On Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:26:23 -0800, Ron Wanttaja
wrote:

The only thing I can think of is that both units have some sort of
overvoltage protection that clears itself after a time. Neither has the
classical "On" button with mechanical contacts...
Still, the units shouldn't have seen that direct generator output...they
were turned off. So what activated the overvoltage protection?

Anybody got any ideas?

I wonder if it's the same problem that I've seen on a number of
occasions with computers, which typically is the computer getting
zapped by a static discharge (the "rubbing your feet on a carpet on a
dry day" thing). The symptom is that the computer won't turn on at
all, and the fix is to unplug and/or remove the battery, then press
and hold down the power button for ten seconds or so to drain off any
static. Plug it in and/or replace the battery, and voila! The
computer works again. A transient voltage spike too fast for your
gauge to register may have done the same thing to your electronics.

-Dana
--
There is always a law against doing anything interesting.