On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 02:03:02 +0000 (UTC),
wrote:
A lot of things are banned on subs because

Hi Jim,

I've been in charge of EVERY piece of electronic equipment located on
a Boomer or Fast Attack - Mercury is not a "lot of things."

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Richard Clark wrote:
On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 02:03:02 +0000 (UTC),
wrote:
A lot of things are banned on subs because

Hi Jim,

I've been in charge of EVERY piece of electronic equipment located on
a Boomer or Fast Attack - Mercury is not a "lot of things."

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC

Well, dooh...

So are you saying there are no restrictions on ANY materials used in or
brought aboard a sub other than those containing mercury?

--
Jim Pennino

Remove -spam-sux to reply.

wrote in message
...
Richard Clark wrote:
....


...mercury wetted (reed) relay ...


Can you say that five times FAST ?

wrote in message
...
Richard Clark wrote:
....


mercury wetted (reed) relay in the house.

Can you say that five times FAST?

None of this means you should get your panties in a wad because there is
a mercury wetted relay in the house.

In the mid 80s I was involved in the start up of a 100KW photovoltaic
demonstration project. I worked for an electric utility, and they wanted to
show how great amorphous silicon solar cells were, so they could manufacture
and sell them.
The PV array was capable of 300VDC at around 350 amps at high noon on the 4th
of July in the deep south. The array fed 4 25KW inverters which converted all
that DC into 480 VAC 60HZ which was put on the power grid.
The interrupters, or circuit breakers to the inverters were Mercury wetted
contactors. The guy that designed the inverters used the AC interrupting
rating of the contactors. The PV array was capable of more than double the DC
interrupting rating of the contactors resulting in 4 exploded Mercury wetted
contactors. The inverters had problems which resulted in full load rejection
during start up.
Well, the exploded contactors produced an abundance of mercury vapor as well
as little blobs of the stuff all over the floor in the inverter building. This
just about closed down the whole 1.4 million project, because a lot of folks
got their panties in a wad. As for me, I went around sucking it up with a
suction tube, putting it in a bottle for future use in antenna projects.
73 Gary N4AST

Richard Clark wrote:

SNIP

Another point of toxicity. Because the nuclear "Boomers" contained a
closed loop environmental system, ALL such batteries were banned from
the boat irrespective of their need in ANY equipment. We had to make
do with substitutes and jury rig our own holders or means to provide a
voltage for key equipment that would work fine on surface craft.


SNIP

As an Aerospace Design Engineer [1964 - 1986] and Major Military Systems
Chief Engineer [1986 - 1992], MERCURY was/is a prohibited material in
design. Any 'only solution' conditions had to be explicitly approved by
higher authority than the PCO [Program Contracting Officer]. This
generally was understood as SPO [Systems Program Officer ... Rank 2
stars or higher].

"Richard Clark" wrote
Another point of toxicity. Because the nuclear "Boomers" contained a
closed loop environmental system, ALL such batteries were banned from
the boat irrespective of their need in ANY equipment. We had to make
do with substitutes and jury rig our own holders or means to provide a
voltage for key equipment that would work fine on surface craft.

What are you talking about Richard? Just what kind of "jury rigging" did you
do on "your" boomer?

Jack
Launch Operations Supervisior, Weapons Power PO, QA Inspector
USS Andrew Jackson
SSBN 619 (Gold) 1983-1987

On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 19:58:17 -0400, "Jack Painter"
wrote:

"Richard Clark" wrote
Another point of toxicity. Because the nuclear "Boomers" contained a
closed loop environmental system, ALL such batteries were banned from
the boat irrespective of their need in ANY equipment. We had to make
do with substitutes and jury rig our own holders or means to provide a
voltage for key equipment that would work fine on surface craft.

What are you talking about Richard? Just what kind of "jury rigging" did you
do on "your" boomer?

Jack
Launch Operations Supervisior, Weapons Power PO, QA Inspector
USS Andrew Jackson
SSBN 619 (Gold) 1983-1987


Hi Jack,

They were ALL my Boomers (COMSUBLANT Charleston). USS Holland AS-32
Fleet Electronics Calibration Laboratory (Repair Services division).

Battery holders for test equipment that took only one particular
shaped coin cell (the mercury cells in commercial gear). They were
usually bias voltages for specialized test equipment (maybe torpedo
sonar test sets, but recollection is hazy in the particulars; coulda
been crypto gear with RAM). I am well aware that mods were frowned
on, but our shop had special dispensations from the Pope. No one
argued authority with us who wanted to ship out (and we did get our
quota of those who "just had to" lose a fight).

I do know it wasn't for the nuclear pile sensor. They hauled me outa
the rack at midnight to take over measuring at least 10 GigOhms
because all they could muster up was a reading of 20X10^9 Ohms. I was
puzzled why they needed less and they explained "their" dictionary
described Billion as a million, million. I told them that was the
british Billion but only after proving it to their Captain - the sub
wasn't going to cast off without that check item and there was a lot
of brass looking over our shoulders as I balanced the bridge. As it
was in the common passage way to Sherwood Forest, someone invariable
had to clamber past and would peg the meter for a minute or two.
After about an hour I got back to my rack. I really did like the
Diesel Boats better.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC,
ET1, HMFIC, Uncle Sam's Canoe Club, 1968-1975

"Richard Clark" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 19:58:17 -0400, "Jack Painter"
wrote:

"Richard Clark" wrote
Another point of toxicity. Because the nuclear "Boomers" contained a
closed loop environmental system, ALL such batteries were banned from
the boat irrespective of their need in ANY equipment. We had to make
do with substitutes and jury rig our own holders or means to provide a
voltage for key equipment that would work fine on surface craft.

What are you talking about Richard? Just what kind of "jury rigging" did
you
do on "your" boomer?

Jack
Launch Operations Supervisior, Weapons Power PO, QA Inspector
USS Andrew Jackson
SSBN 619 (Gold) 1983-1987


Hi Jack,

They were ALL my Boomers (COMSUBLANT Charleston). USS Holland AS-32
Fleet Electronics Calibration Laboratory (Repair Services division).

Battery holders for test equipment that took only one particular
shaped coin cell (the mercury cells in commercial gear). They were
usually bias voltages for specialized test equipment (maybe torpedo
sonar test sets, but recollection is hazy in the particulars; coulda
been crypto gear with RAM). I am well aware that mods were frowned
on, but our shop had special dispensations from the Pope. No one
argued authority with us who wanted to ship out (and we did get our
quota of those who "just had to" lose a fight).

I do know it wasn't for the nuclear pile sensor. They hauled me outa
the rack at midnight to take over measuring at least 10 GigOhms
because all they could muster up was a reading of 20X10^9 Ohms. I was
puzzled why they needed less and they explained "their" dictionary
described Billion as a million, million. I told them that was the
british Billion but only after proving it to their Captain - the sub
wasn't going to cast off without that check item and there was a lot
of brass looking over our shoulders as I balanced the bridge. As it
was in the common passage way to Sherwood Forest, someone invariable
had to clamber past and would peg the meter for a minute or two.
After about an hour I got back to my rack. I really did like the
Diesel Boats better.

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC,
ET1, HMFIC, Uncle Sam's Canoe Club, 1968-1975

Richard,

The Tender crews in Scotland hated all submariners, no exceptions. We
thought they especially hated us but I think it was universal. Maybe because
when it was time to get underway we used questionable tactics to separate
the materials we needed from the Tender's inventory w/o always using the
proper channels, shall we say. If they could've put mercury in our coffee
they would've.

73's

Jack
'slept three feet from a loaded bird and 30 feet from the teakettle.

"Henry Kolesnik" wrote in message
om...
When I was a dumb kid in the 50s we used to go into the garbage of those
hard of hearing and get their discarded hearing aid batteries to salvage
the
mercury. We got quite a bit and used it to make dimes real shiny and let
the little balls roll around in our palms.. Several years ago I started
to
wonder what this might have done to me and I did some checking. Several
dentists and a PhD metallurgist all said that the metal mercury is not
toxic
and is not absorbed but the salts of it are.

It's my understanding it is the vapor which is a problem...inhale.

--
Steve N, K,9;d, c. i My email has no u's.