Posted: 12/11/2005 10:03:46 PM EDT
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My monitor just started showing a single vertical line. I checked all conections and they are good. Earlier today I accidentaly hit the screen hard enough to move the monitor but I didn't think it was that hard and it still worked until tonight. Viewsonic P815 21" If I have to replace it what is the best 21" monitor out there for under $400? |
$400 is not a lot. Maybe a ViewSonic G220? Try newegg.com. They have the G220f for about $500 with shipping. $50 more for black.  Personally, I would get an LCD even if they are not the greatest for games. The 21" CRTs weigh 60 lbs or more, take up a lot of desk space, and are a PITA to move around. BTW, my Sony 500PS is in the process of dying (it goes dim regularly) and I have a 19" LCD ready to replace it. If it lives longer than a year more, I'll replace it with two 20" LCDs. 
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How often do you move your monitor? And my ghettotastic little corner computer desk from Staples has more than enough room for my 21", speakers, coffee mug, and room left over for paperwork or whatnot. For gamers, a CRT cannot be beat. |
As in, there is a vertical line in an otherwise normal picture, or as in the picture shrunk to a single vertical line of display? If the latter, and it's a CRT, you lost your horizontal sweep transistor or something in that circuit. Jim |
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Sounds like you have a cold solder joint.. It doesnt matter how much you pay for a monitor, someone on the assembly line will fill fuck up a solder joint. Most monitors stop working because the vert/horizontal stabilizer gets knocked out because of a bad solder joint. Then you have to change both the /verthorizontal stabilizer and usually nine-1 ohm resistors. Failure to replace all those resistors will result in the destruction of the new vert/horizontal stabilizer. My friend Richard gets alot nice free monitors that way.( plus adding $15 in parts)  He also repairs them for the local school . |
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In case your monitor starts working again and you can read this, I found an ebay listing for $180 shipped. Not sure I would totally trust the source, but it may be basically the same batch of IBM units you are considering. IBM on Ebay Mind sharing your source? Edit: Upon further review, there is a boat load of these monitors on ebay at dirt cheap prices. I'm jumping on one myself. |
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If it is an LCD, the LCD has issues and needs to be RMA'd if possible. It will only get worse. I got 6 lines on my Samsung 191-T LCD monitor a while back, in various colors. They just appeared before my eyes one night working. Samsung replaced the monitor after having it for 2 months. Then UPS lost it when shipping it to me. Arrived in Tampa, disappeared then was found in Orlando. Since yours is a standard CRT, I have no idea what would be causing it, but probably time for a new one or take it to a monitor repair shop that can work on CRT's. They may be able to fix it for around $100 , I've gotten a couple 22" CRT's repaired locally because my old employer would rather pay to repair than purchase a new one. Luck is on your side though, CRT's are so cheap now you can get a 22" for around $250... Just do a search on PriceWatch.com or other places. - rem |
There are several 2ms-4ms Gray to Gray Pannels out for cheap now that are Perfect for games; www.tomshardware.com/2005/11/17/viewsonic_vp930_lcd_monitor/ www.tomshardware.com/2005/11/04/do_the_new_19/ |
I have repaired several monitors over the years and from my experience it is almost always an electrolytic radial capacitor in the horizontal deflection area of the circuitry. The capacitors are usually large, blue or black, and are soldered in an upright position. Without a capacitor checker your only luck may be to see a puffed up top on the capacitor or some "gunk " oozing out from the cap onto the board. Easily replaced with a solder iron and not that expensive. These capacitors are marked with a "+" and "-" indicating that has a specific polarity and must be replaced in the correct position or POP! The circuit board will have a small dot beside the solder hole and indicates the negative lead of the capacitor "-". 
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