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RE- near miss <Zap!>
From: Robert Michaels[SMTP:robert.michaels-at-online.sme-dot-org]
Sent: Saturday, November 22, 1997 4:44 AM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: RE- near miss <Zap!>
So -- you are actually starting to learn: Capacitors
are like loaded guns -- they can discharge at any time,
without taking your wishes into account.
The best advice on this subject came from Dr. Tesla himself:
=Always= have one hand in your pocket =before=
touching any part of a high voltage circuit.
In the modern day of concrete flooring, wearing insulated
boots isn't a bad idea either.
- - - - - - -
Most experimenters learned this very early in the history
of electricity:
Always short out any capacitor before handling
it or the circuitry thereto attached. If the
capacitor has much energy stored, the discharge
must be accomplished thru a suitable resistor
to avoid damage (to the capacitor and possibly
yourself).
=Leave= the short on the terminals of the
capacitor until ready to intentionally energize
it again.
Good capacitors can retain some charge
for a very long time (days/weeks!)
A freshly discharged capacitor can
=recover= some of it's charge if left
open circuited.
Open circuited capacitors can sometimes
acquire a charge from atmospheric or
static electricity. Hence, they should
be shipped and stored with a shorting
wire -- it's like handling a firearm only
with the action open: It assures no un-
anticipated discharges.
- - - - - - -
Electrical shock is no joke! Shocks which are far from
being instantly lethal can cause electrochemical changes with
far reaching and often delayed effects.
- - - - - - -
For some it's like mule-training. You may not want to follow
the rules, but get kicked hard a few times and it will begin
to sink in.
Robert Michaels,
Teslas coiled and mules
trained (firearms instruction
on the side) -- in Detroit,USA
TL>From: Gary Lau 21-Nov-1997 1019[SMTP:lau-at-hdecad.ENET.dec-dot-com]
TL>Subject: A near miss <Zap!>
TL>I had a near-miss about a month ago that upon further thought, might benefit
TL>others to share it.
[ ... ]
TL>Upon picking up the loose wire from the cap, I received a startling shock.
TL>don't recall whether I had one hand on the primary and the other on the tap
TL>wire, or one hand on the concrete floor, or none of the above, but I do
TL>realize
TL>that I was lucky and that it could have been MUCH more severe, if not fatal.
[ ... ]