ECN Forum Forums Photo Discussion Forums Photos for General Discussion Dangerously Living

I don't know.

I think it's a good thing that this kid is interested in something other than just sitting on the couch watching TV.

He most probably knows what he's doing.

Oh, ya!

Charging P.F. Correcting / Motor Starting Capacitors rated for >450 VAC, via "Reverse-Fed" 20 - 40 VA Split-Coil Control Transformers (Sec. = 120/240 VAC, Pri. = 240/480 VAC), and "Letting A Friend Complete The Path" / "Help Discharge The Capacitor Rapidly"
This one turned into fights at times
Also turned into everyone's favorite "Trick For The Newcomer(s)"!

The 'Old "Hold These Two Wires On This Coil, While I Remove The Ohmmeter's Leads" trick/test... another instant anger generator!

The classic "Please Hold These Leads, While I Crank The Megger" type of Human Being "Hi-Pot" testing.

All those above items were "Universally" experienced by myself and friends. Kind of Masochistic behavior for sure!
We were Teenagers, and doing what Teenagers do best - just do, not think!

For the "Non-Contact" / "No Pain Induced" stuff, I think the overall best was the Neon Transformer with the #12 T-Bar Ceiling wires attached to the Bushings, making the "Walking Plasma"

Minimal success was achieved using Automotive Ignition Coils and a Series Bell (for rapid open/close of the Primary Circuit).
Too little Power could flow through the Circuitry, hence tiny Arcs only.
Very boring...

If we could have got our hands on the materials to create an actual Tesla Coil, we definitely would have built one (or 20!).

We attempted to build a large Van Graff Genny, but never completed that one for some reason.
It was more of a "$$$" than "Sense" thing, too!

Scott35

Scott35,
you were a hell of a lot smarter than I was as a teenager(probably now too)...I was only interested in sports and girls!:-) Electricity wasn't even close to being on my mind.

Hey, when I was about 10, I decided to make my own nightlight.

So I took two strips of spring copper and wrapped one around the screwbase of a little 110-volt lightbulb I had. THen I took the other strip and bent it in a way so it touched the center contact of the bulb base.

Securing the whole assembly with MASKING TAPE (you know the white paper stuff), I shoved it into an extension cord.

Then I crawled under my desk to stick the other end of the extension cord into a light socket.....

BANG!!

Apparently the strip that had been touching the center contact slipped enough to touch the screw-shell, so it was a dead short. The female end of the extension got scorched.

My mom was on the other side of the flat, in the kitchen/dining room and heard the noise and saw the lightbulb in the room flicker and dim for a bit.

"What did you do now?" she said.

"Eeehmm....nothing" I replied and went bak to my room to quickly undo my mess.

Then there was the other time when I was 13 and tried to remove the lampholder from what I thought was a deactivated old light fixture at school. With a screwdriver.

The tip of the driver touched the terminal screw on the lampholder (it was one of those open-bottom ones used for wall sconces) and the shaft touched the metal frame of the fixture. It got WELDED to the lamp!!

How they figured out it was me, I'll never know.

ROTFL ---"How they figured out it was me, I'll never know"

Gee, maybe simple math?

1 13 yr old Sven Weil at their school + 1 Old light fixture =



Some things never change, they just grow better with age





[This message has been edited by electure (edited 11-06-2004).]

You too, huh?

ROFLMAO..........

Well, I guess we all have to learn....but it would be nice to live long enough to put into practice what is learned!!!

A more likely expression in some areas would probably be "Hey y'all, watch this!", which I understand is a sure sign that spectators should stand well clear!

In high school i would pay for luch by putting left hand on the distributer cap and right hand on the grounded frame of a eight cycilender test engen in shop class.
I don't think I have any long term afects.☺

Paul:


LOL!!!

The best, and for some reason, most convenient and abundant Coils used for these ... err... "Experiments" were the "Bell Ringer Coils" from Rotary Dial type Telephone Sets.

No idea why they were always "At The Right Places - At The Right Times"... maybe "Ma Bell's" Spirit enjoyed watching a humorous inductive kick once in a while.


On the subject of these Electro-Mechanical Bell Ringers, they sure were dialed into the 20 Hz Ringing Frequency, weren't they!?
Tried to make several ring from 60 Hz AC, at Voltages from 90 to 130 VAC - and no luck with them self starting!
If I "slapped" the hammer, then they would sustain ringing for a little time, but the bells would never achieve the dB output sound level of the designed ± 20 Hz from the C.O.

At the time of these "Experiments", I had no effective method to lower a Frequency.
A few years later, I hatched a few "Quick And Dirty" methods, using an Automotive Alternator driven by a PSC Motor - controlled by a Variac (one setup used a Commutator Motor and HUGE variable Resistor).

...Those Were The Days...
(sing this with a nasally "Edith Bunker" tweek).

Scott35