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Registered Member #2566
Joined: Wed Dec 23 2009, 05:52PM
Location:
Posts: 147
Kizmo wrote ...
It was running CW from halfwave rectified DC. Total power was about 2.5kW. Sparks like this wont hurt at all (except form burning..)
But interrupted (100-1000bps with low duty) WILL hurt like hell
Disruptively excited secondary coils ,especially large SGTCs , can deliver real shocks.
I can feel discharging currents received from small 5kV/20mA NST coil in my hands & lower arms.Doesn't hurt lot,but it isn't pleasant sensation. The sensation happens, I guess,due to peak currents (when streamer turns into small arc) and/or nonsymmetric AC current waves of secondary. When I limit striking distance of streamer to aprox 3" the sensation almost completely ceases. VTTCs and SSTCs can't deliver any shocks.However, they can cause internal burns depending on power levels and duration of current flow thru tissues.2.5 kW CW is a serious power level.I wouldn't take a chance to conduct currents from such coil thru my body parts even for just 1 second...
Registered Member #30
Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706
AmonRa wrote ...
The designer of that kit demonstrates this in one of his videos and it's mentioned in the manual that it is safe to allow it to contact your hand.
I wouldn't have printed that in writing, in America anyway.
"The Surgeon General has determined that this Tesla coil may give you a nasty nip."
I've been struck by low-powered disruptive coils, and it hurts a bit. A spark from my old Mini OLTC felt like getting jabbed by a pin.
I've seen people pass enough current from a SSTC through their bodies to light a fllament lamp, and tried it myself once. I didn't feel any pain, but after a few seconds my arm started to feel warm and that kind of discouraged me from doing it more often.
Registered Member #2704
Joined: Mon Mar 01 2010, 04:48AM
Location:
Posts: 6
Well, I could have swore I saw that in writing however I got the manual back out and flipped through it, I can not find mention of this in writing like I remembered. He does defiantly have a video included with the cdrom manual that shows him touching the output arcs. I retract my previous statement, I should have looked before I posted. While I have done so with this particular coil and not suffered any ill effects, it's probably not the best habit to get into.
In fact, contrary to what I was thinking, the manual does state "Do not touch streamers, they can seriously injure or kill you. Proceed at your own risk." While this is probably a bit of an overstatement, I can understand why it's there. It is interesting that he will include a line like that in the manual that ships on the same disc with a video of himself doing just what he tells you not to do. I will go back and edit my previous post.
This is one of the videos the designer has up on youtube, he brings his hand into the output arc around the 8sec mark
Registered Member #15
Joined: Thu Feb 02 2006, 01:11PM
Location:
Posts: 3068
Well, if thats the case, that guy is asking for trouble. My present understanding is that he operates as a sole proprietor only with no personal liability protection, so all it takes is one person to sue him and all his personal assets are at risk. Even if the lawsuit is baseless, they can still take his assets to pay court costs, etc...
Makes me cringe . . .
Thats one of the reasons i only sell kits. With kits by themselves, my product liability insurance is only $2k per year (based on my present gross sales), but if i sold completed products, this was just jump well over $10k per year given the nature of the product.
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