Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!oliveb!amdahl!dlb!zygot!john From: john@zygot.UUCP (John Higdon) Newsgroups: sci.electronics Subject: Re: Touching a "hot" connector Summary: neither one Message-ID: <1241@zygot.UUCP> Date: 23 Jun 89 06:38:19 GMT References: <1496@cs-spool.calgary.UUCP> <632@lopez.UUCP> <842@corpane.UUCP> Organization: ATI Wares Team Lines: 30 In article <842@corpane.UUCP>, sparks@corpane.UUCP (John Sparks) writes: > In article <632@lopez.UUCP> flash@lopez.UUCP (Gary Bourgois) writes: > >One such device is the SONY ICF-2010 shortwave radio, when operated with > >the 4.5v AC Supply, when touching some of the metal parts on the radio > >during AC operation. It is not just a defective set, as I have owned THREE > >of them, and each had this phenomena. > > It might not be the set, it might be faulty AC wiring in your house. > No consumer electronics is designed to be "hot". If it is and you have noticed > this on other sets, then maybe your neutral wiring in your outlet is reversed > to normal (on the wrong side of the outlet) or is not grounded properly. Almost all ungrounded consumer equipment has a small amount of leakage that you can feel, especially if you run the back of your finger over metal surfaces. In the case of the Sony ICF-2010, the primary to secondary capacitance in the AC adaptor is the culprit. This leakage is quite small and totally harmless. The wiring in your house may or may not be faulty (I suspect not) since that has nothing to do with what you are observing. Besides, the ICF-2010 adaptor plug is non-polarized so it can be inserted either way into the outlet. You will note that the leakage is there regardless of which way you plug it in. BTW, since most electronic equipment has this leakage and people find it annoying, most office, industrial, and educational equipment is third-wire gounded. This also prevents "additive leakage". -- John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@zygot.uucp | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !