Central heating continuously runs

You may be remembering the chassis tube location diagrams that were glued inside the cabinets of most sets. Very handy since many tubes required some physical contortion on the tech's part just to reach them in an inaccessible part of the cabinet (when in the customers home). Also they gave the tube type (6AU6, 6V6, ect) by which you could locate and swap the tubes you suspected of causing the problem.

Further a schematic *glued* inside a cabinet would be of little use in the shop since after removing the chassis it was put on the bench to work on and the cabinet was stored in the back of the shop.

But I can only speak for my 50's experience. Your 70's experience may very well be a YMMV.

As an aside I occasionally lost some skin when trying to reach an inaccessible tube and getting my arm too close to the picture tube's high voltage wire. Getting zapped was uncomfortable, but worse it caused my arm to involuntarily jerk back and often (with my luck) it connected with a sharp protrusion of the chassis on the way out.

In the middle 60s I worked testing newly manufactured GE mainframes. You would have thought board testing would have caught all board problems but often when a machine had a problem it was caused by a (new) bad board. So board swapping was a still valid troubleshooting method even when testing at the new system level.

Reply to
AaronL
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The waters are even more treacherous when looking for a tech to hire and train for an employee.

Reply to
Steve

C'mon, Steve. I keep telling you I didn't steal all that stuff.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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The waters are even more treacherous when looking for a tech to hire and train for an employee.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Company I co-founded in 2004 built an ASIC (distributed node controller). A very complicated part. When we got the first (untested) samples from the fab, we plugged one into a test board and ... nothing. I would have spent hours trying to figure out why it wasn't working, but the ASIC architect just swapped it for the next one in the tray and it came right up. We never did find a bug in the part that required a re-spin or metal layer change by the fab.

scott

Reply to
Scott Lurndal

I am not sure, but I think the flamethrower was invented by screw ups trying to fix something. Or maybe it was the Hand Grenade!

Reply to
PaxPerPoten

Howard Sam's made full schematics and parts list along with layouts of every TV made in those days. In later years you could buy each years sets on Cd or DVD.

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Reply to
PaxPerPoten

Only when you are trying to shark HVAC companies for a cheap or a free fix. If all these companies were crooked...They would be put out of business for lack of Bonding. I for one am damned tired of working my ass off and then seeing some dipshit here pissing on our industry.

Reply to
PaxPerPoten

For a fact!

Reply to
PaxPerPoten

Just some of it! ;=p

Reply to
PaxPerPoten

Certainly no sharking going on at this end. In my 3 years of home ownership and 3 HVAC calls, I promise you that I have never been given a cheap or free fix. And frankly, I never expected one.

If all these companies were crooked...They would be put out of

I'm not doing that, maybe it's just trickling down? I think it's fair to say that the industry will reap what it sows. I sense a greater need for regulation, and I'm rather conservative. I bought a new multi-meter (/capacitor tester) today.

Reply to
Bill

So you bought a new meter to check capacitors.... that was a real good use of your time and money... The cost of a decent meter that you *might* need tocheck a $20 capacitor... is as much as the cost of a service call and capacitor replacement. I am missing the part where you are saving anything here.

Reply to
Steve

The unit, Sperry DM6450 - 9 function, was on sale for $45 at Menards. An AC service call is $89, and my last capacitor (installed) cost $280. I thought we (almost) agreed that 10P was the absolute minimum! : ) And, having my own unit, I won't even need to wait two days for someone to check it. You think this is a poor investment of time and money? It was only 2 miles to the store, so for the dollar value of my time, it makes sense for me maybe not for you.

As someone who enjoys using his hands, I'm sure I'll find other uses for the multimeter too. It's a nice improvement from the Radio Shack cheapie I bought for myself for about $8 in 1978, which eats batteries as long as you leave them in. I'm sure I'll also learn something from the new tool as I experiment with it as I'm interested in electronics.

As far as the "might need" part, as you may have pointed out, it's really just a matter of "when". If I could start over with my $280 capacitor, I would handle it differently. Live and learn. $280 capacitors are fine for people who can afford them I guess. At this point, I don't see how a homeowner can afford not to be able to check a capacitor on his or her own. As you have said, the cooling unit is the most expensive appliance in the house. Last week I suggested to a friend to check his (dual) capacitor, and he was able to repair his AC unit for $17.50. THAT was actually the tipping point which made me decide to own a better multimeter. I'm a "tool guy" anyway so $45 is not a huge amount of money to me for a good tool. I paid almost as much for a torque wrench which doesn't see much duty, and twice as much for a Starrett combination square, and I have no regrets. But I see the potential of paying $280 a second time for a bad capacitor as just a waste of a tech's valuable time. I can't even make myself pay $185 for a Veritas router plane, and I really would like one of those! : )

It actually probably makes sense for many people (those that won't hurt themselves) to have extra capacitors (one for the fan motor and one for the compressor motor) on the shelf and ready to go--don't you think? Together they would cost less than a tank of gas, and they they would have very little down time when a capacitor goes bad. It seems like cheap insurance. If they buy the multimeter ($45) and both capacitors (for say $35) and ever use either capacitor then they would come out $200 ahead, and still have a multimeter and a capacitor on hand! Are you still sticking with your hyperbole about my use of time and money? : ) I know how to use a torch too, but I'm not going there today...lol.

Cheers, Bill

Reply to
Bill

I said a *DECENT* meter.... Fluke and UEI meters that are capacitance capable, run around $250 a copy. If your dual-run capacitor goes bad, and you replace it with a good quality

440v one, not the cheapest chinese POS you can find, you should never have to worry with it again.

You just continue on your merry little way...

Reply to
Steve

I'm curious what $45 meter checks capacitance. Maybe one from HF?

If you take out a 370 volt cap, and put in a 440 volt cap, the increased voltage will fry electrical equipment. (OK, have fun with that, it's my early Christmas present to you.)

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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I said a *DECENT* meter.... Fluke and UEI meters that are capacitance capable, run around $250 a copy. If your dual-run capacitor goes bad, and you replace it with a good quality

440v one, not the cheapest chinese POS you can find, you should never have to worry with it again.

You just continue on your merry little way...

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

All through school, I was the kid who was teased and picked on. For me, it's natural to deliberately write stupid things now and again, and get the predictable reaction. It's what I grew up with.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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H.I.S.I., pronounced (hissy) stands for Humor Irony Sarcasm Impairment and folks suffering from that disease often fail to grok the humor of the statements of others and situations where someone is pulling your leg. The suffers of the malady often have HISI fits and respond with great indignation when they fail to see the humor in many situations. ^_^

TDD

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Interesting that you would admit that. Strange that you wouldn't try to grow out of it, it's long past time.

You could start by actually listening to people when they ask you to stop top posting.

Reply to
Dan Espen

I wrote: Sperry DM-6450 - 9 function It was regularly $55 at Menards.

Reply to
Bill

You think the Sperry DM-6450 can't check a $20 capacitor properly?

Fluke and UEI meters that are capacitance

What you do you mean by that? I've been coming here regularly for 3 months. What's your problem?

Reply to
Bill

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Reply to
Bill

I guess a politican could encourage list writers to refer the matter to a COMPETENT, LICENSED politician to take care of it?

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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What does he do so well; should he be in politics?

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

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