ATM Re: Holiday lights

[gwoods@albany.net (Gary Woods)]

On Sat, 19 Dec 1998 21:05:49 -0600 (CST), you wrote:


>
>If you have a string of 50 or more bulbs in one of the newer strings, and
>it doesn't want to light up (contrary to your own express wishes) then put
>the Tektronix 545 on a cart and bring it to the lights. If you are weight
>challenged, then use an HP 400D, or any VTVM with an AC scale of 1 volt or
>less full scale.
>
<snippage>

That will work very well, but there's a commercial product with non
hollow-state technology that my wife bought last year that does the same
job.  It's shaped like a fat fountain pen, runs on a couple of watch
batteries, and lights up in the presence of a 60Hz (erm... 60CPS) field.
Very nice for finding where the AC ends in those pesky series lights.

The bulbs short themselves out when they blow (with a little fuse link, in
case too many are blown), which puts a little extra V on the others.

Unless they don't.
Unless they aren't making contact.

Probability of this happening is inversely proportional to the Kelvin
temperature of where the lights are located!

We now return you to your regular topics, already in progress...


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