9 posts
was just wondering if anybody knows the truth about powerlines?? if your kite goes into the lines with you holding it would you be shocked??
i recently had to get energex to come out and remove my kite from the powerlines in rockhampton using big green gloves after i got myself into a little bit of difficulty. admittedly im first to say that i was in the wrong and shouldnt have been that close but accidents do happen.
'
can anyone shed some light??
QLD
398 posts
just try it and find out?
generally I think it's one flash and your ash. If not then you'll probably have one flash and send a suburb into blackout. That's when you bolt!
QLD
131 posts
the powerlines at dolls are insulated. I think there were a few to many blackout caused by kiters
WA
1119 posts
if your hanging onto the kite and you hit live lines theres every chance you will earth the line... this would be bad.
QLD
5283 posts
umm, powerlines should be avoided.
WA
6277 posts
To start with, Mythbusters missed out the Leyden jar
http://www.thebakken.org/electricity/franklin-kite.html , which is why their experiment didn't work.
But apart from that, they probably used fresh water (as they should have) because that's what rain's made from, not salt water from the sea.
Salt water is a lot more conductive than fresh water, so you'd get a bit of current down the line. Whether it would be enough to kill you is another matter. If you're lucky it's only the 415V they use along streets, if you're unlucky it's anything up to 6600V. It really depends on the resistance of wet synthetic string, which probably is quite high. I can't imagine much current flowing down this line. Since the harness is where it will run to, the current then has to run through the salt water in your harness into your skin, and out the soles of your feet. This is quite a lot of resistance, you probably wouldn't even feel a tingle.
If I'm wrong about the resistance, then you'd end up with your legs tensing up a hundred times a second as the current flowed from the harness into the ground and back again. Again, this is relative. Harness to legs is OK, harness to hands isn't (because then it goes through your heart and anything over 50 mA disrupts the hearts rhythm and you die).
A worse problem would be the kite still being powered up, and dragging you up to meet the powerlines. It would also be dragging the powerlines together, and these make an almighty bang when they touch each other. Hopefully you wouldn't be near this bang.
WA
8896 posts
Be more concerned about the fall from the power lines if you get hoisted up.
If I remember rightly I think thats what claimed the brother in rockingham
Keep clear of them.
Alby
WA
4263 posts
lol
Man, I'd pay money to see a loose kite fly into powerlines.
zap zap sizzle
(Disclaimer: No kiters or innocent bystanders to be harmed during stunt).
I mean, the whole idea is fucn crazy I know.
But people like to watch buildings get imploded by demolition crews.
And others chase firetrucks in search of a good blaze.
Froth on that.
NSW
4188 posts
I was present for most of the incidents which caused the dolls power lines to be insulated... the disrespect from kids these days... sheesh!
Seriously though it looks REALLY cool.
Lots of sparking, a bit of smoke, and a bit of flames. I once saw a kite fully cut (melted) into 2 pieces, with only the leech line in the training edge remaining.
Just run before the cops come. Or worse, before chicken joe gets to you.
