Mains safety, was: Setting up a VAXstation

There is 'something to measure', namely the voltage on the mains wiring :-) More seriously, I see no reason why a voltmeter (analuge, digital, whatever), used correctly -- test a known live point, test the wiring you want to work on, test a known live point again -- is any less safe than any other method of determining that wiring is dead. So? Please rememebr that somebody doing something becuase they enjoy doing it doesn't necessarily do a worse job that somebody who's paid to do it. I've seen many dangerous bits of wiring done by so-called 'professionals'... I don't see why those are better than a voltmeter. An aside : Back in the 1960s there were many live-chassis valve radios over here. Seires stringh heaters (normally 0.1A current) and half-wave rectification to get the HT+ line. WHich meant the chassis of the radio was connected to one side of the mains. Now to repair those yoy were _supposed_ to use an isolating transformer. But most of the time you just made sure the chassis was connected to the neutral side of the mains and carried on. One way to do that was to use a neon-tester screwdriver and to rever the mains plug unti it didn't light up. A not-funny joke to play on he enwie was to convince him that if he took the screewderiver apart and turned the neon round, it would then light up on the _dead_ chassis [Note for anyone not-too-clureful reading this : Whichever way round the neon is, it'll light on the live chassis and be dark o nthe neutral-connected one. The resutl of this 'joke' was that the newbie got thrown across the room -- or worse -- by the full mains voltage when he touched the chassis] Equally, if you see a breaker/main switch that's off _do not turn it on_ unless you are sure there's noe working on the circuit. But you can't rely on that, so of course you tag/lockout the switch too. -tony