A little more thought on the ECM subject...

[Hairy Harry]

Older neon transformers are NOT high frequency... they are
50/60Hz sine wave...

Of course they have very fast rise time... and if you include the arc they 
are substantial RF source.

<funny but true mode on>

I set up a jacobs ladder for a halloween party. Just before the
party i decided it was too dangerous as a parlor trick... so I put
it up high on the fireplace shelf.... and added a lexan shield and a 
momentary pushbutton.

I would place a cigarette through a small hole in the lexan shield,
and then push the button. Voila... instant cigarette lighter. Cool.

Until an IDIOT (co-incidently a LAWYER) put a cigarette in his MOUTH,
and stuck the cigarette through the hole... and was reaching for the button 
when I stopped him.

(aside: I figured there was a good chance he might suck out the arc, and get 
the 15KV through the cigarette into his face...)

Question: Did I do the "right thing" by stopping him ???

LOL!!!

<funny mode off>

BTW if you have ever been hit with a neon tranformer... you would not use 
the words "not that bad"....  The biggest danger is your reflex action will 
throw you across the room. When I "came to" my first thought was... "Hey... 
didn't I used to be standing over THERE ???"



H^) harry


>From: "Christopher Randall" <chris at positronrecords.com>
>To: <synth-diy at node12b53.a2000.nl>
>Subject: A little more thought on the ECM subject...
>Date: Wed, 9 Aug 2000 02:40:43 -0500
>
>I think that the Jacob's Ladder idea merits a little more consideration,
>personally. These are pretty simple to construct, and put out RF like
>nobody's business. I know from experience; I built two for a tour I did not
>that long ago, and they made satisfyingly loud Frankenstein noises in the 
>PA
>from their home on the drum riser (not to mention the guitar amps, the
>monitors, _and_ the bass rig.) A discussion on the relative merits of 
>having
>open high-voltage in a live performance setting is not really necessary.
>
>In any case, if said offender has his bass rig up loud, as you say, the RF
>should be plenty annoying, and not near as questionable as the microwave
>idea. I would suggest using neon ballasts instead of the oil burner, 
>though.
>The former are much cheaper new, and easier to come by on the whole. Most
>neon shops will part with a used 12,000 or 15,000 volt one (which they
>should have stacks of) for a song. I got a pair of 12K ones for US$90 new 
>in
>the box. I still have them, should the need arise.
>
>A note of caution: while the shock isn't _that_ bad (it's high frequency,
>after all) these things can and will burn the living shit out of you, and
>they are in fact The World's Most Dangerous Cat ToyT. I don't think Darwin
>took in to account "fun with arcs" when he came up with the whole survival
>of the fittest concept.
>
>-Chris Randall
>
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