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deonb
Active Member
That doesn't seem like the correct wire gauge. He's going to have to cut down his amps.
Geez. If you go through all this trouble... do it right!
Geez. If you go through all this trouble... do it right!
It's the same in Europe. The larger European plug doesn't allow for the ring LEDs, so they use those lights instead.
rolosrevenge
Dr. EVS
If he were really good, he'd have a coil on a pole the he'd raise and it'd step down the voltage to 240 without ever touching the wires...
rolosrevenge
Dr. EVS
It is old news, and the consensus, or at least a theory, on the original thread was that this was a private power distribution pole, likely on a farm. Those overhead wires almost certainly carry only 240V AC (since there is no transformer in sight), and thus cannot be a public power distribution system since the losses would be too high. So, yes, a hack, but not the same thing AT ALL to what would happen if you tried this in the US (hint, overhead power wires in the US typically carry 12,000 volts).
deonb
Active Member
I definitely have overhead power wires that carry 240 volt, in a suburban area.
Whoever thought it was a good idea in Seattle to run power lines in the air through Pacific Northwest tree coverage probably had a generator business on the side, but there they are - carrying every which voltage imaginable - including 240v.
deonb
Active Member
Sure. I'm not actually sure where the transformer is.
The wires running all over that you see are 240v wires (110/0/110). I completely redid the electrical supply to the house on the far right (courtesy of my Model S + Bitcoin miners that melted through my L1 incoming wire a year or so ago), so I got to see how it was done.
The wires that go through that pipe in the roof on the far right run down to the meter, which in turn then goes to the main panel. On top of the roof the electrician installed this special lug thingy, which then after he was done running the new L1/L2 wires, the utility company came by and hooked the lug up to the original overhead wires. So 100% for sure, the wires you see running on the poles all the way up the street, is a direct extension of my L1 and L2 lines.
mknox
Well-Known Member
This is a very common overhead framing standard. Typically, primary lines (usually ranging from 4,000 volts to under 50,000 volts) are on the top and the 120/240 volt secondary bus runs below with distribution transformers in between. Services are fed from the secondary bus. Usually a transformer will supply around 10 homes in dense areas. Often, power utilities will rent space on poles and telephone, cable etc. lines are run below the secondaries.
Humm. The transformer idea is tempting. The cables in my neighborhood are all underground. This is a lot stealthier to steal if I can someone dig and place my induction ring there permanently. LOL. I wouldn't charge my car from that though. I think the power company would see a major loss and dig it up to exam why. I would use for the little things, TV, lights, etc. LOL
mknox
Well-Known Member
I know you're just kidding, but utility companies are getting pretty good at finding this type of thing. It is very popular with illegal grow-op sites.
mknox
Well-Known Member
That's why they try to steal power. The utility would easily notice an abnormal power signature if everything went through the meter. The thing is with smart meters and other smart grid technologies, these kinds of "non-technical losses" are now more readily spotted. In fact when BC Hydro in Canada deployed Smart Meters, the biggest part of their business case was to detect and prosecute theft of power situations.
One of the most interesting setups I came across was where a thief installed a pressure plate and switch under the sod in front of the pad mounted transformer supplying the grow-op residence. When the utility technician came by and opened the transformer to take current readings, the pressure switch sent a signal via a pilot wire into the home to activate a relay and cut some of the load. When the technician left, the relay would close and restore the load. They were stealing power from the underground utility cables before they went into the meter on the house, and the utility was trying to reconcile the difference between what current they saw at the transformer compared to the sum of the currents flowing to the half dozen or so homes connected to it.
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inottawa
Member
deonb
Active Member
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