8 Apr
2004
8 Apr
'04
12:57 p.m.
On Thursday 08 April 2004 18:21, Tony Duell wrote:
Well, I can't remember the first mains shock I
received. I think I
was less than 2 years old -- certainly I couldn't really walk or
talk. I'd manageds to unscrew some electrical device without
unplugging it first. I think at that point my parents realised that I
was going to be an electical/electronic person (possibly even a
hacker...)
What worries me is that there are people who work on electronics,
computer hardware, etc who didn't grow up taking things apart and
tryign to work out how they operate...
Or, as I like to say "you shouldn't be an engineer if you haven't been
shocked by mains current as a kid." According to my parents, I'd
managed to shock myself enough when I was young to need to be taken to
the hospital. I guess I still haven't learned. :)
http://computer-refuge.org/toys/60kV-spark-1.jpg
For those without a JPEG-enabled viewing device, it's a picture of what
used to help generate X-rays and will become a jacobs ladder when I get
some spare time back. :) Truthfully, it was probably closer to 45kV
peak (AC) than 60kV, as I don't have enough power available in my
offi^W^Wthe location it's at for it.
Pat
--
Purdue University ITAP/RCS --- http://www.itap.purdue.edu/rcs/
The Computer Refuge --- http://computer-refuge.org
