WAY OT! Re: [SEL] Early Switchboard Meters and Switchgear

[Curt]

John,
Since you have changed from DC circuits to AC circuits,  I gotta ask, 
why use a solid state device for energy absorption when a simple rugged 
RC circuit does well?
I've not seen these quenching/spike diodes you mention used anywhere on 
contacts or coils. Are these simply zenors?
On your tubes.....5Y3GT 's? I think I've still got a few of those.....
Curt Holland
Gastonia, NC

John Culp wrote:

>> On relays, "quenching", or "spike" diodes are put across one of the 
>> coils to absorb the voltage of the collapsing magnetic field.
>
>
> Like the damper diodes on TV picture tube deflection coils. Used to be 
> vacuum tubes (valves to Peter), and I've still got a bunch of 'em. 
> They make pretty good half-wave power rectifiers.
>
> John Culp
> Bristol, Tennessee, USA
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