OPEN MIKE SYNDROME

Back in the early days of broadcast radio there have been some interesting stories of how certain some things were aired because someone did not know the mike was turned on and they were live on the air. One host of a children’s program was fired by the station and fined by the FCC for making a very derogatory remark about the children after he thought the show was over and the mike was off.

Working as a two way radio technician there are some very interesting stories that can also be told how stuck Push To Talk (PTT) buttons left all the company to hear what was being said in a vehicle or office. These stuck buttons sometimes resulted in a final check and walking papers after the boss heard a conversation that was thought to be private.

Today we all use radio transmitters and most of the time people do not even think about the fact that these transmitters are not limited to just the desired receiver. While working as a cellular technician I was very surprised how many people did not realize that cell phones are just two way radios with telephone interconnect.

There are the cordless telephones which use radio frequencies to connect to the standard wire service. Also many people are using a monitor for the baby’s room which is another radio transmitter receiver combination.

The other day I was working my 6 meter amateur radio receiver when I picked up a strange station just below 50 MHz. At first I thought it was some kind of broadcast but Television frequencies start just above the 6 meter band and there are no broadcast frequencies just below the band. After listening I realized I was receiving a signal from within someone’s home. They were most likely unaware that every word said in that room could be heard by other people. It may have been a monitor for a baby’s room or it may have been an intercom I am not sure.

The point of all this is if there is a transmitter around that might be transmitting we need to remember it is possible for people to receive that signal and we need to be careful what we say.

BATTRIES CAN INJURE OR KILL

Batteries have become so common we give little thought to them. Almost everyone has a cell phone with a battery. Then there are the hand held games, camera, laptop computer, and on.

If they are handled properly batteries are quite safe but if abused they can cause painful injuries or death.

Most batteries used in hand held devices today are rechargeable. Using the wrong charger can result in a fire or an explosion. While the battery is charging approximately half of the energy is being stored and the other half is being turned into heat inside the battery. When the battery is fully charged then all the power is turned into heat. The heat that is produced, if the charger is not the right one, can cause the moisture inside the cells to turn into steam and result in an explosion of possible lethal force. Sometimes the steam is just released slowly and then a fire can result.

Another way an explosion or fire can result is by carrying the battery in a pocket or purse with the terminals unprotected. If there are keys or coins that come into contact with the terminal shorting them out even if the battery itself does not burn or explode the thing shorting it out can become very hot and result in a burn.

So with small rechargeable batteries be sure they are only charged with a proper charger and they are not carried with the terminals unprotected where shorting can occur. But another battery that needs attention is the vehicle battery.

The car battery is a wet cell thus the liquid inside can spill if they are not handled properly. That liquid contains sulfuric acid and can cause a nasty burn. If you do come in contact with the liquid immediately wash with lots of cold water.

If the lights were lift on until the battery is drained beyond its ability to start the vehicle or if the battery dies for any other reason jump starting the vehicle is best done by a professional tow company. Jump starting a modern vehicle can result in damage to the many electronic devices used in any vehicle manufactured in the past twenty years and some even much earlier. A professional towing company will be reasonable for any damage if there is such. The guy in the parking lot next to your car first may not know what he is doing and if he blows out some part of your car you will have to pay the cost of repair.

There are also dangers of explosion just as, in the smaller batteries, if the jump start is not done correctly.

If handling batteries remove all rings. A car battery can turn it red hot in a small fraction of a second if it becomes shorted

Just a little care and batteries are very save but just a little carelessness and they can be very dangerous.