I just diagnosed a failed GN-58A, which had a shorted capacitor on the +500V output of the generator.

This happened during a living history demonstration last weekend, the latest of many, many, many that this particular GN-58A has been through. 

Anyway, when it failed, a private was cranking it way too fast, and so my question from those with real experience using the GN-58: is this something you’ve seen before?   

I’m just trying to decide is it a matter of old caps, or too much cranking?    

This GN58A has the latest regulator, which doesn’t seem to have any methodology for over-voltage protection, in the sense that the original GN-58 had, with the original pulse-width-modulated regulator, which could just about completely ground out the field if the voltage was too high.  No, I haven’t done a test to see how high I can get the voltage by over-cranking it with the late-style regulator.  Yes, it’s temping, but I don’t want to have to repair it again just yet.

And yes, some privates just don’t learn without pushups.

Garret

W8BUG