What Is It?

Yep. A de-gaussing coil. I've used one.

It requires a technique to use properly. Turn it on away from the CRT (or whatever you want to de-gauss) then bring it closer, making a large circular motion all around the face of the CRT. Move it slightly around the 4 sides, then back to the front, and then while still making large circles slowly move away. When you're a few feet away from the face of the CRT turn the coil 90 degrees and switch it off.

The shadow mask in a color CRT was steel and would magnetize slightly due to the mag. fields from the CRT yoke and other electronics, plus the Earth;s magnetic field. If you turned your CRT, the shadow mask would interact with the Earth's magnetic field and become 'magnetized' causing the electron beams to slightly change direction. This would screw up the colors shown on the screen.

Do you also have to stick your tongue out one side of your mouth and pat your belly at the same time, to get the proper effect?

No, we hired female techs to do that part.

I reckon

Didn't help much when I played with a magnet in front of the TV screen. I can still remember the spanking I got to this very day . Still, it did give them cause to buy one of those newfangled horizontal screens .

I recall having fun with a magnet on an old B/W TV (yeah, I know, showing my age). You bring one pole up to the screen and the picture twists around. Not a good idea with a color set, it magnetizes the mask.

The (out of stock) hose I need to replace on my old washing machine.

I only had the top part of the image on the screen when posting.

I have one just like the one in the picture my grandad gave me when he stopped working on old tube tvs. still works as far as I know last time I plugged it in and waved it by the tv set screen it cleared up a distortion on the screen left from my wife thinking I wanted me neo magnet where I happened to be working at the time by the tv set. Oh boy what a color distortion that made on the screen. Duke

Degaussing coil. It seems, there are plenty of oldtimers around.

It's also a device for adding lag to the power factor of a single phase domestic installation, should the need arise...

As already mentioned, its a Degaussing coil when AC is used.

It is also a magnetizing tool when DC is applied. Useful when a screw is dropped in a machine and you need something magnetized to fish it out.

An extra switch, resistor (to keep current to a reasonable level) and a full wave rectifier can make it switchable between either usage....

Something like this maybe......my drawing is rather simple, but I hope you get the idea....

looks like the heating/massage element out of my "donut" hemmeroid cushion........

EAC. Electrical Angels Crown

Steering wheel warmer.

When I was at university, (early 70's), I worked part time as a TV repairman. I always had a knack for this sort of thing, and a local shop near UMass hired and trained me. I did mostly house calls, (the owner's wife caught him "tuning up" more than the TV's, and wouldn't let him do house calls anymore). The degaussing operation was grand theater, with all the colors dancing around on the screen, and me dancing around the set. Certainly a crowd pleaser.

It was a great part time job, I think I remember him paying me about $6 an hour, with a free tank of gas a week! When he was out of town his wife would often invite me over for a home cooked meal. Well, actually, she was looking for a "tune-up" herself, but I really wasn't into older women, (she was about 35).

That photo sure brought back some good memories.

Degaussing Coil as used on CRT tubes.

Not only are you redundant, but you're redundant.

Degaussing Coil was the response given in post #1, and CRT tubes is redundant.

Not only are you redundant, but you're redundant.

Oh yea, well you are redundant again.

degausing coil for color crt.