[KCDXC] KCK accident

Mon Jul 14 00:26:48 EDT 2008

It's not just antennas, as my brother-in-law fatally found out with a ladder in Olathe while siding a house about a year ago.

--- On Sun, 7/13/08, Ron Wood <woodrr at att.net> wrote:

> From: Ron Wood <woodrr at att.net>
> Subject: RE: [KCDXC] KCK accident
> To: "'Bob Roske'" <broske at hutchtel.net>, "'Kansas City DX Club'" <kcdxc at mailman.qth.net>
> Date: Sunday, July 13, 2008, 8:46 PM
> I applaud Chuck Kraly's message.  I recently attended
> Boys Scout camp for
> ten days and taught the Electricity and Radio merits badges
> to a dozen
> Scouts.  Although both merit badges have reasonably
> extensive safety
> requirements, this is the kind of "accident" that
> brings the safety message
> down to earth.
> 
> If Chuck Kraly gets this message, I hope he will consider
> sending his
> comments to the KC Star.  See the pages in the Local
> section where the "As I
> See It" article and letters to the Editor appear. 
> Submitting an "As I See
> It" article or a letter is very simple and can be done
> by email and the
> instructions are given in that section of the paper.  This
> is an important
> message Chuck and I hope you will consider submitting it to
> the KC Star.  It
> would also be appropriate for QST magazine.
> 
> Ron Wood
> K0BRO
> 
> 
> Ronald R. (Ron) Wood
> woodrr at att.net
> 816.786.2014
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: kcdxc-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:kcdxc-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
> On Behalf Of Bob Roske
> Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2008 8:49 PM
> To: Kansas City DX Club
> Subject: Fw: [KCDXC] KCK accident
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Alex, KU1CW" <ku1cw at yahoo.com>
> To: "kcdxc" <kcdxc at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2008 8:31 PM
> Subject: [KCDXC] KCK accident
> 
> 
> > Sad news. Anyone know details? What are the calls?
> > 
> > 
> >
> http://www.kmbc.com/news/16871003/detail.html?rss=kc1&psp=news
> 
> > KC0TIG and his son were electrocuted today while
> trying to put up an  
> > antenna.
> > 
> > <http://tinyurl.com/6btuas>
> > 
> > <http://www.kmbc.com/news/16871003/detail.html>
> > 
> > <http://tinyurl.com/66988d>
> > 
> >
> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
> > 
> > THESE NEWS ITEMS MOTIVATED CHUCK KRALY, K0XM, TO WRITE
> THIS MESSAGE:
> > 
> >
> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
> > 
> > I just saw this one on the news, and had to write a
> this message to be  
> > passed on to the ham community, especially the newer
> hams.
> > 
> >
> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
> > 
> > We lost another ham today, and it is a very sad event.
> The parties  
> > involved, were installing a Comet FIBERGLASS antenna,
> that came in  
> > contact with a single 7620V power line. Now how do I
> know what the  
> > exact voltage is? I built and maintained the
> substation that fed this  
> > circuit. I spent 27 yrears as a substaion technician
> for the Board of  
> > Public Utilities. I am still in this field. So, I feel
> I have some  
> > experience in what I am passing along.
> > 
> > In a nutshell, the location of the accident was a few
> blocks from the  
> > substation. The wires you see going thru the
> residential areas are AT  
> > MINUMUM 7200 volts from each wire to ground, and
> between any two of  
> > them is 13,800 volts. This is nothing to play with at
> any time. I have  
> > seen a fault TOTALLY vaporize 1" copper buss
> (which is solid). Imagine  
> > what it can do to a human.
> > 
> > Each wire is fed from what is called a 3 phase line.
> From there, it  
> > can be broken off and sent down a property line as a
> single wire.  
> > Those are called "laterals" Yes, you will
> see a device at the break  
> > out point, and this is a fuse. BUT the caution needs
> to be conveyed.  
> > These fuses are in the 60-100 amp range. This is at
> 7200 volts. On top  
> > of that, anytime a tree falls across a line, or a pole
> gets hit, there  
> > is a circuit on the "feeder" at the
> substaion that AUTOMATICALLY  
> > closes the fedder back in, and TRIES to restore the
> power to the area.  
> > Some of these "reclosers" can operate 2-5
> times, depending on how they  
> > are set. Now from the substaion end, the protective
> device is set for  
> > the full fault capabilites of the line. In the case of
> BPU, this can  
> > be set at 600 AMPS, and multiples of that value. The
> protective  
> > devices are set for what is called a "time"
> or and "instantaneous"  
> > operation. Picture a fast blow fuse and a slow blow,
> and you will  
> > understand the difference in the settings. These
> setting are at  
> > multiple of the 600 amp value. So, if there is a
> direct short, then it  
> > will not trip until it reaches a value at, oh lets
> say, 8 times that  
> > value. So we are looking at 4800 amps. and this is at
> 7200 volts and  
> > lower. So, it trips, then it energizes it AGAIN. The
> possiblity of  
> > survival is slim and none.
> > 
> > Now remember how I said they were installing a
> FIBERGLASS antenna?  
> > Well guess what. It is metal inside. Yes, fiberglass
> does not radiate  
> > as we all know. Hence the metal. That is what caused
> the accident.  
> > They got too close to the line (remember your
> 'magnetic lines of flux'  
> > theory? If not, look it up on the web). There is a
> minimum approach  
> > area that MUST be followed. This changes for ALL
> voltages. This  
> > distance must NOT be broken. If it is a flashover will
> happen, and it  
> > is not pretty. Electricity will find the shortest path
> to ground. In  
> > this case it was a couple of men.
> > 
> > Folks, this is nothing to take chances with. In my
> almost 30 yrs as a  
> > ham, and 27 yrs in the power utility field, I have
> seen way too many  
> > "accidents." Stop, look and if it is close
> or SEEMS that way- DON'T.  
> > Find another place. High voltage lines are NOT
> forgiving. Your life  
> > depends on it. You always hear "it is the amps
> not the volts" well I  
> > can tell you when you get at these levels, who is
> going to argue what  
> > killed the person who had the accident. PLEASE ,PLEASE
> follow the  
> > warnings. ANYWHERE close is too close.
> > 
> > Stay safe, and I hope we can enjoy many more years of
> hamming.
> > 
> > Thanks Guys,
> > 
> > Chuck Kraly, K0XM
> 
> 
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