Butch,

I wouldn't have tried that because I'd be afraid of damaging the supply. 
Nevertheless, it's hard to argue with 40 years of success.

Since I have an ohm meter I can use, I attach the ground lead of the meter 
to some metal on the case of the radio, and then touch each of the power 
leads with the meter's probe.  One of them gives me a reading of 0, and I 
know that one is ground.  This technique has never failed me, and I like the 
idea that nothing has to be "live" for the test.  Of course, I'm assuming a 
negative ground, which is pretty much always the case these days.

Steve

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Butch Bussen" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, December 16, 2011 17:37
Subject: Re: Sighted Hams In Sacramento Not Really Helpful


>I don't have a clue why you say don't do that.  Doesn't have a damn
> thing to do with coax!!!  All I said was to use the case of the radio as
> a temporary ground
> You won't fry anything!!!!  good grief I've been doing this for over 40
> years.  This is a way to tell which lead from your power cord is red or
> ground.  If you take a wire from the supply and hook to the radio case,
> that is assuming you know which is ground, this works.  If you touch the
> actual ground lead from your power cord to the plus, it is a short, but
> astron supplies will just shut down.  If you touch a wire from your
> power cord and radio plays, you know you have it right.  Remove the temp
> jumper from supply ground to case and hook up the power cord ground.
> The only thing you positively have to know is plus and minus on your
> supply.  Before you criticize what I write, think it through!!!!
> 73
> Butch
> WA0VJR
> Node 3148
> Wallace, ks.
>
>
> On Fri,
> 16 Dec 2011, Michael Thurman wrote:
>
>> do NOT do that
>> you will fry your radio or supply!!!!!!!!! the ground n the coax is NOT =
>> big enough to carry the full output of most supplies  and withot a fuse =
>> it will NOT shut down  you are depending on a fuse which may or may not =
>> be htere   use a meter or do NOT do it  period!!!
>>
>> On Dec 14, 2011, at 10:42 PM, Butch Bussen wrote:
>>
>>> Do you have a talking meter you can check voltage or ohms with?  I 
>>> can=20=
>>
>>> check my kenwood power cords and tell you which one is plus. 
>>> Another=20=
>>
>>> trich that works, if you know which lead out of your power supply is=20=
>>
>>> ground is to hook that one to a tround on your caase, mouting screw 
>>> or=20=
>>
>>> whatever.  If you hook up the actual ground wire to the hot side of =
>> your=20
>>> supply, it will short it and should just shut down.  If the radio =
>> works,=20
>>> then you know you have it right and hook up the actual ground wire to =
>> the=20
>>> supply.  Hope that makes sense.
>>> 73
>>> Butch
>>> WA0VJR
>>> Node 3148
>>> Wallace, ks.
>>
>>
>