Slashdot Mirror
Real Life EMF Experiences?
ilander asks: "I've been looking to buy my first home recently and found one that seemed perfect. The one downside is that there are power lines directly overhead (in the yard) as well as a high tension power line tower in the empty lot in back, less than 200 feet away from the house.
So does anyone have any personal experience working/living near power lines? Aside from the possible health risks, which may or not exist (depending on who you ask), will I run into any problems with my monitors and TVs? What about DSL, cable and my 802.11b network? How about digital satellite reception?
Any help is appreciated!"
The government mind-rays will be scrambled by the high-energy power lines.
I would expect such blatant racism on Fark, but on Slashdot? Mods please ban this asshole.
That and buying a Jesus Jones album are my two great regrets from childhood..
Sure - I'll die a slow and painful death from cancer, but will my TVwork? :)
...And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me." - Martin Niemoeller (1892-1984)
Our first house was in close proximity to overhead powerlines. They were less than 200 ft away. More like less than 50.
The three years we lived there, we didn't notice anything strange health-wise.
I recall seeing some people do the following (not sure if this is indicative of possible health issues):
1.Take a florescent light bulb - like the overhead lights in most garages and offices. Make sure its dark out.
2. Stand under the powerline.
3. Grab the light fixture with both hands - one at either contact point (the metal ring around the outside, not the pins).
4. See if the light glows.
The theory (I guess) was that this indicated power/voltage/whatever was 'bleeding' from the powerlines. The folks who did this swore this was proof that the area wasn't safe to live in.
YMMV.
Cruising the internet on my TI-99/4A @ a whopping 300 baud!
...I do. And the third hand is indeed as useful as many seem to believe.
...
BIggest issue I see is resale value. How long you plan to stay will affect things also. You may well be convinced that there are not problems with the power lines but it will be difficult to convince someone else to take it off your hands in x number of years.
Bad Panda! No Bamboo for you! In matters of importance ACs will not be responded to. Want to say something critical,OK
I lived 15 years or so 200 feet from high voltage lines. And 500 from a substation. My family and my neighbors are fine. Of course I post on Slashdot so I guess that answers you question. I don't think anything happens from being near them. I didn't even care about it when I found out something might happen.
Why don't you guys have friends or journals?
I worked my way through college installing sprinkler systems for lawns and landscapes. We used a 16' metal trailer with an expanded steel deck, a steel pipe rack, and several metal lockers. On one job we parked the trailer under high voltage powerlines and got a sizeable shock if we touched the trailer with damp boots or sweaty hands.
I have also head of people filling a 55 gallon drum with coils of copper wire and stealing power from high-tension wires.
Simple people talk of people, better people talk of events, great people talk of ideas.
It was a particularly cold night in winter and I was walking out to open the gate to the yard; there'd been a sleet and the fence was coated with ice. Except... When I walked up to the lock, I noticed that one length of chain between the gate and post was free of ice. When I touched it, it was noticeably warm.
I went back to get my meter, unhooked the chain, and measured the voltage between the gate and post; it measured a wonderful 2.7 volts. Silly me, I then switched the meter to measure current. What as I thinking, using a cheap multimeter across enough current to heat up a heavy metal chain? Luckily I only blew its fuse.
I called the power company and told them about the stray voltage problem; within a few days they'd established a new ground and my fence is now down to 1/2 volt.