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Dave Lucky 700
Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 727 Location: Houston, Texas
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 3:15 pm Post subject: And then I saw the smoke! |
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Hi everyone,
What a weird way to end the week.
I just finished a narration project before lunch and was getting up to leave for a meeting with a new client when I smelled something burning...that awful electric insulation odor. I stepped outside the studio to see if it was coming in through the AC...nope.
The smell continued to get stronger in the studio so I knew something wasn't kosher. I still couldn't find the source so I called my wife to help me sniff it out (a woman's nose knows!). She quickly narrowed it down to the equipment grouped on the right side of the computer. The speaker appeared to be the most likely candiate but we weren't completely sure since the odor was so strong.
That's when we saw the smoke!
Although it didn't burst into flames...the speaker was definately in the process of having a melt-down. I quickly yanked the cables and carried it out of the house. Whew!
Thankfully, it decided to crap out seconds before I left the house. I can't help but feel it would have gone un-noticed until it may have been too late for my wife and mother-in-law (she's 93 and lives with us) to do anything but run for the door.
So here's the deal. The speaker that nearly burned us out of house and home is one of two Alesis M1 Active (powered) monitors purchased new 5 years ago.
Needless to say...I'll be contacting the manufacturer on this little incident.
Dave _________________ . If at first you don't succeed, then bomb disposal probably isn't for you. |
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SoundsGreat-Elaine Singer King's Row
Joined: 30 Dec 2004 Posts: 1055 Location: Toronto, Canada
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 3:35 pm Post subject: |
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Well, thank goodness you found it in time. Scary thought of what might have been though. _________________ Elaine
The Youthful Mature Voice (Emeritus)
Senectitude is not for the faint of heart. |
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bobsouer Frequent Flyer
Joined: 15 Jul 2006 Posts: 9882 Location: Pittsburgh, PA
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 4:18 pm Post subject: |
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Dave,
The timing of that incident was providential, indeed. I'm glad you, your family and your studio are all OK. _________________ Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
ISDN, Source Connect, phone patch |
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asnively Triple G
Joined: 17 Jun 2006 Posts: 3204 Location: Los Angeles
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 4:35 pm Post subject: |
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How terrifying. What a relief that it was caught in time.
_________________
failed banks
Last edited by asnively on Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:34 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Deirdre Czarina Emeritus
Joined: 10 Nov 2004 Posts: 13016 Location: East Jesus, Maine
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 4:36 pm Post subject: |
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I am glad you were able to catch it in time to save everything else.
Man, what a scare! _________________ DBCooperVO.com |
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Hart Assistant Asylum Chief
Joined: 03 Jan 2006 Posts: 2107 Location: Foley, AL
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mcm Smart Kitteh
Joined: 10 Dec 2004 Posts: 2600 Location: w. MA, USA
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 5:16 pm Post subject: |
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Sweating just thinking about it Dave.
So glad you're okay. |
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Tom Greenlee DC
Joined: 24 Mar 2006 Posts: 686 Location: Divide, Colorado (above the clouds)
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 5:25 pm Post subject: |
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Wow Dave....talk about fortunate timing. I'm very glad you all are ok and your studio too. What a disaster that could have been if you weren't there to catch it as it started. Whew _________________ TG2
"Communication without intelligence is noise; Intelligence without communication is irrelevant."
Gen. Alfred. M. Gray, USMC
Former Commandant of the Marine Corps |
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Dave Lucky 700
Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 727 Location: Houston, Texas
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 6:09 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks everyone...I'm still kinda awed by the whole sequence of events. I had never given a moments thought that something like this could happen. I always considered voiceover to be a rather "safe" form of employment.
Dave
P.S. I've determined the fire began in the (internal) power supply of the speaker/monitor. Makes me a little uneasy about continuing to use the remaining speaker...Hmmmm, what are the chances? _________________ . If at first you don't succeed, then bomb disposal probably isn't for you. |
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tackerman The Gates of Troy
Joined: 14 Jun 2006 Posts: 1741 Location: in the ether
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 6:42 pm Post subject: |
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A great reminder for all of us to check our smoke alarms and fire extinguishers. Glad you avoided a disaster.
BTW, if you have an extinguisher... do you know where it is without having to think about it? |
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Bruce Boardmeister
Joined: 06 Jun 2005 Posts: 7926 Location: Portland, OR
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 6:43 pm Post subject: |
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If I were you, I'd replace that power supply with one of those Sony lithium batteries they've been using in the Dell and Mac laptop computers. You can get a used one reeeaaallll cheap.
B
(oh yes, Dell and Mac, and Toshiba, and Lenovo and a now about a dozen other brands too!) _________________ VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005
I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. . |
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VO-Guy Guest
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Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 5:27 am Post subject: |
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Dave,
Glad ya caught it. Thanks for telling us about it. I've got the same monitors so guess what's getting turned off everytime I leave the studio now.
Of course I could always use your story as a way to upgrade my monitors. "Look honey, I need to upgrade because these burst into flames". |
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allensco Flight Attendant
Joined: 30 Jul 2005 Posts: 823 Location: Alabama, USA
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Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 5:53 am Post subject: |
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Wow Dave....glad you caught it before any real damage was done.
Several years ago, I had a similar experience at the radio station I currently work part-time for. A magnetic cart eraser went bad sometime during the late night/early morning hours while I was on the air. When I noticed the video monitor showing the front door was hazy, I stepped out of the control room and the building was FULL of smoke and that putrid smell of something electrical burning. I called the fire dept and started hunting the source of the smoke. I suspected it was a ballast on one of the flourescent lights. When I finally found it, the eraser, a desktop model, had gotten so hot, it was RED, the rubber feet had melted and it was sliding off the desk. I quickly snatched the power cord from the wall and threw the unit out the front door just as the fire fighters were arriving. Close call that scared the crap out of me! |
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Dave Lucky 700
Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 727 Location: Houston, Texas
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Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 7:14 am Post subject: |
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VoiceTom wrote: | A great reminder for all of us to check our smoke alarms and fire extinguishers. Glad you avoided a disaster.
BTW, if you have an extinguisher... do you know where it is without having to think about it? |
Good question Tom,
I never thought of grabbing the fire extinguisher that was about 7 feet away This is the first time I've ever had anything happen ....and I totally forget I even owned one Guess I will have to start having fire drills like we did in grade school. _________________ . If at first you don't succeed, then bomb disposal probably isn't for you. |
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Dave Lucky 700
Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 727 Location: Houston, Texas
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Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 7:54 am Post subject: |
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VO-Guy wrote: | Dave,
Glad ya caught it. Thanks for telling us about it. I've got the same monitors so guess what's getting turned off everytime I leave the studio now.
Of course I could always use your story as a way to upgrade my monitors. "Look honey, I need to upgrade because these burst into flames". |
Sounds like a really good plan to me...especially since I always turned the monitors off when I'm not in the studio. They had only been on a couple hours when it happened. _________________ . If at first you don't succeed, then bomb disposal probably isn't for you. |
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