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Vintage Synth Repair

Index last updated: 2026-04-28 23:41 UTC

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Re: Discharging capacitors in your synths

2014-04-11 by <megaOhm1@...>

Discharge with a bleed resistor as advised by others.
You got some replies stating that low voltage is not dangerous.
That is stupid advice and you should ignore it completely.

below is quoted from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_shock

"

The lethality of an electric shock is dependent on several variables:

  • Current. The higher the current, the more likely it is lethal. Since current is proportional to voltage when resistance is fixed (ohm's law), high voltage is an indirect risk for producing higher currents.
  • Duration. The longer the duration, the more likely it is lethal—safety switches may limit time of current flow
  • Pathway. If current flows through the heart muscle, it is more likely to be lethal.
  • High voltage (over about 600 volts). In addition to greater current flow, high voltage may cause dielectric breakdown at the skin, thus lowering skin resistance and allowing further increased current flow."


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