Any known geomagnetic field aberrations in area affecting crt tv's?

I retro videogame and use a CRT tv. After having moved to Allamuchy I discovered all my CRT tv's have asymmetric geometry. Tested by moving them around putting them upside down and they're skewed from some geomagnetic influence. Anyone know if panther valley area has some strong magnetic fields affecting this? I also wonder if this is bad for your health.

Reginald
Dec '22

Just wear a tin foil hat while watching ;-p


Can't wait to see where this goes....


Isn't your CRT over 25 years old? The guns doing convergence and keeping the image correct do go bad giving you a skewed picture. Too bad Osa's is not still in business because I am sure he would have told what the exact issue is. Maybe the guns were jarred out of alignment when you moved.


It is the sunspots.

Roywhite Roywhite
Dec '22

My BIL once set his speakers (the big ones about 3' tall) on either side of his TV and the magnets in the speakers affected the picture tube. It doesn't take much.


MK, I wanted to check and brought one of my CRT's to my parents place 15 minutes away. No issues. Reason I'm asking is if there is a general issue in the area or if it's just my property.

Reginald
Dec '22

Check for abandoned iron mines in Allamuchy Twp...

tmb6123 tmb6123
Dec '22

Reginald…. Do me a favor but I need evidence you are trying this … move this old PC to different rooms and does the problem occur in every room? (Even bathroom and basement. Attic garage run a power cord to the driveway) every place (want to test the whole surrounding areas)…. Does the pattern shift on the old crt screen (are you using 9 pin?) or something else? Now take pictures and post them… and if possible take everything back to your parents and document the screen operates normally … and are you using the same cables when testing at your parents? And are you friendly with a neighbor ask them if they have ever had issues) have you googled - magnetic field detector ?

LibertyThinker LibertyThinker
Dec '22

What your are describing is most likely a locally sourced EMF interference. While the geomagnetic field is changing (another topic) it would not be strong enough to cause your symptoms. There is a cell tower with a microwave uplink off of Bald Eagle up at the water tower, but I think you probably have a high voltage leak in one of your feeder cables or curbside transformer. All of PV has underground cables that are over 30 years old. Voltage leaks generate a ton of EMFs. I recommend you get a Digital Electromagnetic Field Radiation Detector, they are relatively inexpensive on amazon.


just use a faraday cage


Reginald

The first thing to do is to check the website for your particular model. Usually (as opposed to the old days) there's a built-in degaussing function that is addressed through the monitor's menu.

If that doesn't work, check online for a degaussing wand or coil. I think most are between $20 and $60 or so.

As Mel mentions, a Faraday cage is also a possibility, but that would take some doing and would be a pain in the butt.

You could invest in a brand name EMF detector, or if you have a friend who's a ghost hunter, ask them to come over and screen your place for strong EM Fields. I don't think any larger than normal power lines run through that area and checking through some of the old topo maps of the area, I don't note any mine shafts or adits noted.

You could visit the USGS website to check for the aeromagnetic survey map of the area, but it looks as though they're currently working on integrating it with some other resources and didn't seem available yet for free. Of course, since there is a fault line in the area, there could be a buildup of electromagnetism due to the tension of the heavily iron-bearing rock in the area, but eh, I don't think it's that likely.

There is another possibility that there is a strong magnet that you're not realizing is there, such as speakers (which someone else mentioned) a microwave nearby or closeness to mostly electrical kitchen equipment or sharing a wall with them. That would likely be picked up by an EMF detector, but you'd have to make sure the fridge compressor is running at the time, etc. Do you have a 3D printer nearby?= or anything similar? A malfunctioning electrical appliance can also produce high EMFs as the internal resistance is higher in an old or bad motor, etc.

Of course it could be that it's just an issue with a number of wire junctions in that area or wiring being not quite "right" in your place that's doing it too. To check for that, an outlet checker plugs right into the outlets (check them all) and you can get one that also checks GFCI outlets. Of course to check for higher load than normal, you can just check your electric bill, LOL, or get a Kill-A-Watt reader.

I listed the steps in order from mostly easiest and most likely, to more difficult and least likely, but I think I covered most of the bases, though the Faraday cage is last resort stuff, lol.

Phil D. Phil D.
Dec '22

Dang, Phil D dropping some serious knowledge! Great info, Phil.

Consigliere
Dec '22

Over a hundred years ago, there were numerous magnetite mines in the area. The Hackettstown Museum has maps of where the mines were located. I wonder if proximity to a large magnetite deposit could cause the issues you are describing?

IndependenceFarmer IndependenceFarmer
Jan '23

do not aberrate in any fields in or around Hackettstown and your TVs will perform correctly....however, there will continue to be a great excess of commercials , especially those that skew any positive results with a great excess of side effects, which could cause ultimate expiration, which will cancel all inquiries...and so, not to worry....

zentravl zentravl
Jan '23

zentravl

Did you use a foreign language to American English translation app? What you're saying makes little sense in the "real" world. Maybe try to explain this again?

IndependenceFarmer

As I noted, there doesn't seem to be any old mines listed on topo maps of that area. That doesn't mean there aren't any outcrops there, just perhaps nothing rich enough that had been discovered and mined. Most iron in the area is either Magnetite or Hematite, and they both occur close by, such as the Shield's Mine, which was off Airport Road. It was mainly a Hematite open pit operation. While a magnet is attracted to Magnetite, it doesn't normally act as a magnet on its own. While it may be a very remote possibility that Magnetite could cause an issue, it's not very likely in my opinion. The source of their issue is likely either an actual magnet, or an electromagnetic field, likely from energized electrical wiring or an actual electromagnet.


Anyone interested in a cool article about degaussing, well, here you go:

https://tedium.co/2021/02/19/television-crt-degaussing-history/


Reginald

Have you found an answer yet? I, for one, would be interested in what you actually found to be the problem.

Phil D. Phil D.
Jan '23

Hi Phil,

I ran various tests. First, I checked with an EMF detector and there were no aberrations. Also, my electricity bill is quite normal, so I don't think there are any below ground voltage leaks as was suggested. Next, I unplugged all the appliances in the basement where the CRTs are, including washer/dryer. The only thing that I hypothesized is that perhaps the blower motor in my furnace which is basically on the other side of a wall from my gaming room may be doing this as the motor is magnetized. But then, I moved one of my crt's to the farthest bedroom on the top floor and the geometry issue persisted. The blower motor can't be that strong or could it?

I drove back to my parent's place and tested the CRT again and it's perfect, no geometry issues.

The one thing that makes no sense to me is that when I test the CRT in any room, image sags on the lower right. No matter how much I turn it 360 degrees, it sags on the lower right. It does this with my other 2 CRTs too. I then flipped the tv upside down, and it's the lower right again in the new orientation. Strange! I gave up on trying to figure out why and bought some neodymium magnets and placed them near the back of the CRTs to compensate for the sag. Best I can do for now.

Reginald
Jan '23

Can the power source cause something like this? Plug, wire, power strip, etc?

Roywhite Roywhite
Jan '23

Reginald

One thing I suggested that you didn't mention you had tried, is the degaussing function on your CRT. Did you try that too? Did you live at your parents before moving to Allamuchy? What area do they live in? If you moved from their house, then it's also possible that it's "used to" the magnetic field there and when you moved to Allamuchy, the natural magnetic field could be somewhat different.

For instance, when you first set up a "normal" needle type compass, you have to adjust for the declination. That is, the natural deviation of lines of force between Magnetic North and "True" or "Grid" North. These lines aren't exactly straight to the North, but follow a more wandering path. As I mentioned, your best bet would be to use the degaussing function already on your CRT if you still haven't tried that and as a next to last resort buy a degaussing coil or wand from the internet. I don't think I have one with my old TV and radio stuff, but if I get a chance I'll look.

The blower motor could very likely be the culprit, IF it was just in that location, but you say it follows when it moves, so again, degaussing...

Phil D. Phil D.
Jan '23

I have one of these- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014A25Q66


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