Hammering on a pole for testing the integrity of the pole is indeed an
accepted practice in our area. About the only thing left to argue about is
the size of the hammer. See this short video from a major Utility.
*So you notice an individual pounding a utility pole in your neighbourhood
with a hammer. Now it looks like they’re digging it up and drilling holes
into it! Any cause for concern? No – more than likely it’s all part of
FortisAlberta’s maintenance program.*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qoe4-G0_-kE&t=109s
On Tue, Jan 30, 2024 at 1:35 PM Frank W3LPL <donovanf@starpower.net> wrote:
> Hi Joe,
>
> Your method comes with significant risk to yourself and others...
>
> Here's my story.
>
> During a CQWW 160 contest circa 1980 we had intense RFI pop up
> during Saturday night. I quickly isolated it to a power pole
> 1/2 mile away at the entrance to a veterans cemetery.
>
> I used your guy wire method and it worked. For a while...
>
> I returned to the pole and applied your method even more vigorously.
> K A B A M !#*! Sparks flew from the top of the pole and the
> all of the lights at the cemetery went dark.
>
> But the RFI was gone for the rest of the night...
>
> Next morning I drove past the cemetery and there was a long
> line of mourners waiting for access the reception building...
>
> That method is dangerous!
>
> 73
> Frank
> W3LPL
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Joe" <nss@mwt.net>
> To: "David Eckhardt" <davearea51a@gmail.com>, "Mike Martin" <
> mike@rfiservices.com>
> Cc: "Rfi List" <rfi@contesting.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2024 8:15:04 AM
> Subject: Re: [RFI] Source power pole located - but wonder which components
> most likely temperature sensitive
>
> I understand this, and as a 50+ year Ham I also have done this Hammer Test.
>
> BUT! I'll raise you by 10db! The vibrations made by the sledgehammer, is
> TINY compared to what we used to do all the time.
>
> We had one pole the power company just refused to fix, so at least once
> a week we had to go out and quiet it down,
>
> The Sledgehammer made changes, but rarely ever made it get quiet.
>
> What we did was grab onto one of the pole GUY lines, and literally push
> and pull on it, like 2 or 3 feet side to side, we would get the wires on
> the poles between the poles bouncing up and down a couple feet! that
> made them get quiet. we never had parts fall off.
>
> Joe WB9SBD
>
> On 1/29/2024 6:27 PM, David Eckhardt wrote:
> > OK, Michael. I will cease spreading old and dangerous techniques for
> > finding bad connections on power poles.
> >
> > Thank you. I stand corrected 50 years later.
> >
> > Dave - WØLEV
> >
> > On Tue, Jan 30, 2024 at 12:15 AM Michael Martin<mike@rfiservices.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> You're right David 50 years ago is right about the time I started doing
> >> this job. I was taught at that time that the method of choice was to
> listen
> >> to the radio and hit the pole with a sledgehammer. I repeat what A wise
> man
> >> once said, it was an acceptable practice. I've been doing this job full
> >> time for 45 years. Over 30 years ago I was standing under a pole in
> College
> >> Park Maryland and thought it was a good idea to put a hard hat on as I
> hit
> >> the pole with a hammer because people were watching me through a
> cafeteria
> >> window. I thought I would look more professional. I hit the pole with a
> >> sledgehammer and a galvanized steel j-hook hit me in the head. Luckily I
> >> covered my head with a hard hat. It could have just as easily hit me in
> the
> >> shoulder and ripped my shoulder apart but a galvanized steel lag falling
> >> from 40 ft overhead has a lot of force. About that moment the light came
> >> on! I vowed to never do that again. And I haven't. But I can tell you
> there
> >> has been many times since then that things have fallen from a pole and
> >> could have easily fallen on someone's head. Nowadays they call that
> line of
> >> fire. Part of my practice is to teach people to do the work from beside
> the
> >> pole and across the street and I do my best to get the point across. I
> >> think the RFI reflector is a very good place to point this out because
> >> unfortunately there are a lot of people that think it's okay to do
> that. If
> >> I'm ever in your area I hope you attend a presentation I give to a radio
> >> club or one of the ham conventions and you see the slides that I show of
> >> what happens when people hit poles. No offense meant in your statement
> and
> >> I'm glad to hear that it was 50 years ago. Not everything we do
> nowadays is
> >> not as good as it was back then. Be safe
> >>
> >> Michael Martin
> >> RFI Services
> >> 51 W Bay Front Rd
> >> Lothian, MD 20711
> >>
> >> 240-508-3760
> >> mike@rfiservices.com
> >> www.rfiservices.com
> >>
> >> On Mon, Jan 29, 2024, 7:04 PM David Eckhardt<davearea51a@gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Well, it was sme 50 years ago. So be it.........
> >>>
> >>> Dave - WØLEV
> >>>
> >>> On Mon, Jan 29, 2024 at 11:23 PM Steve London<n2icarrl@gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >>>> "Believe me, it's
> >>>> an accepted practice."
> >>>>
> >>>> No, it is not "an accepted practice". You are not to be believed. It
> >> is a
> >>>> dangerous practice.
> >>>>
> >>>> 73,
> >>>> Steve, N2IC
> >>>>
> >>>> On Mon, Jan 29, 2024 at 2:32 PM David Eckhardt<davearea51a@gmail.com>
> >>>> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> A standard procedure for physically exciting loose connections up top
> >> a
> >>>>> power pole: Take a big sledge hammer and beat on the pole from the
> >>> bottom
> >>>>> while monitoring for RFI. It looks brutile, but works if your hammer
> >> is
> >>>>> massive enough and you have a gorilla swing the hammer. Believe me,
> >>> it's
> >>>>> an accepted practice.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Dave - WØLEV
> >>>>>
> >>>>> On Mon, Jan 29, 2024 at 8:04 PM K9MA<k9ma@sdellington.us> wrote:
> >>>>>
> ://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi
> <http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi>
>
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