Just been doing some surfing and this story came up.
It's about a month old but well worth a read.
It's here.

Hope he doesn't handle JET-A1, JP-1,or Avgas when he had that charge on him. It'll be *ugly*
Edited for spelling at 1248 GMT+7 by Av-guy

[This message has been edited by Av-guy (edited 10-30-2005).]

LOL! A current of 40,000 volts? Mike, you're a fireman, what are 'static field meters' calibrated in? Have you got one in your vehicle? How do you charge the di-lithium crystals? You gotta watch out for that spontaneous combustion, it causes stuff to self-ignite!


ROFL! Imagine! All that current pouring out of that poor bugger's coat and going to waste down the drain!

Conclusion? An absolute load of crap, but a good laugh!

Alan



[This message has been edited by Alan Belson (edited 10-30-2005).]

Alan,
I don't think that this story was actually "made-up".
I have some mis-givings about the way it was reported though.
Most Fire-fighters that I know, know the difference between Current and Voltage.
And I'm not going to engage in a Trans-Tasman tirade about Aussie FF's either.
Clothing of these types can build up quite an appreciable charge.
I'm actually wearing a Nylon T-shirt at the moment, and aside from being moderately uncomfortable, it gives a huge static charge in dry weather.
I touched the Stainless sink-bench here this morning and I swear I saw a blue spark jump from my hand to the sink (which is bonded to Earth) and a bit of a slight crackle.
Now, combine that with wool, wool(Or sheeps fur, if you like Sven ) is quite popular down here for garments.
With them two materials rubbing together,
It would take no time at all to build up a good charge.
BTW Alan a Static Field Meter is calibrated in kV.
We don't carry them on our pumps, the nearest thing to that that we would have is a Modiewark HV Line Indicator, that measures up to 66kV.

I think we might need to allow for the usual journalistic license here.... (I'm trying to put that in the nicest way possible ).

Still, it does illustrate at least one advantage of our damp English climate!

Journalistic license? Enough static charge to melt a carpet? Pull the other leg, it plays "I Believe" in stereo.
See;
http://www.powerlabs.org/wimshurst.htm



But, take one small tin of lighter fuel and a gas lighter........, now you're talking science!

Alan

[This message has been edited by Alan Belson (edited 11-01-2005).]

G'day Trumpy, I think "Stuff" is the online Christchurch Star and I read it all the time. Its a reputable newspaper. I hadn't seen the article you mentioned, but I'm going to look into it because Stuff doesn't usually print rubbish.

Trumpy, something to consider in this thread would be the Nor'west weather pattern in the South Island and its effect on static electricity. Victoria also experiences a similar weather pattern.

Well, I did say I was trying to be as kind as possible......

That phrase was coined by a John Savage, (wherever he is now), when I was in the Senior Scouts. 'I Believe' had been a popular song then; this is before The Bachelors; Jimmy Young?
Further research reveals that I might be eating humble pie on the static question of melted carpet, if ( big IF! ) the victim's coat was not only able to generate static, but was constructed in some way such that it emulated a Leyden Jar?

Alan

There were several versions, so JY probably recorded it as well. I have the Frankie Laine version on a 78 somewhere in my boxes.

Alan,
I have it on very good authority that this incident did in fact occur.
I was tendered a document via the post from Aussie that proves the damage that occured, with pictures as well.
Humble pie or not mate, I was sceptical, but bear in mind also that a lot of Commercial carpet here has a fair amount of Nylon and other Synthetics woven in to it.
The base of shoes these days are plastic-based.
I think to a degree, that this guy wore the wrong combination of clothes.
You'd never see me wearing Nylon in any large amount, I learned that lesson at a Hay-barn fire some years back, it melts very easily and sticks to your skin.
Give me Cotton any day!.

Pauluk. You've still got 78's ?

You're either really old, or you're a DJ ! !

@ kiwi
You're making me curious.
What does that mean: "really old"?

'Old', to the young, means your brains fell out of your ears on achieving the age of 40!
Sir Jimmy Young, OBE., CBE. was born in 1923 at "Cindyfud", Gloucestershire, my old stamping ground in my middle years. A very good singer and pianist, he was the 'dog's b*llocks'** then, with quite a few consecutive 'No 1s' under his belt in the mid-fifties, Jim actually joined the BBC in 1949, but took a DJ slot on the newly formed Radio One in 1967. R1 was (is) a "youf" pop station, formed by the Government after they forced 'pirate' radio-stations out of business. Jokes in the media about his alleged syrup*, and 'advancing years', led to a move to Radio 2, where he remained in a popular chat/items/middle-of-the-road music slot for over 30 years. He was 'pushed out' as 'too old' in 2002, despite questions being raised in the House of Commons! He did not "go quietly into the night" either, giving the Beeb a right-rollocking broadside on his last show. Audience figures promptly went down the khazi, because the young whippersnapper-directors forgot one tiny little detail. The audience were the same age!

Youth is wasted on the Young.- Oscar Wilde.

Alan
PS
*'syrup'= 'syrup of figs', = wig.
** dog's boll*cks ; is from the first 'Meccano' toy construction sets of the early 1900's, marketed as two sorts, 'Box Deluxe', from which we get 'dog's b*llocks' ie the best, or superlative, (and nothing to do with dogs or their anatomical bits). And 'Box Standard' from whence came 'bog-standard', meaning ordinary. Funny old lingo, English, ain't it!

Wolfgang, I'm 36 years old and 78 rpm records are a vague memory for me so obviously this means " really old ".

Unless you are currently employed as a DJ, in which case owning a 78 vinyl record is a job requisite.

Alan your explanation of the "Dogs bollocks" phrase is interesting. I was an avid Meccano enthusiast as a young lad. I can't remember the "Box Deluxe" but thats probably because my parents could only afford the "Box Economie".

Neither! I'm just an avid record collector who loves the old music.