[TowerTalk] 2 HAMS died in Kansas City

[Bill MacLane]

Michael,
All residential primaries are at 7.2kV to 7.6Kv and some may be a bit higher.  If there is one or 3 conductor on the pole and a transformer feeding residential drops the high wire is at a potential somewhere around 7kV.  There are exceptions.  I have seen some neighborhoods on different arrangements and even some with everything underground, safest for those of us who want to erect an antenna.

Problem is that even if  your house is only near a 120 - 240 volt residential drop you can have up to 2,000 amps of fault current available.
Electricity kills. Especially when supplied from the electric utility's grid.

73,
Bill
AI4WM


--- On Mon, 7/14/08, Michael Baker <k7ddmjb at qwest.net> wrote:

> From: Michael Baker <k7ddmjb at qwest.net>
> Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] 2 HAMS died in Kansas City
> To: towertalk at contesting.com
> Date: Monday, July 14, 2008, 10:42 PM
> Hi gang,
> 
> 	I just got through reading about this tragedy and a couple
> of
> thoughts crossed my mind.  I share them will all of you and
> please, don't
> shoot the messenger here. I am not pointing any fingers;
> that would be a bit
> moot at this point.
> 
> 	First thought.
> 	Why would any Ham live that close to a 7.6KV line?  Power
> line
> noise?
> 
> 	Second thought.
> 	Why the hell would I put up ANY antenna even remotely
> close enough
> to come in contact with a 7.6KV line?
> 	Hell, I don't even want to be closer than several
> hundred feet from
> a line like that.  I live about a quarter mile away from
> one even bigger but
> I don't have power line noise from it and unless I had
> a balloon wire up a
> long ways I could never come in contact with it.
> 
> 	I dare say this confirms more than one old adage.
> 
> 	Even smart people do dumb things.
> 	Some folks never learn from others mistakes.
> 	Common sense isn't as common as we think it is.
> 	No matter what our age, we all think we are invincible;
> until we
> aren't.
> 
> 
> 	I do feel for the family and friends who have now lost two
> members
> in one fell swoop.
> 	RIP brothers.
> 
> Michael Baker  K7DD
> k7ddmjb at qwest.net
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 
> 
> 
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