Help w/Apple Studio Display 17" CRT VGA Graphite

Here's the manual from Apple's site

(pdf warning)

would be the "it's time to buy a new display" light. I hate to say it, but with crt's as cheap as they are - it's not worth dropping money into repairing a graphite 17" Apple CRT. Chances are good that the internal electronics have shuffled off the mortal coil - as is often the case with these displays. I've seen three of them fail at work just within the last six months. As of now, there is only one of these displays remaining.

Time to buy a cheap lcd or get a cheap-o vga crt at your local thrift store.

Thanks for the link. I downloaded and read it. It doesn't state what the blinking codes are.

I appreciate your time for the reply, but it doesn't help me any. I know its not worth dropping money into it and I know about cheapo vga crts and lcd's, blah, blah, blah.

But you didn't answer what I asked...If anyone know what the codes are for the 17" CRT VGA Studio Displays?

Thanks.

When it blinks red, that means its broken.

None of the setup or troubleshooting manuals from Apple specifically addresses a blinking amber LED as one of a set of indicator or diagnostic 'codes'. It is, however, possible to induct some possible causes of that behaviour from known starting points.

Steady amber LED without screen raster indicates that the display is powered-on but receiving no video signal. Either the attached Mac is asleep, or its power-saving circuitry/software does not agree with the display, or the display is not connected correctly/at all.

Blinking amber may be caused by incompatibility of the Mac with the display. The display works with OS 8.0 or later on all Macs but the Duo 2300. You have not mentioned the Mac with which you are using the display, its OS, or what substitutions of known good displays you have tried to eliminate the Mac as the cause of the blinking LED.

I use the first version M6221LL/A of the display with a 9600/400MHz (NewerTech ZIF) running OS 9.2.2 (OS9Helper), and with an ATI XClaim 3D card in slot F2. Self-induced sleep by the Mac gives no problems. Waking from sleep induced from the Special Menu is sometimes difficult. It will help us to help you if you give detail about your setup.

de

To try and be a bit more helpful, I dug up the old Apple Service Source disk kit (from the dark days before GSX) I have from February 2000. Found the service manual for the 17" Apple Studio Display. No info on what the lights mean. The cure all for all issues in the manual is to replace the main control board.

Have you tried this display on multiple computers? Is the USB cable connected to the computer it's in use with? I'm assuming that connections have been checked with regards to the video cable and that the display has been disconnected and reconnected to power.

Please forgive me for being abrasive - I have an extremely low opinion of these displays as they are quite possibly the lowest quality devices Apple produced in that time period (tray and slot load iMacs have proven to have better longevity - despite having more hardware and strain on the internal electronics). When one starts to show issues - my instinctive reflex is to kick it to the curb and replace it with something better (in most cases a cast off old beige Dell CRT does the trick - those things are almost indestructible)

Whose abrasive? That's my job (I'm rubber... etc.)

My experience, with the first (blue) in no way parallels yours, admittedly though my sample from the population is one. My Studio Display 17 is the best second-hand buy of a complete unit (as opposed to parts) that I have made, and has been flawless for three years or more. You puzzle me with the reference to USB connection. Are we writing about different displays?

I can only second, but heartily, the suggestion that MaxTek attempt research by substitution so as to eliminate gross effects. If the display works with no Mac, the answer is inescapable. If the present Mac works with no other display also, the answer is again clear. Beyond those lie cable (data and power), software, video card/logic board and even more arcane faults. However, we still need a knockdown on the system as it misbehaves now.

de

Ok finally had the time to do some "process of elimination" with my other monitor.

Studio Display 17" VGA doesn't work with Powerbook G4 Titanium VGA 400mhz
Studio Display 17" VGA doesn't work with Compaq Presario 5000 series Desktop
Studio Display 17" VGA doesn't show any screen (normal light blueish blank screen) when turned on and NOT connected to a computer.
Can not do anything with front Power Button. As soon as the SD VGA 17" is plugged in its blinking red. (BLINK-One, one thousand, two, one thousand, BLINK and so forth)

LCD Blueberry Studio Display 15" works with TiBook
LCD Blueberry Studio Display 15" works with Compaq Presario Desktop

So I guess that means the largest display I have is not usable?

MaxTek