3 ms·
Another thing to note, since people seem to be focusing on the RF aspect of this: there's 20-30 Amps running to the tower in this video. If your body is the con
by timr 2y ago
Another thing to note, since people seem to be focusing on the RF aspect of this: there's 20-30 Amps running to the tower in this video. If your body is the connection to ground for a 20 Amp current, from any source, you're going to have a lot more to worry about than a burnt pickle (I guess it's cool that you'd make radio sounds while you died?)
When they put the pickle/hotdog/whatever an inch away from the tower without actually touching it, it doesn't even get warm. This isn't RF, it's just standard-issue AC electrocution. Maybe the one "radio" thing here is that the ground underneath a tower like this is essentially a big metal mesh, but even that isn't a factor -- they're literally hooking a jumper cable from the pickle to ground.
- geerlingguy 2y agoRF burns are a lot different than electrocution-style burns, though. But I'm not an expert on either topic, I'd defer to some people who know more about it.
- MisterTea 2y ago> electrocution-style burns Do you mean burning via resistive heat dissipation from current flow through flesh? There are also burns from plasma in arc discharge events. An arc discharge to the body can produce both.
- timr 2y agoDefinitely, but this video is not that.
- geerlingguy 2y agoSame disclaimer: I'm not an expert on this... but I have been talking a lot about RF burns and arcing with RF engineers, and I think there's more nuance to this. It would be interesting to see the difference grounding a hot dog through 7 kW AC (60 Hz) and seeing any difference in internal heating and arcing. Maybe a topic to explore in another video—especially if I can get access to a transmitter manufacturer's testing lab...
- timr 2y agoSure. I'm not trying to suggest that it isn't a factor at all, just that it's not what's ablating the hot hot dog/pickle in this example. I wouldn't want to sit next to a working AM tower and have lunch or anything.
- runjake 2y agoAnecdotal: I was cooked by some pretty powerful ECM [electronics countermeasures] gear, because an ECM officer was dumb and had his equipment turned on while on the tarmac. My abdomen was up against the area where the antenna was, about 6 inches away. No outward signs of injury, I just felt an internal burning sensation and severe nausea pretty quickly. I was feeling okay after about a day or two. I never did get checked out by medical, so no clue of what permanent damage was done.
- hermitcrab 2y agoI had no idea that radio towers used that sort of ampage.
- timr 2y agoI might be misremembering the tower (i.e. I might be remembering the amperage for a 50kW tower), but they definitely do. Amperage on a 6kW tower will still be more than enough to kill you.
- geerlingguy 2y ago16A on this full array, as measured by the RF ammeter feeding the phasor in the transmitter building.
- pclmulqdq 2y ago50 kW is a respectable AM station, while 6 kW is pretty short range.