Working on 220

If you call 120 volts "extremely hazardous" you start to run out of superlatives well before you get to 1000 volts.

It's almost like the old radio days: someone "invented" the term, "high frequency." But technology marched on. VHF then UHF and than (Believe it of not) EHF. After than they used another terminology.

Fortunately, I don't have that problem as anything I'm likely to face in the way of household wiring is just 120/240 which unless you are VERY unlucky, is just 120.

Reply to
John Gilmer
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In the UK, during WWII, when radar was being developed, there was EHFI. Extra High Frequency Indeed

Reply to
VWWall

On Thu, 07 Dec 2006 18:30:36 GMT VWWall wrote: | snipped-for-privacy@ipal.net wrote: |> |> I'll stick with my assertions that with all else being equal, higher |> voltage is _more_ dangerous and lower voltage is _less_ dangerous. |> I wouldn't even have voltages higher than 600 volts in my house. | | Is swimming in ten feet of water less dangerous than swimming in twenty | feet of water? | | I'm sure you became a "ham" after the vacuum tube era. :-)

Vacuum tubes are still in use.

I'm not referring to equipment internal voltages, such as a vacuum tube transmitter might have. I'm referring to electric power distribution in the home as part of the building infrastructure.

FYI, I do know what 277 volts feels like.

Reply to
phil-news-nospam

Actually you are MORE likely to die from 120 volts than from 600 volts. At voltages around 120 the heart goes into fibrillation and does not pump the blood through the body. The muscles in the body will not allow the person to release his grip on whatever defective device which has caused the shock.

Touching a 600 volt device is much more likely to cause the offending part of the body to be jerked away from the point of contact.

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Reply to
Spokesman

|> | Bullshit. We are talking about contacting a bare, |> | live, 120 v conductor with a path through you to |> | ground. That is *UNSAFE*. No comparison to any |> | other voltage makes the situation safer. |>

|> But the higher voltage is most certainly less safe. |>

|>

|> | It is bizarre to see people call an extremely |> | hazardous and possibly fatal situation "safer" |> | than something else. It is a meaningless comparison, |> | and worse, tends to minimize the danger in the minds |> | of some. |>

|> Would it be bizarre to see people call an extremely |> hazardous and possibly fatal situation "more dangerous" |> than something else when its voltage is higher? |>

|> Would you agree than 600 volts (single ended 600-0) is MORE dangerous |> than 120 volts in a like circuit? | | | | Actually you are MORE likely to die from 120 volts than from 600 volts. | At voltages around 120 the heart goes into fibrillation and does not pump | the blood through the body. The muscles in the body will not allow the | person | to release his grip on whatever defective device which has caused the shock. | | Touching a 600 volt device is much more likely to cause the offending part | of the body to be jerked away from the point of contact.

OK. You convinced me. I'll run 600 volts to all the outlets and just plug in little step down transformers everywhere for all the stuff that would burn up if not given the 120 volts it wants :-)

I've felt 120 and 277, and maybe you are right. The 120 was more like a "funny controlling sensation" whereas the 277 had some kick to it. So at

600 it might well be really doing that.

I understand they use 2400 with inductive current limiting for electric chairs. I'd bet that's well more than 6 milliamps of current, though :-)

Reply to
phil-news-nospam

Everybody seems to be missing the point here all the best electrical and medical guys know that 'voltage' doesn't do any harm whatsoever. The damage is done by current. Just a few milliamps will send a heart into fibrillation. That's why RCD/GFCI are rated in amps. If there's no path for the current you can come into contact with whatever voltage you like. That's how birds can perch on 11kv lines without being barbecued.

For 'personal' protection the maximum current allowed is 30mA.

Newsey

Reply to
newsey

Yeah, yeah.

Well, you are creating a "straw man." Anyone who has even gotten a "shock" from static electricity knows that.

The key is the higher the voltage (assuming a source than can supply the fraction of an amp without "sag") the less that has to go wrong for a fatal shock to occur.

Reply to
John Gilmer

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