I have a 200 amp GE panel. On both sides, alternating breakers are inoperable. Does this mean that 1/2 of my 200 amp main breaker is blown? Thanks

John

Itown,
It could if you have a voltage meter it would be easy to verify

"alternating breakers are inoperable" can you further explain what you mean by this?

I checked each breaker with a simple circuit tester and from the top down, every other breaker has continuity on both sides.

OK continuity but do they also carry power on eacg side of the breaker?

Yes, I checked from the screw where the hot lead connects on each breaker to the neutral bar. I guess the other question is that if it is in fact the main breaker and I have to replace it, is there a way to safely disconnect the power outside at the meter? I have a standard dial meter with the glass "bowl" and no shut off lever or quick disconnect ring.

Do not open that bowl. There should be a main breaker or a pull out at the top. What panel do you have?

The panel itself is a GE 32 space 200 amp service panel, not sure of the actual model number if that is what you are asking. As far as the meter outside, it is a GE dial meter with a 3R enclosure, whatever that means. I peeked behind the bowl and saw where there are 4 "nodes" if you will connecting to either end of the cables. I would not dare touch that thing. However, I see now disconnect of any kind, neither inside or out. Do I need to have the power company come out and disconnect so I can replace the main?

Try turning Main Breaker off then Back On, may fix.
If not,

You need to see where you are losing the 2nd leg.
Could be from the electric company if a wire is broke, Check in and out of Main Breaker.
Do you measure 240 Volts going into Main.
You can sometime see a broke wire from the Electric Company if you visually follow from your house, to the main line.

1st of all, thanks to all who have responded so quickly, great help. I did try resetting the main to no avail. I will check wires to the pole but this has been a progressive problem. Lights started flickering months ago (I just figured it was bulbs, then maybe a loose neutral wire). More and more lights, and then outlets, etc.
Looking at the main breaker, mind you it is a GE 200 amp quad, the bottom two breakers have screws in the normal spots where the hot lead would hook up to on a normal breaker. The upper two breakers do not have screws (I am guessing that they connect underneath to the other bar or something). Instead, where the screws would have been is just black plastic.
In each of these two recesses, the black plastic is cracked (looks like if you leave chocolate pudding in the fridge for three weeks and it shrivels up and has a huge crack down the middle). Hopefully that all makes sense. And so that is what makes me think that it is the breaker itself. Does this sound pretty well on the mark?

Yeah, that dried pudding look is from overheating. Could be a loose, corroded or burnt connection(s).
When you replace, they will remove the meter so you or qualified electrician can replace.
That quad is the equivellent of 2 100 amp breakers in parallel.
Be sure when putting back together to have Clean copper wire, connections, buss. And the screws/bolts are tight.
The overheating could have been from loose connections, not overloading, loose connections generate heat.

I will call the electric company, and thanks again for all your help

Good Luck.