Guess what happened to me today...

404NotFound · Post by **404NotFound** » Fri Mar 28, 2003 8:22 pm

Got a nice shock off of a 4.7uF 230volt capasitor... right through my left middle finger, into my wrist, up my arm, and into my heart... or at least that's where I felt it going...

Had a headache, numb finger, increased pulse, and nausia for a good hour or so after that....

Is this kind of stuff bad long term? Because it hurt pretty badly...

BTW, i just realized why this happened... my stupid electronics teacher got new workbenches and neglected to cover the metal surface with an insulator... my one hand was resting on the bench and the other was working on the circuit, which I had just taken power off of, and must have crossed over the capasitor wires... my arm went flying back and my hand was shaking very violently for a second or so, then it just went numb...

0newinged · Post by **0newinged** » Fri Mar 28, 2003 8:34 pm

ouch

...... sue!!!!

nah shouldn't do any damage to you long term.... does it still feel numb or was it just for a while?

404NotFound · Post by **404NotFound** » Fri Mar 28, 2003 8:37 pm

Tripwave wrote:ouch ...... sue!!!!

nah shouldn't do any damage to you long term.... does it still feel numb or was it just for a while?

It was just for an hour or so... I'm all better now

thynosferatu · Post by **thynosferatu** » Fri Mar 28, 2003 11:54 pm

When my brother and I was a wittle baby my brother stuck a key in an electrical socket, I then proceeded to stick my key into the other socket. I obviously got shocked. I don't remember it, but we still have the key and it is burned up hardcore.

Warmachine · Post by **Warmachine** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 12:12 am

I once plugged the tv antina in a plug accidently

Ender · Post by **Ender** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 12:27 am

I don't think that there are really many long term effects...repeated electrical shock can cause cataracts, but other than that...

Warmachine · Post by **Warmachine** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 12:36 am

yea, it feels hella wierd, I couldnt even talk.

mariobro · Post by **mariobro** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 12:41 am

Good thing it was a relatively small capacitor...

A 1 farad capacitor can cause cardiac arrest. Or if you're wearing a ring, and accidentally short the cap, you'll lose a finger.

Warmachine · Post by **Warmachine** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 12:46 am

lol that would suck, I came out of the shower when that happened to me.

Jaded JAaron77 · Post by **Jaded JAaron77** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 1:27 am

oy, that sounds painful....luckly I've never shocked myself with more than 18 volts, but I did accedentally touch the hot end of a soldering iron once......

Warmachine · Post by **Warmachine** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 1:33 am

lol bet that hurt like a bitct.

Jaded JAaron77 · Post by **Jaded JAaron77** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 1:36 am

you know, the funny thing was, burning myself on that soldering iron didn't hurt near as bad as 350 degree oven did one time......but the soldering iron itched like hell for a couple weeks......

mariobro · Post by **mariobro** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 5:15 am

I once dropped hot solder on my foot. Soldering+Barefoot= not a good combination...

Didn't hurt as much as I thought, though.

Hawq · Post by **Hawq** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 6:05 am

Try spatter from a welding rod, doesn't burn so much as melt through your flesh, not fun

toastman · Post by **toastman** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 7:13 am

Just minor shocks here, nothing of note.

BlackAura · Post by **BlackAura** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 8:41 am

I've dropped hot solder on my fingernail before, and shocked myself a couple of times. And I might have grabbed the wrong end of a soldering iron, or helf a component while soldering it for a little too long. Nothing major though.

I once slammed my little finger in a door, near the hinge, when I was about 4. It got badly bruised, lost the fingernail, and it really hurt.

Firthy2002 · Post by **Firthy2002** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 10:47 am

I've only had a few minor shocks, nothing really serious.

404NotFound · Post by **404NotFound** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 12:11 pm

mariobro wrote:Good thing it was a relatively small capacitor...

A 1 farad capacitor can cause cardiac arrest. Or if you're wearing a ring, and accidentally short the cap, you'll lose a finger.

yeah... what is a farad anyway? I know that 1 farad capasitors are like 2 soda cans stacked on top of eachother... the one i got a shock from was only like... a timble maybe.

sixteen-bit · Post by **sixteen-bit** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 1:43 pm

404NotFound wrote:
mariobro wrote:Good thing it was a relatively small capacitor...

A 1 farad capacitor can cause cardiac arrest. Or if you're wearing a ring, and accidentally short the cap, you'll lose a finger.
yeah... what is a farad anyway? I know that 1 farad capasitors are like 2 soda cans stacked on top of eachother... the one i got a shock from was only like... a timble maybe.

The Farad is essentially the measure of its capacitance. Those 1F audio caps are utterly huge and I personally wouldn't want to mess with it charged. By the way, did you know those low voltage (say 16V) caps make a really satisfying bang followed by some rising steam if connected the wrong way and overvoltage? Something to try next time you're in the lab...

As for shocks, one time I was moronically trying to get a broken SMPS to power up by plugging it in then probing points with a multimeter to see what was wrong. I don't know how but an AC current went flowing into my, then grounded, hand. Felt rather odd then I removed my hand from the circuit.

Yes, I'm stupid.

No, I'm not working on live circuits ever again

Jaded JAaron77 · Post by **Jaded JAaron77** » Sat Mar 29, 2003 10:44 pm

The Farad is essentially the measure of its capacitance. Those 1F audio caps are utterly huge and I personally wouldn't want to mess with it charged. By the way, did you know those low voltage (say 16V) caps make a really satisfying bang followed by some rising steam if connected the wrong way and overvoltage? Something to try next time you're in the lab...

I've blown up transistors before, they just went SNAP! and little plastic pieces hit me...good thing I had extras....

I've dropped hot solder on my fingernail before

I've had solder drop on my fingernail, my finger, my hand, my arm, and I've had the flux stuff splatter everywhere....definetly not fun, cause it just sits there on you, at least when you touch the iron your brain instantly pulls your hand away....