Michael A. Terrell wrote:
The Daring Dufas wrote:
Michael A. Terrell wrote:
The Daring Dufas wrote:
David Brodbeck wrote:
Stormin Mormon wrote:
And, and also learned the Jesus Method of finding out which breaker
connects to a certain electrical outlet. requiring a six or so inch
length of 12 or 14 gage wire, with about an inch of each end stripped.
Often with the ends gently pounded flat.
I used to fly sailplanes. Because these non-powered aircraft sometimes
land away from the airport, they're designed to be broken down into
pieces so they can be loaded on a trailer. Part of every preflight
inspection was examining the removable pins that held the wings on,
which everyone referred to as "Jesus pins."
As a broadcast engineer working around large tube type transmitters,
one has to be mindful of residual high voltage in the equipment.
There is always an insulated pole with a metal hook and grounding
conductor attached that is used to discharge any dangerous stray
current. It's called a "Jesus Stick". The things can also be seen
hanging around any high voltage equipment facilities.
I worked in brodcasting for decades and never heard it called that.
Also, I only saw them in small transmitters. I've been inside some big
transmitters, including the 500KW WLW transmitter. The only TV
transmitter I saw with a shorting stick was 500 watts. The 195 KW UHF
transmitters would either vaporize a shorting stick, or destroy the HV
supply.
Have you ever been inside one of the Harris solid state AAM
transmitters with a high current 300 volt DC power supply? It will kill
you just as fast as any tube transmitter.
NO EXCREMENT?! I was out in the Marshall Islands 20 years ago and
got to explore the old phased array radar installation on Meck
island at the Kwajalein Atoll. I think it had two power supplies
at one time but there was one left in what was called the Frankenstein
room, an incredible contraption that looked like the set of a monster
movie. I wish I still had pictures, darn. There were Jesus sticks
hanging all over that place. You did notice that I wrote "stray
current"? You probably got into the field after the advent of
Affirmative Action when dangerous items had to be hidden away from
quota hires because of the death and destruction they were capable
of. "Hey, what's this big red thing for?" Here's a picture of the
outside of the building, I wish I had a picture of the interior.
http://www.smdc.army.mil/smdcphoto_g...MeckIsland.jpg
I saw the first in the late '60s.
If you want to see an impressive power supply, visit WLW in
Cincinnati, Ohio. The transmitter has multiple, large plate
transformers to supply the transmitter.
We had a pair of 2 MW Westinghouse RADAR systems at Ft Rucker in the
early '70s across the hall from the Weathervision office. A lot of
transmitters drop the plate relays when any interlock trips. It shuts
down the incoming AC line to the HV power supply, which is quickly
dissipated through the final tube or tubes. Permanent sets of bleeder
resistors keep the dielectric from recovering any voltage
There was nothing Affirmative Action at the stations i worked at.
The TV transmitters at the AFRTS station I worked at was six feet from
the control console, the processing racks directly behind the operator,
and the film chain was next to the proc racks. No video tape and all in
beautiful B&W.
Several radio stations had the transmitter in the control room, from
the days when someone with a FCC ticket was required to be there while
they were on the air. The only TV transmitter that was in a separate
room was at the WACX transmitter site in Orange City. That wasn't to
keep people away, but for the noise and cooling requirements. The small
service area was in a room off the transmitter room, where you could
barely hear what you were working on. That was a mid '80s Comark with
three 65 KW Klystrons. I don't know if they modified it for DTV, or
replaced it, since I haven't been to that site in 20 years.
One station I consulted with has their transmitter in the hallway
leading to the studios. An old 5 KW Gates, from the '50s. A couple
relay racks next to it hold the antenna and power controls for day &
night power and pattern controls. A real outdated mess, but like many
small stations, the owners believe that they can't afford to replace it.
Did being that close to them make you sterile? *snicker*
I knew this one freak who bragged about aiming his radar
dish at the passing natives when he was in Nam. His goal
was to cook their gonads. I wish I had been able to get
into the deep space tracking radar when I was out at the
missile range back in 88. One of the guys told me that it
used a TWT setup and ran at upwards of 8 megawatts on VHF.
When there was a mission going on, we were prohibited
from using the VHF marine radio on the crew boat. It was
amazing to see that huge dish move. I found a pictu
http://tinyurl.com/ybqbbz4
If you zoom in on the right side of this image you can see
the big dish from a satellite:
http://www.satellite-sightseer.com/id/12134
Geez! I wish I could get back out there, I loved it. It
was an amazing place.
TDD