Actually I'd like to get my hands on some 240V incandescent bulbs just
for that purpose.

I've seen some sets use as high as 940uF for the primary cap (2X470).
This is a considerable amount of power. I used to have a 75W 130V
(long life) bulb for the purpose until it got used. I actually put it
in the manifest as parts to be ordered but it is not going to happen.

When I see a 75 watt bulb take over a second to discharge it, what
goes through my mind is, just how long would my body take to discharge
it ?

Now I see that they make the PC so that the rectifiers and jumpers can
be used for 120 or 240, in the US, Canada and Japan at least, they
double the line voltage. For Europe it appears they just rearrainge
the jumpers so it is a simple full wave bridge. They just wind up
using higher voltage lower current devices.

As it is, I have to discharge each filter in the doubler seperately,
Going across the whole 320 DC would burn it out. I think a 240V bulb
would handle it, it is not 320 VDC for long.

Actually the bulb is the best choice, but a lazy choice. It is
available and cheap. I am totally against using a screwdriver to short
out the caps, it no doubt exceeds the filters' ripple current
capacity, evidenced by the metal deposits from the spark as noted by
one poster.

Ideally we could have a constant current source with a low wattage
bulb to give a visual indication. A regular lightbulb is less
desirable because it's resistance is low when cold, thus there is a
surge. If that filament burns out right away when you connect it, you
might erroneously think the cap(s) were discharged when they were
not.

Put your solder wick on the drain output of an SMPS IC that still has
320VDC (or even 160) on it and you'll wish you wore gloves (and maybe
goggles too !).

Certain Mits RPTVs and maybe some Hitachis come to mind. There are
plenty of direct view sets also but I generally don't work on them,
except for 32" and up. But I have seen where the main cap failed
because there was no load on it. All bulged, but it wasn't a power
surge. See some places the power is "dirty". It is essentially 120 VAC
but there are spikes and all kind of ****, it is not a perfect sine
wave to say the least. In some of these sets there is no bleedoff if
the SMPS doesn't start. Therefore the spikes will take the rectified
voltage quite higher than one would suspect.

They generally don't use high speed rectifiers for the AC line, which
means they have a certain effective series inductance. Well that is an
impedance, and even though a one meg resistor might keep the voltage
from climbing, it doesn't even have that. Also, if the rectifiers
outperform their specs, you might have a bit more.

Do not be surprised if a diod outperforms it's specs. I had a case not
too long ago, another tech had a set blowing the top damper diode. It
was a recall, but like an 8 month recall. Well, somehow at the time
the top damper was replaced with a 400V diode, like a 243636 (MI35 I
think) but the application clearly calls for a 1500V device.

I didn't do it, I have no idea how it happened but the 400V diode
worked for months. Eventually the set came to me. Once this was
figured out the set and customer have been happy together ever since.

That's why, I suspect, that sometimes I don't get many answers. I am
the dogshooter. And folks I got some big ones. But I can see as one
reads my post they think "Oh yeah, he needs to......" and in the next
few lines you see I already did that.

Then at the end of the post you might be thinking "Yup, this dude is
really ****ed". That's my job, ****ed. The newest part of my job of
****ed is those Sonys, the DX1 type chassis, the XBR400s and like
that. I have had to fix enough screwups on those sets that I am now
the alpha and omega of the DX1 at the shop. And I said it. Right after
the words came out of my mouth I got this jumping off a bridge
sensation, and rightly so. But in the long run, when I don't have to
follow someone else I'll learn alot more about those sets.

I would really like to get some 240V bulbs, any ideas for a source ?
My 120V bulb disappeared shortly after the light in the hall leading
to a bathroom burnt out, and now I am thinking, if I had a 240V bulb,
that wouldn't happen.

JURB