[Techie Humor] Don't Put The Molex Where The Ribbon Cable Goes

[SteamWake]

Originally Posted by Reece

Back in the early 80's I had an "Exidy Sorcerer Computer" Mk II, these for the bare motherboard were about $1000, took awhile to pay it off, anyway I was doing a mod and had some fly wires connected to the 5v rail and ground, the damned thing sprung out of the "bread board" (a test board with pins 1mm apart for inserting components, IC's etc), anyway of all places the wire sprung over and touched the active on the transformers 240v AC line! yep! blew every IC!! Can laugh about it now but at the time is was a costly accident!

240 ?! wtf !

[Reece]

Originally Posted by SteamWake

240 ?! wtf !

The mains power here in Australia is 240volts, the 5volt line accidently touched the active line! poof!!

[SteamWake]

Originally Posted by Reece

The mains power here in Australia is 240volts, the 5volt line accidently touched the active line! poof!!

Wow your right I just looked it up.

I wonder if you have a higher per capita electrocution deaths than the US ?

[Arclight]

It's all about Amps; one of those electrostatic discharges from your fingertip to your motherboard can be thousands of volts.

No, I know that doesn't help.

[Reece]

Originally Posted by Arclight

It's all about Amps; one of those electrostatic discharges from your fingertip to your motherboard can be thousands of volts.

No, I know that doesn't help.

Yes with MOS devices, but in circuit the 5v line is not static sensitive! Was sensitive to the mains current! you should have seen the caps!! paper and electrolyte everywhere!! and you are correct, it doesn't help!

[SteamWake]

Originally Posted by Arclight

It's all about Amps; one of those electrostatic discharges from your fingertip to your motherboard can be thousands of volts.

No, I know that doesn't help.

Yea.. that discharge from your finger tips is in the micro amps range because the source is not really substantial.

But the fact is that .001 amps at 120V will give you a little tickle. .001 amps at 480V will drop you on the floor dead.

Furthermore the electrical system in your home is capable of delivering 10's of thousands of amps (for a split second or so before everything blows up).

[krashkart]

Reminds me of the talk my grampa had with me when I was much younger...

"Although I admire your intelligence, what you did wrong was plug a 12v DC motor into a 120v AC outlet."

[HunterICX]

Originally Posted by SteamWake

Furthermore the electrical system in your home is capable of delivering 10's of thousands of amps (for a split second or so before everything blows up).

Having a wooden floor saved my stupid butt,

as a kid once I was poking a electrical socket with a steel wire when I put both ends of the wire in each socket *BLAZZZAP!* blew up the main fuse of the house and left me with a ghostly white face on the couch for a couple of hours

HunterICX

[SteamWake]

Originally Posted by HunterICX

Having a wooden floor saved my stupid butt,

as a kid once I was poking a electrical socket with a steel wire when I put both ends of the wire in each socket *BLAZZZAP!* blew up the main fuse of the house and left me with a ghostly white face on the couch for a couple of hours

HunterICX

Heh Ive busted contractors doing exactly this to save themselves a trip to the circuit breaker. Just short phase to neutal and pop the breaker goes. Your reasonably save assuming the wire is insulated and the breaker is in good operating conditions.

I have to bust their chops about it because its not fool proof safe and its not good for the breakers