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[AMPS] RE: Pencils and fiery inch-long arcs!

To: <amps@contesting.com>
Subject: [AMPS] RE: Pencils and fiery inch-long arcs!
From: measures@vc.net (Rich Measures)
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 98 11:15:18 -0800
>
>At 11:00 AM 7/22/98 -0600, Richard W. Ehrhorn wrote:
>...
>>Then FIRST THING after opening the cover, short the HV line to chassis two 
>>or three times with an HV-shorting stick, or at least with a long, 
>>well-insulated screwdriver, before touching anything! NEVER TRUST YOUR LIFE 
>>to switches, relays, cover interlocks, crowbars or the like - even with a 
>>well- designed commercial amp, the stakes are just too high to take 
>>chances.
>
>Amen.  Many years ago a friend got one hand on a ceramic standoff that was
>used as the HV input on a surplus amp - maybe a BC-610 - and the 2KV
>knocked him cold, threw him across the room and left a huge divot in his
>thumb.  I was told while still a pup that, when double-checking that your
>caps have discharged, you should always be sure that the blade of the
>screwdriver is in contact with ground before you bring it near the +B.
>Make sense?
>
To prevent damage to the amplifier, it makes more sense to discharge the  
HV supply filter C through a 100 - 500  ohm 100w resistor taped to an 
insulated rod, equipped with solid #14ga extensions on the lugs to 
facilitate making contact as needed.  
.   Be sure to pull the electric-mains plug.  120v/240v  can be deadly 
because it may hang one up so that one can't let go, unlike HV which 
tends to toss stupid asses across the room.      


Rich...

R. L. Measures, 805-386-3734, AG6K, www.vcnet.com/measures  


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