Originally Posted by
GraphiteGhost
My first experience with high voltage, was two pins from a vertical canned multitap toroidal transformer on top of a homemade old DC power supply (attached to) an even older tubed multiband 12 volt auto AM receiver back in the early 1960's. Was reaching behind it to unscrew a pl-259 antenna connector and the ultra sensitive spot on my right wrist contacted those two pins. The resultant shock threw me back about 15 ft against the opposite wall in my bedroom (funny thing muscle contraction and adrenaline, huh?) and I sat there shaking with a gawd-awful funny taste in my mouth. It took quite a while to be able to stand, and weeks before the two burn marks on my wrist to (sort-of) go away. I'll certainly never forget that experience, that's for sure. Funny thing about electricity is when it is properly controlled, its great. BUT when its uncontrolled, quite the nightmare to many! Unforgettable, that's what it was.... (there's a song in there somewhere)...
OK. Good one.
My first lesson was ~ 6 months into my last job. I built particle accelerators for 22 years.
We would perform "charging tests" on the open machine with the HV terminal grounded. This would allow one to visually inspect the chain/inductor spacing for sparking. No more than 6 kvdc, and you knew where it was. No problem.
Until the ground clip you put on a 1/4-20 screw falls off with your hand on the terminal.
It's friggin' amazing how fast the terminal will go for 2 mV. Darned little current, but a long time of being laughed at is the end result. The last spark will
CHASE YOU for 5-10 feet.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelletron
http://www.pelletron.com/charging.htm
My last "life lesson" was 3 years ago. My co-worker offered to unplug the live 208/30A circuit I was working on.
"Nah-I've got it". I was holding a grounded 1-8 threaded rod. My forearm contacted 2 separate 208/30 amp poles on 2 breakers.
I ended up with 10 really cool parallel cuts in my palm from the threads, a bent back from me arching, and a hole in my tongue from me chomping through it.
OK-I'm a slow learner.
BTW-Alaxfire came over today and showed me how to install these neat new "F1 Blinky lights". Very cool!
