Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!caen!hellgate.utah.edu!csn!stan!kucharsk
From: kucharsk@Solbourne.COM (William Kucharski)
Subject: Re: polarity
Message-ID: <1991Apr23.172655.1580@Solbourne.COM>
Keywords: polarity, stupid, babooze
Organization: Solbourne Computer, Inc., Longmont, CO
References: <11864@jarthur.Claremont.EDU> <1991Apr23.125408.17745@mlb.semi.harris.com>
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 23 Apr 1991 17:26:55 GMT


In article <1991Apr23.125408.17745@mlb.semi.harris.com> jws@cica4.mlb.semi.harris.com (James W. Swonger) writes:
 >Why:
 >
 >Some appliances (like TVs, for instance) have a "hot chassis", i.e. the
 >chassis is not isolated from the power line. Given this, it's better that
 >the chassis be attached to the neutral wire than the hot wire. Polarized
 >plugs decide this for you.

And on a related note, my winner for the prize of all-time poorly designed
products:  the Carver C-9 Sonic Hologram Generator.  Why?  It had a
non-polarized AC plug and a polarized convenience outlet on the back.  And yes,
flipping the AC plug in the wall would indeed cause the large slot of the
polarized outlet to become hot!  When I discovered this I quickly painted one
side of the AC plug's sheath white to avoid surprises later...
-- 
| William Kucharski, Solbourne Computer, Inc.     | Opinions expressed above
| Internet:   kucharsk@Solbourne.COM	          | are MINE alone, not those
| uucp:	...!{boulder,sun,uunet}!stan!kucharsk     | of Solbourne...
| Snail Mail: 1900 Pike Road, Longmont, CO  80501 | "It's Night 9 With D2 Dave!"