5
GFIs
A ground fault interruptor is a must have in garage and basement shops with concrete floors, and
anywhere else where the floor could get wet. Install them in your work area if they are not already
installed.
A few tips
I use test leads on my meters that have optional alligator clips that can be slipped over the pointed
probe tip. If I can avoid holding a probe in my hand when checking a live circuit I do, and the clips
make this possible. The alligator clip is particularly useful for the grounded probe. Even if you must
measure several points, attaching the negative probe to the ground plane or buss lets you concen-
trate on the hot test points, which can save not only your precious hide, but help you to keep from
shorting the test point to ground from an errant slip, which is the number one way to blow under-
chassis components.
Never, I repeat, NEVER lean over live equipment or put probes in where you can't see them!
I won't go into the details of a story our friend Scott Grammer told us about an inexperienced tech
who didn't heed this warning when working on a microwave oven. Suffice it to say they cut his body
away from the still smoldering equipment an hour later.
Also it is a very good practice to only work on high voltage equipment when someone else is pre-
sent, in case you are accidentally hurt. This can be tough for some of us - all the more reason to
practice meticulous safety habits.
Wear safety glasses. I always wore safety glasses when using power tools, but never when solder-
ing. A hot blob of solder in the eye, from an uncooperative desoldered joint, cured me of that right
quick.
Don't forget that capacitors can still pack a wallop, even if the equipment is switched off. Practice the
habit of bleeding the charge from power supply filter capacitors using a 10Kohm or so resistor with a
clip lead attached to each end. Attach one lead to the + terminal of the cap, the other to the - termi-
nal, and leave it on for a few seconds. Better yet, permanently install 270Kohm or so bleeder resis-
tors from + to - across each filter capacitor like we have in our kits. They won't affect peformance,
but will save you the hassle of manually bleeding the filter caps.
Well, there's some very basic safety techniques. Tube gear is fabulous, but like all great things, it
commands a high level of respect.
Doc B.
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