HV stories

[Don Watson]

I have been very fortunate (or more carefull).  I have gotten a few
tingles in my day, but not even close to what these guys got.  I did
burn a notch in a test probe once, but it didn't get to me. On second thought, I may have gotten a couple of those "tingles" from the Heath
color TV kit.

Anyway, here is story from my son.

Don (KC6VVU)
========================================

        Well, there isn't anything in a PC to send anyone blasting across a room. I have however gotten one (that's all it takes) real good jolt. When I have monitors apart I am very paranoid about the anode, never got zapped from there - lkewise with DC power amps (paranoid that is).

 However I used to have to work on AB Dick printers..The old ink sprayers. They use deflection plates to deflect positive, negative droplets into the proper pattern. Those plates charge to 3.3kv.

The safety procedure was to open the cover over the plates whereupon a switch was released to disconnect the HV power supply, then short the plates together with a big screwdriver to bleed any residual charge.

Well I opened the cover, shorted the plates and grabbed the top bar(with one hand). Guess what? The cover safety switch was stuck closed. I landed in a chair about 5 ft away (sitting no less).

Nice burn on my hand, complete with smoking skin. After that little incident I always bled twice just to make sure the cover switch was working!!!!

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