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[Lethe]

Is there anything inside a monitor that supplies 12V DC? There are a few things I'd like to add to my monitor, but I'd like to have everything powered internally without having to run a separate power cable with a molex to the computer's PSU.

[moojuece]

just out of curiousity....what kind of things would you add to a monitor???
are you on drugs?

edit spelling

[TokMor]

well, you could probably put a 12v dc converter (like from a laptop) into the monitor, but fooling around inside a monitor is very dangerous. Even if there was a source of 12v dc power in the monitor, I wouldn't reccomend useing it because drawing extra power from it could burn out the circuit suppling it.

[C3N7UR10N]

not to insult but did you try googling for "monitor mod" it'll prolly turn up some useful info

[Silver Talon]

I've been thinking that myself.  Been wanting to add some fans to it to help keep it cool.  I seen a monitor cooler once, and thought that it not only looked like crap, but we all know that there are enough cables behind our computers, and another 12vDC supply line is just another to get messed up.  I thought about probing around in there with my multimeter, but remembered the last time I did that and the funny feeling of being shocked like hell, so that idea is out.  

My suggestion is that you contact your monitor manufacture and ask them if there is a 12vDC supply anywhere in there.  They might tell you, and the worst thing they can say is that they don't know.  You can also look for a PCB blueprint, that might give you an idea where you might find the supply.  If ya find anything...   let us know...   might keep some of us from having another "shocking" experience.

[DurocShark]

There are plenty of 120vdc muffin fans out there... You can just tap into the mains power coming into the monitor.

[TemplaraPheonix]

Why not use a transformer inside the monitor? You could tap the 120 VAC leads, shouldn't really strain anything. Using a small ITX powersupply or laptop powersuppy would give you a few watts to play around with. This would be good for things like 12V fans, LEDs, Cathodes, etc. As for working on your monitor, it is very dangerious, but I'm assuming you're going to take precautions. The first is to just let the tubes discharge by themselves. Generally this means letting your monitor sit unplugged for a week or so. You can also buy a discharging unit or try making your own, and grounding the tap at the top of the tube. Depending upon the model you might also have to ground the flyback.

Also, be careful that when you add fans or electronics that it doesn't cause harmful interferance with the signal, nor shorts anything inside.

[C3N7UR10N]

my other suggestion would be if you cant find a source inside your monitor it wouldnt be that hard to jockey a cable along the monitors vga line to a molex adapter modded onto a bracket next to the video card

[daPyr0x]

Think too about magnets.

Monitors work by using electromagnets to shoot electrons at a positively charged screen which then shows you the image.

The varying voltages and therefore strengths of those electromagnets at different times define where each electron will go and where it will hit the screen.  By putting any sort of outside magnetic field within the EM shielding of the monitor (which should be the outer case) - such as a fan - wouldn't be advisable because it could definitely affect the kind of picture you get out of your monitor.

[Lethe]

Lighting was a secondary concern here; I was actually planning on adding cooling fans to the monitor (a generic 15" CRT that runs immensely hot), but I wanted to do it without having to run a wire to the back of my machine to "borrow" a spare molex for power. I also wanted to do so without dying. I may have found a solution, though - a local thrift shop had a bucket of old mismatched AC-DC converters for $.50 each. I picked up one that put out 11v DC at .35 amps, which is enough to power two undemanding 80mm fans. I have a pair of Innovative fans I got for $1 each that only draw .16 amps each, so they should work nicely. I think I'll just bracket the fans together, add rubber "feet" so they'll stay put, and make a portable plug-in AC powered monitor cooler from the odd parts. Bummer that there's no simple (or cheap) way to draw 12v DC internally from the monitor itself.