Magnets - Can they do any harm?

[sandu92]

I've just got this new cover but I don't like the fact it closes with magnets.
Could that do any harm to my Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX?
I remember when I was a kid that putting magnets on the TV made the screen go wild and I fear it could do harm to my phone over time too. :blink:

 

[94lt1]

Hello and welcome... magnets used to make dock mode kick in... but not any more...

Afik magnets don't do anything to these phones,so I think you're safe.... just keep an eye on it... if you see any discoloration on that area of your screen,take it off.. but these aren't picture tubes....so you should be fine.

 

[sandu92]

Hello and welcome... magnets used to make dock mode kick in... but not any more...

Afik magnets don't do anything to these phones,so I think you're safe.... just keep an eye on it... if you see any discoloration on that area of your screen,take it off.. but these aren't picture tubes....so you should be fine.

Thanks, it's nice to be here.
What do you mean by afik? and picture tubes, you saying this is like picture spam?
The magnet doesn't seem to be very powerful, actually it's got a very light attraction power. So I guess you must be right.

 

[William_04_x]

I've been using a case with a magnetic closure for my Maxx since February with no problems.

Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX using Droid Forums

 

[TisMyDroid]

Thanks, it's nice to be here.
What do you mean by afik? and picture tubes, you saying this is like picture spam?
The magnet doesn't seem to be very powerful, actually it's got a very light attraction power. So I guess you must be right.

afik= as far as I know...I think that's what you were asking (took me a while to figure that one out). Picture tubes-back in the day, tv's were these monstrous huge boxes with picture tubes in them. Magnets also are not good for pc's...I think because they can wipe data in the hard drive. But so far it seems phones are safe.

 

[MattyP]

Thanks, it's nice to be here.
What do you mean by afik? and picture tubes, you saying this is like picture spam?
The magnet doesn't seem to be very powerful, actually it's got a very light attraction power. So I guess you must be right.

He's not a good speller so he abbreviates ... "afik" = "As far as I know" :rofl3: :icon_ devil:

 

[MattyP]

afik= as far as I know...I think that's what you were asking (took me a while to figure that one out). Picture tubes-back in the day, tv's were these monstrous huge boxes with picture tubes in them. Magnets also are not good for pc's...I think because they can wipe data in the hard drive. But so far it seems phones are safe.

*Waves to Tissy*

 

[striker85]

afik= as far as I know...I think that's what you were asking (took me a while to figure that one out). Picture tubes-back in the day, tv's were these monstrous huge boxes with picture tubes in them. Magnets also are not good for pc's...I think because they can wipe data in the hard drive. But so far it seems phones are safe.

My god. Have we really reached the point where people don't know what a picture tube is? Sad times indeed....

 

[lloydstrans]

What's a CRT? Lol.

 

[FoxKat]

Further clarification and answer to the OP's question;

Magnets will have no lasting negative effects to the Droid RAZR or RAZR MAXX, except the possibility that it may distort the compass mechanism. Since I don't know where the compass detector is located in these phones, I can't say whether the magnet locations on that case are near or far from the compass.

As for distortion of the "picture tube", since these phones do not have a "picture tube", also called a Cathode Ray Tube or CRT (large vacuum tube with phosphor and electron gun technology), magnets will not distort the "image" on the "screen" like it will with the former technology.

For those who are curious;

Inside the "picture tube", there is a high voltage electron "gun" at the rear which "shoots" electrons toward the front of the picture tube. There is a large set of coils (electromagnets, or "yokes"), on the back of the tube . The primary coil "focuses" those electrons into a fine beam. The secondary coils are used to actually "aim" the electrons toward the screen at the desired locatinos. By carefully "deflecting" those electrons into scanning across the screen in repeating horizontal lines (as opposed to pixels in a LCD or LED screen), the phosphors on the back surface of the screen glass which are bombarded by the electrons glow with the desired colors when excited and that is what makes the screen light up and create the "pictures' on the front of the "tube".



The reason magnets distort images on "picture tubes" is that magnets are used to create the image on the screen, and by bringing an additional magnet near the tube, it distorts the magnetic fields created by the Yokes, which causes the electrons to deflect in a direction other than what the TV itself is trying to send them, thereby causing the screen images to distort and change color. This is why placing speakers near the TV were a problem, until manufacturers started "shielding" the magnets on the back of the speakers to prevent this. The magnets are "shielded" by either placing a large steel cap over the back of the magnet, or a second magnet ring which is reverse magnetized is glued to the back of the speaker. You will now see "shielded speakers' or "magnetically shielded" listed for speakers intended to be used near a CRT based TV.

On the left is a speaker that is NOT magnetically shielded, and the top area is the "motor" or magnetic structure, with the magnet being the gray ring in between the gold/yellow colored steel plates above and below. The image on the right shows several speakers that ARE shielded, and you'll notice the magnet is not visible (*the gray ring*), but instead the entire rear of the speaker has a blueish gold/yellow steel cap over it, shielding the magnet and preventing the magnetic field from being detectable from a reasonable distance away.



In older picture tubes, bringing a permanent magnet or electromagnet near the picture tube would magnetize and permanently distort the function of the Yoke (essentially turning the Yoke into a permanent magnet), and from then on the screen images would always be distorted. Newer picture tubes (both on TVs and CRT Monitors), have a built-in "De-Gaussing" circuit which energizes when the TV is powered on (you may hear a HUM, followed by a click), which uses the coils and the AC current from the wall outlet to essentially demagnetize the Yoke so that even if magnetized accidentally, they will revert to the normal image once powered off and back on.

 

[cobravnm13]

Further clarification and answer to the OP's question;

Magnets will have no lasting negative effects to the Droid RAZR or RAZR MAXX, except the possibility that it may distort the compass mechanism. Since I don't know where the compass detector is located in these phones, I can't say whether the magnet locations on that case are near or far from the compass.

As for distortion of the "picture tube", since these phones do not have a "picture tube", also called a Cathode Ray Tube or CRT (large vacuum tube with phosphor and electron gun technology), magnets will not distort the "image" on the "screen" like it will with the former technology.

For those who are curious;

Inside the "picture tube", there is a high voltage "gun" at the rear which "shoots" electrons toward the front of the picture tube. There is a large set of coils (electromagnet, or "yoke"), on the back of the tube . The primary coil "focus" those electrons into a fine beam. The secondary coils are used to actually "aim" the electrons toward the screen. By carefully "deflecting" those electrons into scanning across the screen in repeating horizontal lines, the phosphors on the back surface of the screen glass which are bombarded by the electrons glow when excited and that is what makes the screen light up and create the "pictures' on the front of the "tube".

View attachment 57505

The reason magnets distort images on "picture tubes" is that magnets are used to create the image on the screen, and by bringing an additional magnet near the tube, it causes the electrons to deflect in a direction other than what the TV itself is trying to send them, causing the screen images to distort and change color. In older picture tubes, bringing a permanent magnet near the picture tube would permanently distort the function of the Yoke and the screen images would always be distorted. Newer picture tubes have a built-in "De-Gaussing" circuit which energizes when the TV is powered on, which essentially demagnetizes the Yoke so that even if magnetized accidentally, they will revert to the normal image once powered off and back on.

Either you're that damn smart, you have way too much time on your hands, or have a really freaking good memory.

Edit: But still respect and like you.

 

[lloydstrans]

Just don't Injest Bucky balls.

 

[94lt1]

He's not a good speller so he abbreviates ... "afik" = "As far as I know" :rofl3: :icon_ devil:

I'm not a good speller?? Oh that's ryt, I ain't gat no Lernin lol..

Yes afaik is "as far as I know"

And Mattyp.. :icon_censored:

 

[lloydstrans]

I'm not a good speller?? Oh that's ryt, I ain't gat no Lernin lol..

Yes afaik is "as far as I know"

And Mattyp.. :icon_censored:

But his punctuation is right on the mark.

Kudos.

 

[sandu92]

Thanks for taking your time to post such a detailed description of this topic and also for explaining some of the other Acronyms. :happy3: