on 4/4/01 11:51 PM, Phil Clements at philk5pc@tyler.net wrote:
> A good friend and famous multi-multi contest station owner, Phil Ashcraft,
> was killed while adjusting the tuned input on his 4X1 amp. All HV is lethal,
> but when you get past 5kv, one little mistake will probably be your last.
> The HV contacted his watch band, and "welded" his arm to the B+.
>
> Things that would never break down at 4kv such a components, insulation,
> and even arcs in open air are not unusual. Take all the precautions you can,
> especially when the covers are off. Amp builders are a dying breed...lets
> hope we will all go SK by natural causes.
Phil,
VERY, VERY, VERY good advice. It's always best to check twice and then
touch. The safety guidelines to remove all metal objects while working on
HV, keeping one hand in your back pocket are all something to be followed.
Following a personal safety procedure of measuring the HV before touching
saved my life one day. I hadn't worked on the amp in several months. I had
unplugged it. I plugged it in, had the filaments and fans on and was about
to double check to make sure the tube was well seated. I started to go
towards the tube. After all, I knew I hadn't turned the HV on THAT day.
But I said, "What the heck, you have a rule: measure the voltage." I about
fainted when I saw 6 KV pop up on the meter. I had forgotten to shut the HV
supply off when I unplugged the amp several months earlier! I still get
weak kneed thinking about it!
Safety with HV is like safety with a firearm. Always put it first and check
before handling.
73,
Jon
NA9D
-------------------------------------
Jon Ogden
NA9D (ex: KE9NA)
Member: ARRL, AMSAT, DXCC, NRA
http://www.qsl.net/ke9na
"A life lived in fear is a life half lived."
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