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Author Topic: What is wrong with this picture?  (Read 3783 times)
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K1JJ
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« on: May 14, 2023, 09:31:54 AM »

I came across this old  1930s/40's? picture and cringed.  What jumps out at you?


T


* DANGER, Wil Robinson!.jpg (414.47 KB, 1600x1116 - viewed 362 times.)
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« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2023, 11:03:52 AM »

I recently saw an article about a "new" device for transcranial stimulation of the brain by passing a low electrical current across the head. It is supposed to make the wearer smarter and more clear minded.  It appears that this fellow was an early adopter and has opted for higher voltage in hopes of quicker results. 
I think one of the early ARRL guys (Hull?) went SK this way back in the Thirties.
73 de Norm W1ITT
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« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2023, 12:35:55 PM »

Nothing.  Absolutely nothing.

73DG
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Tom WA3KLR
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« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2023, 01:29:29 PM »

a. 'JJ caught time-traveling.
b. His headphones aren't plugged in.
c. both hands on the new radio.
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Pete, WA2CWA
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« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2023, 04:10:34 PM »

It's obvious he has no clothing etiquette. His tie and suspenders don't have a matching style.

ALSO, both sleeves are rolled up exposing bare arms. Could be lethal probes if he's not careful.

Obviously, a right-handed person but probably not important.

Picture shows him working on the dial lighting so possible attached or unattached headphones not important. Headphones could be attached to his walktube radio located on the floor.

Right headset piece on left ear and vice versa and with prolonged listening to static or regenerative oscillations  can cause vestibular and/or neurological abnormalities within the inner ear which can cause a sensation of floating or unsteadiness in the dark. Not a good thing when working on exposed components in an AC or DC radio.

Picture should be classified as a safety and medical nightmare.
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« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2023, 04:23:24 PM »

On the upper panel in front of him, is that a switch - maybe a breaker - secured from moving by wrapping it with wire?
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« Reply #6 on: May 14, 2023, 04:39:36 PM »

All you goobers are just jealous. Roll Eyes
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« Reply #7 on: May 14, 2023, 04:47:54 PM »

I am surprised not to see a pack of Lucky Strike or Camel cigarettes on the bench along with a lit one burning in an ash tray. 
Roll Eyes Obviously a person cautious about what he breaths.  Roll Eyes
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« Reply #8 on: May 15, 2023, 09:38:34 AM »

Looks like he is only wearing one headphone(?). Nasty crack on the dial of the radio. Instead of a 'Lucky Strike' maybe a pipe smoldering in the ashtray.
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« Reply #9 on: May 15, 2023, 10:44:13 AM »

Looks like most of the blunders were caught by the keen eyes on this BB.

We need to be reminded of what we already know once in a while....

1) When working on or near HV, never wear headphones.  The path thru the head (brain) is like the skull cap on an electric chair.

2) Never use two hands at once to work on hot HV.  Even one hand is a big risk if HV is hot and exposed. The path thru the chest  (heart) is like an ER defib machine, but worse.

3) Jewelry on the hands (rings, watches) can short out circuitry and/or  provide a low resistance path into the body.

4) Long shirt sleeves can help provide a layer of protection, though little if the HV is really high.

(Extra) Be aware of what your shoes are made of and what is on the floor that may be hot or grounded.  (bare feet and sandals are dangerous; as is a grounded footswitch's potential hazard - even holding a PTT switch in your hand has its risks.)    Only 18 mA can kill.  Figure it out....   I= E/R    It doesn't take much voltage to draw 18 mA thru sweaty summertime skin. And the resistance drops even lower as the skin is burned. Don't axe me how I know....  Shocked


I think we all have a tendency to be careful when a rig is new, but after a while let our guards down and get lax from familiarity.  We think it can't happen to us.

Be safe out there.  Carefully look over your operating and workbench positions and think about how they could kill you....


T



Here's the 1938 headphones electrocution of ARRL's radio expert Ross A. Hull, that Norm mentioned:


"RADIO: Lethal Machine
Monday, Sept. 26, 1938

DANGER—HIGH VOLTAGE. It must be realized that the plate supply of even a low-powered transmitter is a potential lethal machine. . . .

That warning was put into the American Radio Relay League's Radio Amateur's Handbook by Technical Expert Ross A. Hull. Recently Expert Hull began experimenting with television reception, assembled specially powerful and sensitive equipment to receive RCA-NBC television transmission in his Vernon cottage (near Hartford, Conn.). He temporarily rigged up a 2½-kilowatt, 4,400-volt pole transformer. Last week it killed him.

Leaving his dinner guests, Ross Hull went into his radio room, put on his earphones, was found dead a few minutes later. His body was lying on the floor, hands and face burned, earphones charred.

A.R.R.L. engineers concluded that he had listened for NBC's sound, had reached under the table to plug in his power supply for pictures. In withdrawing his hand he seemed to have brushed loose a high-voltage wire, got a shock which threw him to the floor. There the loose wire apparently completed the circuit to his earphones, may have carried through his head more than a full ampere of current.*

Such an accident was possible only with Editor Hull's makeshift equipment. Nevertheless, television's green eye, which only last June saw its first suicide, had taken its first notable life.

* As little as 1/10 ampere of alternating current can be fatal."



[ Google "Hull  ARRL" for more details. ]
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Use an "AM Courtesy Filter" to limit transmit audio bandwidth  +-4.5 KHz, +-6.0 KHz or +-8.0 KHz when needed.  Easily done in DSP.

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« Reply #10 on: May 15, 2023, 01:11:13 PM »

What's really wrong, all previously mentioned aside, is, he's playing radio and I'm stuck here at work! Angry
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« Reply #11 on: May 15, 2023, 01:37:04 PM »

B,

Cell phune, one earphone, and one online SDR, and yer 1/2 way there.......


While at work, I listen all the time.

KLC

FWIW, my ear touched a 'dead' knob en tube wire one day. It was not a happy time.
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« Reply #12 on: May 16, 2023, 04:55:57 PM »

must be a slop bucket rig.
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Bob
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« Reply #13 on: May 18, 2023, 04:08:39 PM »

Chilling reading of the details of the demise of Ross Hull back in 1938.  Interesting that he was living at the time in Vernon, CT and was attempting to receive the RCA TV broadcasts there from (I assume) New York City.  I wonder exactly where in Vernon Joan residence was located.  Very hilly area with lots of neighborhood  s on high ground.  I’m thinking that he was living, as all true hams aspire to, at a location with a clear shot to the horizon in multiple directions.  IIRC he named his property High Beams.  I’ve operated many times mobile from the top of Fox Hill in Henry Park in Vernon.  Has clear shots to the horizon pretty much all around, especially so from west though north through the east.
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« Reply #14 on: June 04, 2023, 07:31:16 AM »

Roll Eyes Obviously a person cautious about what he breaths.  Roll Eyes

All while enjoying the delicate bouquet of flux and Tin/Lead solder. Cheesy  At least he's more stylishly attired than I am at the moment. Wink
 
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Seriously, just the placement of his hands gave me pause. Shocked  And his heart as well, should suitable current have passed through it.  The other gotchas were of course the headphones and watch.
 
This drives home a fact about a workbench I'm currently outfitting, for electrical/electronic- and light-mechanical repair:  Its frame is steel and grounded.  One wrong slip could mean a 911 call.
 
Be careful, folks.
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« Reply #15 on: June 04, 2023, 11:51:01 AM »

N5RLR said:
Quote
This drives home a fact about a workbench I'm currently outfitting, for electrical/electronic- and light-mechanical repair:  Its frame is steel and grounded.  One wrong slip could mean a 911 call.
Think about what that would entail? 'Cranks handle on telephone'...... "Hello Lois? Yes, please connect me to the hospital! No, I need an ambulance! Not for me, for Charlie! He shocked himself on that radio equipment I told him about! Yes, you know how hard headed men are! The children are great, how is your mother doing?......"
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« Reply #16 on: June 04, 2023, 04:41:40 PM »

My workbench is all wood, but as an unavoidable concession to the layout of my basement, there's a tubular metal support post within arm's reach. It's planted in the concrete floor and thus, for all practical purpose, grounded. I'm very conscious of avoiding contact with it when I'm working with live equipment, but I often think of applying something to it for electrical safety. But what? It's roughly seven feet high and three inches in diameter, so it would require a poop-load of electrical tape. Duct tape is wider, so it would require less footage, and cheaper, but of dubious dielectric strength. There are probably special paints, but probably crazy expensive. Sliding a length of PVC pipe over it would be great, but since it's planted in the floor, and supports the house, that's not an option. For now, I'm just careful.
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K1JJ
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« Reply #17 on: June 04, 2023, 05:45:02 PM »

I never gave a metal workbench much thought, but it IS a potential hazardous path. They are commonly used.  All of my tables are made out of 2X4" lumber - strapping for big mawl work.

But when you think about it, all of our rack mounted rigs, audio equipment, most stand-alone rigs and test equipment is usually grounded to metal 19" racks, cabinets and panels.  Exposed and easy to come in contact with.  Think about that.

The classic "keep one hand in your pocket" rule, when working with HV still applies, no matter if the workbench is wood or metal.

That 7' X 3" metal pole could be spiral wrapped with a long piece of 3/4" thick foam rubber.  Maybe there is some on the web.

Probably the best situation is to have your entire body floating relative to ground and any HV point. This way, if you screw up and touch the HV, there is no ground to complete the path thru your body. A good exampe of this is the guys who fly in helicopters that come in contact with 750KV+  power lines for servicing.  


Picture yourself floating in the shack with an insulated body harness, working on HV....  Shocked

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPNK7bc2qvM

After watching this video, what comes to mind is that there is no such thing as a 0% helicopter failure rate.  If the chopper breaks, it seems like certain death.  How much do they pay these guys?


T
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« Reply #18 on: June 04, 2023, 06:32:31 PM »

My workbench is all wood, but as an unavoidable concession to the layout of my basement, there's a tubular metal support post within arm's reach. It's planted in the concrete floor and thus, for all practical purpose, grounded. I'm very conscious of avoiding contact with it when I'm working with live equipment, but I often think of applying something to it for electrical safety. But what? It's roughly seven feet high and three inches in diameter, so it would require a poop-load of electrical tape. Duct tape is wider, so it would require less footage, and cheaper, but of dubious dielectric strength. There are probably special paints, but probably crazy expensive. Sliding a length of PVC pipe over it would be great, but since it's planted in the floor, and supports the house, that's not an option. For now, I'm just careful.

In the electric trade we are required to wrap pipe with '3 Mil Tape' when we are going underground or coming up with rigid pipe.  Military, for instance, requires rigid pipe sweeps underground with rigid risers.

All wrapped in that gosh dammed black tape.

It's available in widths to a few inches wide.

We had to lap it 1/2 or the prior wrap.  I don't think you'd need to be that aggressive.

Or, wrap it in carpet padding?

--Shane
WP2ASS / ex KD6VXI
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« Reply #19 on: June 05, 2023, 12:12:34 AM »

Perhaps PVC pipe sawn in half lengthwise, pieced around that column with couplers (if needed), PVC cement, and zipties (rotate the couplers' cuts 90° from the pipe)?  Paint it Safety Orange.  Cool
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