[sdiy] Polysix Repair - Panel/Ground Electrified!?

[rsdio at audiobanshee.com]

On Jul 20, 2017, at 9:12 AM, Ian Michael Ferguson <ifergu1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> It also only has a two-prong, non-polarized plug.

It seems dangerous to have the cord connected to the case with a non-polarized plug - or did you say that only the transformer connects to the case?

Be very careful, but try reversing the plug - flipping it 180 degrees. I've seen electro-mechanical clocks that would literally count time backwards when the plug was reversed. I'm not familiar with the Polysix, but if you're getting a shock from the panel then I'd be curious to see if it goes away when you reverse the plug.

If this were my Polysix then, apart from reviewing the schematics, I'd be almost certain to replace the two-prong cord with a three-prong cord so that the panel ground lug could be disconnected from both the Neutral and Hot wires. I'd rather see only the third ground prong connected to the chassis, because there's no guarantee that a non-polarized plug will be inserted a certain way.

This problem is far more common with three-prong plugs after someone breaks off the ground lug. I got shocked in an arcade between two pinball machines, and when I checked one of the games it had the plug reversed. After I aligned the missing ground pin position the way it would have been plugged in if the ground were still present, there was no longer a shock when touching both metal panels. Of course, without a meter, I was very reluctant to test my theory because I really didn't want to get shocked again!

Brian