Steve This isn't going to mean a thing to the rest of the list, but your story reminded me of the tim Fred Greaves got his picture taken when he opened the PA cavity door of a FM transmitter that was off, but the cavity was still hot with RF from another transmitter getting back through the combiner. At least I think those are the facts, I've slept since Norm Philips told me about it.
Bill AD5OL ----- Original Message ---- From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Monday, January 19, 2009 8:20:33 PM Subject: Re: [AMRadio] Amazed any young ham made it to adulthood The shock I experienced did not deter me - it just made me more careful. And now I have over 25 years as a broadcast engineer working with plenty of high, low and indifferent voltages. I've been shocked a few more times, too. But I still have the good habit of only using one hand on live gear. The other hand is down my pants, er, I mean, hooked in my belt around the back. Steve WD8DAS [email protected] http://www.wd8das.net/ ----------------------------------------------------- Radio is your best entertainment value. ----------------------------------------------------- -----Original Message----- From: CL in NC <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Mon, 19 Jan 2009 8:00 pm Subject: [AMRadio] Amazed any young ham made it to adulthood I thought electric shock was a right a passage. I tried to build a Jacobs ladder as a kid of about 10, using brazing rods, a Ford ignition coil, and a Lionel train transformer. Yes, I knocked the stuffing out of myself, but I learned something in the process. I had a real Gilbert Erector set too, with all kinds of sharp metal items, a real 110VAC electric motor, and an imagination to build twirling things of great danger. My first electronic project was right out of Boys Life Magazine as a Cub Scout, a 2 tube audio amp, transformerless I might add. Worked like a champ, and not a word of warning in the directions about how this could be dangerous, just if it hummed turn the AC plug around. The only 'real' shock I have endured was from my GE Prog Line, I had mounted to a 19 inch rack panel with speaker, discriminator meter, volume, squelch, and a pot to adjust the screen voltage of the final to change power out. It was on, and I needed to turn it over, and when I reached around both sides of the radio chassis, I grabbed hold of the 110 in. The weight of the radio is what broke the connection when it shook loose from my hands. Everything in this hobby can be dangerous, just like everything in life is dangerous. If you take care in what your doing, you can avoid the stupid mistakes, but failures of interlocks, insulation, or tower sections will claim even the most careful. To leave the 'dangerous stuff' to a real technician is fine if you bought a Volvo just because it's a safe car. But, to be afraid to open up a piece of equipment after following the safety rules because it says 'Danger HV', makes as much sense as buying a rifle and never firing it because it has the words, "may cause injury or death" engraved on top of the barrel. Charlie W4MEC in NC ______________________________________________________________ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.html Post: mailto:[email protected] To unsubscribe, send an email to [email protected] with the word unsubscribe in the message body. ______________________________________________________________ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.html Post: mailto:[email protected] To unsubscribe, send an email to [email protected] with the word unsubscribe in the message body. ______________________________________________________________ Our Main Website: http://www.amfone.net AMRadio mailing list Searchable Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ List Rules (must read!): http://w5ami.net/amradiofaq.html List Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/amradio Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.html Post: mailto:[email protected] To unsubscribe, send an email to [email protected] with the word unsubscribe in the message body.
