Thanks for all the replies to my magnetic switch query. I finally got time
to completely disassemble it clean everything, ck continuity and file the
contacts. I found no shorts, bad wires or burnt terminals...also it was
mostly clean to start with. I reassembled and it works properly and
repeatedly. I must of chased the gremlin out ...he's probably setting up
shop in some other piece of equipment now... oh well onto cleaning up the
38"x 73 1/4" cast iron top and wing.

Thanks

Andrew

AndrewV wrote:

Thanks for all the replies to my magnetic switch query. I finally got time
to completely disassemble it clean everything, ck continuity and file the
contacts. I found no shorts, bad wires or burnt terminals...also it was
mostly clean to start with. I reassembled and it works properly and
repeatedly. I must of chased the gremlin out ...he's probably setting up
shop in some other piece of equipment now... oh well onto cleaning up the
38"x 73 1/4" cast iron top and wing.

In other words, you took it apart, looked at it, and put it back together and it
works? It's great when it works like that, isn't it! - GWE

Yep! Sorta like all the computer problems that are fixed by a simple reset.
Oh wait! Let me share a strange PC problem with you. Ever since I got a
new joy stick that has lights, etc. and is powered by a plug-in converter,
(DC of course) strange things sometimes happen with my mouse. The mouse
will begin to skip and finally lock up randomly and intermittently. The
mouse cable and the joy stick cables ran parallel, sort of, going the same
route through a hole in my PC desk back to the PC.

At first, the mouse would do the lockup thing fairly frequently but only
when the joy stick was removed from the desk top. The joy stick was set up
for easy removal by break-away connectors mounted inside the keyboard
drawer. This meant the cables were still running parallel but that the joy
stick power cable was lying open, with DC on it. Next, I rerouted the mouse
cable so that it no longer ran parallel with the joy stick cables, except
where they all plugged into the PC. Problem solved - or at least I though
it was. Sometimes, but rarely, the mouse will still skip. It is easy to
fix now - just grab the mouse cable and give it a few shakes.

My take on it is: There is an electrostatic event between the mouse cable,
its insulation, and the open, but powered DC joy stick cable. I am guessing
the mouse is being held "high" by a gradual build-up of a capacitive charge
between the DC and the mouse's cable insulation.

Any comments, guesses, etc?

Bob Swinney


Bob Swinney
"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...
AndrewV wrote:

Thanks for all the replies to my magnetic switch query. I finally got
time to completely disassemble it clean everything, ck continuity and
file the contacts. I found no shorts, bad wires or burnt
terminals...also it was mostly clean to start with. I reassembled and it
works properly and repeatedly. I must of chased the gremlin out ...he's
probably setting up shop in some other piece of equipment now... oh well
onto cleaning up the 38"x 73 1/4" cast iron top and wing.

In other words, you took it apart, looked at it, and put it back together
and it works? It's great when it works like that, isn't it! - GWE

Try moving one to a completely different serial port somewhere as far as
possible from the other one on the back of your PC, and route the wires
differently. If your theory is correct, the problem should go away. Remember,
coupling is basic electromagnetics -- varies as 1/x**3 ..

GWE

Robert Swinney wrote:

Yep! Sorta like all the computer problems that are fixed by a simple reset.
Oh wait! Let me share a strange PC problem with you. Ever since I got a
new joy stick that has lights, etc. and is powered by a plug-in converter,
(DC of course) strange things sometimes happen with my mouse. The mouse
will begin to skip and finally lock up randomly and intermittently. The
mouse cable and the joy stick cables ran parallel, sort of, going the same
route through a hole in my PC desk back to the PC.

At first, the mouse would do the lockup thing fairly frequently but only
when the joy stick was removed from the desk top. The joy stick was set up
for easy removal by break-away connectors mounted inside the keyboard
drawer. This meant the cables were still running parallel but that the joy
stick power cable was lying open, with DC on it. Next, I rerouted the mouse
cable so that it no longer ran parallel with the joy stick cables, except
where they all plugged into the PC. Problem solved - or at least I though
it was. Sometimes, but rarely, the mouse will still skip. It is easy to
fix now - just grab the mouse cable and give it a few shakes.

My take on it is: There is an electrostatic event between the mouse cable,
its insulation, and the open, but powered DC joy stick cable. I am guessing
the mouse is being held "high" by a gradual build-up of a capacitive charge
between the DC and the mouse's cable insulation.

Any comments, guesses, etc?

Bob Swinney


Bob Swinney
"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...

AndrewV wrote:


Thanks for all the replies to my magnetic switch query. I finally got
time to completely disassemble it clean everything, ck continuity and
file the contacts. I found no shorts, bad wires or burnt
terminals...also it was mostly clean to start with. I reassembled and it
works properly and repeatedly. I must of chased the gremlin out ...he's
probably setting up shop in some other piece of equipment now... oh well
onto cleaning up the 38"x 73 1/4" cast iron top and wing.

In other words, you took it apart, looked at it, and put it back together
and it works? It's great when it works like that, isn't it! - GWE

Thanks, Grant -- but the joy stick is USB (I could move it) and the mouse is
plugged into the only mouse port on the PC.

Bob Swinney

"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...
Try moving one to a completely different serial port somewhere as far as
possible from the other one on the back of your PC, and route the wires
differently. If your theory is correct, the problem should go away.
Remember, coupling is basic electromagnetics -- varies as 1/x**3 ..

GWE

Robert Swinney wrote:

Yep! Sorta like all the computer problems that are fixed by a simple
reset. Oh wait! Let me share a strange PC problem with you. Ever since
I got a new joy stick that has lights, etc. and is powered by a plug-in
converter, (DC of course) strange things sometimes happen with my mouse.
The mouse will begin to skip and finally lock up randomly and
intermittently. The mouse cable and the joy stick cables ran parallel,
sort of, going the same route through a hole in my PC desk back to the
PC.

At first, the mouse would do the lockup thing fairly frequently but only
when the joy stick was removed from the desk top. The joy stick was set
up for easy removal by break-away connectors mounted inside the keyboard
drawer. This meant the cables were still running parallel but that the
joy stick power cable was lying open, with DC on it. Next, I rerouted
the mouse cable so that it no longer ran parallel with the joy stick
cables, except where they all plugged into the PC. Problem solved - or
at least I though it was. Sometimes, but rarely, the mouse will still
skip. It is easy to fix now - just grab the mouse cable and give it a
few shakes.

My take on it is: There is an electrostatic event between the mouse
cable, its insulation, and the open, but powered DC joy stick cable. I
am guessing the mouse is being held "high" by a gradual build-up of a
capacitive charge between the DC and the mouse's cable insulation.

Any comments, guesses, etc?

Bob Swinney


Bob Swinney
"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...

AndrewV wrote:


Thanks for all the replies to my magnetic switch query. I finally got
time to completely disassemble it clean everything, ck continuity and
file the contacts. I found no shorts, bad wires or burnt
terminals...also it was mostly clean to start with. I reassembled and it
works properly and repeatedly. I must of chased the gremlin out ...he's
probably setting up shop in some other piece of equipment now... oh well
onto cleaning up the 38"x 73 1/4" cast iron top and wing.

In other words, you took it apart, looked at it, and put it back together
and it works? It's great when it works like that, isn't it! - GWE

Thanks, Grant -- but the joy stick is USB (I could move it) and the mouse is
plugged into the only mouse port on the PC.

Bob Swinney

"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...
Try moving one to a completely different serial port somewhere as far as
possible from the other one on the back of your PC, and route the wires
differently. If your theory is correct, the problem should go away.
Remember, coupling is basic electromagnetics -- varies as 1/x**3 ..

GWE

Robert Swinney wrote:

Yep! Sorta like all the computer problems that are fixed by a simple
reset. Oh wait! Let me share a strange PC problem with you. Ever since
I got a new joy stick that has lights, etc. and is powered by a plug-in
converter, (DC of course) strange things sometimes happen with my mouse.
The mouse will begin to skip and finally lock up randomly and
intermittently. The mouse cable and the joy stick cables ran parallel,
sort of, going the same route through a hole in my PC desk back to the
PC.

At first, the mouse would do the lockup thing fairly frequently but only
when the joy stick was removed from the desk top. The joy stick was set
up for easy removal by break-away connectors mounted inside the keyboard
drawer. This meant the cables were still running parallel but that the
joy stick power cable was lying open, with DC on it. Next, I rerouted
the mouse cable so that it no longer ran parallel with the joy stick
cables, except where they all plugged into the PC. Problem solved - or
at least I though it was. Sometimes, but rarely, the mouse will still
skip. It is easy to fix now - just grab the mouse cable and give it a
few shakes.

My take on it is: There is an electrostatic event between the mouse
cable, its insulation, and the open, but powered DC joy stick cable. I
am guessing the mouse is being held "high" by a gradual build-up of a
capacitive charge between the DC and the mouse's cable insulation.

Any comments, guesses, etc?

Bob Swinney


Bob Swinney
"Grant Erwin" wrote in message
...

AndrewV wrote:


Thanks for all the replies to my magnetic switch query. I finally got
time to completely disassemble it clean everything, ck continuity and
file the contacts. I found no shorts, bad wires or burnt
terminals...also it was mostly clean to start with. I reassembled and it
works properly and repeatedly. I must of chased the gremlin out ...he's
probably setting up shop in some other piece of equipment now... oh well
onto cleaning up the 38"x 73 1/4" cast iron top and wing.

In other words, you took it apart, looked at it, and put it back together
and it works? It's great when it works like that, isn't it! - GWE



Bob,
Just for giggles, why don't you try wrapping the DC power line with
aluminum foil (from the better half's department) and grounding it to
the computer case.
Ken.