🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <5u15eh$q4e@janis.virago.org.au>,
Rachel Polanskis <r.polanskis@nepean.uws.edu.au,grove@zeta.org.au> wrote:

>I have heard that monitors for distribution in the Northern Hemisphere
>are different to monitors in the Southern Hemisphere.

    The monitors are exactly the same. They are only adjusted
differently.

>Can anyone tell me exactly how?
>I gather it is something to do with electromagnetic/gaussian fields?

    The electron beam which creates the display in the tube must
be exactly adjusted so all three colors (red, green and blue) are 
the same size and in the same position all over the screen. The 
earth's magnetic field effects this. The direction of the field
is opposite in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. So a color
monitor adjusted properly in the United States will be out of
adjustment in Australia. 

>Are Sun (Sony trinitron) 
>monitors effected by this?  I'd like to get one from the US 
>since they are so much cheaper than over here in Australia, even after 
>freight, and I would not like to import it only to find 
>it is unusable.  

     Yes, Sony Trinitron's are effected by this. The answer to
your question can be had from your local Sony computer monitor
repair technician. Ask about doing a realignment and color
convergence. All monitors need this done after a time since the
adjustments change with age. The change from going to "down under"
from "up over" or whatever you call the trip is not much greater
than what could happen to a monitor from old age.

>If they are effected, how would you set it for Southern Hemisphere use?
>Does any of this make sense?

     It makes perfect sense. What does not make sense is even
thinking about doing repairs or adjustments on Sun monitors. Sun
has a policy of making reparing its monitors as expensive and
difficult as possible by not publishing any repair manuals
or data. Instead you should check into buying a monitor from
any other company except Sun.  Sony has always been willing to
sell me manuals and parts for any of its products, except for
the monitors it makes for Sun. My friend the monitor fixit guy
tells me that Phillips and Mitsubitshi are currently very good
in supplying what is needed to keep their monitors in adjustment
and working. But such policies change at the slightest whim of
the companies involved, so check locally first.

    The better grade of monitors for IBM/Intel PC clone computers
are now as good as the unserviceable ones made for Sun. So ask 
your local monitor vendors what they have that will work on Sun's.

>Hardware and monitor techs please explain!

    I'll bet a monitor that was turned upside down and aligned
in California would be good for New South Wales. But it 
would be better to have it aligned where it is to be used.

    Most of the problems with computers are caused by people
not knowing what to ask for. So if you know about magnetic
fields and color CRT alignment, you can make a good decision
about where in the world to buy your monitors.

-- 
   Michael Coughlin      mikc@gnu.ai.mit.edu      Cambridge, MA USA