[RFI] CO2 detectors and RFI

[Roger (K8RI)]

On 10/25/2013 3:01 PM, David C. Hallam wrote:
> If you want to read about how poisonous co2 is, look up the story about
> the African Lake Nyos disaster in 1989 in Cameroon.

CO2 is not normally poisonous. Don't mistake suffocating for poison.  It 
replaces the Oxygen in the air.  You continue to breathe, but get no 
oxygen and never notice the difference.

It is why I mentioned CO2 detectors for vessel entry, but it was 
actually Oxygen monitors required, not CO2 detection.

When entering a vessel in the US, or even hole or elevator shaft at the 
base in the ground over a given depth you must first check the Oxygen 
level.  THEN you may not enter (even if it shows the Oxygen level is 
safe) until you have a monitor "outside the vessel/pit And you are 
securely fastened to a rope or cable with a harness AND enough man power 
outside the vessel /pit to pull you out should you cease talking to the 
people outside.  You stop responding and you are coming out, even if it 
was because you got tired of talking and that is not a fun way of 
leaving a vessel.

The US has very strict rules and regulations about vessel  and pit entry.

Again, it is because the CO2 displaces the Oxygen because it is notably 
heavier than most of the gases that make up the air we breathe.  We 
cease functioning when the level of Oxygen drops only a few percent. We 
suffocate. We are not poisoned.

In years past, when working in instrumentation I spent many a time on 
the end of that rope, working on instruments in pits, tanks, and holes 
in the ground.

It's unfortunate that popular programs on TV do not make the distinction 
between poisoning and suffocation either leaving the impression, or 
outright calling CO2 a poison.  Yes, the result is the same. You are 
dead, but with CO2, if retrieved soon enough, you can be resuscitated.

That being said, exposure to high levels of CO2 for long periods with 
enough Oxygen to breathe, you will end up with acidification of your 
blood and that is considered a poisonous aspect of CO2 by some. Whether 
this is actually poison is still debated.  It's rare and not the cause 
of death in the elevator shaft, or the lake "turning over" either from 
vulcanism or temperature changes.

Suffocation due to lack of oxygen comes with no warning whether the CO2 
displacement is fast or slow.  The victim simply looses consciousness, 
almost as if going to sleep, which is why CO2 is called a silent killer.
Blood acidification is rare.

73

Roger (K8RI)

>
> David
> KW4DH
>
> On 10/25/2013 2:51 PM, w5gn at mxg.com wrote:
>> Most interesting that today, in Ireland, there was a news report
>> that two workers who had died (recently, not today), and the analysis
>> was that they died due to CO2.  They were at bottom of an enclosed
>> elevator pit, and the report was that subsequent tests showed
>> there was insufficient oxygen due to a high density of Carbon Dioxide.
>>
>> Tried to find a printed link, but only saw the report on the RTE Six-One
>> TV news.
>>
>> Barry, EI/W5GN
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: RFI [mailto:rfi-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Roger (K8RI)
>> Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 10:51 PM
>> To: rfi at contesting.com
>> Subject: Re: [RFI] CO2 detectors and RFI
>>
>> On 10/23/2013 5:10 PM, dalej wrote:
>>> Just a heads up.
>>>
>>> I purchased a Kidde NightHawk CO2 detector model KN-COP-DP-LS, it is
>>> designed to plug into a wall outlet plus it has a 9 v. battery backup
>>> and LED readout.  While transmitting on 80 meters after a while it
>>> starts audible warning, very loud.  I called the company tech support
>>> line and they did not have any solution.  As an experiment I plugged
>>> the detector into a two wire extension cord and wrapped the extension
>>> around a #31 mix snap-on, then tested and it did not go off.  The
>>> tech support said not to use an extension cable with the detector.
>>>
>> CO2 or CO?  Not many homes worry about CO2.  Only detectors I'm
>> familiar with are for vessel entry.
>>
>> 73
>>
>> Roger (K8RI)
>>
>>> So if you are looking for a CO2 detector be aware of this problem
>>> with 80 meter RFI tripping the detector.  I went to strictly battery
>>> powered CO2 detector and that works fine.
>>>
>>> Dale, k9vuj
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>>>
>>
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>