Back in the day, 1979 or so, I was part of a microcomputer company that made S100 plugin cards. The tantalum electrolytics  we used had indistinct markings, so on the production line, we had a "smoke test" fixture that would apply power to the boards (before the chips went in), and any caps in backward would go off like a firecracker with a loud pop and bang. 

73 Chris NW6V 

On Mon, Nov 27, 2023, 12:38 Hy Chantz <chantz@well.com> wrote:
Hi OM -

Yes,  when a similar thing  happened to me I was surprised at how much orange "fluff" and batting was in it as the stuff flew around my workbench.  I also recall just about seeing the case pulse at 60 Hz before the exciting event.  Fortunately, I was uninjured, but did feel stupid!
Since then, I've only exploded one or two small Li memory back-up batteries!  :)

Your article was great; very interesting in itself and made me want to read the book.  

73 Hy W2HY



From: "D.J.J. Ring, Jr." <n1ea@arrl.net>
To: "CW Reflector" <cw@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2023 3:29:03 PM
Subject: Re: [CW] Book Review Published in "CQ Amateur Radio" October 2023        issue.

Hy,

I guess you're meaning the capacitor blew up and landed on the ceiling.

I remember that putrid smell of electrolytics when they exploded, really a stinky smell.

73
DR

On Mon, Nov 27, 2023 at 3:25 PM Hy Chantz <chantz@well.com> wrote:
Hi DR -

I wasn't "involved" with the museum, but had the good fortune to pay a visit to it during a brief stopover at the Orkney Islands.  It's a dense but  very inviting and  interesting place, and as noted in the article, is an amazing testament to what a few people can accomplish.  Their exhibits included many radios (and batteries. etc.) which I was totally unfamiliar with, including some of the "transitional" small portable tube AM/FM radios of the late 50's and very early 60's  One exhibit which "resonated" with me was a piece of a capacitor retrieved from the ceiling, during a rig refurbishment which apparently was not fully optimized.  Not noted in the article is that they offer to all visitors  a sheet with the alphabet and morse code equivalents.   

73

Hy W2HY


From: "D.J.J. Ring, Jr." <n1ea@arrl.net>
To: "CW Reflector" <cw@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Sunday, November 26, 2023 3:28:27 PM
Subject: Re: [CW] Book Review Published in "CQ Amateur Radio" October 2023        issue.

Hy,

You were involved in the Orkney Wireless Museum GB2OWM, tell us about it.

73
DR

On Mon, Nov 20, 2023 at 7:01 PM Hy Chantz <chantz@well.com> wrote:
Great review OM on what seems to be a very interesting book!

As it happens, I also had a piece in that issue (Page 54):  "Museum Quality" - a Visit to the Orkney Wireless Museum GB2OWM

73

Hy

W2HY


From: "David J. Ring, Jr." <n1ea@arrl.net>
To: "CW Reflector" <cw@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, November 17, 2023 6:39:29 PM
Subject: [CW] Book Review Published in "CQ Amateur Radio" October 2023 issue.

Book Review Published in "CQ Amateur Radio" October 2023 issue.

I included some interesting articles that I was fascinated with, and I hope you might enjoy.
See attached.

73

DR

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