I’m picking up a used HDTV this weekend. It’s a 30" widescreen CRT, weighing 130 pounds. I have a convertible, so the most sensible place to carry the TV is in the passenger seat. I plan on wrapping it in a comforter, and placing a pillow underneath it and between it and the glovebox.
What is the least risky orientation to have the CRT tube facing to minimize risk of damage in transport; on its side, screen down, or screen up? Does it matter at all? The road back from the pickup location does have a few sizeable potholes, which may be unavoidable, depending on traffic.
Hmm. This may be a little difficult, depending on exactly how the TV is shaped, but I would definitely try to rest the screen against the seat, whether it be the bottom of the seat or the back. This keeps it constantly in contact with something soft, minimizing the likelihood that some hard object will suddenly rear its ugly head and smack the screen.
Try to shove fluffy stuff in any gaps between the TV case and the seat, door, dashboard, etc. just to keep it from wanting to move.
The safest, most stable way to move a CRT is screen down. You don’t necessarily need to stick a pillow between the screen and the seat bottom, but you don’t want to leave it in the normal, upright orientation because as soon as it wobbles it will fall onto the screen.
Agreed, CRTs are very front-heavy, so face down is the best way to travel. Wedge it so it doesn’t slide about.
Here’s a factoid that may annoy. In operation, CRTs are affected by the earth’s magnetic flux, and as such there is a particular facing direction that will give the best results. Alas I can’t remember which direction that is, or whether it depends partly or entirely on the orientation of the tube during factory calibration.
I have had no trouble carrying a CRT (actually it was a TV) with the screen facing the back of the seat. The screen end is very heavy in comparison with the back of it.
I would advise against putting pillows or anything underneath it, this will just make it less stable.