Re: [Elecraft] Stupid, stupid, stupid - OT
Ron D'Eau Claire wrote: Many times! Only 1,000 vdc or so on there and enough RF to create a burn that hurt like @[EMAIL PROTECTED] for a month if it found bare skin! ... Yes, but the arc was very pretty g. If I remember correctly one could tell if a parasitic was present by the colour of the arc! State of the art test method! 73, Geoff GM4ESD ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
[Elecraft] Stupid, stupid, stupid - OT
I've been racking my brain to see if I've done anything stupid. Well, there is that time I heated the sand of an ant hill with a magnifying glass. After 5 minutes nothing happened so I touched it see if it was hot. Believe me it WAS! I tried to make a watch demagnetizer by winding about 5 feet of wire around a cardboard core and plugging the ends into the wall outlet. Thank God for circuit breakers. Worst of all was the time I came in from playing outside and found my 25 watt soldering iron on my bed. The iron was on and the bedspread was burned / melted under the iron. I had apparently left it plugged in when I went outside hours earlier. And of course there was that little surprise winter swim in a manure pit but that is getting very OT! - Keith KD1E - ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
RE: [Elecraft] Stupid, stupid, stupid - OT
How about landing long on a short runway? 6000 lbs of metal and fuel screaming down the last half of the runway at 100+ MPH on top of a few square inches of burning rubber, then melting rims; off the end and into the dirt. Airport closed briefly. Took off two days later with a lighter wallet and more respect for the laws of physics. Craig NZ0R K1 #1966 K2/100 #4941 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
RE: [Elecraft] Stupid, stupid, stupid - OT
I learned that nail polish remover was actually paint thinner on the cabinet of one of my boatanchors when I was much younger. I thought it would make a good cleaner. It sure did.. Cleaned the cabinet right down to bare metal! DOH! To this day I still have a reminder of that on the back corner of my HQ-180. James Kern Network Administrator Kurt S. Adler, Inc. 1107 Broadway New York, NY 10010 212-924-0900 x222 (work) 212-807-0575 (fax) 908-451-6801 (cell) 800-209-7438 (pager) [EMAIL PROTECTED] -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Darwin, Keith Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2006 3:04 PM To: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: [Elecraft] Stupid, stupid, stupid - OT I've been racking my brain to see if I've done anything stupid. Well, there is that time I heated the sand of an ant hill with a magnifying glass. After 5 minutes nothing happened so I touched it see if it was hot. Believe me it WAS! I tried to make a watch demagnetizer by winding about 5 feet of wire around a cardboard core and plugging the ends into the wall outlet. Thank God for circuit breakers. Worst of all was the time I came in from playing outside and found my 25 watt soldering iron on my bed. The iron was on and the bedspread was burned / melted under the iron. I had apparently left it plugged in when I went outside hours earlier. And of course there was that little surprise winter swim in a manure pit but that is getting very OT! - Keith KD1E - ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
RE: [Elecraft] Stupid, stupid, stupid - OT - NIR-12 troubleshooting
Well, I must humbly submit my most recent gaff. It's nothing like landing long on a short runway (yikes!), but it relates to my inquiry on troubleshooting my JPS NIR-12. For several days now, Don W3FPR has been trying to help me figure out why power was not being applied to this unit. It was thought to be a bad diode running in series in the 12 volt line. Why was I getting 13 volts on the anode and virtually no volts on the cathode side. It was as if there was no ground on the cathode side of the circuit. I tried shorting the diode which made an impressive smoke job of an electrolytic capacitor shunting to ground. Well then I retraced my steps. I discovered that when I pulled the unit out of the shelf, the Radio Shack modular power plug (which goes to a 'wall wart') came off the 2-prong saddle on the wire. I merely plugged it back in the saddle. The AHAH moment came when I checked the polarity of the plug - I had accidentally reversed the polarity of this plug (VERY easy to do with these modular plugs). The diode was simply doing what it was designed to do - protect the unit against dumb things like this. In the immortal word of Homer Simpson - D'oh !!! Don, thanks for being SOo patient with me !!! 73, Jamie WB4YDL ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Stupid, stupid, stupid - OT
Darwin, Keith wrote: Worst of all was the time I came in from playing outside and found my 25 watt soldering iron on my bed. The iron was on and the bedspread was burned / melted under the iron. I had apparently left it plugged in when I went outside hours earlier. Soldering irons! That reminds me of another goof-up: I was working as a radio technician for the city of Binghamton, NY, and was, of course, quite used (ha!) to soldering. One day, while repairing some old boat anchor of a VHF public works radio I suddenly smelled and odd smell, it almost (!) smelled like human fleshwell, it *was* flesh -- mine: I had put my left hand down on top of the plugged-in iron (some Weller unit) and apparently missed any nerve endings that might have reacted to the heat. I bear the scar of a Weller tip and barrel to this day -- and I've never done that again. Ah, the good ole days! 73, Joe, W2RBA ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Stupid, stupid, stupid - OT
In my younger years I developed the bad habit of scratching an itch with whatever tool I had in my hand at the time. Yep, you guessed it. One day I absent-mindedly scratched my head with a hot soldering iron. I had a patch of gray hair on the side of my head for years until all my hair turned gray. Anyone remember drawing an arc off the plate cap of a transmitter tube with a wooden lead pencil? 72, Jim W4BQP Joe Malloy wrote: I bear the scar of a Weller tip and barrel to this day -- and I've never done that again. ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
RE: [Elecraft] Stupid, stupid, stupid - OT
Jim W4BQP wrote: Anyone remember drawing an arc off the plate cap of a transmitter tube with a wooden lead pencil? - Many times! Only 1,000 vdc or so on there and enough RF to create a burn that hurt like @[EMAIL PROTECTED] for a month if it found bare skin! What was it Forrest Gump taught us? Ah, yes, Stupid is as stupid does... It's mostly ignorance, though, not stupidity, and some of it pays off. Like the engineer who was developing magnetron power oscillators for radar systems in the 1940's and discovered that the chocolate bar in his nice white shirt pocket had melted and made a mess. Curious, he investigated why. The first Microwave Oven was the result - sold as the Radar Range. At least he got his revenge for the ruined shirt. I haven't gotten that sort of revenge yet. Still looking (where's my lead pencil?) Ron AC7AC ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
RE: [Elecraft] Stupid, stupid, stupid - OT
At K2USA we had a BC-610 in the main studio (1964). It stood a little over desk high and was truly the Mother of all Boatanchors. To tune it, you had to lift a small hatch in the top surface and rotate a link coupling. But, of course, you had to switch off the B+ first. If you forgot to do that, there was an interlock on the small hatch to cut the B+. We had two military operators (not hams) who handled the MARS traffic for us so we could ham. Somebody had discovered that the interlock was not working earlier in the day. I taped down the hatch, taped a note over that so the ops would have to remove the note to open the hatch, told the two ops to be absolutely sure they shut off the B+ before tuning the TX and left for home. An hour later, I get a call that one of the ops had been electrocuted and taken to sick call. Well he hadn't been electrocuted exactly. He opened the hatch, rested his elbow on the top, reached in with a screwdriver to tweak the link and hit the high voltage with the TX keyed. It blew a 1/4 inch hole out his elbow where it contacted the top surface. They patched him up, gave him a tetanus shot and gave him the night off. I asked the doc why he got a tetanus shot and he said RF burns seem to cook below the surface somewhat and the tetanus shot helps internal damage heal faster for some reason. I was stupid to allow them to use the TX, and I was stupid not to realize how stupid the op was. We get really careless with all the solid-state gear. Often even dropping a screw in an operating circuit, or carelessly dragging a test lead through a hot ciruit fails to do anything. Many of these circuits just bounce right back once the short is removed (not always). The second day I had my Drake 2-NT, I moved a wire out of the way with my finger and got a little 350v DC wake-up for my carelessness. It's something that is done routinely in my Elecraft gear. Maybe this interesting series will remind us that there are dangers inherent in this hobby. Eric KE6US www.ke6us.com -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Ron D'Eau Claire Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2006 8:40 PM To: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Stupid, stupid, stupid - OT Jim W4BQP wrote: Anyone remember drawing an arc off the plate cap of a transmitter tube with a wooden lead pencil? - Many times! Only 1,000 vdc or so on there and enough RF to create a burn that hurt like @[EMAIL PROTECTED] for a month if it found bare skin! ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] Stupid, stupid, stupid - OT
EricJ wrote: At K2USA we had a BC-610 in the main studio (1964). It stood a little over desk high and was truly the Mother of all Boatanchors. To tune it, you had to lift a small hatch in the top surface and rotate a link coupling. But, of course, you had to switch off the B+ first. If you forgot to do that, there was an interlock on the small hatch to cut the B+. We had two military operators (not hams) who handled the MARS traffic for us so we could ham. Somebody had discovered that the interlock was not working earlier in the day. I taped down the hatch, taped a note over that so the ops would have to remove the note to open the hatch, told the two ops to be absolutely sure they shut off the B+ before tuning the TX and left for home. Ah, yes, the B+ supply! Another stupid event I recall was when I was working on my Galaxy V MkII transceiver -- the transmitter section -- and didn't realize the B+ (ca 600 volts) was *always* switched on when the thing was even only receiving. I brushed against the loading capacitor (variable, natch) and, well, let's just say the scars on my palm are still visible. I really like the 12 volt solid state stuff. Oh, and by the way -- it was right after the aforementioned experience that I developed an interest in QRP (1975)! 73, Joe, W2RBA ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
RE: [Elecraft] Stupid, stupid, stupid - OT
in high school I worked for the local tv shop... helping in the store and doing alot of roof antenna work, inside the hot attics also,.,,, so I had a lot of end of spool runs of 300 ohm twinline... So I used it for my s-38 antenna,,,and my telephone line my intercom in the neighborhood and even sometimes feeding 110vac around the bedroom. I also used to strip the twinlead with my teeth that ended one night when i stripped the wrong wire the one plugged in the wall. That probably is why later in life my company represented a company called Mountain Computer who made HDD drives backups for apples and IBM pcs, before wither sold hard drives. I musta been crazy !!! ERIC WAS THE CHIEF ENGINEER. we reacquainted at Dayton as he Wayne introduced the K2. bill sn 269 32xx ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
