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Re: [Amps] Astrons catching on Fire

To: <amps@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [Amps] Astrons catching on Fire
From: "m.ford" <k1ern@pioneerwireless.net>
Date: Sat, 2 Sep 2006 11:44:04 -0400
List-post: <mailto:amps@contesting.com>
Gee, I didn't mean to start a fire but I guess if  I am going to trash
them I should at least back it up.

The RS-50 is  s/n  9402245. I bought it back in the mid 90's and
when it self immolated I wrote to the company explaining how I
felt about it. Someone called me up and spoke about it for a few
minutes and I suggested not mounting the board on top of the cheap cap(s).

The RS-70 is s/n 98080093. I bought it back in the late 90's and
when it started to smell I took the cover off and saw the familiar
pc board mounted on top of the familiar cheap cap. I saved the board
and replaced the cap with two other ones. When I went to adjust the
voltage I found no such adjustment, just a resistor to change. I guess
the expensive potentiometer was more important to get rid of than fixing
the potential fire hazard of putting a roof over the filter cap.

I do have a lot of their other smaller stuff and I have no issue with
those other than the stiff power cords. But the big stuff ain't up to
my expectations when dealing with large amounts of  DC current.

Mike  k1ern



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Harold Mandel" <ka1xo@juno.com>
To: "'m.ford'" <k1ern@pioneerwireless.net>; <amps@contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 02, 2006 10:58 AM
Subject: Astrons catching on Fire


> Astrons catching Fire!?
> 
> Dear Mike and the Group,
> 
> What information can you offer on Astron power supplies
> catching on fire?
> 
> Is there a suggested remedy to forestall or prevent such
> catastrophe?
> 
> This is a Safety and Health related issue and deserves
> the utmost consideration.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
>  Hal Mandel
> W4HBM
> 
> [snip]
> The Astrons use very marginal  filter caps. Add to that the component
> laden pc boards mounted directly to the screw terminals and you are tempting
> fate.
> 
> But the Astron RS-50 that I had produced quite a bit of acrid smoke when the
> pc board caught fire. The RS-70 did the same thing but I was wise to the
> smell
> and shut it down before ignition. 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 

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