3 Jun
1998
3 Jun
'98
6:43 a.m.
I have wanted to ask this for a while. What is the
actual risk of me
blowing myself up if I service a machine with a built-in monitor?
An example is the Mac SE. Is there any risk involved (as long as I
don't short capacitors with my fingers) in taking it apart? What are
the parts I should watch out for? How long do they hold a charge?
Could I discharge them?
Good! Worst thing is:
Mains line (KILLS if you connected across your heart), everybody is
full of highly conductive liquid with thin insulating semi dry
skin! So old rule: stand on dry floor and put everything metallic
away from a suspected powered or still charged unit until safely
powered off and safely discharged. And charged tubes too, sometime
it makes you jump 10' away and possible nasty injury from htting
something sharp. Otherwise if you're not zapped, you might burn out
electronics by that powerful charge out of that tube.
Have your friendly electronics guy begged in who knows inside those
monitors to show you how to safe them first and teach you to be
careful and safely work with around them. Also that guy will show
you how or ask that guy to make these needed equipment just for
discharging filter caps and tubes.
When you're working in main powered electronics with covers off (ie
monitors, PSU box cracked open etc...) Always disconnect the mains
plug and in plain sight and check large caps are discharged.
Try to do repair much as you can without power juice and close up
first. Can be very annoying sometimes.
Jason D.
email: jpero(a)cgo.wave.ca
Pero, Jason D.