RHF wrote:
On Dec 12, 12:03 pm, Billy Burpelson wrote:
Mike wrote:
Just thought I'd mention a project that I'm a part of. Here, at the
college where I teach, we've purchased several old Hallicrafter S-38s
off of eBay for our beginning Electronic Engineering students to get
some hands-on experience with communication electronics.
CAUTION! ---- SHOCK HAZARD!!!!!

You may or may not be familiar with the following:

The S-38s are basically 5 tube 'All American Five' radios that do not
have power transformers, but rather have one side of the AC line tied to
the chassis.

To add insult to injury, these radios have a METAL cabinet.

The only thing between the students receiving a severe (or fatal)
electrical shock is the 50 year old (read dry and crumbly) rubber
washers that Hallicrafters used between the chassis and metal cabinet.

If you've not replaced these washers or put on a polarized line plug
(and checked for correct polarity on the wall socket), you have a
potentially large liability problem on your hands.

Great idea, but bad choice of receiver (IMHO)...

BP - The Voice of Experience Speaks . . .
ZAP ! - Ouch That Hurt ;-{ ~ RHF
.
I burned a nasty hole in my "Electronics Technology" metal workbench at
PU with an S-38.

Isn't there an "A" variation with a proper transformer?