Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #01604
To: Richard Piotter richfile@rconnect.com
From: James Wilson jameswilson@globalserve.net
Date: Thu, 18 Mar 1999 19:46:45 -0500
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: warning!
The relative level of perceived danger is no reason to be careless near a stored
energy source. A charged cap, acid, alkaline or many other common objects can have
a vast store of potential energy. The way of the world, some may call it entropy,
is for every thing to be in its lowest stored energy state. Thus we have found
many ways of utilizing this in capacitors batteries etc. The one major thing to
keep in mind is that even though the current may be low and the statement that
voltage alone will not kill you is true, the over all well of energy that is stored
can cause you great harm. A friend of mine while quoting volts can't hurt you was
mucking around in a rather old tv. The caps that were attached to the fly back
transformer looked old and dead until he accidentally brushed his arm past them.
He had a hole burned through his forearm 1/2" in diameter. I can still smell the
flesh burning and hear his screams.
Beam robots are fun and a rather safe hobby, however, one must not take a caviler
approach to safety.
James
Richard Piotter wrote:
> Camera flashes will give you a nice little jolt, but it won't seriously
> harm you. I rigged one up as an electrical muscle toner, but never used
> it. I eventualy just used it to shock myself and others. It has nearly
> no real current behind the 280-360 volts. I know. I've played with them
> many a time. I still don't recomend "playing" with them, but I wouldn't
> worry for my life around one.
>
> Bumper314@aol.com wrote:
> >
> > Dont screw around with those camera flash caps. I had to discharge one and it
> > put out a good ZAP!!! And i thought it was done so i started to play with the
> > rest of it then ZAP!!!! I got this one. IT STINGS. I guess I'm luck i didnt
> > lose a body part or anything. So be careful if you play with these.
> >
> > Steve
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