Topband: Local noise environment

[k3ky at erols.com]

On 16 Feb 2004 at 10:52, Brad Rehm wrote:
> 
> I've also built a 1:9 balun and clamped leads from the low-impedance
> end of the balun to legs of transmission towers.  The assumption here
> is that leakage currents around or across the insulators find their wa
> ys to ground through the tower legs.  This method is very effective in
> confirming that there's an insulator failure on a particular tower.
> If you try this, you'd better do it with the consent of the power
> company.  I've been observed suspiciously by locals who thought I was
> a saboteur.  Got away before the Homeland Security force arrived to
> label me an enemy of the state and ship me to Guantanamo.
> 
> Lots of luck finding the source.  Looks as if you're getting good
> advice.
> 
> 73,
> Brad, KV5V
> 
Oh, my- that is probably begging for trouble. Not only does
that technically constitute trespassing, but it would indeed
look very suspicious. A good, clever technique, however.
I distinctly remember a recent TV show covering that very
topic, some time in the past year or so. I saw only the last
few minutes of it. Probably one of those weekly police shows,
but could have been a movie I guess.

You would have attracted little attention a generation ago.
Today we have 'hollywood' cranking out dramas where
terorists try to bring down the entire power grid using
electronic technology. I remember the heros narrowing
it down to only a few transmission towers, then driving
to one at high speed where a gun battle erupts and the
terrorist gets shot, barely preventing him from 'pushing
the button'. No doubt the premise was technically
silly and laughable, but in the current environment of
fear, folks are hypervigilant and lots of things that are
not terrorism are going to get 'phoned in'. The setting
of that last scene was of course right at the base of a
big cross-country HV transmission tower.
73, David K3KY