RE: [Repeater-Builder] Re: RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire Hazards
Last month one the workers and I were inside a local shopping centre planning additions to the fibre and telephone when we found some cable ( power) just thrown in the dust above a vacant shop , live single phase 240 15 amp cable resting inside a steel roof truss covered with dust , happily I had my voltage pen with me so no harm but when the matter was broached with the manager he attempted to ignore it with a dismissive... He wont do that again :) The alarming thing was it was neutral and active reversed and had nothing to protect the naked copper To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Sat, 5 Jul 2008 04:47:25 + Subject: [Repeater-Builder] Re: RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire Hazards Nevertheless, I see inadequate and sometimes dangerous electrical installations almost on a daily basis... Another war story that goes with your comment. Shortly after I retired, I took a job with a company that was located in a former International Harvester building doing general maintenance type work. Part of that job included running over the rough concrete floors with a cleaning machine. In one unused part of the building, I saw a length of several fairly heavy wires lying on the floor, near a puddle of water (the roof leaked in that section of the building). I thought I'd just coil them up and hang them on a spike on the wall near where they originated. I picked up the wires and started to coil them up and as I straightened them out I hit the end of the wires and they soundly hit me back with one of the most painful shocks I can recall receiving. It turned out that those lines were part of a 440 volt, three phase line that was never turned off when the equipment was moved out of the area. Once again, I was very lucky in that the only injury was one gigantic scare over what might have happened. Another lesson, never ASS-ume that a line is dead until you confirm it. Had my other hand been grounded, I probably wouldn't be telling this story now. Tom --- In Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com, Eric Lemmon [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Don, Your dad is a man I can relate to and admire! I am an ICBO/IAEI Certified Electrical Inspector, although that has nothing whatsoever to do with my employment in the aerospace business. Nevertheless, I see inadequate and sometimes dangerous electrical installations almost on a daily basis My next-door neighbor once called me over to check some wiring he added to his garage for some power tools. He had run some 18/2 SPT, commonly called zip cord, from a light socket above his washing machine over to a receptacle box he added for a drill press. He said that the drill press stalled easily, and he often smelled a burning odor. Duh! Not only was the zip cord extension a violation of several articles of the National Electrical Code, but it was undersized for the load and there was no grounding conductor! He was absolutely clueless about safe and legal electrical wiring. At my urging, he hired a competent electrician to install a new and dedicated branch circuit for his workbench. 73, Eric Lemmon WB6FLY -Original Message- From: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Don Kupferschmidt Sent: Friday, July 04, 2008 5:47 PM To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire Hazards Can you imagine this happening in a residential / commercial bathroom where the GFI is compromised? I'd relate that to old sparky in one of the state's pens, (say in Florida) where the lethal death penality still exists. My Dad was an electrician and an electrical inspector for a city in Wisconsin. I still remember to this day when he would be out inspecting jobs, me along with him, and get really MAD when he saw something like you have just described. I'll never forget the day when he called up an electrical contractor and told him if he didn't fix the problem within 24 hours, he would yank his license and refer him to the police department for endangering the public's welfare. He was not a liked inspector, but was trusted within the electrical community. And he slept very well at night. Don, KD9PT - Original Message - From: Eric Lemmon [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:wb6fly%40verizon.net To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com mailto:Repeater-Builder%40yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, July 04, 2008 11:55 AM Subject: RE: [Repeater-Builder] RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire Hazards The primary danger is electrocution, most likely caused by exchanging the neutral and ground leads inside the case. Although the power supply will operate just fine when wired this way
[Repeater-Builder] Re: RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire Hazards
OT (sorta)...there is the possibility that the unit may be plugged into an improperly-wired receptacle- which happens often when do-it-yourselfers change out a receptacle. Just a heads-up on the assumption that a professionally wired home is safe. When I bought the house I'm living in now, one of the selling points was that the old knob-and-tube wiring had been replaced with new Romax and a new 125 amp breaker panel (by a professional electrician). All of the outlets were the 3-wire type so I ASS-UMED that all was well and good. The house even passed a buyer's inspection as part of the sale. Well, things were not all as they appeared. After getting smacked a couple of times on the bench, when I knew I shouldn't have, I started looking. Although all of the outlets in the house were the 3-wire type, only the ones in the kitchen (not even the bathroom) had the third wire ground actually connected. All of the others were wired with 2-wire Romax and NO ground. Now, if that isn't a booby trap, I don't know what is. So, unlike me, don't assume anything. Buy a cheap line tester and check every outlet you have in the house. It may save your skin! Tom --- In Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com, Eric Lemmon [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The primary danger is electrocution, most likely caused by exchanging the neutral and ground leads inside the case. Although the power supply will operate just fine when wired this way, there is the possibility that the unit may be plugged into an improperly-wired receptacle- which happens often when do-it-yourselfers change out a receptacle. If the receptacle ground connection is poor or does not exist, the power supply enclosure can be energized at 120 VAC and pose a severe shock hazard. Simple outlet testers normally will not detect such wiring errors, leading to false confidence. 73, Eric Lemmon WB6FLY -Original Message- From: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mung Bungholio Sent: Friday, July 04, 2008 8:49 AM To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Subject: RE: [Repeater-Builder] RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire Hazards I have one so we will see what they do when I bring it back in. It hasn't burst into flames yet. From: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mark Thompson Sent: Friday, July 04, 2008 12:48 AM To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Repeater-Builder] RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire Hazards U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 2, 2008 Release #08-319 Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 843-7422 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908 RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire Hazards WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. Name of Product: 13.8V DC Power Supplies Units: About 160,000 Importer: RadioShack Corp., of Fort Worth, Texas Hazard: The recalled power supplies are wired incorrectly, posing electrocution and fire hazards. Incidents/Injuries: None reported. Description: The recall involves RadioShack 13.8V DC Power Supplies, catalog numbers 22-507 and 22-508 with date codes from 08A04 through 01A08. Date code format is MMAYY where MM is the month and YY is the year. The catalog number and date code are located on the back of the power supply. Power Supplies with a green dot on the product and the product's packaging have already been repaired and are not included in the recall. Sold at: RadioShack stores nationwide from October 2004 through January 2008 for between $50 and $85. Manufactured in: China Remedy: Consumers should unplug the recalled power supply immediately and take it to any RadioShack store for a free repair. Registered owners of the recalled power supplies will be mailed a notice. Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact RadioShack at 800-843-7422 anytime, or visit the firm's website at: http://www.radioshack.com/recall http://www.radioshack.com/recall To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the recalled products, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtm108/08319.html http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtm108/08319.html
Re: [Repeater-Builder] Re: RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire Hazards
At 7/4/2008 15:21, you wrote: OT (sorta)...there is the possibility that the unit may be plugged into an improperly-wired receptacle- which happens often when do-it-yourselfers change out a receptacle. Just a heads-up on the assumption that a professionally wired home is safe. When I bought the house I'm living in now, one of the selling points was that the old knob-and-tube wiring had been replaced with new Romax and a new 125 amp breaker panel (by a professional electrician). All of the outlets were the 3-wire type so I ASS-UMED that all was well and good. The house even passed a buyer's inspection as part of the sale. Well, things were not all as they appeared. After getting The inspector I used checked every outlet in the house, found one in the garage that had line neutral reversed. It is tagged as such, is now only used with fully insulated loads such as Christmas lights. Bob NO6B
Re: [Repeater-Builder] Re: RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire Hazards
Wouldn't it be a lot better and safer to just shut off the power, pull it out of the box, and reverse the white and black wires, and have it right ? - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, July 04, 2008 5:52 PM Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] Re: RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire Hazards At 7/4/2008 15:21, you wrote: OT (sorta)...there is the possibility that the unit may be plugged into an improperly-wired receptacle- which happens often when do-it-yourselfers change out a receptacle. Just a heads-up on the assumption that a professionally wired home is safe. When I bought the house I'm living in now, one of the selling points was that the old knob-and-tube wiring had been replaced with new Romax and a new 125 amp breaker panel (by a professional electrician). All of the outlets were the 3-wire type so I ASS-UMED that all was well and good. The house even passed a buyer's inspection as part of the sale. Well, things were not all as they appeared. After getting The inspector I used checked every outlet in the house, found one in the garage that had line neutral reversed. It is tagged as such, is now only used with fully insulated loads such as Christmas lights. Bob NO6B No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.135 / Virus Database: 270.4.5/1533 - Release Date: 7/3/2008 7:19 PM
Re: [Repeater-Builder] Re: RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire Hazards
My mother-in-law's condo also had a problem. My electrician neighbor came over to do some wiring work and found out that the outside outlets were not connected to the GFI. We figured that the original contractors working the job were tired of resetting the GFI all day due to their faulty tools, so they bypassed the GFI. Then they forgot to rewire it back when they were done. These guys were prime candidates for the Darwin Award. 73, Joe, K1ike Tom wrote: OT (sorta)...there is the possibility that the unit may be plugged into an improperly-wired receptacle- which happens often when do-it-yourselfers change out a receptacle. Just a heads-up on the assumption that a professionally wired home is safe.
Re: [Repeater-Builder] Re: RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire Hazards
why don't you just fix it and be safe? - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, July 04, 2008 6:52 PM Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] Re: RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire Hazards At 7/4/2008 15:21, you wrote: OT (sorta)...there is the possibility that the unit may be plugged into an improperly-wired receptacle- which happens often when do-it-yourselfers change out a receptacle. Just a heads-up on the assumption that a professionally wired home is safe. When I bought the house I'm living in now, one of the selling points was that the old knob-and-tube wiring had been replaced with new Romax and a new 125 amp breaker panel (by a professional electrician). All of the outlets were the 3-wire type so I ASS-UMED that all was well and good. The house even passed a buyer's inspection as part of the sale. Well, things were not all as they appeared. After getting The inspector I used checked every outlet in the house, found one in the garage that had line neutral reversed. It is tagged as such, is now only used with fully insulated loads such as Christmas lights. Bob NO6B
Re: [Repeater-Builder] Re: RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire Hazards
At 15:52 7/4/2008, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The inspector I used checked every outlet in the house, found one in the garage that had line neutral reversed. It is tagged as such, is now only used with fully insulated loads such as Christmas lights. Bob NO6B Bob, I am just curious. Why not just fix it??? -- Dave Gomberg, San Francisco NE5EE gomberg1 at wcf dot com All addresses, phones, etc. at http://www.wcf.com/ham/info.html -
Re: [Repeater-Builder] Re: RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire Hazards
At 15:52 7/4/2008, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: The inspector I used checked every outlet in the house, found one in the garage that had line neutral reversed. It is tagged as such, is now only used with fully insulated loads such as Christmas lights. Bob NO6B Bob, I am just curious. Why not just fix it??? -- Dave Gomberg, San Francisco NE5EE gomberg1 at wcf dot com All addresses, phones, etc. at http://www.wcf.com/ham/info.html -
Re: [Repeater-Builder] Re: RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire Hazards
At 7/4/2008 16:02, you wrote: Wouldn't it be a lot better and safer to just shut off the power, pull it out of the box, and reverse the white and black wires, and have it right ? High voltage I don't get along, so I try to avoid messing with house wiring unless absolutely necessary. Besides, I can't stand working with solid wire. I need to have some other electrical work done in that area. When I do, I'll have the electrician take care of it as part of the job. Bob NO6B
[Repeater-Builder] Re: RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire Hazards
Nevertheless, I see inadequate and sometimes dangerous electrical installations almost on a daily basis... Another war story that goes with your comment. Shortly after I retired, I took a job with a company that was located in a former International Harvester building doing general maintenance type work. Part of that job included running over the rough concrete floors with a cleaning machine. In one unused part of the building, I saw a length of several fairly heavy wires lying on the floor, near a puddle of water (the roof leaked in that section of the building). I thought I'd just coil them up and hang them on a spike on the wall near where they originated. I picked up the wires and started to coil them up and as I straightened them out I hit the end of the wires and they soundly hit me back with one of the most painful shocks I can recall receiving. It turned out that those lines were part of a 440 volt, three phase line that was never turned off when the equipment was moved out of the area. Once again, I was very lucky in that the only injury was one gigantic scare over what might have happened. Another lesson, never ASS-ume that a line is dead until you confirm it. Had my other hand been grounded, I probably wouldn't be telling this story now. Tom --- In Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com, Eric Lemmon [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Don, Your dad is a man I can relate to and admire! I am an ICBO/IAEI Certified Electrical Inspector, although that has nothing whatsoever to do with my employment in the aerospace business. Nevertheless, I see inadequate and sometimes dangerous electrical installations almost on a daily basis My next-door neighbor once called me over to check some wiring he added to his garage for some power tools. He had run some 18/2 SPT, commonly called zip cord, from a light socket above his washing machine over to a receptacle box he added for a drill press. He said that the drill press stalled easily, and he often smelled a burning odor. Duh! Not only was the zip cord extension a violation of several articles of the National Electrical Code, but it was undersized for the load and there was no grounding conductor! He was absolutely clueless about safe and legal electrical wiring. At my urging, he hired a competent electrician to install a new and dedicated branch circuit for his workbench. 73, Eric Lemmon WB6FLY -Original Message- From: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Don Kupferschmidt Sent: Friday, July 04, 2008 5:47 PM To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [Repeater-Builder] RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire Hazards Can you imagine this happening in a residential / commercial bathroom where the GFI is compromised? I'd relate that to old sparky in one of the state's pens, (say in Florida) where the lethal death penality still exists. My Dad was an electrician and an electrical inspector for a city in Wisconsin. I still remember to this day when he would be out inspecting jobs, me along with him, and get really MAD when he saw something like you have just described. I'll never forget the day when he called up an electrical contractor and told him if he didn't fix the problem within 24 hours, he would yank his license and refer him to the police department for endangering the public's welfare. He was not a liked inspector, but was trusted within the electrical community. And he slept very well at night. Don, KD9PT - Original Message - From: Eric Lemmon [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:wb6fly%40verizon.net To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com mailto:Repeater-Builder%40yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, July 04, 2008 11:55 AM Subject: RE: [Repeater-Builder] RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire Hazards The primary danger is electrocution, most likely caused by exchanging the neutral and ground leads inside the case. Although the power supply will operate just fine when wired this way, there is the possibility that the unit may be plugged into an improperly-wired receptacle- which happens often when do-it-yourselfers change out a receptacle. If the receptacle ground connection is poor or does not exist, the power supply enclosure can be energized at 120 VAC and pose a severe shock hazard. Simple outlet testers normally will not detect such wiring errors, leading to false confidence. 73, Eric Lemmon WB6FLY -Original Message- From: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com mailto:Repeater-Builder%40yahoogroups.com [mailto:Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com mailto:Repeater-Builder%40yahoogroups.com ] On Behalf Of Mung Bungholio Sent: Friday, July 04, 2008 8:49 AM To: Repeater-Builder@yahoogroups.com mailto:Repeater-Builder%40yahoogroups.com Subject: RE: [Repeater-Builder] RadioShack Recalls Power Supplies Due to Electrocution and Fire
