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Old 1st Nov 2011, 12:19 am   #9
Lucien Nunes
Rest in Peace
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 2,508
Default Re: adding earth lead to vintage radio

It's not wise to guess at or generalise about this topic, as it is a matter of electrical safety. For any given set, there will be a correct answer as to whether is it possible to add a safety earth (as distinct from an RF one). There will also be a less clearcut assessment on how much of a safety improvement will be achieved by adding one, depending on the effectiveness of the particular model's original insulation. If it is indeed possible to earth the chassis, then for optimum safety a secure connection from the mains plug to the metalwork is what you want, not via the original wander socket wiring and not to a rod in the ground.

As Herald says, if you always run the set via an RCD, some would argue that it is almost impossible to get a fatal shock from it anyway, no matter how poor its intrinsic safety arrangements are. FWIW I never do this kind of modification, I control the risks by careful usage and monitoring, proceeding as though there were no RCD to protect me, but using one anyway. For general family usage, adding an earth where possible would perhaps be more beneficial.

Lucien
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