[Amps] E rating of PVC

[Ian White, G3SEK]

Lane Zeitler wrote:
>Need to homebrew a HV probe, can I use Schedule 20 or 40 pvc? Will it 
>handle the E (4 kvdc).

Yes, easily.

However, a slim probe is *much* easier to use than a chunk of fat 
tubing. I used a plastic ballpoint-pen body for the nose of the probe. 
The probe tip is glued into the end, and was salvaged from one of the 
junk probes that come with cheap multimeters.

The string of resistors runs the whole length of the pen body, and comes 
out into a "handle" made from a short length of rectangular PVC trunking 
with a snap-on cover. No high voltages are present inside the handle - 
that part of the probe is all inside the pen body.

Out of the low-voltage end of the handle comes a two-core lead to the 
DVM, and a ground lead with an alligator clip.

The whole thing is held together with a combination of PVC solvent glue 
and small tie-wraps. There are no end caps on the handle; none are 
needed.



-- 
73 from Ian G3SEK         'In Practice' columnist for RadCom (RSGB)
http://www.ifwtech.co.uk/g3sek