I got a thumb into the HV on a TV once.  Felt like a dull twisted awl that was 
red hot being jabbed into my thumb.  Not a feeling of shock at all.

Yep, once I discharged my first CRT I got over the fear and then kinda looked 
forward to doing it.  I don’t remember triplers, seems like there was an HV 
rectifier tube.  Maybe it was just a chopper that fed the triplers or stick 
rectifier.  I always presumed the tube did the job.  Maybe the tube just made 
the horizontal scan?

From: Ken Hohhof 
Sent: Sunday, July 21, 2019 9:23 AM
To: 'AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group' 
Subject: Re: [AFMUG] OT 50 years ago

I think it could be as high as 30 KV.  Hard to believe we all had these things 
in our living rooms.  Between the high voltage, the X-rays (stopped by thick 
leaded glass at the front), and a big glass tube with a vacuum inside and a 
fragile neck.

 

I worked a couple years in the 70’s for Warwick Electronics, which made TVs for 
Sears and Kmart.  Before you worked on a set, you had to discharge the CRT 
which was like a big capacitor and would hold the charge for awhile.  The 
engineers and techs there would break off a length of solder, hold one end 
against the chassis, and hold the other end against a big flat bladed 
screwdriver which they would shove under the anode cap with a Zap sound.  I was 
not brave enough to do it that way, I would at least use a wire with alligator 
clips at each end.

 

BTW, the lingering charge problem was worse when they replaced went to triplers 
instead of stick rectifiers.  A voltage tripler is basically a bunch of 
capacitors and diodes.

 

We also had an electrostatic voltmeter to measure second anode voltage.  It was 
on a rollaround cart and had a vacuum inside and the voltage was measured by 
the deflection of a needle based on the electrostatic repulsion of two plates.  
Another capacitor, and it could hold a charge for days.  It was referred to as 
“the dog” because it was the size and shape of a medium size dog, had a snout 
where the high voltage probe went in, and it would bite you if you weren’t 
careful.

 

We had a high voltage engineer who died of electrocution.  Not at work, but at 
home, from his ham radio transmitter.  Heart stopped, wife called 911, but they 
didn’t get there in time.  Live by the sword, die by the sword.

 

I was told that most serious accidents from CRTs come not from the shock 
itself, but the shock would cause your arm to jump and break the neck off the 
CRT and you would get cut by the glass.

 

 

From: AF <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Bill Prince
Sent: Sunday, July 21, 2019 8:56 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [AFMUG] OT 50 years ago

 

I don't recall what the voltage was on black and white TVs. Probably somewhere 
in the range of 10K - 15K volts. Early color TVs could be as high as 25K volts. 
Aquadag is the term for the metal coating on the inside of CRTs. High positive 
voltage is applied to it to bleed off all the electrons being shot at the 
screen. In those days we called the high voltage circuit and whatever voltage 
as just "aquadag".

 

bp<part15sbs{at}gmail{dot}com> On 7/20/2019 7:38 PM, Chuck McCown wrote:

  Yeahbut, they all did it, especially the color TVs.  I presume aquadag is 
autocorrect for Anode.  

   

  From: Bill Prince 

  Sent: Saturday, July 20, 2019 5:18 PM

  To: [email protected] 

  Subject: Re: [AFMUG] OT 50 years ago

   

  The aquadag HV on early TVs was a common source of problems. Get a little 
dust on the top of the TV's cathode tube, and you'd get these periodic "snap!" 
sounds when it would discharge through the dust.

bp<part15sbs{at}gmail{dot}com> On 7/20/2019 12:49 PM, [email protected] wrote:

    It was TV of the mind.  I didn’t want to risk going into the house on the 
off chance that the B&W TV would actually work.  It was terribly flakey.  Had 
some kind of HV problem where it would go very dark after a few minutes.  

     

    So I stuck to the radio.  

     

    From: Bill Prince 

    Sent: Saturday, July 20, 2019 1:16 PM

    To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group 

    Subject: Re: [AFMUG] OT 50 years ago

     

    We had a Buick too, but ours didn't have a TV, so we had to watch it on our 
black and white TV in the house. 

     

    --

    bp

    part15sbs{at}gmail{dot}com

     

     

    On Sat, Jul 20, 2019 at 8:53 AM Chuck McCown <[email protected]> wrote:

      I watched the moon landing on the radio of a 1965 Buick Special.  

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