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My monitor is dying. The picture gets blurry very often, and the only way I can fix it is by turning the monitor off and on again. This happens every few minutes, so Sony is going to replace it for me. They didn't ask any questions, but more than a few people have suggested that the problem lies with EMI. When I get the replacement monitor, I want to sheild it properly.

My Klipsch speakers aren't too close to the monitor, but they can't be any further away than they are (my desk won't allow it). They may be giving off too much EMI. Also, there may be EMI from adjoining apartments that leak into my room.

The only solution I can think of is wrapping my monitor with aluminum foil (not sure how thick the foil has to be). This seems silly, but it's all I can think of. I can't afford to have this keep happening. I need the use of my computer, and I can't afford to buy a new CRT/LCD.

Any ideas?

The EMI would have to be localized to effect your monitor. "Most" speakers are shielded nowadays. I would also consider getting a line conditioner.

GokuSS2 wrote:

The EMI would have to be localized to effect your monitor. "Most" speakers are shielded nowadays. I would also consider getting a line conditioner.

I would do that ffirst, along with making sure your monitor cable is not anywhere near your sub, as the magnets inside will scramble your video signal. One othet thing to try is getting a monitor fan, since when a monitor overheats it will seem very similar to an EMI problem.

EMI at the levels that you would have in your home would not damage a CRT monitor. CRT's create a fair amount of EMI themselves, and are generally shielded internally. If your speakers were generating enough EMI to affect your monitor then you could see the effect as a distortion of the CRT's image that would change as the sound from the speakers changes. Try putting a fan close to your monitor and see for yourself.
Most likely your CRT's problem is caused by a component going bad because it is simply faulty. If you're worried about dirty power (which can damage a monitor) then a UPS or a plain old line conditioner should fix you up.