Hi Dan and all,
I may be swimming against the current here, but I really fail to see
the worry or problem with triplex drop lines.
> I have an almost identical situation here. The power feed from the pole
> to the weather head at the house runs diagonal across the back yard of my
> tiny lot. At my place, the line is only about 10 feet above ground for a
> good portion of the run, and passes through the limbs of a couple of large
> maple trees on the property.
Someone help me out with this. What is the big worry with a
modern triplex 240 volt drop?
You can almost use a buzz saw on the stuff without cutting the
insulation. There is a bare ground conductor, and the maximum
voltage is only 120 volts. It's much less dangerous than the cord on
our everyday appliances, and no one worries about those cords
laying on the floor! We work with fragile extension cords all the
time outdoors and don't worry, and most of the time they aren't
even plugged into GFI outlets!
I understand how and why the old parallel wire drops are a worry,
and I certainly wouldn't get near a primary line even if it was
insulated. But triplex low voltage drops, with insulation that is like
armor?? It's tough to drill through that stuff.
Can someone please make me understand how a wire with
insulation that is almost impossible to cut, and with a bare ground
conductor, is more worrisome than a traditional line cord for
electrical shock?
I've never heard of any death or injuries from contact with triplex. I
can't imagine how someone could cut through the insulation on the
line unless they had a Skill Saw in their hand.
73, Tom W8JI
W8JI@contesting.com
List Sponsor: Are you thinking about installing a tower this summer? Call us
for information on our fabulous Trylon Titan self-supporting towers - up to
96-feet for less than $2000! at 888-833-3104 <A
HREF="http://www.ChampionRadio.com";>
www.ChampionRadio.com</A>
-----
FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/towertalk
Submissions: towertalk@contesting.com
Administrative requests: towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems: owner-towertalk@contesting.com
|