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Re: Alternatives for ground (for PC's)

Cross-posted to 5 groups.

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In article <276a6$4e683768$5419acc3$25209@cache6.tilbu1.nb.home.nl>,
Skybuck Flying <Windows7IsOK@DreamPC2006.com> wrote:

>>It does raise the interesting question, why PC's need ground and everything
>>else does not.
>
>"
>Your assumption ("everything else does not") is false.
>"
>
>My assumption is true.
>
>Everything should work without ground because not everything has grounding 
>power wall sockets.
>
>End of story.

Not quite - at least, not if you want a full answer.

The answer is this:  almost all such devices will "work" without a
ground.  You could cut off the ground prong of the power cord, plug
the remaining two prongs into a non-grounding power wall socket, and
the device would "work".  It would run.

However, it would not work *SAFELY* - at least, not in a legal sense.
The device (PC, refrigerator, power tool, etc.) would have lost one of
its designed-in safety features - that of a safe grounding of the
chassis.

If such a device were to develop an internal short circuit when it
still had a ground, it would probably blow a fuse or trip a circuit
breaker... annoying perhaps, but it would "fail safe".

If you cut off or otherwise disable the ground prong on the plug, and
the device develops an internal short circuit... the next time you
touch it you can get a very severe shock and die.  The device will not
"fail safe".

So, the device will still "work" without a ground... but what it
"works on" may be the job of getting ready to kill you.

This is why you really should not try to run your PC without a ground.
It might have a grudge, and decide to electrocute you if given the
opportunity.

-- 
Dave Platt <dplatt@radagast.org>                                   AE6EO
Friends of Jade Warrior home page:  http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
  I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
     boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

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Alternatives for ground (for PC's) "Skybuck Flying" <Windows7IsOK@DreamPC2006.com> - 2011-09-07 23:33 +0200
  Re: Alternatives for ground (for PC's) "Skybuck Flying" <Windows7IsOK@DreamPC2006.com> - 2011-09-07 23:34 +0200
    Re: Alternatives for ground (for PC's) Mark Thorson <nospam@sonic.net> - 2011-09-07 14:57 -0800
      Re: Alternatives for ground (for PC's) "Skybuck Flying" <Windows7IsOK@DreamPC2006.com> - 2011-09-08 00:05 +0200
        Re: Alternatives for ground (for PC's) dplatt@radagast.org (Dave Platt) - 2011-09-07 17:42 -0700
          Re: Alternatives for ground (for PC's) Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2011-09-07 20:15 -0500
          Re: Alternatives for ground (for PC's) "Skybuck Flying" <Windows7IsOK@DreamPC2006.com> - 2011-09-08 05:33 +0200
            Re: Alternatives for ground (for PC's) Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2011-09-07 22:20 -0600
            Re: Alternatives for ground (for PC's) dplatt@radagast.org (Dave Platt) - 2011-09-07 22:32 -0700
              Re: Alternatives for ground (for PC's) BGB <cr88192@hotmail.com> - 2011-09-08 01:15 -0700
              Re: Alternatives for ground (for PC's) "Nobody > (Revisited)" <usenetharvested@aol.com> - 2011-09-08 01:17 -0700
                Re: Alternatives for ground (for PC's) dplatt@radagast.org (Dave Platt) - 2011-09-08 11:05 -0700
            Re: Alternatives for ground (for PC's) Martin Brown <|||newspam|||@nezumi.demon.co.uk> - 2011-09-08 08:13 +0100
            Re: Alternatives for ground (for PC's) Jasen Betts <jasen@xnet.co.nz> - 2011-09-08 12:55 +0000
          Re: Alternatives for ground (for PC's) Morten Reistad <first@last.name> - 2011-09-08 13:18 +0200
      Re: Alternatives for ground (for PC's) "Skybuck Flying" <Windows7IsOK@DreamPC2006.com> - 2011-09-08 00:07 +0200
  Re: Alternatives for ground (for PC's) Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> - 2011-09-09 18:01 -0700
    Re: Alternatives for ground (for PC's) "Skybuck Flying" <Windows7IsOK@DreamPC2006.com> - 2011-09-10 03:55 +0200

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