IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE SETS MORE LIGHTWEIGHT AND SAVE MONEY, TV MANUFACTURERS TOOK A PAGE OUT OF RADIO MANUFACTURERS PLAYBOOK AND ELIMINATED THE POWER TRANSFORMER. IN SOME FORM, THE AC LINE IS CONNECTED DIRECTLY TO THE CHASSIS. THIS IS EITHER WITH THE POWER SWITCH OR DIRECT. THIS IS NOTHING TO MESS WITH. ALL EXPOSED METAL CAN BE HOT WHETHER THE SET IS ON OR OFF. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.
THIS PROBLEM CANNOT BE IGNORED. YOU (OR ANYBODY) CAN GET LIT UP. YOU CAN BE HELD LIABLE FOR INJURY OR DEATH. YOU MAY EVEN GET WHACKED.
THERE ARE FIXED FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT THE OUTLET YOU PLUG IN TO MUST BE WIRED PROPERLY. IF THE PLUG IS WIRED BACKWARDS, THESE FIXES WILL NOT WORK.
THE FIRST FIX IS FOR CHASSIS WHERE THE AC LINE IS CONNECTED DIRECTLY. THIS IS THE EASIEST TO FIX.
IF YOUR PRINT SHOWS THE STYLE ABOVE, FIND AND MARK THE PRONG ON THE INTERLOCK WITH A PERMANENT MARKER. NEXT, MARK THE LINE CORD PRONG. CUT THE TOP AND SPREAD THAT PRONG ENOUGH TO KEEP IT FROM GOING INTO THE NARROW SLOT ON THE OUTLET. WITH THE LINE CORD CONNECTED, USING AN OHMMETER, CHECK TO MAKE SURE YOU HOOKED IT UP CORRECTLY. IF YOU CAN, REPLACE THE INTERLOCK WITH A POLARIZED ONE, AND REPLACE THE LINE CORD. IF YOUR CHASSIS ALREADY HAS A POLARIZED INTERLOCK, CHECK THE CORD (PEOPLE HAVE FILED DOWN THE WIDE PRONG.) CHANCES ARE, THERE IS NOTHING YOU NEED TO DO, MAYBE EXCEPT REPLACE THE LINE CORD. CHECK FOR CONTINUITY ANYWAY. I HAVE ACTUALLY RUN INTO LINE CORDS THAT WERE MADE WRONG. NOW, ON TO THE NEXT ONE...
THE PIC ABOVE IS THE WORST OF THE HOT CHASSIS DESIGNS. IF YOU FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ABOVE, YOU HAVE DUPLICATED THE FIRST VERSION. AGAIN, REPLACING THE INTERLOCK WITH A POLARIZED ONE IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. THIS VERSION WAS OUTLAWED IN THE 60'S.
OK, SO YOUR SET HAS A POWER TRANSFORMER. WHOOPADEEFLIPPIN DO. YOU CAN STILL GET LIT UP. CHECK YOUR PRINT. YOU MAY SEE A RESISTOR ON THE PRIMARY TO GROUND. IF IT'S A LOW VALUE (LIKE 120K), CLIP IT. REPLACE IT WITH NO LESS THAN 4.7 MEG.
IF YOU DID THIS RIGHT, WHEN YOU PLUG IT IN, YOU SHOULD HAVE NO VOLTAGE ON ANY EXPOSED METAL.