🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Apr13.063137.18999@u.washington.edu> pollock@milton.u.washington.edu (Joe Pollock) writes:
>In article <1992Apr12.140143.420@cmkrnl.com> jeh@cmkrnl.com writes:
>>
>>I agree with Mike.  In fact I think you can get a deadly shock from such a
>>transformer even if you are standing on the semi-mythical dry wood on glass
>>insulators (do you know anyone who actually works that way?), and even if you

>BTW - I found out about all of this the hard way.  I was in the eight or
>ninth grade, and messing around with a sign transformer in the basement.
>attempting to draw a fine corona from the other *terminal* off the 
.................
>screwdriver point.  The result was a fat yellow arc about an inch long.
>My arm snapped back, and the screwdriver stuck in the wall behind me.
>My arm and legs hurt for several days.  I learned to be a *lot* more
>careful very quickly :-)  One of the worst shocks I ever received.
>
>Amazing some of us ever reach legal maturity, isn't it?

Funny, I was exactly the same age when I got my first (and last) shock from
a sign transformer. I was at a junior high carnival and I set up a
Jacob's Ladder. It was nighttime and I was moving it around with the power
on. (It seems everyone is sure they're immortal at that age!).

I remember that when I made contact, I was living proof that it's only a
myth that "White Men Can't Jump"! I must have gone three feet straight up.
My arm, legs, back, everything hurt for a week afterwards - and it WAS 
the worst shock I ever received. (It was right-arm-through-body-to-leg.) 

I don't think I've gotten over 500 volts since that had 
ANY current capacity - that was in the days of 450 vdc supplies driving
tube equipment. I've had some CRT bites but nothing that could deliver
serious current. I'm almost 54 and I can still remember that shock at
age 13 like it was yesterday. It's one of the few memories from that age
that I still have!