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What is wrong with selenium rectifiers in old tube equipment?

I questioned this too, knowing that every so many years (I think they say about 7 years), every cell in a human's body is replaced. So without repeated exposure, it would diminish, and eventually be gone.

In addition, Selenium is actually required by the human body in small amounts. Animals particularly livestock need higher amounts. Of course this needs to be ingested, not inhaled from being burned.

Of all the old electronic gear I worked on when I was much younger, I never had a selenium rectifier burn up. I probably still have a dozen or so of them in my old parts boxes. I used to save all that stuff, as long as it was still in good shape.

Reply to
tangerine3
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I was just reading that selenium is used in photocells. I never knew that. This brings up another question. If they are a photodiode, what effect does exposing a working selenium rectifier to light have? In other words, if I have an old radio with selenium rectifier inside a cabinet, when I pull the chassis out of the cabinet for repair, that rectifier will be exposed to light, and normally bright light, because my work bench is always well lit. What effect will the light have on the output voltage after the rectifier, V/S the same rectifier inside a dark cabinet?

I did most of my puttering with electronics when I was in my teens. By the time I was 20, I was more interested in women and booze. By the time I was 30, the electronics were more interesting again :)

Reply to
tangerine3

And photocopiers, and laser printers.

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"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence 
over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled."
                                       (Richard Feynman)
Reply to
Fred Abse

That's an old wives tale. Skin cells are replaced regularly, as are a few organs, but muscle and nerves are forever.

I burned up a pile of them when I was a kid. I used to save all that stuff, too, until I moved a few times. I cart around enough stuff that I use. The useless stuff gets pruned quickly.

Reply to
krw

Sure, selenium is used in the better photographic light meters. BTW, silicon is photo-sensitive, too. What happens when you put your TV in a dark closet?

By the time I was 20 I'd been married for two years. That left electronics and beer. By the time I was 30, I'd been working for 10 years and had a kid. That only left time for electronics. ;-)

Reply to
krw

I don't know if there's enough light effect to matter.

I never lost interest in women and booze. I'd much rather talk to a woman at a party than any man... men are so dull. I had a lot of conversations this weekend, what with it being graduation time, with lots of parties :-) ...Jim Thompson

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Reply to
Jim Thompson

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