"In all my classes dealing with Mercury, I never heard of, and never saw Mercury in a powder form."
If you heat mercury in a test tube over a bunsen burner, at some specific temperature it will become a red powder. Let it cool and then reheat it and it will change back to liquid mercury. When I was in junior high school our science teacher used to do this in class. They'd probably go berserk of you did that today.
If you heat mercury in a test tube over a bunsen burner, at some specific temperature it will become a red powder. Let it cool and then reheat it and it will change back to liquid mercury. When I was in junior high school our science teacher used to do this in class. They'd probably go berserk of you did that today.
Sending them through the MAIL is probably an even bigger no no than hoarding a few at your house, or driving them to a friend’s across town in your non-hazmat SUV.
I have a voltage supervisory tube, similar to the Westinghouse KX-642, which is charged with radioactive argon to ensure the protective arc occurs at the proper voltage. Pretty sure the government types would mess their pants if they knew I had it.
Personally I can't imagine just giving something to the government just because someone passed a law. Who cares what the bureaucrats and politicians do? I certainly wouldn't wouldn't give up my MV rectifiers just because someone in government got their panties in a knot.
Personally I can't imagine just giving something to the government just because someone passed a law. Who cares what the bureaucrats and politicians do? I certainly wouldn't wouldn't give up my MV rectifiers just because someone in government got their panties in a knot.
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The 866 can be replaced by the 3B28 xenon rectifier, not quite as pretty, but no mercury and no warm up time requirement. I used to host an annual audiofest here, and lots of people brought gear to demo - my only stipulation was that they not bring MV rectifiers into my house. I don't use them, don't see the appeal and don't trust that I or someone else would never drop one, etc., etc.
MV rectifiers don't do anything I haven't learned to do as well or better using solid state rectifiers, so I'm not interested. It makes for a short discussion here, but I won't lose sleep over it.
The damn thing literally might not change until three more cars line up behind you, at 6:30 when people start to go to work. I really don’t like sitting for four and a half hours. And sometimes trying to fool it by driving back and forth over the same 150 feet for a minute or two doesn’t work. I will test a new light with that trick first - there’s one I have to go through regularly that you need to do that with in the middle of the day to force it to change.
If one car is sufficient to trigger the light after hours it usually takes about 15-30 seconds to start the cycle. If it don’t, it won’t.
I won’t lose sleep over MV tubes or even fluorescent lights, but it does make one wonder what’s next for the cancel culture. It won’t stop there.
Perhaps, or is it merely blame shifting?
There was a time when I felt society allowed me to take responsibility for my own actions. Then there was the age of litigation. Then came organisational duty of care. Now I'm told where the limits are.
There was a time when I felt society allowed me to take responsibility for my own actions. Then there was the age of litigation. Then came organisational duty of care. Now I'm told where the limits are.
I was contacted many times by different US Government agencies that asked me where they could get Freon to re-charge their 40kV scope probes.
I had to tell them that is was the US legislature that made Freon a forbidden substance (Verboten).
2 steps forward, and 3 steps back.
I had to tell them that is was the US legislature that made Freon a forbidden substance (Verboten).
2 steps forward, and 3 steps back.
Cal Weldon,
How about software running lights and automatic software updates; or more accurately, seasonal update process.
Just supposing.
And, what about the poor motorcyclist who can not 'activate' the induction loop sensors.
Nothing is perfect, not even a vacuum tube amplifier.
How about software running lights and automatic software updates; or more accurately, seasonal update process.
Just supposing.
And, what about the poor motorcyclist who can not 'activate' the induction loop sensors.
Nothing is perfect, not even a vacuum tube amplifier.
While I don't usually have that problem, if I'm in a hurry I might roll back or stop and kick back to double cut it.
the early honeywell round room thermostat had a mercury switch, there must be many still around.
I remember buying mercury switches at Radio Shack to play with. That was back in the day when none of my electronics was “serious” and most had an evil purpose. Most of the surviving Honeywell round thermostats around here are in government buildings.
Doesn’t always help. They can and are often desgned and set up to require a queue of at least 3 or 4 cars before triggering. I’ve often thought of putting a BIG electromagnet in the back of a pickup truck and pushing the button at stubborn lights. But with an air core coil I’d imagine the power requirement would stall the engine. Couldn’t carry one of those on a bicycle either.
My mercury vapour rectifier tubes are going nowhere. Any process dismantling them will be worse for the environment! There is no legal purpose for mercury anymore, here it gets stored in an abandoned mine.
Silly policy down under.
Silly policy down under.
I have a pair of 3B28s for when I need to work on my amps that use the 866s and will be "out of position" such as upside down. Works fine but I dig the blue glow from the 866s.
I own and have read most every QST radio magazine from about 1930 to the mid 1960’s.
There’s no mention of anyone getting mercury poisoned or injured from a MV rectifier. You are more likely to be struck by lightning me thinks.
There’s no mention of anyone getting mercury poisoned or injured from a MV rectifier. You are more likely to be struck by lightning me thinks.