CRT implosions

[Lawrence Wilkinson]

On Tue, 2005-10-04 at 18:18 -0700, Vintage Computer Festival wrote:
> >From the article:
> 
> "Conclusion: According to my experience, spectacular picture tube
> implosions are something like cars in movies that explode upon roll-over,
> hitting a tree or driving down the cliffs: an urban legend."

c. 1975 Electronics Australia had a series of articles on tube
explosions.  These were limited (IIRC) to 'rim banded' colour tubes
which had a tensioned flat metal band around the screen to take the
load.  If the tube lost its vacuum the band would explode the screen out
into the surrounding room.  The initial cause of failure was suggested
to be scratches on the screen caused by cleaning (diamond rings etc.)
but there wasn't much left to look at.

So I would say that such spectacular explosions have occurred, but are
unlikely with current tube designs.  Of course, maybe some here have
colour tubes c. 1975.
-- 
Lawrence Wilkinson                                 lawrence at ljw.me.uk
The IBM 360/30 page                       http://www.ljw.me.uk/ibm360