Desktops :: Ibook G4 1.42 Dark Screen New Inverter

I got a cheap 1.42ghz 512mb RAM, 14" screen G4 ibook because it had a broken hinge. I tore apart the laptop and replaced the hinge (screen frame) and put it back together. The screen wouldn't work. I opened it back up and found that the video connector was lose, so I connected it and put it back together. BAM!! Everything worked... everything except the sleep feature when the lid is closed. So I opened it back up, took the magnet from the old frame and put it on the new frame (which was missing its magnet).

When I turned it back on the screen was blank/dark. It showed all the signs of classic inverter board burnout (dark screen, can be seen with flashlight from behind, can be seen on external monitor), so I ordered an inverter board and when it arrived, I swapped it out. Still nothing. The next idea would be the backlight, but that doesn't make sense... I'm trying to figure out what might have happened to make the inverter/backlight go from working fine to not working when all I did was removed the screen back case, screw on the magnet and close it up. I have done a bunch of digging around under the hood and am wondering if anyone knows of a possible ground wire, other connection, easily broken wire, or other issue that might have happened. I'm thinking that it might be one of the power wires that goes into the inverter. It might have broken inside the shield, or maybe I was sold another bad inverter board.

So:

Assumption 1: one or both inverter boards are good.

Are there any connections other than the inverter data/power cable from the mobo and the cable from the inverter to the backlight?

Does anything else (backlight, etc) have to be grounded? Where are these groundings?

Would anything else give the same symptoms except the inverter?

How can I test the backlight? I heard that there are two lights in these machines, so if it was one of the florescent lights, only 1/2 the screen would be dark.

Assumption 2: Neither board is good and that is the problem.

How can I test the inverter board (short of an osilascope) to see if it's working?

Is this a good assumption?

I'm about stumped right now and haven't found any direct help on forums. I'm hoping someone in the Mac community has run into this or has an idea about what could be going on. I'm really hoping that I missed something like replacing a screw that is also a ground or something along those lines.