On May 31, 2005, at 4:21 PM, Steven Henderson wrote:
I am starting to notice that the image on the monitor is shaky, and it can get quite annoying and distracting. Any suggestions? Would monitor replacement be cost-effective? I'm not quite ready to give up this old guy, but I also am not about to spend tons of $$ to keep him working either. It's funny how I also have a G4 iBook, but still choose the G3 imac any day.
What you're seeing is yet another variant on the sad story that describes the life-shortening damage caused by heat and the lack of a cooling fan in convection-cooled slot-loading CRT iMacs. Your monitor itself, the CRT, probably is just fine. What's going is either the PAV boards (and specifically the flyback transformer on the analog board) or the video chip on the logic board.
If your iMac has a VGA port in back, connect a VGA monitor to it. If that video's fine, then you're looking at dying PAV boards. If the external monitor has the same symptoms, then it's most likely the video chip on the logic board which is at fault, which means a replacement logic board should correct your problem.
To learn more about monitors in general, go to this web site: http:// repairfaq.ece.drexel.edu/sam/monfaq.htm. It's just loaded with information about CRT monitors. You'll have to extrapolate the information as it applies to the symptoms you see.
If you determine the fault lies with your PAV boards, you can replace them yourself if you take your time and can find an Apple Service Manual specific to your machine. Follow safety precautions! But make sure you obtain the correct analog board for your machine (the service manual will tell you how to identify which one of two yours has), and if you buy it on eBay, make sure it's got a non-DOA guarantee. A new board can be found on the Internet for about $375, the last time I looked. A good used board will cost less than $100, but it's subject to the same failure(s) yours is beginning to exhibit. To cover your bets, make sure you buy both the analog board and the video board which fits on the neck of the CRT. Not many people have complained of video board failures, but it could be your problem. Your problem also could be a loose video cable to logic board connection.
I've repaired a couple of iMacs with similar video problems recently for much less than $100 apiece, doing the replacement of the analog board myself. Because of the cost of new boards, I've not even tried to find out what a Mac repair shop would charge because the iMacs aren't worth the cost of professional repair. On the other hand, a working used iMac G3/400 can be had for about $200, give or take, depending on shipping costs. Keep your eyes and ears open and you likely can find a complete working unit for quite reasonable money.
Good luck! -- Jim -- The iMac List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | - Epson Stylus Color 580 Printers - new at $69 | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> iMac List info: <http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[email protected]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/imac-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> --------------------------------------------------------------- iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com ---------------------------------------------------------------
