Cheap Flat field panel

[JKB]

Ive read threads before about turning monitors etc into flat field panels. These seemed to involve making the screen turn white etc using some electronic business.

Well I was given a 17inch Dell LCD monitor that when turned on didn't work and was just white! Perfect! Well it was. I mounted it in the obsey on an adjustable bracket so it could be swung to the parked scope.

The other (very cold) night I went to use it and....you guessed it it worked normally!!!! No white but the Dell test message.

Well today I took it apart. Removed the LCD bit to just leave the backlit panel with the diffusers in place.

Considering you can buy (broken) monitors like this for peanuts it has to be worth it?

Photos below of removed LCD and installed in Obsey

Cheers

Jamie

[Mav359]

Thats a great idea. Ive loads of old broken monitors lying around work, gonna give this mod a try.

Cheers JKB

[Mav359]

Done!!!

Heres Mine.

JKB have you figured out how to keep the back light on? if this monitor detects no signal it goes back into standby. I can get around this by hooking it up as a second monitor but that means running cable to it and i'd rather just turn it on and off.

Its a pain i'll quite happly stand though, this has just saved me £200

I'll have to find a way to dull it down though, its REALLY bright

Top Top Mod, give that man a medal

[MjrTom]

What about a piece of opaque Perspex in front of the monitor to Calm it down a bit or alternatively a White sheet maybe?

[Mav359]

Yeah i was thinking that. i had a look after i posted last night and it occured that i could also have a red piece of perspex and use it as my red light for my obs, just swap between the two i figured the flats will be the last thing i do before i go to bed so wont ruin my night vision.

If i can just figure out how to keep it on without cabling up.

[yesyes]

I have done this a while ago using an old laptop display panel. Here's the article on my website:

yesyes DIY and astro :: 8 inch lightbox MK I

Since then I have also built one using a faulty 17" monitor (I got a bigger scope and there are no laptop panels big enough for a 10" scope). But I have yet to write up another article on my website.

What I have done is to strip out all electronics apart from the inverter board (the power supply for the backlight lamp). I then fed the inverter with 12V and the appropriate logic signals to keep it always on at full brightness. It took a bit of tinkering to work out the logic signals needed. These are slightly different for each inverter board.

[Mav359]

I have done this a while ago using an old laptop display panel. Here's the article on my website:

yesyes DIY and astro :: 8 inch lightbox MK I

Since then I have also built one using a faulty 17" monitor (I got a bigger scope and there are no laptop panels big enough for a 10" scope). But I have yet to write up another article on my website.

What I have done is to strip out all electronics apart from the inverter board (the power supply for the backlight lamp). I then fed the inverter with 12V and the appropriate logic signals to keep it always on at full brightness. It took a bit of tinkering to work out the logic signals needed. These are slightly different for each inverter board.

Thanks but I think that maybe beyond my skill sets

[Mav359]

Love that light box by the way

[yesyes]

If you send me that inverter board from your monitor, I can modify it so it stays on all the time and send it back to you. If you're interested, PM me...

[JKB]

Not sure about switching off. The Dell just displays a 'screensaver' for better words that floats around the screen doesn't seem to go into sleep mode?

The backlight was lit obviously

Anyway I'll see what happens

Thanks

Jamie

[SnakeyJ]

Chris, Can you confirm the voltage for the flat panel, was it 600V DC - just sounds a lot

I've got myself a backlight panel from an HP 17" display, but threw away the case, led panel and electronics - all I'm left with is 4 DC connectors for supplying the voltage.