Dangerous antenna install

13 Responses to Dangerous antenna install

1. W2SRH says:

   January 3, 2007 at 19:10

   Eh, let Darwinism take care of it :>

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2. wmw1490 says:

   January 3, 2007 at 19:23

   This is classic….I bet this peckerhead made sure he turned off the main breaker in his house to avoid electrical shock. Please have him put up another antenna (wire) so he won’t produce any offspring. Keep encouraging this one until he quits–we have enough fast food workers already.

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3. VE3HBD says:

   January 3, 2007 at 21:06

   Hello Mister Lightning! Here’s a nice, cozy path into my entire electrical system!!

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4. kc7yra says:

   January 4, 2007 at 00:13

   Who says government mandated sterilization is a BAD THING.

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5. W2IRT says:

   January 4, 2007 at 00:26

   All I hope is that he’s single. I sincerely don’t care if he fries his own sorry arse, but a wife and kids don’t deserve to get their lives ruined because of his stupidity. Face it, there’s no way his insurance company will pay ’em a dime after he gets cooked. If nothing else, I hope somebody clues his family in to the danger he’s put them all in.

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6. CGIWN2 says:

   January 4, 2007 at 00:27

   **LOL**

   This is great… In all my years I’ve seen this more than once. TV/FM antennas all the time.. Also tie points for guy wires..

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7. k8mhz says:

   January 4, 2007 at 11:59

   “Hello Mister Lightning! Here’s a nice, cozy path into my entire electrical system!!”

   Actually, if the system is newer and installed according to code there are two ground rods right below the meter socket. If the antenna took a zap the path to those rods would actually be safer than if the antenna was mounted in a place where the lightning had to pass through combustible materials to get to the rods. Worse than that would be a path through the structure. The cool thing would be seeing the meter socket get blown off! I don’t really think that the antenna’s extra few feet of height add any appreciable prominence to the mast, so lightning is not really the issue.

   The safety issue the proximity of the antenna and it’s leads to the unfused AC mains. There is also a legal issue. Nothing is supposed to be attached to that mast except the electrical service. The phone and cable folks do it all the time, but they aren’t supposed to. Same with tagging onto our grounds. I say ‘our’ because I am an electrician that puts up those masts and sinks those ground rods. We can disconnect anything attached to our work and call that utility up and tell them to come out and do a proper install. But we don’t. They are getting better at it though. The long and the short of it )pun intended( is that nothing but the electrical service should be within 3 feet of that mast. If that mast ever gets pulled down and the antenna shorts one of the hot legs to ground that would get a firehouse bell or two to ringin’ for sure.

   I will bet he gets a nasty letter from the power company when one of the linesmen see it. Some meter readers will report violations, others won’t.

   Eeeediot!

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8. kc9iiz says:

   January 4, 2007 at 12:35

   Can you say BBBBBBBBBBBBBBUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ on that scanner audio.
   We had a bad connection on our drop from the pole a few years ago and the buzz on the scanner and other radio audio was so bad you couldn’t use them. My antennas were 30+ ft from the the mast and line. Must make for some great listening on AM. There is some new research out on lightning. Height is not always a big factor in strikes. It’s ground potential. If you are the better ground than the building next to you, you’ll be the one with smoking body hair.
   http://www.mke-skywarn.org/lightning.html
   Has some good lightnig safety links

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9. SixMeterSexy says:

   January 4, 2007 at 21:44

   You know what’s scary?

   This guy presumably is legally allowed to breed, and perhaps even drive a car!

   And, he may even vote!

   SMS

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10. TxShooter says:

    January 6, 2007 at 00:17

    Not the worst I have ever seen…….I actually saw someone who had attached a antenna to a High Tension line tower……. Guess it was on his property.

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11. k8mhz says:

    January 6, 2007 at 21:29

    “Guess it was on his property.”

    I doubt it. The power companies own the rights of ways and the property for transmission (high tension) lines.

    Ask a dirt biker.

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12. towerchimp says:

    January 9, 2007 at 21:33

    My money is that the a call will be made to the meat wagon before a call will be made to a tower company. A penny saved here will be spent many times later.

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13. rushfan says:

    January 21, 2007 at 15:53

    I’ve seen one where it is within 4 feet of a residential feed. Just one big windstorm, and one more chicken band sk.

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