[sdiy] Tube amp cap discharge tool?

[Harry Bissell Jr]

Bob:

what works for you is fine... there is no
reason for you to change what you do. Advice was
asked in a public forum. If you give advice
from an expert point of view (your experience
as a repair technician), that advice has to be
sound.

This is a safety issue.  If someone searched the
archives and found only the advice to 'use a
screwdriver' they might get hurt.

You are 'skilled in the art' as they say (in fact
you claimed experience in this field) so you
would be liable for your advice. Choose carefully.

H^) harry

--- Bob Weigel <sounddoctorin at imt.net> wrote:

> Ken...it works for me.  Why should I change just
> because a bunch of 
> other people have opinions? I am not asking anyone
> to do it my way. Do 
> it your way. I view my way good simply because I
> have to make a living, 
> there are only so many hours in a day and I have to
> pick my battles.  I 
> don't understand why this is such an emotional
> topic.    I rarely get 
> sparks anyway because I'm in tube amps that usually
> have drain 
> resistors.    Now if I HAPPEN to be holding a
> meter...then I just 
> measure...and if I measure zero I wonder if my meter
> is working and I 
> jam a screwdriver across it anyway JUST TO MAKE
> SURE.  Cuz that's just 
> the kind of guy I am :-). Ok?  I've been shocked by
> 400 some volts on 
> these things in my earlier days.  I'm absent minded.
>  We all need to 
> find something that works reliably for us.  I won't
> tell YOU how to do 
> it and you don't black list me or
> whatever..unless...that's just the 
> kind of guy you are.  OK? -bob
> 
> Ken Stone wrote:
> 
> >Truly what we are arguing about here has nothing to
> do with what is right or
> >not, but if YOU specifically are right or not, and
> from your comments is it
> >plain to see that you are incapable of
> acknowledging that you are anything
> >but right.
> >
> >Thank you Mr "Always" Right.
> >
> >Ken (modifies black list)
> >
> >  
> >
> >>:-) I'd love to argue this the rest of my
> life..but we're talking a 
> >>concept called 'straining out gnats' here.  I've
> done it for years.  
> >>Nothing has been hurt.  Truly. customers would
> tell me if their amps 
> >>dropped out. I'm really GOOD about that.  I find
> out what I'm doing 
> >>wrong by writing rigorous invoices and I can tell
> if a capacitor were to 
> >>have failed where I might potentially have done
> something to start it 
> >>down the bad road.  As it is..no such incident.
> ALL CAP FAILURES in the 
> >>decade I've been doing work on tube amps have been
> first timers.  Never 
> >>has anything come into my shop with a dead
> capacitor that I had 
> >>previously worked on except one or two where the
> customer said 'leave 
> >>the old ancient ones, I dont' have money to fix
> now' and then they bring 
> >>it back later.  I recall that maybe once. Nearly
> everyone here just has 
> >>me replace old ones when in question.  ENd of
> story.  I have no further 
> >>input to the topic. It works for me. If others
> choose not to do it 
> >>fine.  My repair bills will continue to be cheaper
> then because I waste 
> >>less time in the process of things like this. If
> you don't want your 
> >>caps cro-barred..dont' bring the amp to me.  I'm
> fine with that :-)  -Bob
> >>
> >>The Peasant wrote:
> >>
> >>    
> >>
> >>>>Sure but that's continuous duty. Where heat has
> time to build up and 
> >>>>hurt things.
> >>>>   
> >>>>
> >>>>        
> >>>>
> >>>Discharging a DC filter capacitor by shorting it
> stresses it in a number of 
> >>>ways, and it is stupid and dangerous to do this
> unneccesarily. There are 
> >>>capacitors designed for this type of use, but
> certainly not old tube amp 
> >>>capacitors.
> >>>
> >>> 
> >>>
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>>>Let me give you an example. Ordered from Parts
> express.....
> >>>>   
> >>>>
> >>>>        
> >>>>
> >>>Bob, your long stories are sometimes interesting,
> but you appear to be
> >>>      
> >>>
> >ignoring 
> >  
> >
> >>>the important parts of what others are saying
> here. 
> >>>
> >>> 
> >>>
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>>>Yeah and just pray the resistor isn't burnt out
> or you have a fault in 
> >>>>   
> >>>>
> >>>>        
> >>>>
> >>>the connections. 
> >>>
> >>>You don't appear to be paying attention, Bob. As
> stated, you ALWAYS check the 
> >>>capacitor with a meter before touching the
> equipment. Praying won't help.
> >>>
> >>> 
> >>>
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>>>Like I just 
> >>>>told John the ideal is put a current meter in
> line and all..
> >>>>   
> >>>>
> >>>>        
> >>>>
> >>>That is unneccesary and the peak current may
> damage the meter.
> >>>
> >>> 
> >>>
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>>>However..while we're nit picking...
> >>>>   
> >>>>
> >>>>        
> >>>>
> >>>The only one that appears to be doing that is
> you. I'm just trying to 
> >>>discourage practices that I have been taught by
> professionals to be
> >>>      
> >>>
> >dangerous. 
> >  
> >
> >>>I really don't want to see anybody here have any
> unfortunate accidents.
> >>>
> >>> 
> >>>
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>>>When I see the energy being dissipated in the
> air, I know 
> >>>>it's being taken off the internals of the
> capacitor which is a good 
> >>>>thing.   Right?
> >>>>   
> >>>>
> >>>>        
> >>>>
> >>>No, not if you get injured or killed in the
> process.
> >>>
> >>> 
> >>>
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>>>But like I say, I rest my case.  
> >>>>   
> >>>>
> >>>>        
> >>>>
> >>>On what? Your dangerous electrical practices
> based on your own
> >>>      
> >>>
> >"experience"? I 
> >  
> 
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