Hi,

Here is my high voltage story.  I was rebuilding an old 39 megahertz FM rig
for six meter operation.  I had taken out the old
dyna motor and installed an old television transformer and I was in the 
process of making final
adjustments to the rig before putting it together.  Well, my baby sister
came around and while I had my hand inside the rig, she hit the push to talk
switch on the mic.  The 1000 volts on the plate caps arced through my thumb
and though I really didn't feel any pain, I could smell burning  flesh.  I
push my little sister acrossed the room to get her to let go of the mic with
one hand and when I pulled my other hand out out of the rig, I found that my
thumb had a very small hole right through it.  I showed it to my Mother, who
promptly fainted.

by the way, it never bled and healed just fine.  My little sister was not
hurt and after about ten minutes so that I could stop shaking, I went right
back to work and put that rig on the air that same day.

That's why I love transistors!
73
Bob, [log in to unmask], K8LR
Skype Name: bobtinn
Life is WUNDERFUL!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 2:51 PM
Subject: [BLIND-HAMS] High voltage


Steve,

speaking of being shocked.  One time I had the protective high voltage cage
off my Drake TR4 and was trying to get to the relay box.  I had my mom
downstairs in my shack reading tubes I was pulling out related to the relay
circuit.  I snapped off the rig and a couple of second later, my hand came
in contact with the tops of the final tubes.  It was over 600 volts.  I
flew, literally, through the air and ended up 10 feet away on the other side
of the room after a horrendous scream.  I could smell burn flesh in the air.
My fingers had marks on them where they had come in contact with the tube
caps.  Mom said, "Philip?  Are you hurt?"  "Oh, know," I said, "I'm fine.
Didn't hurt at all.  I quickly returned to the rig pulled a tube out for mom
to read just to be sure she didn't ban me from the radio, and when she left,
for an hour, everything I touch that was metal felt like an electrical
shock.  Needless to say, I never did that again.  I hope this is considered
a ham radio topic but perhaps, if not, it may just save someone's life some
day.

Phil.
K0NX

The Zenith Tube Website
www.RedWhiteAndBlue.org