On Mon, 11 Aug 2003 13:31:14 +0100, "Ian White, G3SEK"
wrote:

As Homer would insist: "Get it right - it's noocular, noocular."

Is that where George W learned the pronunciation?

I would agree except for RF. RF can punch a hole through tissue, leaving a burn through the path. If your
vital organ is in the path it gets cauterized. If you hit a key spot, like the AV node of the heart or
along the Bundle of His, you are in trouble.


Howard Henry Schlunder ) wrote:
: "K Wind" wrote in message
: .. .
: Would 1,500VDC with 6mA capability flowing through one arm and out the
: other
: be considered lethal? At one time, I knew how much current was considered
: lethal, but have forgotten.
:
: No. It is actually quite hard to kill yourself with electrical shocks.
: There are tons easier and more likely things to die from in everyday life.
:
: 60Hz AC is most dangerous in the range of 100 to 300 mA. Current in that
: range sometimes causes ventricular fibrillation, whereas currents above that
: usually cause the heart to temporarily contract and protect itself. Very
: high currents, however, can dissipate lots of power in your organs and cook
: them, leading to a painful death if nothing stops the electrocution for
: several minutes. High frequency AC (like many kilohertz and beyond) should
: be less dangerous since it will be bound by "skin effect" and not penetrate
: as far into your chest cavity. DC is considerably safer than 60Hz AC, and
: I've read some estimates saying you need 4 times as much current to die from
: DC shocks. I don't know if I believe that though; I suspect there are too
: few cases to draw significant statistical conclusions. As I understand it
: (and I may be wrong here), DC is safer than AC because it doesn't cause
: ventricular fibrillation, so death by these shocks occur from organ damage
: and falling off ladders and things.
:
: Howard Henry Schlunder
:
:
:
:
: -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
: http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
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I would agree except for RF. RF can punch a hole through tissue, leaving a burn through the path. If your
vital organ is in the path it gets cauterized. If you hit a key spot, like the AV node of the heart or
along the Bundle of His, you are in trouble.


Howard Henry Schlunder ) wrote:
: "K Wind" wrote in message
: .. .
: Would 1,500VDC with 6mA capability flowing through one arm and out the
: other
: be considered lethal? At one time, I knew how much current was considered
: lethal, but have forgotten.
:
: No. It is actually quite hard to kill yourself with electrical shocks.
: There are tons easier and more likely things to die from in everyday life.
:
: 60Hz AC is most dangerous in the range of 100 to 300 mA. Current in that
: range sometimes causes ventricular fibrillation, whereas currents above that
: usually cause the heart to temporarily contract and protect itself. Very
: high currents, however, can dissipate lots of power in your organs and cook
: them, leading to a painful death if nothing stops the electrocution for
: several minutes. High frequency AC (like many kilohertz and beyond) should
: be less dangerous since it will be bound by "skin effect" and not penetrate
: as far into your chest cavity. DC is considerably safer than 60Hz AC, and
: I've read some estimates saying you need 4 times as much current to die from
: DC shocks. I don't know if I believe that though; I suspect there are too
: few cases to draw significant statistical conclusions. As I understand it
: (and I may be wrong here), DC is safer than AC because it doesn't cause
: ventricular fibrillation, so death by these shocks occur from organ damage
: and falling off ladders and things.
:
: Howard Henry Schlunder
:
:
:
:
: -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
: http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
: -----== Over 80,000 Newsgroups - 16 Different Servers! =-----

"Andrew R Mitz" wrote in message
...
Twice:
1) Working on a portable battery-operated 120vac source. (My own design).
Got each hand on the 120vac while
wearing the device. Could not breath; could not yell for help. Saved
myself by intentionally falling onto
the battery pack and luckly broke the pack apart.

2) Working on the HV of a 1KW transmitter. Power was off, but caught the
4KV from the filter capacitors.
Threw me across the room. Guess my heart was healthy enough to recover a
normal beat.

AC is more dangerous for two reasons. It causes muscle to contract and
not release, so you cannot let go,
and at 50 or 60Hz it is likely to fibrilate the heart. A single jolt of
DC, if it does not damage too much
tissue, will tend to leave the heart in a (properly) synchronized state so
it can resume a normal beat.

Twisting the thread a little:

I worked with an engineer who was very proud of his floating high-voltage AC
plasma display sustainer drive circuit. Since it was floating, you could
touch any part and not get a shock (or upset the display, either). He
showed my by touching the cases of a few of the power transistors in turn.
Then he jerked his hand back and let out a yell.

Instant second-degree-burn blister.

"Andrew R Mitz" wrote in message
...
Twice:
1) Working on a portable battery-operated 120vac source. (My own design).
Got each hand on the 120vac while
wearing the device. Could not breath; could not yell for help. Saved
myself by intentionally falling onto
the battery pack and luckly broke the pack apart.

2) Working on the HV of a 1KW transmitter. Power was off, but caught the
4KV from the filter capacitors.
Threw me across the room. Guess my heart was healthy enough to recover a
normal beat.

AC is more dangerous for two reasons. It causes muscle to contract and
not release, so you cannot let go,
and at 50 or 60Hz it is likely to fibrilate the heart. A single jolt of
DC, if it does not damage too much
tissue, will tend to leave the heart in a (properly) synchronized state so
it can resume a normal beat.

Twisting the thread a little:

I worked with an engineer who was very proud of his floating high-voltage AC
plasma display sustainer drive circuit. Since it was floating, you could
touch any part and not get a shock (or upset the display, either). He
showed my by touching the cases of a few of the power transistors in turn.
Then he jerked his hand back and let out a yell.

Instant second-degree-burn blister.

Paul Burridge wrote in message . ..
The question seems daft, but bear with me, gentlemen. Has anyone ever
had an electric shock that they feel lucky to have survived?

p.

I'm holding 'L' on UK mains right now and I can't feel a thing.

Cheers
Robin

Paul Burridge wrote in message . ..
The question seems daft, but bear with me, gentlemen. Has anyone ever
had an electric shock that they feel lucky to have survived?

p.

I'm holding 'L' on UK mains right now and I can't feel a thing.

Cheers
Robin

I know you are you standing in dry wellies on a rubber mat? Ok what about
with your other hand? You've got the choice of N or E ;-)



wrote in message
om...
Paul Burridge wrote in message
. ..
The question seems daft, but bear with me, gentlemen. Has anyone ever
had an electric shock that they feel lucky to have survived?

p.

I'm holding 'L' on UK mains right now and I can't feel a thing.

Cheers
Robin

I know you are you standing in dry wellies on a rubber mat? Ok what about
with your other hand? You've got the choice of N or E ;-)



wrote in message
om...
Paul Burridge wrote in message
. ..
The question seems daft, but bear with me, gentlemen. Has anyone ever
had an electric shock that they feel lucky to have survived?

p.

I'm holding 'L' on UK mains right now and I can't feel a thing.

Cheers
Robin

scharkalvin wrote:


Some of these stories are hair rasing... and I'm too much of a weenie to
stick my tongue on a 9V battery...


That's how we tested batteries when I was a kid. 'Course there was the
dufus that tried it with a 90v B battery!


Better make that dufuses (dufusi?). When I was a kid I was tinkering
with a radio and unplugges the B battery connector to do something -
needing another hand I stuck it in my mouth. It was an 'interesting'
experience to say the least!

Dave