Power and the RA82

[Ethan Dicks]

On 7/12/05, Kevin Handy <kth at srv.net> wrote:
> I wrote:
> >While I have no Al wiring in my 90-year-old house, I do have
> >knob-and-tube
> >
> Many years ago (30+), my grandmothers house was wired by running
> cloth covered wires on insulators (like you see used for electric fences)
> inside the house. (not inside the walls) One wire on each side of the
> insulator. (No 3rd ground wire either)

That's like knob and tube.  For those not so blessed, the nail-in
insulators are the knobs, and the tubes are long ceramic tubes used as
bushings through wood structural elements and metal ducting (yes, the
wires go _through_ the ducting, not around).  Part of the standard
installation practice was to run the hot and neutral on opposite sides
of the same joist where possible, but I have seen two parallel wires
through the same knob, especially before corners, etc.

Have to admit, though, that except for basements and attics, I've
always seen that kind of wiring _inside_ the walls (or threaded
through former gas-light pipes).  I've never seen a ground wire with
knob and tube.  AFAIK, that didn't even come into fashion when they
switched to asphalt-impregnated cloth-covered Romex (1940s?).  I think
ground wires became standard in my area post 1960, with the advent of
plastic-covered Romex.

> Want to try hooking up a mainframe using that type of wiring?

Um... no!  At least you'd be able to see the insulation failing as it
smoked. ;-)

-ethan