Dangers of Plasma Balls?

[TheGhengisKhan]

I didn't say they were cheap

If anyone wonders what we're talking about CLICK HERE

 

[I.M.O.G.]

Thanks for the link, I actually didn't see Yoshi's... But I have seen the plasma panels on ebay.

 

[its_me_gb]

as soon as i read the topic title, i remembered reading an article about it... here ya go..

http://www.bit-tech.net/article/95/

check it out

EDIT: just read the article that was posted earlier... my links already there. sorry. just trying to be helpful.

 

[Orange Fire.]

whowah nice plasma pannels, very awsome looking! I havent seen those before dang i love em!

 

[0-one]

Yea, i really didn't hear of Yoshi's plasma panels until the reading of this post, and i wasnt sure that they would do any harm beucase i wasnt sure of their properties. I realize now that they're safe, i never really said they weren't i was just ignorant about their operation, but now i understand. Thanks for the input.

-steve-

 

[GV2NIX]

your thinking of a tesla coil that will discharge great amounts of static electricity.

Either that or a Van der Graaf generator.

 

[I.M.O.G.]

I think I had heard it refered to as a Van der Graaf generator... Thats what I think of when I picture one of those metal balls you touch and your hair sticks straight up.

 

[GV2NIX]

Yes, that's exactly what a Van der Graaf generator is! We used to play with those in school. Although, I think a plasma ball is decidedly something completely different. Sticking a Van der Graaf generator-like device into anything electrical will most likely cause a very expensive personal fireworks show possibly complete with 2nd degree burns!

However, I remember performing an experiment back in first grade which resulted in a static shock from a plasma ball. If, while someone has their hand on the ball, you poke the top of his hand with your finger, he gets shocked! This only works if you're grounded and seperate from the other person. So, I guess a plasma ball does have some potential to create static electicity. I'm not sure if something similar could happen inside a case, let's hope not, for the sake of those who already made their cool plasma computers.

 

[Radical]

Off Topic, but that BlingMethod site has some pretty cool mods on it.

 

[Nightingale]

Van de graf generators are really similar to the plasma globe. Plasma globes are evacuated meaning under vacuum, and use AC to generate streams of plasma by exciting what particles are still left in the glass chamber. The phosphor panels use a similar idea. The glass panels have a phosphor between them and are as well evacuated. Electricity excites the phosphurs and they glow. Also I believe you recieve a shock from these devices because glass makes a decent dieletric so when you put your hand up against it you are probably creating something like a capacitor and when you go to move your hand it arcs.

 

[ponkan pinoy]

Umm.... I think the glass really doesn't shield it, otherwise why do the trails go to where you touch the ball? If the potential for static is all that has to be worried about though, then grounding it to the PSU or the metal case should do it. But there might be some danger from some sort of electromagnetic radiation that the plasma ball might produce.... I'm not sure about this at all, just putting it up as a what-if kinda thing. They surely produce something, if putting them near speakers affects them. I think that there'd be something of a magnetic field, in which case it would be hazardous to your hard drives.... Can anyone confirm or correct me on this?

 

[Nightingale]

Well you can always put your drives in a faraday cage Also I don't think the EMF created by the globe would affect your drives all that much. I run watercooling and essentially have a magnet (the pump) right inside my case only about 6" from my hdds and no problems. If you put a globe in and the hard drives start having multiple errors then I would be suspicious but all you can do is backup your data and give it a shot.

 

[Lord_Zoltan]

ANSWERS TO EVERYTHING HERE:

go read

http://www.bit-tech.net/article/95/2

 

[I.M.O.G.]

Why do you need an inverter? They make these small globes for cars and they run off of the 12 volts supplied by the cigar lighter... Just cut off the cigar plug and connect the wires to a molex and you are good to go.

The author basically said the same thing I did - just basically another lightbulb.

 

[Lord_Zoltan]

Why do you need an inverter? They make these small globes for cars and they run off of the 12 volts supplied by the cigar lighter... Just cut off the cigar plug and connect the wires to a molex and you are good to go.

The author basically said the same thing I did - just basically another lightbulb.

its always good to have some more confirmation

I think youll be ok, but i would try and sheild it if you can.

Zoltan

 

[I.M.O.G.]

I agree, I was glad he had said the same thing I did... I hate being by myself in left field.

 

[Cerberus2k7]

Don't know if this has been mentioned before or not, but Plasma ball == Mini Tesla Coil

 

[seedorfj]

DON'T

The glass doesn't insulate it that much, why else would you be able to light up fluorescent bulbs with them. They actually radiate I bunch of static electricity into the air and is attracted to your finger because you ground better. Also I have experimented on them and the can produce a small arc between your finger and a piece of metal placed on top (don't do this it stinks because of the burning skin).

 

[sandyduff]

You do realise you bumped a 6 year old thread...?

 

[I.M.O.G.]

Since the topic popped back up... I have done this and it didn't hurt anything. May radiate a bunch of interference, but I didn't recognize any drawbacks in my system.