ZAP! Mr C's Worst Electric Shock Explained In Detail! 

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I’ve been in electronics for 40+years, the biggest safety problem is that people get complacent over time and not just with electricity, but as you mentioned mechanical things as well. We ALL need to be reminded about safety! Ron

The most disturbing thing about your shock is not knowing what caused it. There must have been AC involved to lock you on. I had an interesting shock from a DC power supply running a high voltage and high frequency inverter. I didn't feel the high frequency or the DC. But I definitely felt the mains frequency ripple, even from a decent power supply. The human heart does seem to have the ability to resynchronize in many instances. The majority of fatal shocks seem to involve getting locked on in a manner where you can't fall away. I always stand at my bench.

Paul, I've been watching your videos for the past 15 years. I've played with/built a few tube amps, because of your videos. Your emphasis on safety, for all of the old equipment, has always rang through my head while I'm working on those. Thank you for every video you post, and never apologize for safety. The people that complain about safety, shouldn't be working on old electronics. It's incredibly dangerous, incredibly rewarding, and completely worth learning about it.

Thank you Mr. Carlson. By sharing your knowledge about vintage electrical devices like old vacuum tube radios and televisions; there is a significant danger and risk of possible death due to an electrical shock. You have always warned people in every one of your videos that if you wish to persue the hobby of repair and, or restoration of these electronic devices that you are doing so at your own risk. Thank you for this video post. You may be saving lives.

Dear Paul, Your not only a brilliant electro technician, you are also a wonderful story teller! Did you ever managed to find out what drove you out of that chair and basicly saved your life? Was it your own body contracting into massive spasm, or some sort of higher power? Thank God you made it and share all your wisdom!

I was in a similar situation once. The absolute silence of missing your own heartbeat is pretty scary. It blew my mind, since you wouldn't hear your own heart normally but you feel the silence if it isn't beating.

Holy beans man! Glad you're still with us! The way it all unfolded and getting blown backwards somehow gives me visions of you playing the part of Doc in Back to the Future. I'm an extra class HAMster that still doesn't feel brave enough to open up an amplifier and hopes to someday take your electronics course. So many times I forget to disconnect AC power before jumping into a repair...for example a furnace (accidentally welded a gas ignitor/heater to the frame) and a washing machine, (luckily tripped the GFCI while replacing a water inlet solenoid valve). Even car batteries make me nervous when I work with them. I do always somehow remember to drain all capacitors before though...when fixing a microwave, and fixing a central air conditioner. As far as actually getting shocked, that only happened while growing up on a farm and had a few accidental run-ins with the electric cattle fences. I can relate to the not letting go part, and having to learn to let yourself fall to the ground assuming your legs are still relaxable.

Thank you, great you talk about it, many hide their mistakes regarding this. Nice to have you with us still.

Thank you for sharing Paul. I've had a few close calls and a few bad shocks myself. Electricity is always waiting there for you to make a mistake so it can find a path through you. Watching your videos, you are more cautious and meticulous than me and it still got you. I'm glad you survived and are here to share with us.

OMG , You took me back to my childhood during the fan story. Sounds like you injoyed so many of the same toys I too got to play with. Thank you for sharing. God Bless.

Hey Paul glad your still with us your a very knowable man . Someday I will tell you all about my Shortwave Antenna in a wind storm story.

Thanks for sharing your amazing story.

I attended DeVry Institute of Technology in Atlanta, GA from 1981 to 1983. One night in the lab I got hit with168 volts DC; up until that point I never gave much thought about being shocked by DC voltage. I've been shocked many times over the last sixty years however nothing comes close to how hard that 168 DC voltage kicked!

Thank you for sharing. My experience was with AC shock. I was nervous afterwards but I had to come to a conclusion that electricity was going to be my friend or my enemy. I chose for it to be my friend..I had to because it was my livelihood. I'm glad you are able to share the story.

Seeing that DAK radio sure brought back some memories! Siltronix 1011D, Tram D201, Browning Golden Eagle, Johnson Messenger, Regency Range Gain and so many more! I still have my Regency Range Gain with an Astatic D104 mike.

Oh my Gosh! I had a nearly identical near death experience in my 20’s, right down to the paper-white skin and stopped heart, when I contacted the 15KVA primary and ground of a large glass plate capacitor Tesla Coil across both hands, right through me heart. It took falling into a dresser and cracking a few ribs to get my heart going again. I had popped blood vessels in my fingers and even my toes from the violent constriction of my heart. Your story was almost word-for-word my own experience. Seriously, electrical safety is no joke!

Love hearing the stories thanks for sharing

The scary aspect of getting a shock is when you think you're being careful, but there's something you've completely overlooked. Quite worrying for those of us who do this stuff alone...

Hi Paul, Hey been there, done that! In the late 60's, High School Electronics, a 400 volt DC power supply, I myself made a path to ground, It knocked me out of my chair, floored me... no heart stoppage, but I know that buzz! I learned a valuable lesson that day! I have not had a repeat performance thankfully, glad you made it! 73 de Pat KK6PD

dayum, Mr C. its very great to hear these stories, its always interesting to hear how people go through hard situations, also its a very great way to learn what to look out for, thank you for sharing. Also you just confirmed what science have thought us about electricity and its influence on human body - that the heart can be stopped with specific frequency and current amount, and that human body acts as a capacitor :). Stay safe and thank you!

Accidents that u cant fully understand in hindsight are the scariest ones. After any accident I sit down and ask myself "what did I do today that I must never do again" and "what warning sign did I miss that I must never miss again". And I don't like it when I can't come up with a good answer to those questions

Hi Paul... The worst shock I ever experienced was when I was a lot younger and playing around with surplus WS19 transceivers. I wondered why the socket for the cw key was so heavily insulated. I found out why when I plugged in a key which had a metal shell jack plug while holding on to the chassis with my other hand. I felt like I'd been kicked in the chest and I remember seeing a small flame coming from the end of my finger before I was launched across the room, presumably because all my muscles contracted. I now know that the key is connected to the 540V tx HT. And there was a hole burned in the end of my finger. You can't be too careful with electricity. Don't work on powered equipment unless it's unavoidable. If you must work on powered equipment!, keep one hand in your pocket. 73 de Malc M0IYI.

WOW! what a experience. Im thankful that God pushed you out of that chair and your here to enjoy learning from. I once touched the plate connector in the finals on my Dad's Tempo One and got thrown back off the chair. My arm hurt for about a week after that one and I am always carful around high voltage now. Great video and thanks so much for sharing that experience with us all.

We are blessed to still have you around! Scary story, happy outcome.

Very scary story... Thank you for sharing.

Similar experience to mine when I was a schoolkid, Mr C. In my case, I was in the school grounds absent-mindedly playing with a wire that was hanging down a wall, while holding a fence with the other hand. Felt like being on fire while every nerve in my body was being hammered with a pneumatic drill. Like you, I could think clearly what was happening and like you, after some time I felt I'd been shoved to the ground and was laying there, looking up at the sky, with a neat, smoking hole burned into my left hand. That type of experience, as you say, sets your caution levels nice and high for the rest of your life.

I like the new format Mr. C. We would love to hear more stories

Paul, i praise God that you did not get killed. I honestly think that an Angel saved you. I hope that you are a Christian. Thank you for teaching everyone about safety.

I'm glad you got through it. It's weird to think of what we would have missed if you hadn't... and never even known. I always appreciate the safety reminders.

Thanks for this story of near death kind of experience! I am glad you beat death. ❤❤❤

You reacted good. It shows you are strong and have a good resistance and capacitance!

I really appreciate you telling your story. I think a lot of people more use to working with low voltage, and maybe even a few more confident high voltage workers, forget how dangerous these high voltages in tube equipment and high powered RF equipment can be. I always like that you push safety and stories like this really push it home further. I am glad you got pushed away from, whatever pushed you. Glad you are still here.

Thanks for sharing. That is a very impressive story.

Great story, Thanks Paul. Look forward to hear more. Only had one major shock but nothing compared to your story. But it was still enough to learn a very good lesson and respect electricity with as much caution as possible.

Thankful everyday, thanks for sharing... Its serious to think about...

Glad to see you're still with us. It was fun to meet you at the Pitt swap. VE7CMN 73

Thank you Paul.

Magnificent story! So glad your okay. You were pushed, soooo cool! Thank you. I've been shocked many times. Worst was tv, horizontal output in school. Dad told me once if you touch a circuit to see if it's live use the back of my hand. Multi-meters are better.

Sounds like divine intervention at its finest throwing you out of your chair! Amazing testimony and glad you made it past that experience to bring us a wealth of knowledge over the years!!

I want to thank your guardian angel Paul for saving your life with a shove. We wouldn't have learned so much without you. Keep up the good work and stay safe.

I’m glad you survived that Mr C!! Thanks for sharing 😘

Thank-you for the Story Paul. Yes i appreciate the correct usage of the spoken word. Electrocuted is a term on an autopsy which means death by electricity. However if you live you were shocked. It may be a severe shock but if you're alive it's a "shock" no pun intended. Hi hi we are glad you're alive thank-you for the caution and the mentoring we need good examples and good repair technicians; passing on of the technical mindset for troubleshooting electrics it great. Thanks again.🤓

I've had a few electrical shocks in my time and it makes you appreciate why you must always check and think twice . . I survived for 42 years and understand how easy it is to make a mistake that could have killed me . I've had a 415v ac jolt and it hurts

Hey Paul I can tell you one thing I know what it’s like to get blasted so thank God you’re still around to be the great technician that you are well be safe God bless

When I was a teenager I was putting up some christmas lights, I had them lit up as I strung them out to spot dead bulbs etc. I was pulling the cord through my hands as I wound them up a tree, and before I felt a shock or anything my hand was clamped shut on the line. Then I felt the power of thor coursing up my arm, it had my whole arm lit up and buzzing just like you say before I could yank the cord out of my death grip. Left a weird metallic taste in my mouth, thought I had bit my tongue or cheek but there was no blood or injury. Wasn't wet out, and the lights were practically brand new just a year old. Both my dad and I went over the cord trying to find the hot spot hoping we didn't have to toss it out but neither of us could come up with anything. That moment gave me a hefty dose of respect for electricity, even if it seems totally innocuous and safe treat electricity with extreme caution. You'll never catch me stringing up lights without gloves now, that's for sure lol. Gave me a slight phobia of the welders in my shop class, the arc welder especially because it buzzes at the same frequency that went up my arm, absolutely unnerving.

I'm very glad you survived this brush with death, Paul. God Bless and Keep You, Paul!

thats quite a story.......whish will hear more of those in future....lots of love.....

Nice to see you alive. The push you felt was likely your involuntary survival response activating your legs and upper body to do anything to get your body away from that part of the room. But to anyone who believes in them, you had a great guardian angel on your side that day. Best to not depend on that angel for our safety. Thank you for your true story. Hopefully, it will save some lives.

Thank you for sharing Paul, that's quite the story. I think what you where describing was AC somehow was going through the mic jack not sure how, but glad you are ok

I gave you a thumb's up, not because you received a shock, but that you survived it. No longer use light bulbs since they use electricity, gone back to candles.

Thanks, Paul. Wow, that's scary! My dad was working on a tube TV when I was a kid and got electrocuted. It picked him up off of his stool and threw him 6 feet or so in the air back into the wall of our garage. I'm always really careful around electricity. I probably shouldn't work on stuff barefoot, but I hate wearing shoes!

Several years ago a fellow I knew worked building electrical substations in Texas. Texas is windy. On the last day of construction on a new substation, and literally just moments after energizing the substation, his hat blew off toward the primary input insulator. The insulator had 12 "rings", so it was at least 230,000 volts input with substantial current. The man grabbed the hat just as it came into contact with the primary, and was immediately turned into a pink mist. Had he grabbed for his hat 20 minutes before he would still be with us today. You have to be careful around anything carrying power.

Great video Mr Carlson's Sir and Thanks For Sharing😊

It’s incredible that you recall it so well. I’d like to know what the humidity was that day. And what could you have done differently that day ? Because you were very careful then as you said You still don’t know though you say. It will remain a mystery. Yes. Great story. Makes for a great new series of videos

As a young radio tech I got mixed up with the plate voltage, +6250 VDC, of a 10kw HF amplifier. I had reached up with my right hand near the tube and the voltage reached out and bit me. There was a large bang, a flash of light and I took several steps backwards. The voltage went across my chest and arced out to a signal generator near my left side leaving a hole in my uniform and a ragged burn the size of a quarter on my ribs. My right arm was useless and pinned up against my abdomen but after a few minutes it fell to my side and wouldn’t move. I made it to my supervisor to report that I was hurt when my legs buckled. Spent a day in intensive care while the docs did some tests to see if I killed the bones in my arm (I didn’t). The radio type was a Rockwell Collins HF 8022-10 LPA. Took many years for me to not react badly to the sight/sound of an electrical arc. Really enjoy the channel Mr. Carlson, been a long time viewer.

Love watching your channel would like to hear more stories like this one👍🏻

As an Electrician, Retired I have Been there and Llke me you were so ...lucky cheers Man

Paul, I think it is important that you keep urging caution when working on equipment with hazardous voltages. Many years ago, I headed a small electronics department in a company and one day my two technicians were working on a 3 phase motor controller and our managing director came into the lab with a visitor. Later that day the MD called me into his office and told me that my guys didn't project a good company image to the visitor as they were standing around with their hands in their pockets. I said, "Ok, are you going to send me a memo saying that they are not to have their hands in their pockets?" He said, "Do you really need that in writing?" "Yes" I said, "It is to cover my backside when there is a workplace death." I then explained what the hands in pocket thing was all about.

I'm an electrician and electronics fan since the 80s. I got shocked a few times. The shock you received actually prompts a visit to a hospital. Current going through your body causes electrolysis and subsequent release of gases like hydrogen. This can cause an embolism, stopping blood flow to vital organs. You where young, with a strong heart and probably fit as well. I had a similar experience. When i was ~14 my friends parents told me their 286 computer would intermittently lose power. I opened the case, tool out the PSU and powered it up by it self. As luck would have it a wire inside broke off and touched the metal case and protective earth in that building was not working. I screamed, not because of pain but because the path the current took caused my muscles in thorax and abdomen to contract, pushing out all air (and no, i don't remember farting) . They took a few seconds to realize what is going on and headed towards the breakers to end my calamity. I recovered fully but not without gaining a huge respect for the destructive force electricity can have on biology. Nowadays i'm the double checking guy.Sometimes a real annoyance i reckon. But i ain't going nowhere without my voltage tester.

Hi Paul Adding to your story, there is a saying. There are old electricians, and there are bold electricians, but not many old bold electricians. I came across one in his later life with half his fingers missing. How he made it into his eighties, I don’t know. Another thing I spent some years fixing handy talkies. Many came in for repair or off-hire with chew high RF voltages on the antenna. Keep up the good work and stay safe. Regards Martin M1MRB/W9ICQ

I really really thank you for sharing this; and really appreciate opening some door to some private things to share with us. And to be more honest: I really love electronics and tried to do a lot by myself and also tried some repairs and somehow failed. But you taught me to accept. But that's not the point exactly. You were the one to make me feel that respect might not be enough when dealing with HV but knowledge is essential to survive. And I think I am not lying when I say that a part of myself suffers from hubris. So I gave up one of my dozen hobbies and I think this - long term - keeps me staying on this planet. My girlfriend should be thankful but she wouldn't understand what for 😅 Thanks for all the years you allowed me being part of your adventures and teaching me more than I am capable of learning. Still enjoy every single video you post.

Helluva story and hopefully sharing it will save some pain and maybe some lives. My dad taught me to always first touch the door of the fusebox with the back of my hand before grabbing the handle to open it, and I still do that to this day.

Excellent video as always! Your shop is so...clean! I've been working on tube guitar and hifi amps for close to 30 years now, and have yet to get a dc shock from one...but I'm anything but cocky. Always work slowly and methodically and am aware of the constant danger but not really fearful of it. Never touch em when medicated or impaired and always discharge and verify...one hand, rubber soles, etc. I also am an avid user of clip leads for my meters and leave one lead disconnected from the meter while hooking up for a current measurement until it's connected on the device properly. Some real pros have died doing this work over the years. I HAVE however taken a pretty good AC shock from an old Cheshire labeling unit at a mailing house i worked at for a time. I believe it was around 300v and most likely 60 hz. Did not get clamped thankfully. Some bit of wiring insulation had failed and was putting voltage somewhere it wouldn't normally be. That weird feeling vibration and the realization of "oh shit..I'm getting shocked" is something you don't forget.

Thanks for story! I'd love to hear more about your high power RF amplifiers of your youth!

You can never be over cautious. I was 19, inexperienced and in a hurry. I had broken the caretaker's light fitting ( we lived in a block of flats) and in my hurry to fix it before I went out, I decided to rob the fitting off of my Mom's bedside lamp. In the back of my head was the idea that Mom ALWAYS unplugged anything not in use. I grabbed the lamp and tried to rip the wires out. One wire came loose, so second attempt had one wire firmly in my fist and the lamp in the other fist. It felt as if my arms both disappeared and I only had hands attached to my shoulders, no movement possible. I managed to stand up and try to get to the wall plug, fell over, and the shock stopped. As I moved, it started again, I somehow moved/stood and it was over. I was told that I was screaming blue murder, I vaguely remember stumbling downstairs and being rushed to the doctor. He must have given me a sedative, because mt next clear memory is of waking up the next morning with burns on both thumbs and forefingers. 45 years later, I still have the scars and the dreadful memory of my closest brush with death. That old block of flats had only fuses, no earth leakage protection at all. People today laugh at my obsessive respect and fear of live connections....

I was pounding a key in the mid 50's. Been around all kinds of equipment including medium voltage Inverters and have my share of stupid moments when I've felt that buzz. But I have to say you have one of the best stories I have heard and I am glad you are still around.

Hi Paul, great to see you passing on your knowledge of electricity and the potential complications of encountering high voltages. Electronics has been a committed hobby for many years. I have been primarily employed as a paramedic for over 40 years and have seen many people electrocuted in one form or fashion, most with only minor injuries. I hail from Australia, where our supply hovers around 230 VAC. Electrocution can play havoc with the nerves within our body hence the muscle spasms, one of the most important areas being the heart. Should the shock be prolonged or strike at an inappropriate cycle in the cardiac rhythm, it can cause cardiac arrest almost immediately (worst-case scenario). For the most part, this is not a usual occurrence, and the shock is short-lived. It is advisable to call EMTs/paramedics post an event of this significance as the cardiac nerves can still be susceptible to altered function and potentially cause arrhythmias or cardiac arrest sometime later. This usually involves a trip to hospital for cardiac monitoring for a few hours to monitor heart rhythm. Sounds like overkill, but it is better than being found unalive sometime later. An additional problem is that electric current burns, as you have made very clear in your video. Electricity loves to find the shortest path to earth, and one such part can be from your hand to the ground, usually via a foot. Just like copper traces on a PCB, the veins and arteries within the body hold a lot of moisture, something electricity likes almost as much. This results in extensive burns to internal structures within the extremities damaging vital pathways that can cause extensive damage and life-threatening injuries. Another reason to attend the hospital. Some of you are reading this and saying to yourself I have been bitten, stung or zapped many times in the past, and yes, we have all been there. We dust ourselves off and get past it until one day, we don't. I have been watching Paul for a long time. He is one of the creators that continues to reiterate safety throughout his videos, a commendable attitude. We all love our hobby, passion, or job. Just play safe.

Great video. Thanks for sharing!

Those angry pixies will just jump out at you from nowhere sometimes. Glad you made it through that experience. I deal with -48V DC on a regular basis in my ISP job and have only had 1 close call. Luckily, the only thing that happened was I shut down an entire town's internet and phone service for a few minutes as well as had a red hot bolt melt into my shoe. Needless to say, our company changed our safety protocols after that. 2 people on site when dealing with any type of electrical supply, 1 performing the work, 1 on standby with AED and to kill breakers and or call 911 if necessary.

This reminds me of the time I almost died. The stupidity that led me to that point would take too long to relate, but I ended up alone in a building at 3am, with uninsulated pliers held in sweaty hands connected directly to the terminals of a 1,200 VAC/300 mA transformer. People talk about time slowing down in moments of crisis; it really does. I instantly realized what I’d done, and tried frantically to move my arms to break the contact. Nothing. They were frozen, locked in place. All my willpower ordering them to move had no effect. Oddly, I had the sensation of rings of warmth slowly moving up my arms towards my chest. I have no idea what might have produced that feeling, but I somehow knew that when the planes of warmth met in my chest it would all be over. Almost without thought, I realized that while my arms were locked, my legs still worked, so I jumped back from the bench, breaking contact with the transformer. Immediately, my arms flew apart; the pliers that I’d held in my right hand gouging about a half-inch chunk out of the concrete wall about 5 feet from me, the other pair sailing across the lab, fortunately missing an apparatus we had running a multi-day experiment. My first impression was of utter silence. No sound, no air moving, no … heartbeat. After what seemed an eternity, my heart started beating again, with one massive initial *flumph*, then bambambam, beating at what felt like 200 bpm. After a few minutes of collecting myself, I shakily turned off the breaker on the lab bench and made my way home. Over the years, I’ve wondered how it is that I didn’t die that night. I guess it just wasn’t my time. Ever since then, I’ve studiously practiced the “one hand rule” whenever working around high voltage 😁

When i was younger cleaning up after my dad in the shed i ended up with 240v mains power in my hand because mice had chewed though the insulation. I was lucky the line conditions were just right that i got released i spent the next hour or 2 just standing there feeling the charge in my chest not willing to touch anything. “Metal shed” and I wasn’t grounded. The sensation of 240v in your lungs is just something iv never been able to put words too.

As a 12 year old, I enjoyed mowing the lawn because the lawn mower had a gas engine. To stop it, you push a grounding strip of metal to the top of the spark plug with your foot. I was a curious what it would feel like if I pushed the metal strip with my hand. Wow! It felt like someone kicked me in the shoulder with a lead filled boot. Fast forward to high school, my other shocker was from the fly back transformer of a TV which I modified so I could plug my music into the CRT's magnetic deflection yoke coils to create Lissajous patterns. Somehow between it and the tube amp driving the coils, it was floating at high voltage. While demonstrating it to my girlfriend, I touched the amp and the TV chassis, was zapped and fell unconscious on my bed, which was luckily next to the TV. She freaked thinking I was dead. I learned why electricians say, "keep one hand in you pocket". Since then I never work with anything over 24 volts.

I was working on a 415v 3 phase board for what was going to be a sports clothing shop. There are busbars running vertically either side with breakers running up the tabs coming from the busbars. The apprentice had installed one of the breakers in backwards so the tab to release it from the din rail was on the inside toward the tabs making it very awkward to get off. The rest of the site had temporary supplies run from this board. A fight had nearly broken out earlier as the power had been off for a couple of hours and there was a gang of shop fitters unable to carry on without power and they were on price so stopping was not in their vocabulary. Turning the power off didn't seem like an option so I attempted to remove the breaker with it on. Trying to pry at an angle I slipped and my hand went straight across the tabs. It felt like my arm had just been wrenched out of its socket while my chest was being crushed. The whole body tensed up and fired me onto my tiptoes which threw me away from the board. My diaphragm was hurting for a few days after like I'd been punched in the solar plexus. Still got the burn mark on my hand. I've had a few shocks but that was by far the worst and reminded me of my mortality and stupidity.

Changing a live 277vac ballast, had an accident on a ladder. Slipped the screwdriver and hooked my right and left hand up. One wire snapped out and stabbed my knuckle and my other hand grounded out. If I couldn't have bent my knees, I would have been toast. 277 is very shocking.

Scary Paul, I had a bad 3 phase shock that threw me across the room, i was shaking for hours after, So i am always careful now and use the one hand rule as well.

You're still with us!

Please review the proper use of isolation transformers. My belief is that we should use two separate isolation transformers. One for the unit under test and one for the scope and other test equipment. If the unit under test has a short or other misconnected wire, that could provide an unexpected voltage to the test equipment.

In the 90's, I had a good bolt from a 1970's Orange guitar amp.... the wooden side was rotting and i accidentally put my finger through and obviously touched something unkind.... I ended up on the other side of the garage with big hair..

I got a shock a week ago, working on an old reel to reel deck. Im still not entirely sure how it happened I thought perhaps the casework was live but when I checked later it wasnt. Figure I touched an exposed wire on the inside of the power switch assembly.

Yes, I got zapped pretty good a few times: the weirdest time I was pointing to a part in the back of a console TV "Not to touch" for the benefit of my cousin. I was about three inches from the damper anode cap and the dry air connected me to the HV and it drove my elbow into the wall behind me--my elbow hurt for days. I had no direct connection at all, no ground, or HV, but learned that a nasty waveform generates properties that don't require wires to couple you to the circuit.

😂Good story. I had something similar back in the day. There was this amplifier with 4 811A tubes. It was making noise on receive. I was spudging at it with an insulated tool, and it just reached out & got me. Burned a hole in my knuckle, knocked me across the room, knocked the Amp onto the floor. Paralyzed both my arms - one was stuck up, the other down. Last year, I built an LDMOS amp. One of my favorite characteristics of that amp is that there's nothing in there that will kill me.

Yes, SAFETY FIRST !!!!!!! People get forgetful & complacent, that is when bad things happen. Keep up the great work, thank you for your teachings. As for your event, "The Hand of God", saved you. I have seen if before with my father. Take care, be safe.

I must share this lesson. When I started in electronics, the first lesson was what electricity can do to you.

That angle of the heater/air con at the top right is doing my head in...lol

I've always been pretty careful to avoid the chance of taking a shock across the heart. I've gotten bitten by 110 line voltage a few times, but it's just been unpleasant, not really life threatening. I had an electronics instructor show us the correct way to discharge capacitors and cathode ray tubes. He explained about the tubes that they could build a charge over time and it wasn't so much that getting zapped would kill you, it was the gash you'd get from something sharp in the case when your hand jerked away when it happened. He had the scar to back him up.

Great advice!

Ive just come over from Big Clive,s video and realised I've been unsubscribed. Now resubscribed. I would just like to let everyone who works on high Current and Voltage know what has actually saved me on a few occasions and that is a 1/2 inch thick rubber mat around my workbench. I always found over the year's if you can prevent a return path to ground then if on the very very rare occasion you come into contact with a live connection then providing you only touched it with 1 hand it has nowhere to go and makes things a lot safer. My late Dad who taught me most of what i know used to have a hard rubber mat on his workbench aswell. The worst shock i ever got was from a CRT final Anode connection when I was a youngster, the CRT had not long been removed when I went to pick it up to move and was thrown accross the room. All part of learning.😊

It isn't much, but when I was little and at my grandparents' house I went to unplug my Gamecube from behind the tv. I couldn't reach it very easily, and my finger slipped off the plug and touched the prongs. It was a surreal feeling, my whole forearm basically seized and it felt like a full minute of just *numbness*, but it was literally like 3 seconds and thankfully it was just 110VAC. I'm super into electronics and electrical repair now. :3

Thank you for that.

Praise the Lord, Paul! So glad "something" shoved you. Most likely the same "power supply" that has delivered me a number of times in my life. So happy to hear of this outcome!

Awesome, love your stories

I woke up about half-an hour later after LEAPING back almost 12 feet in our garage after doing something completely stupid. Made a Jacob's ladder, but has these really long sections of rod (a little under 4 feet), and was tuning / tweaking the bend / starting point JUSSSSST right to get decent travel most of the way up. As the current woul flow, the tines would pull toward each other a bit, and a resonance developed to where the ends crossed and stuck together. "Dad's childhood transformer - I'd better save it from a short!", was thought as I grabbed both and pulled them apart. Now, having one tine in each hand with 7500VAC applied to me (Center-tapped to ground, so really 2750x2 to ground), The metal legs on the wooden school chair conducted to the back of my thighs, and launch I did. I remember the thoughts leading up to it, and the intense pain for a moment, then nothing. What saved me was I was using darkroom developer timer to run things, and there were only a few seconds left on it. Bleeding from the back of my head, equipment in a jumble in the opposite corner, I decided to be a bit safer with future endeavors using Neon transformers....Took weeks to get over the soreness.

The worst shock I’ve ever experienced was while working on an older TV with a CRT that I somehow managed to discharge through me instead of ground. Thankfully it was turned off and I only got the remaining charge in the crt, but it was plenty enough to get my attention. I was just getting started in my electronics career but I never did that again. It hurt, a lot and almost knocked me off my stool. Be safe out there kids.

In addition to the amazing knowledge and stories you share, the images you show are a source of knowledge on their own. I did not know that the Rohde&Schwarz SMPC was sold under a polarad badge...now I know, because you shared a picture of your Lambda PSU :)

Being meticulous with safety helps, but everyone makes mistakes. It is just a matter of larger, statistically significant number of tries that will eventually get you shocked. And if you are unlucky, that could be your last day on earth. Hang on Mr C. A nice forklift, btw.

I got a shock from a 12W Leak Tube power amp when I was getting it to work after being given it to me by an Uncle. I guess it was a few hundred volts, but lucky for me it was just from one part of my hand to another rather than across my chest and so it was merely painful - it throbbed for an hour or so. But it taught me a lesson about caution and always making sure you can see what you are probing or adjusting! I've always been careful with mains electricity (especially since its 240v here) but its easy to get complacent about high voltages inside equipment, where sometimes there can be tens ot thousand of volts.

Got a bad one in an old rehearsal room. I played the guitar and had to sing (no-one else wanted to). I stepped up to the microphone and had to get really close as the PA was incredibly weak and bad. BAM! got a nasty electric shock. Looked like I had taken a punch in the face. I thought that I was lucky that I didn't have dental regulation as it would perhaps have welded me to the microphone. After that I would always go through the equipment and even let the instrument I was holding touch ground to see if there was a malfunction in the rig.

I touched a flyback receiver in an old curtis mathis telivision one time and went flying back about 8 or 9 feet. When I kind of snapped out of it I couldnt remember where I was, what I was doing or even who I was. It was around 2 days before things started coming back to me.That was REAL scarey.

I thought you said it more for liability reasons but wow, that would get anyone serious about safety