Thread View: alt.folklore.computers
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Started by ke... Ken Birdwell
Fri, 31 Aug 1990 05:30
And you though computers were safe
Author: ke... Ken Birdwell
Date: Fri, 31 Aug 1990 05:30
Date: Fri, 31 Aug 1990 05:30
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Well, This group seems to be a little short on alt.folklore.computers and a little long on alt.computers.old-fogies so here's my effort to help rectify the situation. This is a story that goes around the office when ever someone moves furniture. The person that this really happened to (well it could be folklore) is now gone so it at least falls into the FOAF catagory. A few years back the company I now work for got one of the first color SUN 360's. It arrived on a friday when things were kind of busy but the guy who got the thing was really looking forward to using it so he came in early the next morning (saturday) to set the thing up. After he got the hard drive formatted and loaded and everything else configured, he realized that he wanted the machine on a different desk. He cleared off a spot, unplugged everything and started to move it. Well, those 16" color monitors were very expensive as well as being quite heavy so when he picked it up, in order to safely balance the thing he rested the screen flat against his chest and reached around to get a good solid grip. Unfortunitly, while reaching around back he accidently touched the metal ground plate, discharging 70,000 volts though this sternum. The next thing he knew he was lying sprawled on the ground, feeling like someone had hit him in the chest with a sledge hammer, unable to breathe and convinced that his heart had stopped. He tried to drag himself to a phone (the building would be deserted until monday) but his chest hurt so bad that he didnt get very far. He eventually realized that the pounding in his head meant that his heart was working after all (oh joy!) but it still took some time before he was able to moan properly. 15 minutes later he was finally able to get to the phone to call his wife, who then drove him to the hospital where he was pronounced to have a few bruised ribs, but otherwise ok. And you thought computers were safe. Little did you know that you're right now sitting across from a potential (no pun intended) killer. [ monitors act as giant capacitors, with a massive potential difference needed between the front and the back of the tube in order for the electron gun to work ] PS: The monitor was fine. --
Re: And you though computers were safe
Author: ke... Kenneth R Crudup
Date: Mon, 03 Sep 1990 08:01
Date: Mon, 03 Sep 1990 08:01
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In article <29...@amc-gw.amc.com> ke...@anabol.amc.com (Ken Birdwell) says: >A few years back the company I now work for got one of the first color >SUN 360's. ... >Unfortunately, while reaching around back he accidently touched the metal >ground plate, discharging 70,000 volts though this sternum. Uh uh. 30kV tops. But I fix monitors quite often, and sometimes forget not to touch ground while leaning against the screen. Ouch. -- Kenny Crudup, Unix Systems Consultant nubian!ke...@ima.ima.isc.com 14 John Eliot Sq. #2B, Roxbury, MA 02119-1569 (617) 442 6585 "If you want romance, get champagne. But if you wanna score...get 'Bolt 45'!"
Re: And you though computers were safe
Author: r... bob nutter
Date: Tue, 04 Sep 1990 14:23
Date: Tue, 04 Sep 1990 14:23
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The monitors for Sirius PC's (a sort of MS-DOS machine, ugh!) were pretty nifty too. Every so often they'd release an extremely large bang and the spot on the screen would drift to the bottom. They were obviously getting so charged up they eventually just *had* to discharge. The best thing was you never knew when it was going to happen. Once I'd seen this I never touched the screen again... bob ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ----------- bob nutter, computer officer | "A grey-haired old woman who has become UMIST dept of computation | mentally unstable" po box 88 manchester m60 1qd uk | - Iraqi statement on our glorious tel:+44 61 200 3386 | leader Thatcher. Spot on, I'd say! email:b...@umist.ac.uk |
Re: And you though computers were safe
Author: a... Alan T. Krantz
Date: Wed, 05 Sep 1990 14:00
Date: Wed, 05 Sep 1990 14:00
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In article <1990Sep...@phi.ap.co.umist.ac.uk> r...@phi.ap.co.umist.ac.uk (bob nutter) writes: >The monitors for Sirius PC's (a sort of MS-DOS machine, ugh!) were Why ugh? These were great machines for the time. They had non-linear floppy disks (1.2m) long before apple (or the apple hype); high resolution monitors (800 by 400) (I think they predated herc cards) and software loadable fonts. Greate machines for graphics (if not a bit on the slow side). Of course they bomb by putting the frame buffers in low memory where DOS loads a program. ------------------------------------------------------------------ | Mail: 1830 22nd street Email: a...@boulder.colorado.edu| | Apt 16 Vmail: Home: (303) 939-8256 | | Boulder, Co 80302 Office: (303) 492-8115 | ------------------------------------------------------------------
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