R.I.P. CRT

Well, the end is nigh!

The Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) has served us now for many years, but now there is a DIGITAL replacement...the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Alright, I gave in about about four months ago when I bought a 32" LCD Television to replace our Grundig 26" CRT TV.

Many memories of the CRT. These beasts were made of solid glass with a vacuum inside and were incline to 'IMPLODE' if you didn't treat them right! When I worked at Telefusion as an apprentice this was a common occurance if you dropped a Television on the floor or dropped the CRT that you had just removed. Scary stuff!!
One day we had a flood at the Gower St Mill when the fire sprinkler system went off just above the CRT store. One of my tasks was to take the CRT's out of the wet boxes and send them down a conveyer belt to the floor below for re-boxing. What a sight when a conveyer belt full of CRT's started to slide down the belt and collide with each other 'BANG!!' glass everywhere, we all ran for cover!!

These beasties needed 25000 volts on the final anode to make them work and the rubber connection clip would hold that charge for a heck of a long time because the CRT made a perfect capacitor. The final anode had to discharged before even touching the CRT, and what a crack it would make with a couple of screwdivers! Changing a Colour CRT was a regular job and I must have changed hundreds in my time, but always wary of the static voltage still on the frame even when discharged.

I once had a stint as an apprentice at CRT testing and re-juvinating (blasting) - a scary job!

No...I won't miss the CRT...it served it's purpose, but let digital technology rule on this one!!

Rest in Peace! (See the link!)