Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!pasteur!ames!pacbell!att!chinet!darus
From: darus@chinet.chi.il.us (james wygralak)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Anyone know about arc generators? `ffzzapp'
Message-ID: <1990Feb3.030018.25484@chinet.chi.il.us>
Date: 3 Feb 90 03:00:18 GMT
References: <5237@vax1.tcd.ie> <286@venice.SEDD.TRW.COM> <1990Jan31.155511.20128@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> <1141@carroll1.cc.edu>
Reply-To: darus@chinet.chi.il.us (james wygralak)
Organization: Chinet - Chicago Public Access UNIX
Lines: 27
Summary:Still dangerous

In article <1141@carroll1.cc.edu> dnewton@carroll1.cc.edu (Dave Newton the Late) writes:
>In article <1990Jan31.155511.20128@usenet.ins.cwru.edu> dkazdan@cwsys2.UUCP (David Kazdan, M.D.) writes:
>>>transformer.   I have a 12kv, 30ma transformer which does the job nicely.
>>CAUTION:  LETHAL DEVICE.
>
>   Not necessarily--I've been zapped by tesla's and other low-current/high-
>voltage&frequency devices before.  One threw me across a basement (Dave, why
>are you on the laundry table?) but I'm still alive.  Decidedly uncomfortable.
>

The key word here is high frequency. There is a phenomenon know as the
skin-effect. It refers to the tendency of high frequency signals to travel
along the surface of a conductor. This will cause HF current to pass along
the surface of your skin and not through the body. A properly tuned
tesla coil is a high frequency generator.

A jacobs ladder is NOT a high frequency device. It operates at 60hz.

Another point: It takes very little current to kill a person. As little
as 0.1 milli-amps of current passing through the body is lethal. 
12kv is plenty to develop this much current if you were to grab the 
posts of a jacobs ladder while it is energized.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
darus@chinet.chi.il.us                                                 KA9LTY
BSEET looking for a real job.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------