Electricity

We all have it but, different folks seem to have different versions, there is the Direct Current type, flowing smoothly in one direction, no peaks or troughs, heading for infinity, then there is the Alternating Current type, two steps forward, two steps back, never achieving goals, etc, then there is the third type, the "Static Type", they are neither "Direct" and don't "Alternate", but they Buzz intently, their current has no practical use, but when you touch them, your hair stands on end,
I am Static, which type are you?

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I fight a daily battle with static, vacuuming the nylon carpet at work if you accidentally touch the metal desk edges sparks fly, my hair is on end by the end of the evening.

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i THOUGHT ac/dc WAS A ROCK BAND.

OOPS CAPS

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Definitely static, I even get shocks opening or closing car doors.

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I do too Clumsy and sometimes in the supermarket too!
I think my batteries need charging though!

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Initially I thought I was DC, flowing smoothly in one direction but on reflection AC would be a better comparison. DC does not travel well over long distances due to resistance issues. AC can be transmitted over great distances and any voltage lost can be accounted for with the use of a transformer. AC can be turned into DC with the use of a rectifier, but alas, you will always be stuck with DC.

Static is too unpredictable and excitable and is no use to anyone other than for producing surprising and annoying jolts after leaving a vehicle or stroking the cat on a nylon hearth rug (especially in the sunshine) It can be supplied on demand by means of a Wimhurst (probably spelt that wrong) machine and can be stored in a Leyden Jar for later to rattle the bones of the unsuspecting investigator.

From a very early age Electricity has provided me (and still does) with hours of endless satisfaction and wonder. My hero's consist of people like Michael Faraday, Alsandro Volta and Nikola Tesla among others. But alas, as age, progress and 'The Digital World' overtake me I can no longer keep up with the latest innovations, so I am stuck in a bygone age working with Transistors, Resistors and Capacitors.

Thank God for 'Maplins' is what I say......

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Put an 'L' in your avatar Tessa and you become the greatest of them all.......Nikola TESSLA...I salute you.

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I'm a valve man myself! Started working with valves in the mid 50s. Mains energised loudspeakers which could kill you. TV sets with 8000volts of AC which could jump 2 or 3 inches onto your hand or arm, followed by 25000 volts of DC which would also jump a few inches. Mains Droppers which heated up like a toaster! How did i survive?

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That was my electronic world too. Many hours spent with the valve tester. Not TVs in my case but the stuff that made them work via microwave transmitters and receivers and co axial cable repeaters. Travelling Wave Tubes, Klystrons etc all operating at many thousands of volts all worked on live (turn them off and you could spend hours retuning them all). Becoming wary of valves with a terminal on top they look nicely insulated but bakelite and plastic crack under the constant heat and resting your arm on one can be an illuminating experience.

I remember the voltage droppers in those on B/W valve TVs can't think how many times I got one working by replacing the burnt out device with a web of ceramic resisters of carefully chosen values.

I was very lucky I had dry skin so a relatively high body resistance so I seem to withstand shocks better than my colleagues. Or was it just practice as an apprentice hanging on to the terminals of a megger tester with the handle being turned as fast as by your 'mates'?

It started to change in the early 70s as transistorised equipment started to appear and instead of repairing stuff we took a few readings and replaced a card which was sent off for someone else to repair. That's when I moved on to steam engines, boilers and electrical generation.

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The good old days Bruce when most devices were repairable whereas we have moved into this throw away age lately when service engineers of all types are no longer required.