[Coco] Re: Ouch!

[Gene Heskett]

On Friday 19 December 2003 00:55, KnudsenMJ at aol.com wrote:
>In a message dated 12/18/03 2:50:55 PM Eastern Standard Time,
>
>gene.heskett at verizon.net writes:
>> I only have 2 squawks about the old GE. The 4-1000 tubes it needs
>> 4 of are discontinued and we'll have to redesign it for something
>> else eventually, and its not 100% mouse and snake proof.  Major
>> blowups have been caused by that.  Most stations figure on 2
>> finals a year.  I'm doing something right I figure. :-)  Plus this
>> is "big iron" running at half throttle so it just cruises along.
>
>Having been given (by Gene) a guided tour of this magnificent
> machine, I can attest to its classic design and ruggedness.  Gene
> even showed me where he found the wrinkled up piece of blackened
> snakeskin.    I wonder if modern transmitters are specifically
> designed to keep out creepy critters.  --Mike K.

Yes and no Mike.  While they will often have only a few conduit 
knockouts for cable access instead of openings into floor trenches 
for wireing access, it still only takes one open knockout to let them 
in.  Or one faulty air duct install since these things require 
prodigious amounts of cooling air.  The blower above the radiator in 
the back room that you couldn't see is two double sided torrington 
style wheels, 14" in diameter and 12" wide each, with a 15 horse 
motor turning them about 3000 rpm.  We were trying to send some of 
that air back into the building for heating, and many sites do it, 
but since the aural was retired, the airs not warm enough to do any 
great amount of heating with it now.

Oh, and you're being kind in your description.  In reality, its a junk 
yard.  But I know every scratch on every part in that junkyard.  It 
may even have been me that put those scratches there.  We keep a 
masking tape X on the front of one cubicle most of the time, its the 
place to whap it with a rubber hammer if the video gets noisey in the 
middle of the day.  There is a loose connection someplace around that 
tube type 832's stage that I haven't found in 3 complete shelf 
removals to inspect it.  Its all solidly soldered, or tightly bolted.  
And its been doing it for 19 years that I know of.  Like I said, its 
a junk yard.  A prettty dependable junkyard, but still...  :-)

-- 
Cheers, Gene
AMD K6-III at 500mhz 320M
Athlon1600XP at 1400mhz  512M
99.22% setiathome rank, not too shabby for a WV hillbilly
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Copyright 2003 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.