a shocking revelation

[Sandy W5TVW]

At 10:48 PM 7/25/98 -0700, you wrote:
>Hi all,
>    This reminds me of the time I reached across the straight key hooked to
>my AT-1 to hit the standby switch and brushed against the key with my arm as
>I touched the grounded chassis.  I don't know if the resulting current flow
>through my arm keyed the transmitter but it definitely got my attention.  I
>put a 12 volt relay inside the AT-1 after that shocking revelation to key
>the transmitter.
>Mike Huttinger
>

        A lot of boatanchor/tube transmitters use cathode keying, which means
a high voltage on the "hot" key terminal in a key-up condition!  Some of the
"newbies" who cut their teeth on solid state gear, have no idea of the
vagaries and potential hazards of tube type equipment with high voltages
present.  To add to this is safety carried to the extreme on a lot of current
systems, which seems to have spurned a generation that has lost a lot
of the "caution" us old timers were taught and learned.
        Some rigs like the Heathkit DX-60 were "grid block" keyed.  This would
also involve some voltage across the key contacts, but not the "really
shocking" kind that is present in cathode keyed systems!
        If you are not familiar with vacuum tube gear, by all means talk to some
of the "old timers" or do some reading of "Handbooks" of the 50's before you
'dive in' to that old boatanchor radio!

73,
E. V. Sandy Blaize, W5TVW
"Boat Anchors collected, restored, repaired, traded and used!"
417 Ridgewood Drive
Metairie, LA., 70001

***Looking for a Hallicrafters SR-400, SR-75, SR-34******
*** TRC-10 transceiver, and an RAL receiver ******

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