X10 Community Forum

🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Topic started by: Brian H on January 14, 2010, 04:02:48 PM

Title: Slight Shock from an X10 Filter.
Post by: Brian H on January 14, 2010, 04:02:48 PM
I was moving things around, connecting and disconnecting things and got a slight shock when I touched the AC Input Pins on an XPPF filter.
Luck of the draw. It must have been unplugged when the AC was near 120 volts and the parallel capacitors [three of them totaling 1.69 uf] where charged. No load on the output. So my fingers did the discharging.  rofl
I am sure the XPPF is not the only filter with a capacitor across the line. So use care.  ;)
Title: Re: Slight Shock from an X10 Filter.
Post by: dave w on January 14, 2010, 04:21:29 PM
I once discharged a television picture tube. I still ain't right from that.  ;D
Title: Re: Slight Shock from an X10 Filter.
Post by: Brian H on January 14, 2010, 04:27:40 PM
Back in the Tube TV days. I got my meter lead too close to the horizontal output tube cap.  ::) Meter went to a zero point of mid scale.

When working on a two way radio. The owner decided to call the base while I was fixing his antenna. 130 watts of low band RF up my arm.
Title: Re: Slight Shock from an X10 Filter.
Post by: Brandt on January 14, 2010, 05:28:59 PM
geez how old are you guys? lol just kidding!

thanks for the warning!
Title: Re: Slight Shock from an X10 Filter.
Post by: HA Dave on January 14, 2010, 05:34:28 PM
geez how old are you guys?

Most of us are pretty young! I think -Bill- (of wgjohns.com) and Knightrider are kinda old though. Sorry guys... could help myself.
Title: Re: Slight Shock from an X10 Filter.
Post by: JeffVolp on January 14, 2010, 06:01:32 PM
I once discharged a television picture tube. I still ain't right from that.  ;D

Back in high school I repaired TVs on the side to earn a few bucks.  There were a few rules to follow:

1)  Unplug the set
2)  Keep one hand in your pocket
3)  Discharge the picture tube with a grounded clip lead attached to an insulated screwdriver.

After the big snap, it was safe to work inside.

Jeff
Title: Re: Slight Shock from an X10 Filter.
Post by: Knightrider on January 14, 2010, 06:59:04 PM
geez how old are you guys?

Most of us are pretty young! I think -Bill- (of wgjohns.com) and Knightrider are kinda old though. Sorry guys... could help myself.

Actually, I'm kinda young.  Just experienced.

As a whippersnapper, I found a Radio Electronics article on how to build a voltage doubler, took an indirect lightning strike from a base station to a telephone across the room and tore apart TV sets on a semi regular basis.

Been there, done that, still ain't right.
Title: Re: Slight Shock from an X10 Filter.
Post by: Mellowmark on January 14, 2010, 09:08:53 PM
Yeah the one that got me by surprise was the flash in my niece's digital camera. That little sucker packed a punch.
Title: Re: Slight Shock from an X10 Filter.
Post by: -Bill- (of wgjohns.com) on January 14, 2010, 09:28:40 PM
At age 12 or so, I discovered that rabbit fur lined leather gloves are not sufficient insulators at 36,000 or so volts present at the anode cap of a medium sized color TV.   :o   -:)   ???

Fortunately, I woke up.   ;D

Unfortunately, I woke up under my desk about 6 feet across the room.   rofl

For some reason, my parents would never allow me to put a lock on my bedroom door.   ???   rofl

 >!
Title: Re: Slight Shock from an X10 Filter.
Post by: Mel99 on January 15, 2010, 02:10:37 PM
When I did tech support for a telecom company, I was assisting on an install.  Just as we walked into the data/switch room: the building went dark, the emergency lights came on and the Halon sprayed.  I saw a tech from another company yelling over by the open-frame power distribution unit.  I looked around for a wooden stick and couldn't find one.  By that time he was free from the power distribution unit and seemed to be mostly ok.

He admitted to working on the high voltage section live as he didn't have permission to shut it down during the day.  Fortunately, the current did not arc across his heart.  It only made a section of his palm, about the diameter of a silver dollar, hard as leather.  And, the pair of vice grips he was using was welded to the frame.

Really strengthened my resolve to always be really, really careful around electricity.
Title: Re: Slight Shock from an X10 Filter.
Post by: bitman on January 15, 2010, 05:59:13 PM
I once discharged a television picture tube. I still ain't right from that.  ;D

Oh that's what wrong.  ;D

Bless you heart man, I'm glad it's still tickin.

 >!
Title: Re: Slight Shock from an X10 Filter.
Post by: bitman on January 15, 2010, 06:13:42 PM
Best jolt I got was from a B+ cap all nice and charged up in a Marshall tube amp.
Once when I was about 7 I cut a piece of zip cord and attached the bare ends to a 6x9 speaker then plugged the other end into the wa- BANG!

Went downstairs still shaking with fear to see my dad just reading the Sunday paper..... :'
Thought I could make an amp that way. 

This is the most fun thread yet here.
We need some good zap emoticons!