Monarch "Hi-Fi Master" Plastic AA5 Tube Midget AM Radio

[Reece]

Yes, common sense. And we were told not to stick our fingers in the fan, which had a wide open cage. Probably most of us had a little experience as a kid experimenting with a plug and receptacle in some way that taught us how electricity bites. Even today if you want to get bitten you can still stick your finger or a fork in the toaster.

[Robb]

No one is talking about sticking your finger inside the radio when it's on,
we're talking about the exposed metal parts on the back of the radio !

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Robb

No one is talking about sticking your finger inside the radio when it's on,
we're talking about the exposed metal parts on the back of the radio !

As I mentioned before, the hardware and the metal mounting rail, holding the chassis, is isolated from the hot chassis, by means of insulated washers, used on the hardware. That Monarch radio is a little higher end, than a lot of the cheaper offerings.
I found, working on that type radio, that they all had the same setup, regarding chassis isolation.

[Robb]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

As I mentioned before, the hardware and the metal mounting rail, holding the chassis, is isolated from the hot chassis,

ok then... it is safe !

[N8NM]

There were hundreds of thousands (likely millions) of hot-chassis AA5 type sets produced over about a 30 year span. Were they inherently dangerous? Meh. Most people who used 'em managed to survive, LOL.

That said, these sets are now well beyond their expected service life and my have developed problems (missing rear covers, leaking capacitors, disintegrated chassis insulators) that should be addressed before putting them back in service.

If you're really concerned about safety, run 'em off an isolation transformer.

[Sandy G]

Originally Posted by Reece

Yes, common sense. And we were told not to stick our fingers in the fan, which had a wide open cage. Probably most of us had a little experience as a kid experimenting with a plug and receptacle in some way that taught us how electricity bites. Even today if you want to get bitten you can still stick your finger or a fork in the toaster.

Yep. My Dad told me to NOT fool w/the electrical outlet in the wall when I was a kid... Knowing better than my Dumbass Old Man, I kept on until it bit me good, & I ended up on the floor screaming blue bloody murder. My mother & grandmother rushed to my aid, but Daddy told 'em to leave me alone, it might teach me a lesson..I wasn't really hurt, just startled more than anything, & ol' Henry was RIGHT, I never bothered a wall socket again... Kinda started paying a bit more attention to him after that, too..

[init4fun]

Originally Posted by Robb

ok then... it is safe !

Not so fast , there Robb !

You have only ONE real way to know if it's "safe" or not , without even taking it out of it's enclosure . Got a voltmeter ?

Good , now , set it to read AC volts in around the 250 volt range . Plug in the radio and turn it on . Take the voltmeter and with one test lead connected to a proper ground , use the other test lead and touch every metal screw and any other exposed metal you see . Got no voltage showing ? Great , now , reverse the plug in the outlet (provided it don't have one blade bigger than the other) and do the test again . Do this with the radio turned off (but of course still plugged in) as well . If under ALL conditions of the above test you get no voltage , THEN and only then can you proclaim it "safe"

PS , it's usual technician practice to verify the actual working status of the voltmeter before ANY tests are done . This will be as simple as , once you have established a good proper ground for one of the voltmeter's two test leads , probe a known "hot" voltage point with the other test lead (the hot side of the outlet you'll be plugging the radio into is a good place to test) . Once you have in fact verified the actual working status of the meter then go and do the test I described above .

Good Luck with it

[Reece]

The toaster has open slots where the toast goes in: those hot wires are live in there. Solution: ban all toasters!

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by Reece

The toaster has open slots where the toast goes in: those hot wires are live in there. Solution: ban all toasters!

Most of the toasters, built in the last 40 years, have double pole switches, that open both sides of the line. When the elements are off, nothing inside should be live. I don't know about the newer ones, as many have an electronic timer board and a relay.

[bob91343]

Ban all stoves. You can get burned.

[Robb]

Originally Posted by bob91343

Ban all stoves. You can get burned.

Ban cars
Ban Trucks
Ban Motorcycles
Ban Guns
Ban Scissors
Ban Knives

[Electronic M]

Ban salt and water as both can be lethal if consumed in too great of a quantity...Ooh and ban good tasting food too as it can cause obesity(which can lead to an early death) in those that lack self control.

Seriously!...Anything can kill you if you want it to or are not smart, careful or lucky.
People were smarter before we tried(which is futile because the world can NEVER be made totally safe) to eliminate survival of the fittest in human society.

[Robb]

Found this on ebay and couldnt pass it up.
Came with box as well. Works and looks like new !


see pics

[old_coot88]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

Ban salt and water as both can be lethal if consumed in too great of a quantity...Ooh and ban good tasting food too as it can cause obesity(which can lead to an early death) in those that lack self control.

Seriously!...Anything can kill you if you want it to or are not smart, careful or lucky.
People were smarter before we tried(which is futile because the world can NEVER be made totally safe) to eliminate survival of the fittest in human society.

DHMO is by far one of tne of the worst offenders..

http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html

[maxhifi]

Rob, it is a beauty... nice find. I like the city of los angeles approval sticker on the back.