Updating old receivers to polarized plugs

Yes, too much time...

Neutral goes to the side of the line connected to the chassis.

On Oct 21, 4:01 pm, PeterD wrote: > On Sun, 21 Oct 2007 15:25:31 -0700, Bob wrote: > >I was thinking about updating a vintage receiver to a polarized plug > >and the convenience outlet on the back of the receiver. I know, I > >must have a lot of time on my hands. Are polarized plugs worth it and > >if so, how do I determine where to put the neutral? Thanx.

Why do it at all? Is the old plug failing?

Danged well better NOT be either line tied to the chassis - unless you have a death wish.

GG

Why bother? With double insulated equipment there's no advantage to a polarized plug.

And, where does "double insulated equipment" come into play with "a vintage receiver"?

Many old radios, and indeed TV sets, had the neutral side of the line input connected directly to chassis ...

Arfa

Not on anything less than 50? years old. The original poster should define "vintage" for this receiver. "Receiver" sounds like it's not anywhere near old enough to have a line-connected chassis.

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Guess you have not worked much with old 'AC/DC' radios...

One possible advantage is that you may get less hum one way.

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Sam I don't know what the situation is regarding age over there, but over here when I was first working in the TV repair trade - say from the early 70's to at least 1980, 'live chassis' TV sets were common. All of the valve (tube) heaters were in series, with a dropper resistor straight from the live line, returning via chassis, to the neutral line. This practice persisted, as I recall, right into hybrid sets - at least black and white ones - where most of the circuitry was semiconductor, but the HOP stage still employed an output and a boost reccy tube.

When I think about it now, we must have been nuts to work on these things in people's damp houses, with the dog trying to piss up your leg, one knee on the floor and the other balancing the chassis whilst you tried to get enough heat out of your iron to solder in a new dropper section ... I guess it must have been good safety training, and the reason that we're all still here to talk about it !! d;~}

Arfa

Hi Sam, You are right. I should have noted how old. It is a Rotel RX503 & it was made in the mid seventies (which makes me a fossil, if it's "vintage"). So I can easily check to see if there is "short" to the chassis ground to see if it is even possible. The reason I want to do this is so I can use the convenience outlet with a polarized piece of equipment without an adapter (and I have time on my hands). Bob

PS- It's all solid state NO VALVES

Vintage? No way, that's a relatively new receiver!

Makes sense. I'd ohm meter to the chassies jsut in case, if open to both prongs (with the switch on) then just make 'em match.

Thanx for all of the replies!

Then isn't there a power transformer as the first component (except for the switch, fuse, and maybe a power indicator)? In that case, it may be argued that putting the Hot in line with the fuse and switch but probably doesn't much matter otherwise. Please describe the input circuitry for us since you have all this time on your hands! :)

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I've worked on quite a few of them, but they don't qualify as double insulated, and with those you're pretty much screwed either way. The on/off switch connects straight to the chassis, so it's hot either with the switch off or the switch on, depending on line polarity.

On Oct 22, 5:37 am, PeterD wrote: > On Mon, 22 Oct 2007 02:10:46 GMT, "James Sweet" >

Sure I have but not a one of them had an RCA jack on it like a 'receiver'. That direct connection into the amplifiers is COMPLETELY diffferent from an AC/DC radio. I've been working on consumer audio and then broadcast video since 1972 and have never once seen a unit with a galvanic connection from a in/out jack to the power line. And if I _did_ see one, I'd chuck it into the bin.

GG

The neutral is always the bigger plug. Google is your friend. Use it, dumbass.

maybe he wants the plugs of his newer s*it to fit, dumbass.

And if you have one of those pesky AGC fuses in it, a 1-1/4" piece of