Reply To: Lever set pocketwatches (for dummies like me)

[clam71]

Oh, baby, do know the feel of a good jolt ! So, you’re a ham operator ? HOW COOL !
Working in the computer shop one day we had visitors. Bossman was across the bench talking to them, trying
to impress them. I was trying not to look to inquisitive but was none the less distracted.
I slipped my screwdriver under the anode cap of a 12 inch crt. The hint that the power is still on is not subtle !
I pretended it was a sneeze. Don’t think I was convincing… sneezes don’t make cracking noises…
Lucky I wasn’t working on a 21 inch color monitor !!!! Used to work at Transistor Devices Inc. Randolph NJ years ago.
They made power supplies for industrial and military applications. Was 1st testing a chassis one morning.
The chassis consisted of a 3 phase 220 volt ac to dc bulk supply with soft start SCR’s that kick on at 1/3rd input.
This reduces inrush current. The HV DC was sent to 2 gangs of 2 electrolytic caps each. 4600 MF at 250V each.
Connected by 1/8 inch thick aluminum buss bars. Can you feel the power here ?
I had my long thin DVM wires clipped acrost them and was raising the AC on the variac and the SCR turn on was perfect,
my O-scope said. So, I closed the clam shell case of the unit— RIGHT ON MY DAMNED DVM WIRES !!!
I’ve only heard one sound that loud. As a kid, I threw a black cat firecracker into a trash can. Nothing happened
until I stuck my head in to see if it was a dud. It wasn’t ! Couldn’t hear for ’bout 1/2 hour !!
It blew a 1/8 inch hole into a 1/4 inch thick aluminum chassis and when I regained my composure and all the other
techs left while joking and laughing, I investigated what remained of the DVM wires. The copper inside the insulation
of those #18 wires was gone on 4 inches both sides of impact !
Bob, SO many funny stories about tech blunders and engineer fubars !!!!
I guess my first lesson learned as a kid…. Wear shoes. Don’t work on tube radios in stocking feet in the basement
which has a concrete floor !! Yeah, ain’t electricity a hoot !
In Europe, standard house voltage is 220 !