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The isolated variacs that I use are from Heathkit. I built one myself and bought the other. They consist of a 1 to 1 isolation transformer followed by a variac autotransformer. The 1 to 1 isolation takes 120 volts in and outputs 120 volts. The output of the transformer is isolated from the main power lines, greatly reducing the risk of you being shocked by the voltage applied to what you are working on. It also protects your test equipment.
The variac autotransformer allows you to apply power to the TV/radio that you are working on slowly, checking for shorts before any damage is done.
If you buy a variac, be careful, as many of them are not isolated and will not protect you from shock. It that is the case, you will need to purchase a seperate isolation transformer.
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