Caution on Radio Amp Testing

["Al Powell" <apowell@agcom.tamu.edu>]

One caution about the diagnostics for the on-the-glass antenna and 
testing the amps which drive them:

I went thru the Bentley test procedure in testing the rear window 
antenna on my 1990 200.  (The antenna and amp were fine, the whole 
setup just sucks, which is why I have a Hirschmann fender-mount 
antenna now...)

In doing that antenna amp testing procedure, you WILL subject your 
test meter to about 13 amps!  This is a LOT more than inexpensive 
test meters are designed to handle, and it WILL release their "magic 
smoke".  BE CAREFUL not to smoke your test equipment doing this.

Radio Shack had/has a sale on a $70 auto-ranging test meter for $40,
and it will handle 20 amps....so I now own one.

Another note - I had to pull the rear seat, rear deck cover and 
window trim to get at the *$%#&%! amp.  Took me 30 minutes to get at 
it (and 30 minutes ro re-install) to do a 3 minute test....PITA!


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Al Powell                        Voice:  409/845-2807
107 Reed McDonald Bldg.          Fax:    409/862-1202
College Station, TX 77843      
Http://agcomwww.tamu.edu/agcom/satellit/alpage.htm
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