[BC] miswiring adventures

[Jeff Johnson]

Yes, this book and the later companion by Rhodes concerning the H bomb are 
fascinating. I am now reading "Reminiscences of Los Alamos" edited by 
Lawrence Badash. It was published in 1980 and is a compendium of personal 
reflections by those who were 'there'. The essay by Richard Feynman is 
great fun!

It was the changing of the connectors during final assembly on the Trinity 
(or was it the Nagasaki?) bomb that was the ultimate in 'hot' wiring! I 
thought relocating electrical service entrance meters while hot was a 
daunting 'be careful' task!! You would be stripped of everything including 
your electrons. The anticipated Rapture cannot compare.

Jeff.Johnson at rfproof.com

At 02:37 PM 2/3/2010, Chuck Lakaytis wrote:

>And if you want the ultimate OOOPS read Richard Rhodes The Making of the
>Atomic Bomb.  The plutonium bomb used on Nagasaki was being prepped in
>the assembly hanger.  There was a very complicated wiring harness used
>to attach all the explosive charges of the symmetrical exploders.
>Someone noticed that the male and female connectors were at the wrong
>end of the cable!  The cable was routed in such a way that it would have
>taken at least a day to remove and rerun the cable.  So one of the
>physicists along with an enlisted tech, against regulations  (NO HEAT NO
>OPEN FLAMES) said a sign in the room, unsoldered the connectors and then
>resoldered them to the correct ends of the cable.
>
>By the way that book is a wonderful read.
>
>--
>Chuck Lakaytis
>Director of Engineering, Alaska Public Broadcasting
>135 Cordova Street, Anchorage, AK 99501
>office   907-277-6300