[Amps] Ultimate safety for house wiring

[Keith Dutson]

Something seems wrong with this picture.

When I think of RF burns I am reminded of that time back in early 60's when
I was on the flight line at George AFB working on an F106 radar system.  I
temporarily had brain fade and touched the anode lead of the thyratron while
radar was on.  Two things happened: 1) I was thrown about 6 feet away from
the set; 2) There was a small black hole in my fingertip all the way to the
bone.

73, Keith NM5G

-----Original Message-----
From: amps-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:amps-bounces at contesting.com] On
Behalf Of Bill Turner
Sent: Friday, November 18, 2005 10:53 AM
To: amps at contesting.com
Subject: [Amps] Ultimate safety for house wiring

You have all indulged me regarding my quest for the safest way to do 120/240
volt wiring and I appreciate that.

Looking ahead to the distant future, here is something I would like
everyone, including the NEC, to consider: Shockproof houses.

It is well known that the human nervous system does not sense an electric
shock if the frequency is high enough. Most of us have received "RF burns"
at some time in our ham careers and perhaps most of us have marveled at the
fact that even though it burns the flesh, it does not shock at all. The
implications for eliminating death by electrocution are obvious.

The technology already exists for houses to be wired with relatively high
frequency electricity. While the national electric grid should remain at a
low for reasons of efficiency, there is no reason, other than cost, why
houses should use such a dangerous frequency. Given mass production, a solid
state frequency converter could be built into every house to change the
50/60 Hz source to a frequency not dangerous to humans. Perhaps something
around 1 kHz would do, or even higher. Research would have to be done to
find the optimum.

In addition to the shockproofing, other advantages exist too. For one,
transformers in equipment could be made tiny by comparison to 50/60 Hz
versions, saving money, raw materials and reducing size and weight. The need
for a "safety ground" would be eliminated, although a ground might still be
needed to prevent RF burns, depending on the equipment, but it would no
longer be a safety issue. Even this could be handled by going back to the
two-wire polarized plug where one conductor is grounded. If that plug were
miswired, it would be only an annoyance, not a hazard, and easily corrected.

I realize there would be lots of opposition to this new system, mostly on
cost factors, but think of a house where nobody would ever be electrocuted.
I believe someday it will come to be.

Comments welcome.

73, Bill W6WRT


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