Encountered issue with parents and high voltage / General Chatting / Forums

Forums

4hv.org :: Forums :: General Chatting

« Previous topic | Next topic »

Encountered issue with parents and high voltage

previous 1 2 3 4 next

Move Thread

LAN_403

GluD

Fri Sept 17 2010, 01:56PM

Registered Member #1221 Joined: Wed Jan 09 2008, 06:17PM
Location: Odense, Denmark
Posts: 196

I dont see why its so fun to see kids who wants to move out, because surely they must have some sort of problem where they are since they want to leave? I recently got my own house and I dont have any problems with the bills or food etc, sure it means less cash for experiments, but now I have the possiblity to do experiments when I get the cash for it, back home I had the cash but not the possiblity.

Killa-X

Fri Sept 17 2010, 02:40PM

Registered Member #1643 Joined: Mon Aug 18 2008, 06:10PM
Location:
Posts: 1039

Yes and I understand where all of you are coming from. I never had a true rig set that I could show them, besides my NST, which they don't complain much about. They do still complain about making any arcs over 1" however. As mention above, demonstrations. I have put my SSTC outside and did tests to see if the mosfets would handle it, incase something explodes. I wasn't sure if they were counterfits or not. So ya, everyone in family watched as I ran it and put a chicken stick near to have arcs hit it, and break out the safty-breakout on the stick. This was so it wouldn't arc to me if the arcs was too long. Grounded stick. Safty breakout.

My dad for the most part just went out for a second and saw no point and went back in. His view "nothing cool about sparks" as I explained to him many times how I personally view them, and could watch them for hours.

From his rule of "no streamers larger than 2", he now doesn't care that I'm doing 30" in the middle of my room, with at least 5-6ft clearance all around. Hard to say though, since me nor my teacher could get then to understand power draw. I even explained the math showing exactly how miuch it would cost them if I ran it for 1 minute, teacher there. Stil they think it ranks the bill sky high.

Really it's the hottub since it has a heatin element with 240v 50amp breakers which did trip ONCE randomly =)

HM_Murdock

Fri Sept 17 2010, 02:57PM

Registered Member #3075 Joined: Fri Aug 06 2010, 02:44PM
Location: Athens, GA
Posts: 148

GluD wrote ...

I dont see why its so fun to see kids who wants to move out, because surely they must have some sort of problem where they are since they want to leave?

It's not funny "haha" so much as nostalgic as we all went through that same stage in life. For the majority of teens, the only thing that is "wrong at home" is the biological drive to go and do your own thing. It's a necessity of life and the human condition...it's what drives us as we mature, and fuels our desires, triumphs, and failures. All are required to grow as a person.

Now, keep in mind, this does not account for cases where something is actually "wrong" at home (abuse, neglect, etc...). That's different.

This sounds more like your garden variety teen clashing with parents in a "you don't understand me" kind of way. I went through it around 16, my oldest son and daughter went through it around 15 and 16, and I expect my two youngest will when they reach that age.

It's not until the shoe is on the other foot, and you have kids of your own, that you can realize both sides of the situation. The stuff I did when I was that age...would scare the living hell out of me if my kids did them. Only because I fear for their safety and well being.

Martin King

Sat Sept 18 2010, 11:00PM

Registered Member #3040 Joined: Tue Jul 27 2010, 03:15PM
Location: South of London. UK
Posts: 237

HM_Murdock wrote ...

as we all went through that same stage in life.

But to different extents which is where difficulties in the parent/child relationship occur. My dad was in the royal navy and then was an electrician, a Telecoms engineer and a motorcycle courier all jobs with a certain amount of risk involved, so me being interested in "risky" occupations/hobbies doesn't phase him much (of course he cares but he also understands) However had he been a bank manager etc. then seeing his offspring doing something "dangerous" would probably worry him more due to lack of understanding. BTW my dad helped me move my new (to me, but was built the year I was born)) lathe into the workshop today and saw my partly built Tesla coil :-

"What's that?"

"A Tesla coil"

"Oh! That's going to piss the neighbours off, don't kill yourself will you"

"I'm not planning on it"

"OK see you later"

IamSmooth

Sun Sept 19 2010, 02:57AM

Registered Member #190 Joined: Fri Feb 17 2006, 12:00AM
Location:
Posts: 1567

I experimented with HV in high school so I know where you are coming from. However, I would never do this stuff in my room, where there is a flammable carpet, furniture and paper. We all think we are careful, until one day we forget one little detail. M What is the risk and what is the benefit. Convenience of being in your room? Privacy? What is the risk? Something in the room catching fire and the room going up.

Do your experiments in a separate area with concrete floors and no flammable objects. Have a fire extinguisher around. Sparks fly. It is just not worth the risk.

Once you have your own, private place you can educate your parents as to what you are doing, the dangers and what you are doing to minimize any risk to yourself and the surroundings. Hopefully, you will convince them that you are responsible and have a good understanding of the dangers.

Killa-X

Sun Sept 19 2010, 04:22AM

Registered Member #1643 Joined: Mon Aug 18 2008, 06:10PM
Location:
Posts: 1039

The benifits of my room is that all my equipment is here. Especially with tesla coils, i have it layed all over my room, and My scope...power meters..everything is in my room. Rather than bringing over 50 things upstairs, testing it, and having to bring it all back for a 5 minute test... Plus i have my drill press and other tools in my room too.

Also, today, they seemed fine with me doing it in the garage. Yet they gave my a fire extinguisher for my room, no idea. =D

IamSmooth

Sun Sept 19 2010, 07:35PM

Registered Member #190 Joined: Fri Feb 17 2006, 12:00AM
Location:
Posts: 1567

Convenience should not be reason to do something. Get your parents to give you a section of the garage or basement that is clear of everything. Moving things will initially be a pain, but once it is done it is done. You will ultimately have more space than you do now.

Adam Munich

Sun Sept 19 2010, 08:44PM

Registered Member #2893 Joined: Tue Jun 01 2010, 09:25PM
Location: Cali-forn. i. a.
Posts: 2242

I do most of my projects in my living room, on top of a fire-resistant tarp. It's really my only option. My garage has so much junk in it that I can't do things there, and my basement is cold and smells (cat litterbox).

I take all my pictures over bed sheets though as you may have noticed, they look nicer.

Killa-X

Mon Sept 20 2010, 03:06AM

Registered Member #1643 Joined: Mon Aug 18 2008, 06:10PM
Location:
Posts: 1039

IamSmooth wrote ...

Convenience should not be reason to do something. Get your parents to give you a section of the garage or basement that is clear of everything. Moving things will initially be a pain, but once it is done it is done. You will ultimately have more space than you do now.

Yeah, that's why we want to get a barn eventually. The thing that makes me not keep my stuff out in the garage is moisture. Stuff like my drill press, if you get water on it, it turns to rust. Having that in a garage, especially at night, will make it come out all rusty. That's one main reason all things are done in my room. Since our garage has 2 cars in it, there's no room for anything at all. Walls are covered with a bench, bikes, tractor. We do intend to get a barn. My dad and my self always wanted to get a decent size one for all my experiments to be done inside. probably a wood/aluminum one with cement floor. But I don't know yet, nothing for awhile!

I would do stuff in the garage but as just explained, there's no room at all. That's the huge drawback. Our basement was turned into a movie theater room, it use to be all concrete, then we floored it, put walls up, and a 7x4 foot screen. But..Eventually I'll be able to do more stuff once we get a barn up. Then I wont have to worry about electronics having issues due to running coils. Nothing does right now, the only thing that gets screwed up while running my coil is the touch lamp upstairs. Every break, it goes to the next light level.

Russell Haley

Mon Sept 20 2010, 01:11PM

Registered Member #2478 Joined: Mon Nov 23 2009, 03:24AM
Location: Texas A&M University
Posts: 47

When I lived at home my lab was in our storage shed. It was poorly insulated, unairconditioned, and infested with a variety of wildlife. Also, I had to share the space with our unused furniture and my dad's motorcycles. It was dusty, smelly, and uncomfortably hot or cold throughout most of the year.

These days, I have a suite in an off campus apartment complex. On one hand, I have to fit my office, lab, and sleeping quarters into an 11' x 8' box. On the other, I don't have to contend with wide swings of temperature and humidity or rat turds in the bottom of my junk box. I think this constitutes a substantial improvement in working conditions.

previous 1 2 3 4 next

Moderator(s): Chris Russell, Noelle, Alex, Tesladownunder, Dave Marshall, Dave Billington, Bjørn, Steve Conner, Wolfram, Kizmo, Mads Barnkob