[BC] Transmitter Safety

[nakayle at gmail.com]

The RCA BTA-50H had a dangerous quirk- you'd think when the transmitter is
completely shut down and all power is off you're safe- don't bet on it.  In
the bottom of the rect cubicle were six huge 20KV oil caps.  Each cap was
connected to the 15.3-KV plate bus via thin "fuse wires".  The fuse wires
were suppose to release spring-loaded plungers to short out the cap if the
fuse-wire blew.  Fairly often we'd get brief power dips that would cause one
or two of these wires to blow.  But often the plunger wouldn't close all the
way.  The first night I worked maintenance my mentor warned me to ground
each cap as soon as I open the rect cubicle- I soon learned he wasn't
kidding- the second one I tapped with the ground stick there was a flash and
*BANG*! like a shotgun going off!  I think I had to check my pants
afterwards!  Anyway- you can bet I never forgot to ground each one these
suckers first thing after that. And whenever I replaced these fuse-wires I
kept a heavy jumper across the terminals the whole time because these things
could build back up a charge even after being discharged.

 - Nat Kayle