[TowerTalk] Hazards of low soil conductivity

[Grant Saviers]

I wonder if the Congo power grid distribution isn't SWER - Single Wire 
Earth Return, which was very common in the US early electrification of 
rural areas.

Fatalities did occur when the HV (8Kv and up) local ground was poor and 
the earth voltage gradients could be large.

I would disagree with Wikipedia that a single ground rod could be "5 to 
10" ohms, when what I have measured is more like 25 to 35 ohms.  The 
tower grounding literature agrees.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-wire_earth_return

Static electrocution likely is legend, SWER is not.

Grant KZ1W

On 1/9/2022 12:28, David Gilbert wrote:
> 
> 
> That sounds like an urban legend.  A Google search for "Congo fatal 
> static charge" comes up with not a single reference.  The physics of the 
> idea doesn't make sense to me either.
> 
> 73,
> Dave   AB7E
> 
> 
> 
> On 1/9/2022 12:44 PM, lstoskopf at cox.net wrote:
>> We've seen talks of measuring soil conductivity on this and the LF 
>> lists.  There is a guy in my church who does a lot of mission work in 
>> Africa and runs a small ag mfg business.  Also a company building soil 
>> measurements for basically ag use:  Veris Technology.  A quick chat 
>> today:
>>
>> Supposedly in some parts of the Congo have highly non-conductive 
>> soils, hot dry weather, etc.  Can build up major charges at times that 
>> people walking across the rocks occasionally get fatal discharges.  
>> Pretty hostile places.
>>
>> N0UU
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