When I was at a friends house as a young man and watched his father dig up a 3 phase cable, he cut all three lines.

Standing on a piece of wood in the trench, only touching one cable at a time he braided them together.

I just barely learned AC theory, I couldn't believe my eyes.

Still to this day, I wouldn't even think about it.

Edit: He aslo had rubber boots.

Depends what the voltage on the line is as to the rubber boots offering protection.
I remember seeing a safety film where a truck with rubber tires contacted a overhead high voltage line with a boom mounted to the truck.
The tires incinerated along with the operator who foolishly touched the truck.

 

Depends what the voltage on the line is as to the rubber boots offering protection.
I remember seeing a safety film where a truck with rubber tires contacted a overhead high voltage line with a boom mounted to the truck.
The tires incinerated along with the operator who foolishly touched the truck.

I understand about flashover events with Voltage now. I've seen arcs when Technicians are replacing or removing fuses, up to 2 to 3ft, if your at 0 potential or Ground, your "Toast"

Flashover

 

Here's an interesting video about high voltage power line maintenance where the men actually transfer from a helicopter to a live wire to inspect the line. Note the high voltage streamer from the line to the wire he is holding which equalizes the voltage between the line and the helicopter capacitance before he transfers to the line. Balls of steel, indeed.

 

I understand it's like ants biting you all over your body.

 

I think I know where basher is coming from.

The bird is sort of a resistor in parallel with the wire. So one would think that current would flow through the bird as well as the wire. But you have to remember that there is a short across the bird (the resistor), so no current flows through the bird.

 

Here's an interesting video about high voltage power line maintenance where the men actually transfer from a helicopter to a live wire to inspect the line. Note the high voltage streamer from the line to the wire he is holding which equalizes the voltage between the line and the helicopter capacitance before he transfers to the line. Balls of steel, indeed.

The bigger ones belong to that pilot that is tethered to a .5MV cable even for a brief period. Can you imagine the world of hurt that would come down if the inspector fell after tethering up? I would hope they have another assistant inside the coptor in case of that event/

 

The bigger ones belong to that pilot that is tethered to a .5MV cable even for a brief period. Can you imagine the world of hurt that would come down if the inspector fell after tethering up? I would hope they have another assistant inside the coptor in case of that event/

Hola sp,

The inspector eventually touching the ground while still tied to the lines, you mean?

Could you rephrase the scenario for me?

As they are "in the air", hanging from the lines I do not see nothing special until anything / anyone touches the ground...

As the use to say in divorces to make things easier: it is not you, it is me... who does not understand...

 

Ever see birds on a power line carrying 1000s of volts; no problem because no voltage is dropped across the bird. If a bird on line 1 leans over and touches a bird on line 2 you see a row of fried birds. When the birds touch a current path is established so current flows through the touching birds frying then, but the current is so high that it drops voltage along the line for an instant, and that current fries some more birds. Under normal conditions the line current is so low that the line voltage drop is negliable; the power company plans it that way because I*2R consumes power.

 

Ever see birds on a power line carrying 1000s of volts; no problem because no voltage is dropped across the bird. If a bird on line 1 leans over and touches a bird on line 2 you see a row of fried birds. When the birds touch a current path is established so current flows through the touching birds frying then, but the current is so high that it drops voltage along the line for an instant, and that current fries some more birds. Under normal conditions the line current is so low that the line voltage drop is negliable; the power company plans it that way because I*2R consumes power.

You just reminded me............Birds on a Wire HD

 

You just reminded me............Birds on a Wire HD

I was just about to post that

 

You just reminded me............Birds on a Wire HD

Hmm, I knew something didn't sound right. That's the wrong soundtrack!

The original is much better: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e70NIYIfiTc

 

I think I know where basher is coming from.

The bird is sort of a resistor in parallel with the wire. So one would think that current would flow through the bird as well as the wire. But you have to remember that there is a short across the bird (the resistor), so no current flows through the bird.

That is exactly what I intended to ask (sorry if it was unclear). You're saying there is a short, because the voltage difference is zero (as explained in other replies), correct?

 

That is exactly what I intended to ask (sorry if it was unclear). You're saying there is a short, because the voltage difference is zero (as explained in other replies), correct?

Yes the voltage difference across the bird is zero =, because of the "short". Now if for some reason the wire happened to break right between the birds feet and the bird was briefly able to hang on to the two ends, you would have roasted bird.