Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: Karen W. on 25/07/2007 15:36:02

Title: Have you ever used a forever flashlight! If so be careful around your television
Post by: Karen W. on 25/07/2007 15:36:02: We had a power outage the other day.. I shook my flashlight quickly to turn off my computer and monitor etc, because the power kept surging! when the power came back on I turned off the flashlight and restarted my TV and CD player. I then moved the flashliht to the desk by the TV. When suddenly I noticed a beautiful light show which became much more beautiful as I moved it closer to the TV.
Problem being now, I can't get the beautiful colors out of my TV. The flashlight is non battery it is a magnet that is shaken back and forth inside the case in a copper like contact! Anyway here are the results!

Here is my emergency flashlight!

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi17.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb73%2Fkarenw44%2FFlashlightexperiment003.jpg&hash=7f556c9505716f7f3e73ccb9fe788fb4)

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi17.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb73%2Fkarenw44%2FFlashlightexperiment011.jpg&hash=4e7e8148a4eac8f55d884852b88467b7)

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi17.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb73%2Fkarenw44%2FFlashlightexperiment004.jpg&hash=ed6335403b530a9885cc0f3b53e903af)

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi17.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb73%2Fkarenw44%2FFlashlightexperiment013.jpg&hash=b6b5e24aa09ae1814e4f2606eb624356)

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi17.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb73%2Fkarenw44%2FFlashlightexperiment015.jpg&hash=29f13cc5939a8e3dad4d6f61b41de49f)

Ok Have I permanently killed off my picture tube, or is there some way to de-magnetize or whatever my TV! HELP!!!!! LOL
Title: Have you ever used a forever flashlight! If so be careful around your television
Post by: neilep on 25/07/2007 15:44:08: ARRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH !!!

Karen...this is the worst thing you can do !!

There IS a fix unless you have damaged it big time....turn off your monitor/TV !!...and turn it off NOW and leave it off for a few few hours......even better over night !!..if you are really lucky then all will be normal when you turn back on !

magnets are seriously offensive to CRT Tvs and monitors !!..that is why modern day home cinema speakers are magnetically shielded..

I know you will hate to do this but do it it now...turn off the monitor/TV and leave it for a few hours ....hopefully...the damage you have done is just temporary !!!
Title: Have you ever used a forever flashlight! If so be careful around your television
Post by: Karen W. on 25/07/2007 15:51:26: OH Crimany sakes... OH lordy.. I did not do it to my monitor.. just my TV!!! It is now off.. I hope that this works! Although it was only a twenty dollar TV.. LOL But dang it has been nice seeing movies again.. LOL...

Now that we know I am a complete dunderhead who likes pretty colorful light shows could you explain what happens when this occurs exactly why etc????
Title: Have you ever used a forever flashlight! If so be careful around your television
Post by: neilep on 25/07/2007 16:25:27: yes......the magnet attracts magnet fairies who play inside the CRT tube inside your TV...they ' large it up ' disco style and enjoy the light show of their party...to them..it's like a laser show in a club !!

If that does not convince you then this dubious link to wiki will.....it takes you direct to the magnet section

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathode_ray_tube#Magnets
Title: Have you ever used a forever flashlight! If so be careful around your television
Post by: kdlynn on 25/07/2007 16:25:36: i don't know if it's permanent, but magnets are very very bad for tvs and computers
Title: Have you ever used a forever flashlight! If so be careful around your television
Post by: paul.fr on 25/07/2007 16:31:32: http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=8118.0
Title: Have you ever used a forever flashlight! If so be careful around your television
Post by: Karen W. on 25/07/2007 16:37:48: Quote from: neilep on 25/07/2007 16:25:27
yes......the magnet attracts magnet fairies who play inside the CRT tube inside your TV...they ' large it up ' disco style and enjoy the light show of their party...to them..it's like a laser show in a club !!

If that does not convince you then this dubious link to wiki will.....it takes you direct to the magnet section

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathode_ray_tube#Magnets

Thanks for the fairy story Neily! LOL Thanks for the wiki link also.. if it does not go away I will pull out me soldering gun and try the cure from wiki! LOL see if I can do some more damage! LOL!
Title: Have you ever used a forever flashlight! If so be careful around your television
Post by: Karen W. on 25/07/2007 16:39:48: Quote from: paul.fr on 25/07/2007 16:31:32
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=8118.0

Thanks Paul for the link!
Title: Have you ever used a forever flashlight! If so be careful around your television
Post by: Karen W. on 25/07/2007 16:41:08: Quote from: paul.fr on 25/07/2007 16:31:32
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=8118.0

Yes As I have found out! LOL what appliance is next on me list! LOL..I will not play with my computer ...she is to important! LOL
Title: Have you ever used a forever flashlight! If so be careful around your television
Post by: Karen W. on 25/07/2007 16:43:06: Are they still dangerous by the TV if it is turned off? The TV I mean!
Title: Have you ever used a forever flashlight! If so be careful around your television
Post by: paul.fr on 25/07/2007 16:44:05: Quote from: Karen W. on 25/07/2007 16:43:06
Are they still dangerous by the TV if it is turned off? The TV I mean!

I believe so.
Title: Have you ever used a forever flashlight! If so be careful around your television
Post by: Karen W. on 25/07/2007 16:45:54: Thanks Paul!
Title: Have you ever used a forever flashlight! If so be careful around your television
Post by: Karen W. on 25/07/2007 23:34:03: YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY SHE LIVES !!!! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY SHE LIVES !!!! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY SHE LIVES !!!! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY SHE LIVES !!!! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY SHE LIVES !!!! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY SHE LIVES !!!! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY SHE LIVES !!!! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY SHE LIVES !!!! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY SHE LIVES !!!! YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYY SHE LIVES !!!! Thanks Neily!!
Title: Have you ever used a forever flashlight! If so be careful around your television
Post by: daveshorts on 25/07/2007 23:51:21: The problem was that you magnetised the grill in the front of your TV, this will deflect teh electrons that paint the picture causing them to end up in the wrong places, and hence give the wrong colours.

TVs have demagnetising (degaussing) coil that applies a very rapidly changing magnetic field to the TV which is changing faster than the grill can magnetise, so it has the effect of demagnetising the grill.
The short buzzing sound you hear when the TV turns on from cold is from these coils.

I guess the reason Neil told you to turn off the TV for a while is that it may not bother degaussing unless it has been off for a while???
Title: Have you ever used a forever flashlight! If so be careful around your television
Post by: Karen W. on 26/07/2007 05:15:29: Thanks Dave.. That is a cool explanation also! I am glad to say She is ok..HEE HEE HEE No thanks to me..I just thought wow thats really pretty and then I played with it. wasn't till I turned it off that I saw it wasn't leaving my screen...WHOOPS! I had even taken pictures cause it was so bloody cool!
Title: Have you ever used a forever flashlight! If so be careful around your television
Post by: daveshorts on 25/10/2007 13:47:53: We did this experiment on the show this week, I have written it up here:
http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/kitchen-science/exp/magnets-and-tvs/
Title: Have you ever used a forever flashlight! If so be careful around your television
Post by: lyner on 25/10/2007 14:02:26: You need to turn it really off - plug -out type off. - not just standby or it won't try to degauss itself.
A local TV repair man should be able to de-gauss the set for the cost of a call-out, if it doesn't fix itself. His degaussing coil is stronger than yours. It should work - the dynamo magnet isn't that strong.
Title: Have you ever used a forever flashlight! If so be careful around your television
Post by: syhprum on 26/10/2007 07:05:21: Altough all TV's are fitted with auto-degaussing the thermistor type devices that control the current surge to the degaussing coils often fail with age.
these devices only cost a pound or so or can easily be salvaged from old computer monitors from you local dump.
They are only three terminal devices and need the minimum of soldering skills to replace.
Title: Have you ever used a forever flashlight! If so be careful around your television
Post by: Karen W. on 28/10/2007 01:18:31: Thank you Sophiecentaur and Syhprum! I have some skill with soldering.. Luckily It fixed itself but for the next time I don't use my brain I wilol keep that in mind!