[sdiy] Making a NP electrolytic out of (OT)

[Ray Wilson]

That was a great story LOL. On the subject capacitors I wish I had been
quoted on my corrected version. So for the record "two 200uF caps in series
will give 100uF."

Caps do vent...

I was running a power amplifer through some 1000uF electo caps in series
with a large coil wrapped aroung a 10" wide tube of plexiglass to do some
magnetic field testing of a pacer in an alternating magnetic field. I had my
face right next to the cap when it vented a plume of probably the most toxic
gas you can imagine. I still wonder if I'm going to come down with something
from that and it was years ago. My workmates got a good laugh though.

Ray

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
[mailto:owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl]On Behalf Of harrybissell
Sent: Sunday, October 12, 2003 10:34 PM
To: R. D. Davis
Cc: synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
Subject: Re: [sdiy] Making a NP electrolytic out of (OT)


"R. D. Davis" wrote: <snip>

> That's not usually a good thing.  Of course...  that would be one
> creative way for someone to ignite a flash-pot (are those still legal
> to build out of black powder?) during a performance. :-)
>
>

Hmmm... were they ever legal ?   I opened a show for our college jazz band
in 1974... with a solo performance on my then new PAiA 2720.  The end of
the piece had a series of tapes that were thrown into fast forward to get a
sort
of psycho-cresendo.... ending with my signature "space-torpedo" sound. At
that
point, three flash-pots were to be detonated.

Of course, this was arranged by the THEATRE dept... who knew the jazz band
was a
bunch of pussies (imho, correct) who would not agree to pyrotechnics...  so
they
didn't
TELL the jazz band (MUSIC dept).  And the conductor had his baton up, and
his butt
stuck out just a little bit right in the path of the central flash pot...

So with a quick backhand gesture to center stage... the flash pots went off.

Did you ever see the Coyote (Road Runner cartoons) just after some of those
explosives
backfire on him ??? sort of blackened with wisps of smoke ???  It took the
jazz
band at least
a couple of measures of stunned silence before they jumped into their first
tune.

(Later, the pussies complained that they might have been hurt, their
instruments
might have been
hurt... the only one with a valid complaint was the conductor whose pants
were a
bit singed...)

<bfg>

H^) harry