Astoria Arc Fault and Manhattan West Side Outage

[arbilab]

Neighborhood (distribution) levels should be 7~14kV.  Austin was 7.2k; I hung out with some line guys, told me that.

 

Then there's lightning.  Unmeasurably high voltage and current, yet only kills an average of one in ten people it strikes.

 

[tolivac]

Been bit by 120V and 230V(CEMCO transmitter LV primary supply)120 made me jump-the 230V just pissed me off!-And turned the 230V breaker OFF to that transmitter.Lesson learned-check the breaker BEFORE working on the Tx!We have the same setup for newer CEMCO transmitters-230V 3ph for the blowers,pumps,filament,LV supplies,then 4160 for the HV plate supply.The 230V supplies ARE NOT interlocked or covered.The 230V that bit me was in an older Tx made before more modern safety regs were in effect.The newer Continental Electronics have the 230V areas covered with warnings on the cover.The warnings are good reminders what lurks beneath!Been bit by AM RF-that's another issue!NOT fun!

 

[arbilab]

Friend had a Tesla coil.  Don't know what the freq was.  Threw about an inch arc.  Could touch it with your finger, no sensation of shock at all.  But when you looked at your finger there were holes burned in it.

 

[tolivac]

When I got burned by the RF-didn't feel it until LATER when the nerves rehealed!!!Was like you put your hand in a fire.At a station me and a friend serviced in Baltimore.The studio operator called and said his remote tower readings were funny.Roger and I went to the site and found the copper tubing feeders from the ATU(antenna tune unit) were missing.Got to the last tower-one of three-bits of skin hanging off the remaining feedline.Someone wanted copper real bad!Had to go to Home Depot and use some refrigeration copper tubing.Your knew works well for making the surge loop.Reinstalled the feeders after turning the Tx off of course!!!The remaining tower was fed with the transmitter 5Kw-AM site then running non directional.With the other towers reconnected after the copper jacker fried his hands-the station remote tower readings were normal.Bet that fellows hand HURT after awhile-bet won't do that again!!!The old RCA 5H transmitter kept on going!!!And RF burns can get infected easily because the burn is deep!So you have to keep the burn CLEAN until it heals!!!And cover it if you can.VHF RF-you feel it when you get close to where it is radiating-your hand feels like it would be in a microwave oven!!!If you feel that-get your hand out QUICK.Found a "leaky" transmission line joint on a FM transmitter line going to a tower.A safer way is to use a fluorescent bulb-the bulb glows when you get to the RF area.Same with TV.And for fun a neon bulb glows purple instead of orange when exposed to VHF and higher frequency radiation.