Drop shadows to bottom and right are part of the Human Interface Guidelines.
lol
Seriously, yes I have seen the problem before. Have you done a cursory examination of the analog board to confirm if there are any components that have burnt out? Also, look for bulging or leaking capacitors.
Nothing "looks" wrong with the analog board. It's actually fairly clean and no caps show any signs of bulging. No components appear darkened and the board itself doesn't appear to have any dark spots.
Without a photo, it's a bit hard to troubleshoot, so here are some very general steps:
Let's take care of that:
http://benboldt.spymac.com/mac_se.jpg
You can't really see the edge of the screen to gauge the bulging, but I think you can tell that it isn't too severe. The lighter line going through the trash is an artifact of the camera and is not actually there.
1) Verify that the supply voltages are correct. In this instance, +5 and +12 are the important ones. They should measure within 5% of nominal.
I measure 12.57V and 5.03V, which both are within 5%.
2) Inspect all connectors for signs of oxidation and/or outright burning/melting. Sometimes the mere act of disconnecting/reconnecting scrapes the contacts clean enough to restore normal operation (at least for a time). Resolder the 4-pin yoke connector, even if there's no obvious sign of a problem. Leave the connector in place while soldering, to avoid deformation that would make reassembly difficult or impossible. Use fresh solder; don't simply reheat what's there.
All connectors appear fine with no oxidation whatsoever. I suppose a problem with the yoke connections could be causing the slight bulging, but I don't think the yoke can be responsible for the shadow. I will look into this, though.
(To do #1)
3) Resolder the connections on the flyback transformer (again, even if there's no obvious sign of a problem).
(To do #2)
4) Inspect the connections to the base of the crt; clean as necessary. Take care not to snap off the vacuum-sealing nipple. If you break it, the crt will be irreparably damaged.
This appears to be just fine. No oxidation on the pins.
5) Adjust the brightness "cutoff" control (it's one of the adjustments indicated by the cardboard cover on the analog board). With the front-panel brightness knob turned to maximum brightness, adjust the cutoff control until the black areas are fully extinguished. If brightness is still insufficient, that generally indicates a problem with the crt (or its bias circuitry).
I adjusted the cutoff, and actually it was pretty accurate where it was. Brightness is sufficient, but only with the knob on the front turned all the way to the maximum. I have noticed that the shadows reduce and even go away after a certain point when brightness is reduced. The bulging is not affected by this. Please note that the bulging is fairly subtle, and would be acceptable if not repaired. It seems a little beyond normal tolerance levels, but maybe not, maybe I am being too picky.
I believe this Mac has had some physical trauma; there are some deep dents and scrapes on the front of the case as if it had been dropped.
6) If after 1) - 5) you still observe ghosting, post back for more troubleshooting hints. It will also help to indicate how much equipment/experience you have, so that we can tailor the advice accordingly.
Good luck!
I still have to try soldering some connections that you had recommended (no time at the moment). Thank you for your help!
Also: I have a digital multimeter and even a scope. The scope can display up to +/- 20 V.
