Hello, so I have an old LCD projection tv that I am looking to take apart and salvage for parts to start a robot project or something of the sort. I also would like to salvage some of the parts for other projects I find. But can anyone give me some insight on the small bulb on the inside. Ive read a bunch of topics about tube tvs. What should I avoid on the LCD tv? Its been sitting in my basement for at least 5 months and id like to get rid of what I don't need.

 

Never heard of an "LCD Projection" TV before. Projection TV's I'm familiar with are large and heavy and sit on the floor. LCD TV's come in many sizes. My computer monitor is LCD. They are thin and can be hung on a wall with the proper mounting hardware. A projection TV can not. Well, I suppose it could if you were rather enginuitive. (made up word) (and so would a wall bracket to hold a projection TV be)

 

Never heard of an "LCD Projection" TV before. Projection TV's I'm familiar with are large and heavy and sit on the floor. LCD TV's come in many sizes. My computer monitor is LCD. They are thin and can be hung on a wall with the proper mounting hardware. A projection TV can not. Well, I suppose it could if you were rather enginuitive. (made up word) (and so would a wall bracket to hold a projection TV be)

Hmm I see. Well its a Grand Wega HD rear projection LCD TV as described by sony's website. So the correction would be a rear projection. Ive got most of the circuit boards out of the tvs backing now. Should I leave the bulb inside where its at? Also are the projectors useable?

 

I'm not sure if I've heard warnings about messing with the projector bulbs, so I'd want to find out more about that before I go any further with them. As for alternative uses - I'm sure there are, but I've never scrapped out a rear projection TV before. I've seen on YouTube where they've used the Fresnel lens to focus sunlight, and I'd imagine there may be a use for some of the mirrors. But with those - be careful not to break one or to cut yourself on broken glass.

Not sure what you're going to find inside a TV that can be used for a robotics project other than maybe the power supply. Or if you're prone to scrapping components off the boards and reuse them for something else. I've scrapped out a bunch of things and all I have to show for it is a huge stockpile of chips that are basically obsolete. Maybe there's a fan inside. That might prove useful for something. But since I lack experience with scrapping one of those TV's I really can't say what you could use for other projects. So good luck with your endeavor.

 

What should I avoid on the LCD tv? Its been sitting in my basement for at least 5 months ...

Are you asking with regard to safety issues, like a charged capacitor or something? I wouldn't worry if it's been un-powered for that long. To be doubly careful, any high-voltage component will typically be identifiable by insulation, isolation away from other components, and so on. You can look for the big caps and intentionally discharge them by touching their terminals with a grounded screwdriver. Little caps can hold a charge, too, but they simply cannot contain enough energy to be a serious threat.

But again, I personally wouldn't bother except as practice of good habits.

FWIW, where I live there is a projection TV on craigslist "curb alert" at least once a week. Many are fully functional. Tearing one apart may be fun but you can be sure that if you ever need parts, there will be one waiting for you. I wouldn't worry too much about letting it go.

 

Probably not worth the effort. Most components are likely to be SMD anyway. Are you ready to work with those?

 

You can look for the big caps and intentionally discharge them by touching their terminals with a grounded screwdriver.

I like using a pencil lead to short out the caps.

About 20 years ago I bet a guy I could make a light dimmer using a couple paper clips and a wooden pencil. I won the bet. Turned the pencil into a big resistor. 6 volt DC transformer and an auto dash light bulb. Wired one lead to one paper clip and the other to one lead of the bulb. The other bulb lead was tied to the other paper clip and the pencil had its wood shaved off one side exposing the full length of the pencil lead. Sliding the clips close together made the light bright. Sliding them apart made the bulb grow dim. And the pencil got fairly warm. No smoke, no flame, so kids - don't try this at home.