[Jukebox-list] Seeburg Q... where's the service/scan switch???

[Steve Wahl]

On Tue, May 06, 2008 at 07:45:53AM -0400, jhayes2613 at aol.com wrote:
> 
>  ... this power cord has been severed and needs a replacement. I'm
> going to purchase a three-prong extension cord at Home Depot ... and
> if memory serves, aren't there three wires in these heavy-duty
> cords?? And only two wires connect to the power supply, right? What
> do I do with the third wire? Will I able to determine which two
> wires connect to the box? 

The three wires are Hot, Neutral, and Ground.  (US terms anyway; I
know the UK uses "earth" where we say ground, and may substitute for
the other words as well...)  This is the grounding issue.

Grounding wasn't the norm for electrical systems until after these
jukes were designed.  Adding some protection when it wasn't part of
the original design can be tricky if you don't know what you're doing.
If you search the list archives, you'll find a lot of discussion on
this.

IMHO, There are two good approaches to the problem, one "do no harm"
aproach, and one irresponsible one one.  

Good approaches:

1. Add a GFI (ground fault interrupter), either within the jukebox, or
   at the outlet you plug into.

2. Educate yourself until you understand the theory of how the ground
   is supposed to add protection, and then attach the ground to every
   piece of exposed metal on the jukebox.  (If you want to protect not
   only the customers, but the serviceman, that includes metal exposed
   when the jukebox is open!)

Reasonable, do no harm approach:

3. Do not connect the ground wire, juke will be just as safe as it was
   with original, non-grounding power cord.  If you do this, cut off
   the grounding prong on the plug so it is OBVIOUS to all others that
   the machine is not grounded.  (Cutting off the prong wasn't an
   obvious thing for me, but it made perfect sense when someone else
   mentioned it; you could also use a two prong cord to begin with, of
   course.)

Irresponsible, perhaps dangerous approach:

4. Attach ground wire anywhere to one or more pieces of metal without
   taking all the care I mention in step 2.

Hope that helps you!

--> Steve

P.S. Most of the time, you'll find the wires inside the extension cord
are color coded.  Black is hot, white is neutral, and green is ground.
If there's any doubt, you can use a VOM or continuity tester to
determine which wire is connected to which prong.

-- 
Steve Wahl    steve at pro-ns.net

"Music fans listen to music, whereas audiophiles listen to stereos."