# Oldtimers' Safety Laws of Building with Tubes



## Wild Bill (May 3, 2006)

I got this from a ham radio forum but the Rules are just as applicable to amps. After all, both hobbies wire up tubes, resistors, caps and such. The only difference is a radio transmitter feeds a tuning network of coils and caps into an antenna, instead of an output transformer and a speaker.

*Ten Commandments for the Radio Hobbyist ...

1. Beware of the lightning that lurketh in an undischarged capacitor lest it cause thee to be bounced upon thy buttocks in a most ungainly and painful manner.

2. Causeth thou the switch that supplieth large quantities of juice to be opened and thusly tagged, so thy days may be long in this earthly veil of tears.

3. Prove to thyself that all circuits that radiate and upon which thou workest are grounded, lest they raise thee up to high frequency potential and cause thee to radiate also.

4. Take care that thou useth the proper method when thou taketh the measure of high-voltage circuits so that thou dost not incinerate both thyself and the meter, for verily, though thou hast no account number and can be easily replaced, the meter hath one and, as a consequence, bringeth much woe unto the Supply Department.

5. Tarry thou not amongst those who deal in intentional shocks, for they are surely unbelievers and are not long for this world.

6. Take care that thou tamperest not with interlocks and safety devices, for this will incur the wrath of thy peers and bringeth the fury of the authorities down upon thy head and shoulders.

7. Workest thou not upon energized equipment, for, if thou dost, thy buddies will surely be buying beers for thy widow and consoling her in other ways not generally acceptable to thee.

8. Verily, verily, I say unto you, never service high-voltage equipment alone, for electric cooking is a slothful process and thou mightest sizzle in thine own fat for hours on end before thy Maker seeth fit to end thy misery and drag thee into His fold.

9. Trifle thou not with radioactive tubes and substances least thou commence to glow in the dark like a lightning bug, and thy wife be frustrated nightly and have no further use for thee except thy wage.

10. Commit thou to memory the works of the prophets, which are written in the books of instruction, which give the straight dope and which console thee, and thou canst not make mistakes.
Source material - Jim Berry, K7SLI.
Edited by Jerry Proc, VE3FAB*


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Verily, I thanketh thee, Wild Bill. 

Cheers

Dave


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Wild Bill said:


> 7. Workest thou not upon energized equipment, for, if thou dost, thy buddies will surely be buying beers for thy widow and consoling her in other ways not generally acceptable to thee.


hahhahaahaha, this whole list was awesome, but this one is my favourite!


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## RIFF WRATH (Jan 22, 2007)

Amen to that, brothers......


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## dcole (Oct 8, 2008)

> 7. Workest thou not upon energized equipment, for, if thou dost, thy buddies will surely be buying beers for thy widow and consoling her in other ways not generally acceptable to thee.


This one was awesome. I work with a bunch of linemen and high voltage electricians that would not want that happening to their wife, though they don't have to be dead to have that happen to them!


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