Working around high voltages?

[David Hollander]

Hi Alan - don't trust the bleeder resistor in the power supply. Before
you start working, take a shorting stick such as an ice pick or long
necked screwdriver and short the B+ to ground even after it has been
turned off. I used to place an ice pick through the top of the
perforated aluminum cover on my home brew 4-1000 and touch the tube cap
plate to the cover. If you look in the real old handbooks say 1940's and
1950's they talk about keeping a shorting stick with your transmitter.

I always do this when working on tube equipment. The one time I forgot
to do it was with my 4-1000. The bleeder resistor had overheated and
opened up unbeknownst to me. I went to brush a dust bunny off of the top
of the plate choke with my little finger and immediately got nailed with
5000 volts which knocked me across the room. My hand throbbed and hurt
for the next 24 hours but their was nothing visible. Remarkably, I did
not have to wash my clothes!!! When I told my kids who were than 4 and 5
years old about what had happened to daddy, they asked me if I had seen
my bones like in the cartoons!

I know of hams in the past working on big amps or commercial
transmitters who were not as lucky.

Good luck and be careful.

73,

Dave N7RK

--
***********************************************************
Dave  N7RK                    http://members.cox.net/n7rk
Phoenix, Arizona         *DXCC Honor Roll*    *WAZ#23 - 75 Meter SSB*

            ex-XE2/N7RK, N7RK/ZB2, VK2ERK, ZM0AJN, WB6NRK, WN6IWX

Boatanchor Collector Extraordinaire preferring Hallicrafters, National
and what ever else looks interesting!

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