wiped disk - no longer bootable

[Gene Heskett]

On Thursday 11 July 2019 12:03:01 rikona wrote:

> On Thu, 11 Jul 2019 11:15:24 -0400
>
> Gene Heskett <gheskett at shentel.net> wrote:
> > On Thursday 11 July 2019 06:03:09 Liam Proven wrote:
> > > On Wed, 10 Jul 2019 at 23:05, Gene Heskett <gheskett at shentel.net>
> >
> > wrote:
> > > > I've tried to steer clear if those unless wet.  Dry, they can
> > > > generate enough static to blow the gates it your memory.
> > >
> > > Aargh!
> > >
> > > Shows you can't trust all online tech tips... :-(
> >
> > Well, me being both a retired tech, a C.E.T. and basicly a belt and
> > suspenders type in this regard, I also will be wearing a "ground me"
> > wrist band.  Those things are cheap enough, 2 or 3 bucks, that you
> > should always snap it on before touching what is today, nearly 100%
> > CMOS based circuitry. I also make heavy use of one of those $14 AC
> > sniffers. We still have in most pre-NEC built houses, and even in
> > stuff built 20 years post-NEC 3 pin electrical plugs that aren't
> > properly wired by incompetent carpenters.  You can get those gizmo's
> > from your nearest home center, electrical aisle.
> >
> > When I married this lady in '89, I moved into a house she'd bought
> > in '81. Since there weren't any children to consider, I took the
> > 3rd, smaller bedroom and made it into my computer den. First thing
> > in the next storm, blowed a modem.  Replaced it, blew it again. I
> > took the sockets out, verified they were wired right and soldered
> > them with a silver bearing solder, going all the way back to the
> > service, found it wasn't properly grounded and fixed that. That was
> > 18 years ago, and I haven't lost a single piece of gear since. I
> > don't care if lightning hits my service pole and sends me a quarter
> > million volt surge, but if everything is properly bonded so that
> > everything bounces in unison, nothing will be hurt.  I've since
> > built a wired workshed and a garage, that needed a new 200 amp
> > service, so this house is now a subcircuit. And I still seem to be
> > safe.
>
> I'll second your comments re older house electrical problems. I also
> had improper grounding which I fixed. Also had poor connections, which
> I first noticed when a switch plate was slightly loose and could move
> a bit, causing the light to flicker. At that point I checked the whole
> house and found other issues as well. It IS worth checking - the loose
> connections were potential safety issues.
>
> Rik

I once bought a house in Nebraska that was wired just barely post knob 
and ball. One night when it was really cold and we had several heaters 
plugged in, I was awakened by a buzzing noise emanating from the closet 
of the bedroom I was in.  The electrical entrance box was in there, and 
my instant diagnosis was that the other end of a 7" piece piece of 12 
gauge, which was hooked to the meter socket on the other side of the 
wall, was burning up and arcing as I could see it flickering thru the 
hole in the wall the meter cable came in thru. I got dressed, went out 
and cut the seal on the meter (that's a felony in Nebraska), pulled the 
meter and sure as hell one post was about burned up. I fixed it solid, 
plugged the meter back in, got in my pickup and went to my job site and 
borrowed a foot of 8 gauge, came back and made a whole new jumper. Since 
I was then the super at Wayne County Public Powers biggest customer I 
called Ron the next morning and told him to have one of his guys come by 
and put a new seal on my meter head.  He of course wanted to know how it 
got broken, but no problems once he heard the story of my short night.  

Cheers, Gene Heskett
-- 
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable.
 - Louis D. Brandeis
Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene>