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On 4/28/18 12:27 PM, Steve White wrote:
I live in a suburban neighborhood where I am known as Mr. Wizard or the mad scientist. I occasionally run my big SGTC (8 foot sparks) in my backyard. The neighbors always come over to watch and love it. I suppose there is the remote possibility that one of them could be hurt by it somehow even though I take extensive precautions. I don't know if my homeowner's insurance would cover that, but I am willing to take that small risk because if we let the lawyers and insurance companies dictate everything that we do, then nothing will be fun or interesting. I have always believed that almost everything in life that is really fun or very interesting has an element of risk to it. If other people want to go through life wrapped in 12 inches of bubble wrap then let them but their life will be pretty boring. I suppose if I wanted complete assurance, I would not let anyone come into my yard to watch my coil. If I did that, I would be the only person that ever saw it and what would be the
point of even building it?
In that case, your HO insurance would likely cover it (you're not doing
it as a business). And, as you say, it's your own look out.
What I was talking about was why a *company* like T&R would stop selling
to coilers. Or the capacitor company Ed was talking about.
For them, it's a simple business decision - we're a tiny part of their
business - to cut us off doesn't affect their bottom line negatively,
and selling to us appears to have a significant downside.
And the other point is that *you* may have no intention of suing someone
if you get hurt, but the insurance company paying your hospital bills (
or, Saint Barbara (or Elmo?) forbid, you die, your life insurance
company) might want to find someone else to pay. And this would occur
regardless of your best intentions.
BTW, this is also the potential problem that crops up when you make the
step from amateur coiling enthusiast to professional effects provider.
On a related topic my brother, and others, at various times have suggested that I contact the local TV station to see if they wanted the news department to do a story about my big SGTC. I have even thought of that myself because I live in a small city where no one else does this sort of thing. But then I have second thoughts about the publicity. Before I built this coil, I read the city ordinances in fine detail. There is nothing in there to prevent me from operating this coil in my backyard other than if someone made a noise complaint, which has never happened. I have been operating this coil for about a year with no problems, at most once every few months. But then I think if a news story about it was broadcast, then there would suddenly be a swarm of "safety police" coming out of the woodwork trying to figure out a way to shut me down possibly resulting in a new city ordnance specifically aimed at me. Or my homeowner's insurance company hearing about it and canceling my po
licy. Because of these possibilities, I just let people know by word of mouth that I will be operating my coil on a certain day if they want to watch. Last Halloween I ran it for several hours with hundreds of people stopping by to view.
Naahh.. it will be the watchers of Ancient Aliens wanting you to help
them tap the primeval forces of nature.
Or you'll start getting calls for every case of RFI within 30 miles -
like hams who put up a tower, and start getting blamed for RFI, even if
there's no feedline to the antenna, or even an antenna.