Warning! Dangerous Advice in QST 10/2011 3-500ZG Article

[Moleculo]

W8JI has posted an informative article on his site that is worth reading:



"QST The Care and Feeding of a 3-500ZG filament


Regretfully the October 2011 QST, on page 40, contains a fatally flawed filament voltage management article. Without question, the QST article gives life-threatening advice. The article specifically instructs readers to remove a protective cover and intentionally defeat a safety interlock by placing the reader's hand only inches from lethal voltages. The article further instructs readers to look away from their hand while high voltage is active.
There is never a reason to defeat a critical safety protection system and activate lethal voltages with protective covers removed. Anything determined with the cover removed can be more safely accomplished with the cover in place, or with power removed. This is true for all problems.


Besides safety, the article's instructions will almost certainly lead to improper equipment operation or tube life problems. Nearly all instructions in the QST article, as well as all technical information in that article, are wrong for any brand or type of amplifier."


Read more here

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Can anybody post a transcript of the article, if that is legal, for those of us that do not get QST. I would like to see what the issue is that is referenced.

 

[Mudfoot]

oops

Legal or not, not info needs posted everywhere.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Legal or not, not info needs posted everywhere.

Easy to say when you are not the forum owner facing copyright infringement.

 

[wavrider]

Can anybody post a transcript of the article, if that is legal, for those of us that do not get QST. I would like to see what the issue is that is referenced.

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.ph...s-the-3-500ZG-and-a-wee-bit-of-a-snit!/page13

Have to log into the ARRL site to get the article but it is well discussed in this thread.

http://www.eham.net/ehamforum/smf/index.php/topic,77559.0.html
Tom goes into detail on the article here.

 

[Se7en]

what does QST mean?
and why in the world would you not look at your hand when adjusting anything close to high voltage applications?

 

[RatsoW8]

what does QST mean?
and why in the world would you not look at your hand when adjusting anything close to high voltage applications?

QST is a magazine published by the ARRL.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?315297-On-Filament-voltages-the-3-500ZG-and-a-wee-bit-of-a-snit!/page13

Have to log into the ARRL site to get the article but it is well discussed in this thread.

http://www.eham.net/ehamforum/smf/index.php/topic,77559.0.html
Tom goes into detail on the article here.

I am not an ARRL member (and never will be) so I can't log onto their site and Tom's site simply references the filament issue with passing mention of the QST article. I was just wanting to know what the article in QST actually said.

 

[ElectronTubesRule]

I can tell you with out knowing the guy at QST that he is a liberal. How can I tell you? Well he constantly ignores and deflects actual fact and hard science at ever turn. He looks for someone else to blame at ever corner for his own incompetence a scape goat. His personal feeling are more important then facts. He is trying to spin it at ever turn! Those are all the hallmarks of Ultra Liberals. Nothing is ever their fault, facts have no bearing on the situation, their results do not matter when things go wrong only their "intentions", they always try to find a way to pass the buck and they never stop trying to spin it!

It is sad but true but it is the norm these days. No one wants to man up and be responsible for their actions or their outcomes. We see it in the media, we see in Hollywood, we see it in politics and we see it in the education system. Between never being able to speak the truth, self censorship, political correct and tolerance everything is upside down and side ways even in area that should be bound by math and science.

I am not in the know but if this is how the ARRL and their QST magazine operates then I doubt I will want anything to do with them. Instead of trying to deflect blame or point a finger they should be trying to make a bad situation right with an immediate retraction. They attempt to flame someone not on payroll that in the past was kind enough to act a Tech. Review is absolutely cowardly and pathetic not at all in line with how a grown man of honor and dignity should behave or carry himself so we now know he has neither honor or dignity or intellectual honesty.

 

[wavrider]

I am not an ARRL member (and never will be) so I can't log onto their site and Tom's site simply references the filament issue with passing mention of the QST article. I was just wanting to know what the article in QST actually said.

If you were a member of the ARRL you would have the QST magazine and would know what the article said.

 

[KM3F]

The article is about the following;
1. Setting the filliment voltage of a 3-500 to 4.8 volts using a dropping resistance in the mistaken belief it will extend the tube's life.
2. He measures the voltage at the dropping resistance instead of at the tube pins and with an incorrect AC meter yet of unknown accuracy..
3. He does this with the cover off and the safety switch on.
*********************************************************
The article violates safety considerations for those who are not savvey to the danger.
4.8 volts is not the reccomended running voltage for a 3-500 tube.
An Ameritron AL80B was used in the photos and put that company on somewhat of a spot till they made a statement about it.
The author should have know better 'and' to reference Goggle searches as a basis for info in his article.
ARRL did not review the article for all these issues before publishing.
Given that it is all 'wrong' and won't be retracted, is a huge PR problem.
There is more to it behind the scenes but not my place to get into that.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

If you were a member of the ARRL you would have the QST magazine and would know what the article said.

I know that but why would I want to join an organization that does absolutely nothing for me? Over the years QST has gone way downhill in the articles that appealed to me, mainly tech and how too articles.I bought it for a short while when it was actually available on the newsstands here a few years ago. Now it's half advertisements. I prefer to put my dues into my own country's national voice for amateur radio.

 

[wavrider]

I know that but why would I want to join an organization that does absolutely nothing for me? Over the years QST has gone way downhill in the articles that appealed to me, mainly tech and how too articles.I bought it for a short while when it was actually available on the newsstands here a few years ago. Now it's half advertisements. I prefer to put my dues into my own country's national voice for amateur radio.

I agree 100% QST has went down hill rapidly. Some good articles but most of mine sit in the shack unread, the organization really does nothing for me either. I support it as it is my countries only organization that I know of for amateur radio hobby.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I agree 100% QST has went down hill rapidly. Some good articles but most of mine sit in the shack unread, the organization really does nothing for me either. I support it as it is my countries only organization that I know of for amateur radio hobby.

See, that is the big difference. You are in the USA and I am not.

 

[TonyV225]

I actually just renewed my ARRL membership and my October and November issues of QST just came thursday so Ill have to look into this.