Or if you are an undaunted irish guy like me, you forge ahead and 
give the helping guy something really serious to fix!!
Pat, K9JAUAt 07:46 AM 3/8/2011, you wrote:
>Hey Tom,
>
>Have you considered another hobby?  I hear that basket weaving is very
>relaxing.
>
>on your power supply - loose wire issue:  Only you can decide if you
>have reached the limit of your troubleshooting/technical skills.  Since
>you can get  a sighted ham to  look at it and you have a spare supply,
>that might be a good idea.
>
>When in uncharted waters, it's better to stop tinkering 5 seconds too
>soon, rather than 5 seconds too late.
>
>Good luck, Steve KW3A
>
>
>On 3/7/2011 9:29 PM, tom behler wrote:
> >      Oh wow, Lou!
> >
> > At least I don't feel alone, although my current problem with my 
> Astron RS35
> > admittedly was of my own making.
> >
> > One thing about this list is that it helps to know that I'm in 
> good company,
> > and have an arena for sharing what often appear to be common problems.
> >
> > Let us know if you can get the ailing supply fixed.
> >
> > Interestingly, I was talking with my wife at dinner tonight, and suggested
> > that it's always good to have an extra power supply or two around, in case
> > one suddenly fails.
> >
> > May just have to go looking for at least another used Astron at 
> the upcoming
> > local swap in about 6 or 7 weeks.
> >
> > 73 from Tom Behler:  KB8TYJ
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Lou Kolb"<[log in to unmask]>
> > To:<[log in to unmask]>
> > Sent: Monday, March 07, 2011 8:58 PM
> > Subject: another astron power supply story
> >
> >
> > As long as we're discussing power supply issues, i've just had an 
> experience
> > I never expected.  My RM-35 from Astron failed and, oddly, the problem
> > seemed to be in the switch.  You'd think it would be somewhere 
> farther along
> > in the circuit.  I was on cw and started to hear an odd sound 
> every time the
> > transmitter in the k3 keyed.  Like an arcing but different in 
> that it wasn't
> > a snappy sound.  At first, I thought it was the rig but then the 
> transformer
> > in the supply started to jump occasionally, as it does when you first turn
> > the supply on.  When I started to smell smoke right after that, I hastily
> > signed and reached up to turn off the supply but the switch wouldn't throw.
> > it moved a bit but was actually fused in place.  Later, when I came back
> > down to the shack it had cooled down and was very firmly fused in place.  I
> > had another, older Astron on the shelf so I hooked it up and was 
> back on the
> > air the next night.  I haven't taken the cover off of the stricken supply
> > yet but it oughta be interesting.  It's not a complicated device 
> so I expect
> > to be able to fix it.  Anyone else have a similar experience?  Lou  WA3MIX
> >