^ Yeah, GASP!
Another thing I've both found myself as well as read about is that a lot of older software-driven devices have maintenance batteries in them, similar to the maintainence "BIOS" batteries on older computers, and there were tricks to replace the batteries without actually cutting off the power to the BIOS chips. Could be that. (Had an ICOM transceiver where this was the case, and I suspect a Harmon-Kardon entertainment device I have has a similar problem.)
However, if you ain't familiar with high-voltage service safety procedures, don't go mucking around in CRT boxes except maybe to blow out the dust with compressed air, and that's about it.
The biz about Goodwill having tons of TVs and other things around is good advice. My local Thriftery (not an actual Goodwill) has a bunch of TVs and stereos and monitors around. They also have a box full of remote controls, so you have to root through the box to find the one that matches a set you're interested in.
My main flat-screen LCD monitor died (fixable, but I ain't got the time), so I brought my laptop down there with some assorted cabling, selected an LCD monitor which looked OK, and plugged it into the laptop. Worked fine. With my senior discount, I brought it home for $16.00.**
I suppose you can use talcum powder in your hair and have wifey emphasize the lines in your face with makeup to simulate the Senior Effect. I don't have a problem generating the Senior Effect myself, though.
Terry
** I've got a funny story about that. The wallpaper on my laptop at the time had a sexy picture of Ann-Margret on it, not naughty, just "appealing," if you know what I mean.
So there's my laptop sitting there next to the monitor showing the Windows opening screen with the pic of Ann-Margret, and the same thing on the monitor screen next to it.
So I'm about fifteen feet away talking to the guy who does "intake" of the stuff the Triftery takes in, discussing senior discounts and all that, and this middle-aged lady walks by the monitor and looks at it and my laptop screen and gets a real sourpussy look on her face.
So she sees me and the Intake Guy and walks over and makes some "forceful" negative comments about the Thriftery putting up pictures like that to show off their products!
I had to 'splain to her what the situation was and apologize on behalf of the Thriftery, and mention that I was a customer and didn't realize that people would think that the Thriftery was showing off their stuff with that picture.
She didn't look too happy, but at least I got the Thriftery off the hook.
I just didn't realize how the situation looked, from a customer's point of view. Dumb me.
