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| Can a neon sign transformer with an output of 12000V and 30mA kill you? |
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| Halcyon:
Let's err on the side of caution on this one. 'Tasers' output ~1200VDC upon contact (unsure of the amperage). They have been known to kill people who have major heart defects, on drugs etc... etc... They call it a "less than lethal" option for a reason. A more politically correct description could be "It might kill you... just depends". |
| KE5FX:
--- Quote from: f4eru on February 02, 2016, 05:39:10 am --- By the way, if a transformer is marked "30mA", this is a continuous rating. In the case of a short circuit, (for example through the "low" resistance of an human), it will happily supply 10-50x more -> 300mA to 1,5A. --- End quote --- Actually neon sign transformers are designed to limit their output current at the rated figure via core saturation. The neon tube will look like a low-resistance load once the gas ionizes, so an external series resistor would otherwise be necessary to keep from blowing a fuse, the tube, or the transformer. Even at only 30 mA, though, it's nothing to take lightly. People absolutely can be killed, and have been, by that much current. I think the scariest thing I've seen on YouTube was a video where some idiot connected a couple thousand 9V batteries in series without even the faintest recognition of the hazard of insulation breakdown. You can get 500 mA from a 9V battery for a few seconds. :o |
| HighVoltage:
30 to 50 mA is the typical current coming out of an ignition coil for cars at about 30 to 40 kV. And these cars usually have a big yellow warning label in the engine compartment, warning about the high voltage. There are probably thousands of people who have been zapped by such a high voltage current discharge but I am not aware of anyone who died from it. But this kind of discharge is just a small pulse, may be a milli second long and not comparable to a Neon transformer. 12kV at 30mA might kill you, depending on how long it is applied and what condition the person is in. What I always find interesting is that science makes a difference between the gender, when it comes to current discharge in to the body. Enclosed are a few tables. |
| SteveyG:
--- Quote from: station240 on February 02, 2016, 05:23:23 am ---Reminds me of a story about someone who found a fallen 11KV cable draped over the road through a puddle. He figured as it wasn't arcing and making a noise it was dead, so they coiled it up by the side of the road. Power company showed up at that point, told him off and tested the cable. Yup live at full 11kV AC, seems that sort of voltage doesn't always kill you outright, can simply burn your insides up. Very worried driver left about 30 minutes later. --- End quote --- Explanation is likely step potential due to the wet ground, so basically no potential difference between the cable and the body of earth around him = no shock. |
| Srbel:
A few mA stops the hart. |
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