Solar storm etc

Basic elctronics tel me, that when a electro-magnetic storm can have an
impact large enough to overload a power station, it wil influence your
monitor aswel.

My sony tv is mounted on an rotating platform, so I can view television
whereever I sit in my living-room. When I rotate too fast, I get a funny
coloured didtortion at the corners. And that's just the influence from the
earth magnetic field.


"ck26" wrote in message
. ..
Yeah - mine's started doing that when I've had the monitor switched off -
I
think there must have been a surreptiously installed windows update for
the
graphics accelaorator recently.

"Thijs Verbeek" wrote in message li.nl...
Basic elctronics tel me, that when a electro-magnetic storm can have an
impact large enough to overload a power station, it wil influence your
monitor aswel.

My sony tv is mounted on an rotating platform, so I can view television
whereever I sit in my living-room. When I rotate too fast, I get a funny
coloured didtortion at the corners. And that's just the influence from the
earth magnetic field.


Your impression is incorrect. The Earth's magnetic field is far too
weak to signficantly affect a TV monitor. A magnetic storm does not
directly affect a power station. What such a storm does is induce DC
electrical currents in the hundreds and hundreds of miles of
transmission lines in the northern regions of the Earth where the
field strength variations are significant. This can produce power
surges which the distribution network may be unable to handle.

David Knisely

"Thijs Verbeek" wrote in message li.nl...
Basic elctronics tel me, that when a electro-magnetic storm can have an
impact large enough to overload a power station, it wil influence your
monitor aswel.

My sony tv is mounted on an rotating platform, so I can view television
whereever I sit in my living-room. When I rotate too fast, I get a funny
coloured didtortion at the corners. And that's just the influence from the
earth magnetic field.


Your impression is incorrect. The Earth's magnetic field is far too
weak to signficantly affect a TV monitor. A magnetic storm does not
directly affect a power station. What such a storm does is induce DC
electrical currents in the hundreds and hundreds of miles of
transmission lines in the northern regions of the Earth where the
field strength variations are significant. This can produce power
surges which the distribution network may be unable to handle.

David Knisely

"David Knisely" wrote in message
om...
"Thijs Verbeek" wrote in message
li.nl...
Basic elctronics tel me, that when a electro-magnetic storm can have an
impact large enough to overload a power station, it wil influence your
monitor aswel.

My sony tv is mounted on an rotating platform, so I can view television
whereever I sit in my living-room. When I rotate too fast, I get a funny
coloured didtortion at the corners. And that's just the influence from the
earth magnetic field.


Your impression is incorrect. The Earth's magnetic field is far too
weak to signficantly affect a TV monitor. A magnetic storm does not
directly affect a power station. What such a storm does is induce DC
electrical currents in the hundreds and hundreds of miles of
transmission lines in the northern regions of the Earth where the
field strength variations are significant. This can produce power
surges which the distribution network may be unable to handle.

David Knisely

They do make TV's (larger screens) with minor pincushioning adjustment switches for north and
southern latitudes. So, from that info, I'd say the earths magnetic field does affect TV monitors.
Now a CME is another thing alltogether.

"David Knisely" wrote in message
om...
"Thijs Verbeek" wrote in message
li.nl...
Basic elctronics tel me, that when a electro-magnetic storm can have an
impact large enough to overload a power station, it wil influence your
monitor aswel.

My sony tv is mounted on an rotating platform, so I can view television
whereever I sit in my living-room. When I rotate too fast, I get a funny
coloured didtortion at the corners. And that's just the influence from the
earth magnetic field.


Your impression is incorrect. The Earth's magnetic field is far too
weak to signficantly affect a TV monitor. A magnetic storm does not
directly affect a power station. What such a storm does is induce DC
electrical currents in the hundreds and hundreds of miles of
transmission lines in the northern regions of the Earth where the
field strength variations are significant. This can produce power
surges which the distribution network may be unable to handle.

David Knisely

They do make TV's (larger screens) with minor pincushioning adjustment switches for north and
southern latitudes. So, from that info, I'd say the earths magnetic field does affect TV monitors.
Now a CME is another thing alltogether.

"Martin Riddle" wrote in message link.net...
"David Knisely" wrote in message
om...
"Thijs Verbeek" wrote in message
li.nl...
Basic elctronics tel me, that when a electro-magnetic storm can have an
impact large enough to overload a power station, it wil influence your
monitor aswel.

My sony tv is mounted on an rotating platform, so I can view television
whereever I sit in my living-room. When I rotate too fast, I get a funny
coloured didtortion at the corners. And that's just the influence from the
earth magnetic field.


Your impression is incorrect. The Earth's magnetic field is far too
weak to signficantly affect a TV monitor. A magnetic storm does not
directly affect a power station. What such a storm does is induce DC
electrical currents in the hundreds and hundreds of miles of
transmission lines in the northern regions of the Earth where the
field strength variations are significant. This can produce power
surges which the distribution network may be unable to handle.

David Knisely

They do make TV's (larger screens) with minor pincushioning adjustment switches for north and
southern latitudes. So, from that info, I'd say the earths magnetic field does affect TV monitors.
Now a CME is another thing alltogether.


You didn't read what I said. I used the word "significantly". I have
not seen such a monitor of that size (a computer monitor, *not* a TV),
and certainly have not seen a "switch" for northern and southern
latitudes. I was operating my 19 inch monitor during the recent
massive geomagnetic storm and noted no changes in its performance. In
any event, if these TV's were not well shielded enough to kill off the
very slight effects of the Earth's magnetic field, then things like
nearby stereo speaker magnets or other appliances would be enough to
cause problems as well, and I would not want to own such a
poorly-designed set. Such a "switch" would be of limited use, as the
orientation of the screen relative to the Earth's field direction
would be a variable which would not be able to be compensated for by
simply switching something. As for a "CME" they are a single event on
the sun that ejects material into interplanetary space. They don't
get into the Earth's atmosphere and are only factors in helping
eventually to create a geomagnetic storm when that ejected material
reaches the vicinity of the Earth's magnetosphere. Clear skies to
you.

David W. Knisely
Prairie Astronomy Club: http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org
Hyde Memorial Observatory: http://www.hydeobservatory.info/

**********************************************
* Attend the 11th Annual NEBRASKA STAR PARTY *
* July 18-23, 2004, Merritt Reservoir *
* http://www.NebraskaStarParty.org *
**********************************************

"Martin Riddle" wrote in message link.net...
"David Knisely" wrote in message
om...
"Thijs Verbeek" wrote in message
li.nl...
Basic elctronics tel me, that when a electro-magnetic storm can have an
impact large enough to overload a power station, it wil influence your
monitor aswel.

My sony tv is mounted on an rotating platform, so I can view television
whereever I sit in my living-room. When I rotate too fast, I get a funny
coloured didtortion at the corners. And that's just the influence from the
earth magnetic field.


Your impression is incorrect. The Earth's magnetic field is far too
weak to signficantly affect a TV monitor. A magnetic storm does not
directly affect a power station. What such a storm does is induce DC
electrical currents in the hundreds and hundreds of miles of
transmission lines in the northern regions of the Earth where the
field strength variations are significant. This can produce power
surges which the distribution network may be unable to handle.

David Knisely

They do make TV's (larger screens) with minor pincushioning adjustment switches for north and
southern latitudes. So, from that info, I'd say the earths magnetic field does affect TV monitors.
Now a CME is another thing alltogether.


You didn't read what I said. I used the word "significantly". I have
not seen such a monitor of that size (a computer monitor, *not* a TV),
and certainly have not seen a "switch" for northern and southern
latitudes. I was operating my 19 inch monitor during the recent
massive geomagnetic storm and noted no changes in its performance. In
any event, if these TV's were not well shielded enough to kill off the
very slight effects of the Earth's magnetic field, then things like
nearby stereo speaker magnets or other appliances would be enough to
cause problems as well, and I would not want to own such a
poorly-designed set. Such a "switch" would be of limited use, as the
orientation of the screen relative to the Earth's field direction
would be a variable which would not be able to be compensated for by
simply switching something. As for a "CME" they are a single event on
the sun that ejects material into interplanetary space. They don't
get into the Earth's atmosphere and are only factors in helping
eventually to create a geomagnetic storm when that ejected material
reaches the vicinity of the Earth's magnetosphere. Clear skies to
you.

David W. Knisely
Prairie Astronomy Club: http://www.prairieastronomyclub.org
Hyde Memorial Observatory: http://www.hydeobservatory.info/

**********************************************
* Attend the 11th Annual NEBRASKA STAR PARTY *
* July 18-23, 2004, Merritt Reservoir *
* http://www.NebraskaStarParty.org *
**********************************************

"amazure ²°°³"
wrote in message ...
During the solar storm & the one 2 days or so after, my pc's
monitor kept changing picture width slightly (annoying) !
If your monitor is an older or cheapo model then it could be affected by
changes in line voltage, which in turn can be affected by the distribution
network responding to surges....which may be due to the current geomagnetic
storms. So yes...there could be a connection causual, and electrical!
Sally

"amazure ²°°³"
wrote in message ...
During the solar storm & the one 2 days or so after, my pc's
monitor kept changing picture width slightly (annoying) !
If your monitor is an older or cheapo model then it could be affected by
changes in line voltage, which in turn can be affected by the distribution
network responding to surges....which may be due to the current geomagnetic
storms. So yes...there could be a connection causual, and electrical!
Sally

Sally wrote:
"David Knisely" wrote in message
om...

You didn't read what I said. I used the word "significantly". I have
not seen such a monitor of that size (a computer monitor, *not* a TV),

I'm sorry David but I must disagree. The 16" monitor I'm using right now
will show significant misconvergence if it is rotated, this shows up as
color fringing, especially at the corners. The only way to restore the
convergence is to do a manual degauss in the new orientation.

Do you have speakers close to the monitor?

I'm not saying that a geomagnetic storm will have any direct effect. I'm
just saying that the earth's normal magnetic field is strong enough to
affect a TV or monitor picture.

Any magnetic field will affect TVs and monitors, the obvious question is
rather where is the threshold of "noticeable". Compare that threshold
with the maximum fluctuation of earth's magnetic field at your latitude.
Keep in mind the relatively small surface of your monitor and the small
angle of the field vector towards your screen.I dont have the values
handy, but I must agree with David that such effects cannot be visible
as a direct result of magnetic field fluctuations. Unless (probably) if
you have a 25" monitor directed toward heavens and you live in northern
Finland.

In fact, your case is specific as it suggests the the field can be so
curved that it can produce patterns on the screen. The curves would, in
fact appear very smooth on our everyday scales.

And yes, I agree that nearby speakers and other magnets can also have an
effect although I'm not aware of any special magnetic screening on any
domestic TV or monitor that I have seen. Many of them do have an
electrostatic screen that seems to be some sort of conductive graphite
coating. On the other hand components that emit magnetic fields, such as
such as loudspeakers and transformers, often do have casings that function
as magnetic screens. I think it would be quite difficult to magnetically
screen a wide angle TV CRT from the front, since all conventional magnetic
screens that I'm aware of contain iron or iron alloys. Maybe the CRT shadow
mask could double up as such a screen, which reminds me of ...

So, you do have speakers near the monitor. Nc, nc...

A child waved a magnet in front of our TV set to see the "pretty colors" and
it took months (dozens of switch-on degausses) for that TV to settle down
again. I think that in this case it was the shadow mask that got permanently
magnetised...or at least it got magnetised for a few months.

Your explanation is correct. Minor fluctuations from the TV itself and
the environment will eventually randomise the weak residual magnetism.

Ivan