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Posted: 5 months ago by streetlight22be:
So I've gotten into a taking things apart sort of mood today. I already explored the insides of a floppy disk and an old keyboard, and I'm contemplating cracking open an old boombox my dad broke a year or two ago.
Just wondering... is this safe? The main thing causing me to think this is the sticker right by all the screws warning me of the risk of electric shock if I open it.(This is the part where the few real-life friends I have hit me and go "Stupid! Yeah!" But the tech savvy friend who taught me almost all I know about computers doesn't like me much these days.)
I'm considering leaving my bedroom door open so if something does happen, my family will at least notice. Probably...
Anyways! What do you think of this? It hasn't been plugged in for at least two years if that makes some sort of difference...
Score: [-] 206 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by Moe:
I do not know for certain if a boom box can retain voltages, but I DO know for certain that CRT monitors CAN RETAIN VOLTAGE!!
DO NOT attempt to disassemble a CRT monitor or television without knowing what not to touch!! This knowledge is best acquired from a friend who is a professional - i.e. he gets paid to fix them!!
Barring that type of source, I would look into several electronics hobby websites and/or newsgroups. Ask lots of questions...there is NO stupid question when it comes to this sort of thing. Depending on what you are working on, you can be injured or dead before you even know you made a mistake.
Do not let this discourage you, though! Learn what the good and bad practices are and follow the rules!! It can be really cool learning about the innards of stuff. Nothing happens by magic. The more you know about how it works, the cooler it becomes.
Score: [-] 277 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by pocksucket:
Do you have a rubber sheet?
If so, sit/stand on that.
And then explain to us why you have a rubber sheet.
Score: [-] 371 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by badbud:
Talk to your doctor about Detrol LA
Score: [-] 64 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by maven:
Most electronics (excluding monitors and tv's, as Moe indicated) are fairly safe to poke around in, but, to be safe, get some books, or do some searching online (How It Works is a great place to look. For MOST items, unplug them, and then turn them on--this will usually discharge any latent voltage in the lines. Radios and boomboxes tend to be pretty bare bones, with nothing that will retain a charge.
Score: [-] 156 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by sputum:
Crack it open. It won't hurt you.
Score: [-] 0 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by Bornbad:
« pocksucket : Do you have a rubber sheet?
If so, sit/stand on that.
And then explain to us why you have a rubber sheet. *heh* Good advice, I'd like to hear the answer.
Score: [-] 103 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by streetlight22be:
« Bornbad : *heh* Good advice, I'd like to hear the answer. Well, theres was this time at band camp...
my trumpet player friend was getting the floor all wet from her spit valve, so I got her that to practice over!
Then... there was a drunken orgy with some midgets thrown in for good measure. Nice, clean, American fun!
I know about the whole CRT = doom in the hands of an idiot(therefore in the hands of me) thing, and don't plan on messing around with things that can obviously kill me. It's the things that later in life allow you to tell a stories like "Did you know that a certain fork/spoon hybrid could put you in a coma for weeks?" that are worth exploring with no prior knowledge. :p
Score: [-] 92 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by heymrp:
I'm a tinkerer too. I like to take things apart and see whats going on inside them. After a lifetime of doing this I have developed a general sense for how things work. Last month my son and I took apart one of those 25 dollar DVD players we had that stopped working. I showed him the laser, the motors, the mechanics of how the disc moves through the unit. While we were putzing with it I could tell that there was a gear that was gummed up with dust. We cleaned it with q-tips, reassembled it, and it works perfect again. I usually don't throw away anything without looking inside and have been able to fix quite a few. So what is the moral of my story? Open it up and have fun. Something like a radio is not likely to have any capacitors in it big enough to zap you (I've never been hit) but whatever you do; do not plug it in while you are poking around inside.
Score: [-] 206 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by vexingmodstwo:
Yeah, as long as it isn't plugged in a boombox isn't going to kill you. Even with batteries in it.
Just don't lick anything... just in case.
Score: [-] 7 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by streetlight22be:
Aw.... but I was planning on chowing down once I got to the creamy candy center!
Some terrible person who designed this boombox apparently didn't want people looking inside of it for some reason... I suspect a drug trafficking plot! I need to find some better screwdrivers with actual grips, so I don't end up stripping the screws.
Score: [-] 9 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by maven:
A drop of WD40 might help as well--the screws are usually into plastic, though, so be careful.
Score: [-] 41 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by suckersklub:
Teehee... rubber sheet...
[threadjack]
The entire village I spent the last week in didn't seem to be grounded or something. Every single water tap or shower head would give you a nice electric shock - not only a short one, but the electricity would keep running through as long as you could touch it; it wasn't just static. Turning on the shower was painful (though pleasant as soon as you were finally in it). Washing the dishes for a group of 29 persons was a nightmare until someone had the idea of short-outing the tap and the metal sink with a steel chain (although there was also a great potencial for pranks there: You just had to firmly grip the tap with one hand and wait for the person next to you to put their hands into the water - if you touched them then, they would inevitably cringe and jump away).
The darkroom (photo lab. PHOTO LAB!!!!1) was worst. It was located in a bathroom in the basement, and there was a metal bathtub in there. We had to rinse stuff and wash our hands in the dark all the time while processing our material. Try finding the tap in complete darkness when you know it'll electrocute you as soon as you have it (just like almost any other surface in that wet room).
The other day I was leaning against a stone wall for a few minutes, holding a desk lamp in my hand for some reason. Suddenly I felt a tingling sensation in my arm and shoulder: I thought it might be due to a slight sunburn, when it suddenly turned into an electric shock that almost threw me to the ground. The entire place was electrified.
Good times.
[/threadjack]
Score: [-] 191 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by davethefish:
Standard power distribution circuit.
Stay away from the capacitors (the tall, round, usually black ones) as they act like batteries, which is the only part of the circuit that can retain a charge.
If you insist on literally poking around the circuit, use a wooden stick or an insulated screwdriver, and earth yourself too just in case (the above mentioned rubber mat will suffice)
I'm a pro-tinkerer so I've been shocked in my time :P
Score: [-] 170 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by pocksucket:
« suckersklub : Teehee... rubber sheet...
[threadjack]
...The locals attempt to kill SK...
[/threadjack] That sounds like a really half hearted horror movie. I've got Severance in mind. But instead of a concerted effort to undermine, derange and ultimately kill the visitors, Guiseppe the electrician got around to messing with the wiring a bit but as no-one else seemed to be putting any effort in he gave up too.
Score: [-] 69 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by sykeo56:
« Moe:I do not know for certain if a boom box can retain voltages, but I DO know for certain that CRT monitors CAN RETAIN VOLTAGE!!
DO NOT attempt to disassemble a CRT monitor or television without knowing what not to touch!! This knowledge is best acquired from a friend who is a professional - i.e. he gets paid to fix them!!
Barring that type of source, I would look into several electronics hobby websites and/or newsgroups. Ask lots of questions...there is NO stupid question when it comes to this sort of thing. Depending on what you are working on, you can be injured or dead before you even know you made a mistake.
Do not let this discourage you, though! Learn what the good and bad practices are and follow the rules!! It can be really cool learning about the innards of stuff. Nothing happens by magic. The more you know about how it works, the cooler it becomes. I spent a few years as a television repairman. There are a few simple guidelines that one must follow to properly and safely disassemble a cathode ray tube (CRT).
First, contrary to popular belief and instinct, you want to leave it both plugged in and turned on.
Second, make sure you are properly grounded. You could do this by standing barefoot in a puddle, but clearly that seems silly and inconvenient. Bar none, the safest and easiest way to do this is to disassemble the unit while sitting in a bathtub, filled at least halfway with water (any temprature will work).
Third, don't waste time with manuals. They generally discourage taking apart the CRT displays. The sole purpose for this is that they don't want you to see how simple the technology is. If everybody felt safe confident taking apart their displays, sales of new products would fail.
Fourth, have fun. Maybe turn on some music - whatever helps you work. Since all displays are different, there's no structured step-by-step process. Unscrew any accessable screws, and feel free to cut, or simply tear, any wires. If screws are tight, you can generally loosen them by dipping the whole unit into the bathtub (another reason why I personally recommend doing this in the bathtub).
Fifth, whatever you do, do not, I repeat DO NOT obey any of these guidelines. I'm not actually an expert. This is just a joke. I have never and would never actually attempt to disassemble a CRT.
Score: [-] 107 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by mobase:
You should also soak your clothes and hair in gasoline. It's an excellent insulator.
Score: [-] 123 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by doggylives:
« mobase : You should also soak your clothes and hair in gasoline. It's an excellent insulator. HAhahahahaha. You b*****d!
Score: [-] 15 [+].
Posted: 5 months ago by streetlight22be:
Yeah, whenever I'm taking something apart I usually soak it in water first...
Anyone know of any good websites or books on circuitry and things of that nature? I feel compelled to learn.
OR! I could look on my own! What a concept!
Score: [-] 51 [+].
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