something weird...

[billy_boy_999]

have you ever taken a portable phone (i have a hunch that a mobile would work too) and (when it's not on or anything) ran the ear-end (the end with the antenna) across your computer screen? it makes a weird sort of electric shadowy thing...what's happening? :confused:

[i should mention that this is a normal, old-fashioned screen - not a flatscreen lcd]

[jcsd]

I'm not sure what you mean exactly, but it sounds to me like magnets in the phone are deflecting the paths of the electrons (remember a basic monitor (not a LCD one) is basically a cathode ray gun behind a luminescent screen

[billy_boy_999]

magnets - right, i tested this by waving my electric guitar's pickups in front of the screen - you're absolutely right...i wonder if this is bad for my monitor... :rolleyes:

[LURCH]

magnets - right, i tested this by waving my electric guitar's pickups in front of the screen - you're absolutely right...i wonder if this is bad for my monitor... :rolleyes:

I think it most certainly is. I tried similar experimentation with a color TV, and I messed the picture up but good! When I got my computer monitor, I noticed that it had a "degauss" feature. If your monitor has this in the main menu, you might be able to fix any harm you could do, but I've never had the nerve to test that hypothesis.

[Matt-235]

Honestly, I just like to play witht the DeGauss button every once in a while because it looks nifty. Is that bad? (For the monitor, that is)

[Loren Booda]

Keep loudspeaker magnets away from monitors, and TV's especially. I believe the resulting concentrated flux of electrons can burn out phosphors.

[pallidin]

The degauss feauture will not harm your monitor, and in fact helps correct occasional problems of this nature. Just did it myself right now, and my text looks a little clearer I must say. I suppose one would not want to do it 12 times a day, though. Once or twice a month should be just fine.

[pallidin]

I also have heard that some monitors automatically degauss themselves whenever thay are turned on.