"electrocute-o-daptor" - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2015, 12:29:37 am
content: I encountered one of these a while back.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/deadly-converter-adapter/msg713212/#msg713212Commonly found in discount stores.The exposed pins are live only when the switch is out, but it is very easy to do this accidentally by nudging the switch when you unplug it.

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2015, 12:51:07 am
content: But wouldn't you rather have a designer one?

author: rolycat
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2015, 01:05:34 am
content: Quote from: helius on November 19, 2015, 12:51:07 amThat picture is just ridiculous.For proper electrocution you need to use one finger from each hand.

author: FrankBuss
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 19, 2015, 01:13:28 am
content: And it has the CE sign. I'm not sure, does it mean China Export or Certain Electrocution?

author: crispy_tofu
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2015, 02:05:48 am
content: 'currently energised'

author: retrolefty
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2015, 02:34:27 am
content: Quote from: rolycat on November 19, 2015, 01:05:34 amGreat picture. But would that electrocute someone? As the current path is just from finger to finger? I know it would hurt like hell, probably burn and smoke skin, but would death quickly follow?

author: Shock
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2015, 02:52:59 am
content: Quote from: retrolefty on November 19, 2015, 02:34:27 amThere is many scenarios from a tickle to losing part of your hand to death. Depending on how well you're earthed and how well you can maintain contact and if the wiring in the socket is defective (the latter increases the risk of earth related electrocution).

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2015, 03:46:31 am
content: Quote from: helius on November 19, 2015, 12:51:07 amThey're using it incorrectly.Correct use is with only one finger at a time to find the live connection.

author: SteveyG
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 19, 2015, 08:22:21 am
content: Quote from: retrolefty on November 19, 2015, 02:34:27 amYou'll still have the standard path through the body to ground assuming a non-isolated supply.

author: coppice
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2015, 08:34:24 am
content: Quote from: SteveyG on November 19, 2015, 08:22:21 amWith the average person wearing mostly insulating clothing, where is the path to ground, and where is this non-isolated supply?

author: SteveyG
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 19, 2015, 08:49:12 am
content: Quote from: coppice on November 19, 2015, 08:34:24 amShoes act like excellent capacitors, so pass AC quite well.Non isolated supply would be any standard TN or TT supply...

author: coppice
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2015, 09:11:54 am
content: Quote from: SteveyG on November 19, 2015, 08:49:12 amPlates something like 30cm x 10cm, separated by a centimetre or more of dielectric don't produce a very high capacitance. Your risk is much more of it being a hot sweaty day or a rainy day, and moisture linking you to the floor. Even if you do couple to the floor, how many floors are significantly conductive? If you stand in the average shoes and grab a live wire you feel nothing more than a slight tingle, due to capacitive coupling. If you touch a live wire and get a serious shock its probably because your other hand is touching something conductive and grounded.

author: SteveyG
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 19, 2015, 09:44:17 am
content: Quote from: coppice on November 19, 2015, 09:11:54 amNot from my experience. Even upstairs on wooden floor, I've received a shock strong enough for a severe muscle contraction - definitely not touching anything else. Trainers and shoes are often reasonably conductive to help stop people building up static.Maybe you should do a video of you grabbing a live wire

author: coppice
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2015, 12:39:55 pm
content: Quote from: SteveyG on November 19, 2015, 09:44:17 amI build up plenty of static in trainers, but even if some are treated they will be static dissipative, not conductive. Their impedance will be huge. In any case, standing on a wooden floor would isolate even sweat soaked shoes.The human body's capacitance to the environment is tens to hundreds of picofarads. It depends on the body and what its doing. Lets take the figure used in most things needing a human body model, which is 100pF in series with1.5k ohms. An adult standing up, wearing typical shoes, and touching nothing should be in this range. 100pF at 50Hz has an impedance of about 30M ohms. At 220V this will pull about 7uA, and cause a tiny tingle. How tiny? Well the Y capacitors in a power supply are generally bigger than 100pF. If you touch the isolated and safe output of the power supply, and something grounded, you will pull more current than standing up in typical shoes and touching the live wire of 220V mains.If you felt a serious jolt you had another path to ground. Its really easy to miss them in the heat of the moment.

author: retrolefty
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 19, 2015, 08:47:29 pm
content: Quote from: SteveyG on November 19, 2015, 08:22:21 amWhat path to ground, assuming normal clothing/shoes and other hand free?

author: CatalinaWOW
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2015, 05:29:56 am
content: Quote from: coppice on November 19, 2015, 09:11:54 amYou are quite right. In a large number of cases you can get away with this because the floor/shoe path is adequately insulating. Probably much more often than not. Just the thing to build a false sense of security. When I worked for the power company new employees were regaled with the story of a linesman (American English for the guys who maintain power distribution networks) who transferred in from a very arid region of the country. He "knew" that it was safe to do a number of things without all of the safety gear recommended. Until he woke up in the hospital with serious burns, quite lucky to be alive. He had encountered a different environment than his experience had showed.

author: mswhin63
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2015, 07:29:29 am
content: I think this would have been a good review for "ElectroBOOM"Quote from: Homer J Simpson on November 19, 2015, 12:00:39 am

author: VK3DRB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2015, 02:16:47 am
content: Western governments need to crack down on the tossers who import these potentially lethal Chinese "products". One innocent person gets electrocuted, then the importer should charged with manslaughter and given a long jail term.

author: Artlav
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2015, 11:21:54 pm
content: Quote from: VK3DRB on November 22, 2015, 02:16:47 amBut how would you tell if the electrocuted person wasn't stupid?

author: crispy_tofu
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 23, 2015, 01:10:28 am
content: Quote from: Artlav on November 22, 2015, 11:21:54 pmDoes it matter? Everything these days has to be idiotproof...