor stage. Some of them require feedback from the tube itself and you may have severed those connections. In any case, a monitor flyback will not generate sufficient current at the voltage required to make a decent Jacobs ladder. You can pickup a used neon sign transformer for less than $20 (not the newer solid state types the old ones) and built a nice one.

Mine is 4 feet tall and uses a 15 kilovolt 30 milliamp neon transformer: