On Tuesday 21 November 2006 13:25, Grumpy wrote: >On Tuesday 21 November 2006 11:05, George Arseneault wrote: >> --- Tim <ignored_mailbox@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: >> > On Mon, 2006-11-20 at 10:49 -0800, George Arseneault >> > >> > wrote: >> > > Actually 'real' debugging was when they ran >> > >> > distilled >> > >> > > water over the circuits to remove the dead bugs. >> > >> > (Back >> > >> > > when computers took up their own building) >> > >> > Hmm, just water? >> > >> > It's years since I've actually seen a real >> > mainframe, though this was a >> > transistorised one. Great big metal cabinets, where >> > you opened up the >> > doors to a rat's nest of wire-wrap, and it used >> > water-cooling through >> > the doors as well as the rest of the cabinet. >> >> Theoretically, pure water does *not* conduct >> electricity. It's the other particles (ions, >> whatever) that allow it to conduct. So, it *should* >> be safe to run the water over running circuits. >> >> Of course, any contaminants (oil, grease, dust, >> whatever) *could* cause a short-circuit. >> >> But, I read somewhere that they did precisely that, >> long ago. And, that the reason we call the >> abnormal/strange occurrences in programs, bugs, is >> that they were often caused by bugs, rodents, etc. >> shorting out or chewing through the computer's circuits > >We used to use Deionized water to cool circuits at SLAC 24v @ 12,000 > amps Some of the cables were hollow with water flowing through them And the tv transmitter I maintain also uses de-ionized water to cool the final tube. The tube end of the hoses that connect it has 7200 volts on it, and the leakage currant if the water is in good shape, is about 200 microamps. >> ______________________________________________________________________ >>_____ _________ Sponsored Link >> >> Mortgage rates near 39yr lows. $510k for $1,698/mo. >> Calculate new payment! www.LowerMyBills.com/lre -- Cheers, Gene "There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order." -Ed Howdershelt (Author) Yahoo.com and AOL/TW attorneys please note, additions to the above message by Gene Heskett are: Copyright 2006 by Maurice Eugene Heskett, all rights reserved.
