"Lynn Coffelt" wrote in
:

Mike noticed then that the outlet on the bulkhead was labeled "110
Volts
DC". Sheesh. Be glad rocket science is
not our profession.



Great story, Thanks! I was in NYC, back in the early 80's working on the
field change 10 and 14 of the main HF transmitters at the CG Electronics
School on Grosvenor's Island for a month. CG and Navy hired us (Tracor)
to do this critical field change to a big engineering screwup. The
multikilovolt DC from the PS to the main amp's pair of big ceramic
tetrodes used to explode the connectors and blow the main case cabling.
Some idiots also forgot to INTERLOCK the 3-phase, 400 Hz, 440VAC to shut
off the lethal AC line when sailors opened the cabinet. Some died.
440VAC will wake you up, temporarily. Sailors had installed these
changes, sloppily, and more died when the guide pins shoved the 440VAC
sloppy wiring into the guide pin socket. The explosions looked
impressive, but I digress, as usual.....(c;

We lived in a flophouse hotel on 8th Ave near 42nd St that dated back
into the 1930's, I'm sure. ($130/day) The building had 110VDC outlets in
every room with warning signs on them that it was DC and do NOT plug AC
appliances in, here. DC was required, still, because the old elevators
were all DC operated....

Well, my assistant technician knocked on my room and was REALLY ****ed
off. He'd plugged his BRAND NEW portable color TV he'd bought off Times
Square into the DC outlet and got a similar fire as you did! It was
TOAST...(c;

Larry
--
Democracy is when two wolves and a sheep vote on who's for dinner.
Liberty is when the sheep has his own gun.