AVR-Chat

Darren Worley said:
> On Wed, May 25, 2005 at 01:54:49AM -0000, Graham Davies wrote:
>> similar DC voltages. I hear your muscles clamp up and you can't get
>> loose. Maybe I should check that, but I'm still not up for the
>> experiment.
>
> Geez!  Don't even think about messing with that, Graham.  At least not
> on purpose.  It only takes a few milliamps to stop your heart,
> a.k.a. electrocution.
> -Brian
>
> Once bitten *forever* shy. Many years ago whilst a techie at an elevator
> company, I had the misadventure to be bitten by 130Vdc. Apart from the
> initial shock, one thing I do remember about it, is that the muscles in
> my arms and chest ached for days afterwoods. I consider myself extremely
> lucky. Zapped with 240Vac is one thing, but high voltage dc is a whole
> different ballgame... RUN A MILE!
>
> If you have to work on live equip to fault find, do yourself a favour
> and go get some good quality latex gloves, snug fitting ones, they can
> litterally save your life!
>

We were told early in our electrical engineering career by a professor
that there is a certain current range that is lethal.  Too little current
results in no harm, and too much locks the muscles in your chest and
protects your heart somehow.  I believe the dangerous value was around 15
mA. Everyone has different skin resistance, so it's hard to determine how
it will affect each individual.  I know one person that can hold two wires
from a 120 VAC cord, one in each hand, and while he feels it, it does not
cause him any harm nor visible reaction.  Another college friend has
related a story about how they would hook each wire from a 120 VAC cord to
two beer cans, then a whole group of people would hold hands and the
people at the two ends would each hold a beer can.  Obviously they had
drank the beer first!

The most painful shocks that I have received either involved horizontal
flyback amplifier tubes (remember when TVs used tubes?) or transmitting
tubes...

Mike