[R-390] Ham Shack Grounding Help!!!!

[Roy Morgan]

At 10:34 PM 6/20/02 -0700, Dan Merz wrote:
>Roy/Kim,  I can agree with the 60 v normal when there's no grounded outlet -


The capacitors are NOT "Leaking".  They are simply passing a small AC 
current because they are ... (guess what?)  capacitors!  The line filter 
capacitors form a voltage divider to establish half the line voltage on the 
chassis if the chassis is not grounded.

>  pretty modern wiring in my home but one day not too long ago discovered  60
>volts chassis to ground  ...there was no ground coming to the 3
>prong outlet or to any of the several other outlets on the same circuit - 
>easily
>detected by plugging in one of the circuit checker gadgets -

Hear, Hear!  for that cheap circuit checker.. No home should be without 
one!  No one should fail to use it.

>  I feel safer now.

You ARE safer  now.. good for you ( and your would-be heirs.)

>I guess if  one of those caps( the one on the hot
>side)   that put the 60 v on the chassis happens to short,  I'll now be 
>saved by
>my circuit breaker or radio fuse rather than taking the potentially lethal
>current myself if I happen to be grounded.

The R-390A line filter contains two bypass caps from each line to 
chassis.  The R-390 (Non-A) filter has, I think, three from each line to 
chassis. In both cases the bypass capacitors are PRIOR to the radio line 
fuse(es).  You can get full house circuit current from the chassis if the 
capacitor shorts.

Most of us are to some degree "grounded" all the time.

Before I step off this soap box, just one more thing:

Do not ever, repeat do not every use a fused line cord plug for any reason. 
It can kill you.

Roy

- Roy Morgan, K1LKY since 1959 - Keep 'em Glowing!
7130 Panorama Drive, Derwood MD 20855
Home: 301-330-8828 Work: Voice: 301-975-3254,  Fax: 301-948-6213
roy.morgan@nist.gov --