Do you want to build the best retro computer you couldn't have when you were young? Do you want to bathe in analog glory with high refresh rates and zero latency? Are you looking for perfect blacks and square pixels? If the answer is yes, you'll need to know how to repair a CRT monitor, even if it's small replacements like the one engineer Adrian Wilson did on his Acorn AKF-17 monitor.
Finding new CRT monitors these days is not easy. While stories of abandoned warehouses with sealed hardware in original boxes, the challenges of moving such titans (and keeping them intact) ruin the plans of many interested users. The most practical strategy is to look for local deals, and try to acquire a unit without too many hours on it... but even that is not enough.
There will always be minor failures that need to be addressed. A damaged cable, a potentiometer that doesn't work well, solder joints broken by the stress-heat-time combo, and of course, the power button. With that in mind, we arrive at the personal portal of engineer Adrian Wilson, who published the process to repair a CRT monitor from the '80s, more precisely, an Acorn AKF-17.
How to repair a CRT monitor
The Acorn AKF-17 is not a special monitor, to say the least. In fact, it is known as a variant of the Philips CM8833-II that uses a different casing and has fewer inputs. However, its relatively wide availability allows enthusiasts to perform repairs and mods with ease. One of the most common failures is the power button, which stops making contact over time.
The most important detail when working on CRT monitors is that these monsters can kill you if you don't know what you're doing. The first step is to learn to discharge the tube safely, and Adrian used a homemade tool based on a screwdriver and a 10 MOhm resistor. Once the possibility of a high-voltage shock was neutralized, Adrian proceeded to disconnect the board on the neck of the tube, and remove the entire base board.
After a quick cleaning and capacitor check, Adrian focused on the power switch. Fortunately, he found a compatible new-old-stock replacement (which also works in the Philips CM8833-II and many Commodore monitors), and the only modification needed was to install the metal collar from the old switch onto the new one. The key is to add a little solder to the connections before desoldering with a good soldering iron or a vacuum gun (Adrian used a Duratool D00672 station).
A little silicone lubricant on the new switch, and that was it. The Acorn AKF-17 is ready to serve for many more years, probably until it needs a general capacitor change, or its tube decides to throw in the towel. Repairing a CRT monitor is not impossible, and there are many enthusiasts on YouTube who describe different failures, but it requires a good combination of respect and patience.
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