When I was an early teen; someone told me a metal cutting carbon arc could be created, using a pencil and 120V cheater wire. I tried it with a power cord, alligator clips, #2 pencil and a crosscut file. I was sitting on concrete block, with the file resting on another block. Neutral of the cord on the file, I proceeded to try to strike an arc. Nothing was happening, so- I picked up the file with my left hand, forgetting that I had the hot alligator clip resting on the top of my right hand(brain fart). The shock contracted and paralyzed all the muscles of my upper body. I instinctively jumped up and back, interrupting the circuit. Muscles that I didn't know I had, ached for a couple days, BUT- I'm not dead. That was over five decades ago, and I've never been the completion of a circuit since(working with electricity, almost daily, for the past 40 years). I remember it as a lesson in Situational Awareness.
Another cheater plug thread
OK. So on a couple of other threads, opinions of cheater plugs to tame system hum range from "If it works use it" to "you're going to die in a fiery inferno." In my case, I used a cheater plug between my power supply and my pre-amp to finally get rid of a year-old hum problem. the power supply is a PS Audio Ultimate Outlet with only two outlets that supplies only my amp and pre-amp. Because the PS is still grounded - I think - all I did was break the ground circuit between the two components. So the question is, do I still have any grounding on my pre-amp here, just on the basis of being plugged into a grounded power supply? I wouldn't think so, but I'm not an engineer. Also, what is the benefit of being grounded vs. ungrounded in this situation?
Ready, set, fight!
Ready, set, fight!
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- 25 posts total
- 25 posts total