GE 14" Safety Question

[DavGoodlin]

Originally Posted by JohnCT

Okay, time for one of Johnny's boring old timey stories:

My dad told me the time he was hanging around the parts counter of his favorite parts supplier (they had the best coffee) and a service man walked in the door with an unboxed picture tube in his arms. He didn't like to pay for the dud (that's what we called the core charge in the old days) and then have to return the dud for credit, so he brought the tube in bare to exchange in the carton right then and there.

As he walked towards the counter, a loud snap was heard and the guy tossed the tube straight up in the air. Dad says everyone hit the dirt like a grenade was tossed, but I think he was just reliving his war years.. Anyway, the guy caught the tube basket style that would have done Willie Mays proud and a tragedy of unimaginable proportions was avoided.

John

We can all share our stories in any applicable thread. I ALWAYS think about this when I handle a bare CRT! Zap and bang stories like this are endless, so keep them coming!

[JohnCT]

Originally Posted by DavGoodlin

We can all share our stories in any applicable thread. I ALWAYS think about this when I handle a bare CRT! Zap and bang stories like this are endless, so keep them coming!

I have to pace myself Dave! I grew up in the business and could write a significantly sized book of stories from the trenches, but I'd like to contain myself to one every month or two. Certain threads will ping a long buried memory. Some day, someone will comment on constantly blowing fuses and I have a beauty ready to go..

John

[Jon1967us]

This TV does have a fuse, right after the AC interlock. It lists it at 1 6/10 Amp. I'm thinking of putting a thermistor after it.

Ok now you can go ahead with your fuse story...

[JohnCT]

Originally Posted by Jon1967us

This TV does have a fuse, right after the AC interlock. It lists it at 1 6/10 Amp. I'm thinking of putting a thermistor after it.

Ok now you can go ahead with your fuse story...

Rat.

Okay, this took place in the early 80s on a Zenith System 3 (which doesn't really fit this section). I was on a house call when I found the 4A slow blow fuse blown on the 9-160 power/sweep/HV module. Zenith guys know that when the 160 had a blown fuse, you swapped the module out - changing the fuse was a waste of time.

Meanwhile, the customer is all over my shoulder saying it must be the fuse - that's all it needs. I told him that a blown fuse in this board meant problems, but he wasn't convinced, so I found the biggest fuse I could find in my tool box which was an 8 amp IIRC.

I snapped the fuse in the holder, plugged the TV in, and had the customer get down near the fuse and keep a *real* close eye on it so he could tell me if it blew. I walked around the front of the TV and pushed the power button. I could hear the telltale soft pop of a blown fuse and the silhouette of the guy against the wall for a split second.

I asked him if the fuse blew. He came out from behind the TV wide-eyed. I'm sure he saw that flash every time he blinked for the next half hour.

He didn't question the replacement 9-160 board after that.

John