Commodore 1701 1702 monitor anode cable

[luk4s83]

I know it sounds ridiculous but I've managed to snap anode cable in Commodore 1701 (same as 1702) monitor. It was fully working, I was just going to recap it 
I've got quite a lot of experience with electronics, but I've never dealt with CRT's. I discharged it, and this happened, not a good start. I guess anode cable isn't something that can be soldered/fixed and I need to find a new one? Are they standard and any anode cable should work? Another thing is that I'm still struggling with pulling the connector from the tube. I guess I need to squeeze the spring and then just remove it? It's not going anywhere, even with the pliers  Attaching some pics, please advise.

[luk4s83]

OK, finally I removed the spring. Doesn't look like a rocket science, that's embarrassing    It looks like it was a soldered connection so I guess I can just solder it back and should be good to go since the cap is intact?

[james_s]

What on earth were you trying to do? You just poke a screwdriver under the cap to compress the spring or clip so it pops out. It's just a soldered connection in most cases so it shouldn't be too hard to repair. Be careful, the anode terminal can be damaged and cause air to leak into the tube and ruin it. Also a charge can build up over time and give you an unexpected zap so it's wise to discharge the tube any time you handle it.

[luk4s83]

I just wanted to proactively replace the capacitors to be sure this monitor is good for another 40 years. In order to be able to slide the board out and access the capacitors I had to disconnect the anode cable and this is when it went a bit sideways. Yep, I've done some reaserch and discharged the tube before touching anything. I just didn't fully understand this spring loaded connector and hence messed up. I will solder it back and hopefully it will work again. Thanks!

[luk4s83]

Should be good again

[james_s]

Yep that should work. Now that you've seen how the clip connects to the anode you'll have an easier time in the future, I usually twist a wire around a flathead screwdriver and connect the other end to the ground strap around the back of the tube and then poke that under the cap, using it both to discharge the tube and to compress the clip to pop it out.

Take care around the neck of the tube too, the pins and their glass to metal seals are fragile, and there is a delicate glass exhaust pip in the middle. It's protected by a plastic cap on most tubes that size but that plastic can turn brittle and crack easily.

I normally advise against preemptive replacement of working capacitors, but if you're going to do it, make sure you use good quality parts and install them carefully, I like Panasonic, Nichicon and Rubycon in particular.

[luk4s83]

Yep, I wasn't sure if I wanted to recap it or not, but I'm glad I did cause I found a leaked cap. It was C701, not even visible without desoldering small RF shield from the board. No hiccups this time, I already put it back together and everything works great I used Rubycon and Nichicon caps. I've learned quite a bit about CRT's and my Commodore monitor should be good for years to come. Thanks for your help James!