# what is this used for?



## artart47 (May 9, 2016)

Hi my Friends!
I found an item in a box of boards an was wondering what it is for. The boards are from video poker machines and the guy who gave them to me is the neighbor of the guy who works on the machines. I thought per-haps it is something he made to test things. 
It's basically a large coil with an on/off switch and came plugged into a short extension cord. I so curious about it.
Art.


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## FrugalRefiner (May 9, 2016)

Looks like a degausser.

Dave


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## glorycloud (May 9, 2016)

A degausser for sure. We used them on old CRT terminals whose colors were "off".
A handy tool for sure in it's day. 8)


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## UncleBenBen (May 9, 2016)

Dave hits the mark again!

I just searched Google images for 'degausser' and found some made just like that one. It is used to demagnetize the screens of old CRT televisions and monitors and restore picture quality.

And now I see glorycloud beat me to it!

I love that I never fail to learn something new here every day!

Ben


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## artart47 (May 9, 2016)

Hi! 
I would just process it for copper scrap, but, I'd feel bad if I did that and then found out that some one was looking for one of them.
Do people still use them? Or, are they obsolete?
Art.


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## galenrog (May 9, 2016)

They are still used with CRT monitors with specific color problems. For most video monitor applications, they are indeed obsolete. I scrap them.


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## upcyclist (May 10, 2016)

galenrog said:


> They are still used with CRT monitors with specific color problems. For most video monitor applications, they are indeed obsolete. I scrap them.


Later generations of CRTs also came with a degauss button--you'd press it after the screen built up a charge, everything on the screen image would jiggle around, then it would settle back down to something crisper than before. 

You could also use 'em to erase magnetic tapes--like those VCR tapes you think are just Cheers reruns, but don't want them getting into the wrong hands just in case


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## artart47 (May 10, 2016)

Thanks for the replies!
Art.


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## Findm-Keepm (May 11, 2016)

If ya wanna sell it, there is an entire vintage TV crowd drooling over it now....

Videokarma and Antique Radio Forums are a good start. Only used with Color TVs and monitors, but most Color sets had automatic degaussing by 1966, so truly a TV serviceman's tool, and mostly for 60's vintage stuff nowadays. 

...and there are quite a few old TV collectors in Wisconsin that I know of.


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