Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ncrlnk!ncrcae!hubcap!gatech!emcard!stiatl!john
From: john@stiatl.UUCP (John DeArmond)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Electrocution -- Is this possible?
Message-ID: <3705@stiatl.UUCP>
Date: 11 Mar 89 05:26:41 GMT
References: <700@m3.mfci.UUCP>
Reply-To: john@stiatl.UUCP (John DeArmond)
Organization: Sales Technologies Inc., Atlanta, GA
Lines: 27

>
>>"Convicted Murdered Electrocutes Himself on Prison Toilet"
>
>.... deleted story....
>>
>>I find this very surprising.  Do television earphones really put out
>>enough amps to do this?
>>
>

How in the world did this subject generate so much verbage?  The 
electrocution mechanism is fairly obvious to anyone who knows anything
about TV.  Most TVs, especially cheap TVs are line operated; ie, they
don't have transformers and instead run directly from the line voltage.
This means the circuit board and chassis of the TV has the potential to
be directly connected to the line.  Most TVs have 2 prong polarized plugs
which is a weak attempt to keep the chassis cold.  It is quite likely that
in prison, polarized plugs may be wired wrong and/or cheap, ad-hoc 
extension cords are un use.  The net effect was that when this guy bit
through the headphone cord, he was directly connected to the line.

John

-- 
John De Armond, WD4OQC                     | Manual? ... What manual ?!? 
Sales Technologies, Inc.    Atlanta, GA    | This is Unix, My son, You 
...!gatech!stiatl!john                     | just GOTTA Know!!!