Power supply musings

[Paul Schreiber]

>perhaps not.. even cheap multimeters have such high input impedance that
>you can get confused measuring leakage onto floating broken wires..
>stick to the plug analyser for the gig.

>BTW, I saw somebody replace the resistor in a 'neon screwdriver' with
copper
>wire to "make it go better".. (he was an auto electrician)



Tandy had to fight a lawsuit for 3 years over an "exploding DVM" which
caused
"severe burns and injury" to a 72yr man.

Turns out, he was inspecting a 880VAC 3-phase generator (200amps!) and 1
fuse was bad.
(These fuses are about 10 inches long and 3 inches diameter! Encased in
ceramic). So, not
having a spare fuse (they are $68 each) he substituted (and I am NOT making
this up!) an old
flat metal file from his toolbox!!

>From his testimony "Well, it fit perfectly in there. And since it was metal,
I figured it should work."

So this bastion of EE skill and training flips on the generator. As the file
is approaching 1200C,
he whips out his $28 analog Radio Shack VOM with the 1000VAC scale to test
the output. TOO BAD he
had it on the OHMS scale.

Well friends, the aforementioned file is heating up nicely (about 1 minute
has passed). He walks over to
the panel, applies the meter and KABOOM!! Both the file and meter explode,
showering molten iron
and plastic over Dr. Einstein here.

We won.

Paul Schreiber