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NotTaR of Television Sets : High pitched whine or squeal from TV wit..  
 Copyright © 1994-2007, Samuel M. Goldwasser. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this document in whole or in part is permitted if both of the following conditions are satisfied: 1. This notice is included in its entirety at the beginning. 2. There is no charge except to cover the costs of copying. I may be contacted via the Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ (www.repairfaq.org) Email Links Page.

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High pitched whine or squeal from TV with no other symptoms

First, make sure it is not coming from the loudspeaker itself. If it is, then we are looking at an unusual electronic interference problem rather than simply mechanical vibration.

If it is a new set and think the sounds will drive you insane, returning it for a refund or replacement may be best alternative. However, you may get used to it in time. I don't know about returning a set to a store that doesn't take refunds (I won't even ask about that!).

In most cases, this sound, while annoying, does not indicate an impending failure (at least not to the set - perhaps to your mental health) or signify anything about the expected reliability of the set though this is not always the case. Intermittent or poor connections in the deflection or power supply subsystems can also result in similar sounds. However, it is more likely that some part is just vibrating in response to a high frequency electric current.

There are several parts inside the TV that can potentially make this noise. These include the horizontal flyback transformer, deflection yoke, other transformers, even ferrite beads in the horizontal deflection circuits. In addition, transformers or chokes in the switching power supply if this is distinct from the horizontal deflection circuitry. Or even a portion of the sheetmetal used for shielding if in close proximity to a magnetic component.

You have several options before resorting to a 12 pound hammer:

If you are desperate and want to check the inside of the set:

Note that the deflection frequency - just over 15 kHz for NTSC and PAL - is on the border of audible for adults but will likely be loud to younger people possibly to the point of being terribly annoying - or worse. If you are over 40 (men more so than women), you may not be able to hear the fundamental at all (at least you can look forward to silence in the future!). So, even sending the TV back for repair may be hopeless if the technician cannot hear what you are complaining about!

BTW, if you have a really old tube type TV, the power tubes (damper and horizontal output) can also whine but these sets are few and far between these days :-).


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