Touching a PCB while its on?

[Thebobo]

Open up the back of a CRT, and while it is on, feel around on the PCB.
If you (we?) get lucky, you will win the Darwin Award!

You can get lucky while its off as well :sneaky:

 

[Red Squirrel]

Microwave ovens are fun too.

 

[polarmystery]

Most consumer PCBs have some form of soldermask (some even with conformal coating) for protection. If it is a regular circuit board you are probably fine touching it anywhere. I'd always take precaution though as static electricity can destroy your board pretty quick depending on what types of ICs are on it.

 

[MWink]

They make a nice light show too. :biggrin:

Yes, they do! Back in high school this is what my friends and I used to do for fun. We also had fun playing with the neodymium magnets I pulled from dead hard drives.



Disclaimer: Don't try this at home (or anywhere else)!

 

[justoh]

you might not want to go poking around in your power supply even if teh computer is unplugged

exhibit a: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...lahoma-dies-electrocuted-fixing-computer.html

lol. The rhetorical question posed by the "computer expert,"

'Why tear into it to replace it for $20? You're taking your life into your own hands.'

If i was that dude's family i'd be quite irritated by the posting of that question in the article. They're basically posting a face palm. They didn't identify him, but still; could have got the info out without printing the exact quote.

 

[disappoint]

DP

double post

 

[disappoint]

lol. The rhetorical question posed by the "computer expert,"

If i was that dude's family i'd be quite irritated by the posting of that question in the article. They're basically posting a face palm. They didn't identify him, but still; could have got the info out without printing the exact quote.

Think that's odd? The computer's name is Dave Bradshaw.

Teenager dies after being electrocuted while fixing his unplugged computer
Boy, 16, killed at home in Shawnee, Oklahoma
Computer experts warn power supply can carry a charge even if broken or unplugged
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
PUBLISHED: 12:05 EST, 9 October 2012 | UPDATED: 12:27 EST, 9 October 2012

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A 16-year-old boy died after trying to fix his home computer, an autopsy has revealed.
The teenager, who has not been identified, died on August 16 after opening up the power supply area of the machine while stripping the old computer for parts.
The machine was unplugged at the time, said police in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
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Danger: A 16-year-old boy died at his home in Shawnee, Oklahoma after being electrocuted by an unplugged computer (stock image)
Danger: A 16-year-old boy died at his home in Shawnee, Oklahoma after being electrocuted by an unplugged computer (stock image)
After the boy's sudden death, an autopsy was ordered and led the coroner to discover an electrocution burn on the body.
Shawnee police said the tragic death highlights the dangers of working on computers without being fully trained.
Many people don’t realize that the power supply - which is made up of capacitors - carry a charge for several days or weeks, even when they are unplugged and broken.

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Computers experts have warned not to strip an old computer to build a new one because of the danger it poses to people who don’t know what they are doing.
Computer Dave Bradshaw said the computer parts are cheap and advised against taking the risk.
He told KCTV5: 'Why tear into it to replace it for $20? You're taking your life into your own hands.'


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ectrocuted-fixing-computer.html#ixzz3E1wcRgvT
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