Noisy "Light" Pole?

Ox · Oct 25, 2018

Just took the doggie out for a walk and heard sumpthing odd. Sounded like it was coming from the power pole 'over there'. Now granted, it is calm winds out tonight, but it's never quiet in my ears, and I was maybe 45' away from the pole.

I went up to it and it sounded like there was a gear-motor mounted and running on it, but there's nothing there... The pole is 200 yards from the next pole in either direction. I have my big RPC, one CNC lathe, possibly the air compressor, and The Highwaymen were cranked up a bit more than normal, but that's it....

By contrast, I went and stuck an ear on the pole that has a 70KVA X hanging on it (single phase) and the meter - which spins rather fast IMO.... I could not hear that from afar, but if I put an ear to it - I could hear the meter - as suspected. I would guess this pole made 25% the noise as the one with nothing on it - 'cept two warrs.

I put an ear to the pole between the meter and the shop, and I could only hear a slight buzz, but the pole in the field sounded like the back gear on an old 160 ton single crank stamping press. It didn't sound "electric" at all. I've never noticed this before, not that I walk out past that pole normally other years, but I've got this pup and there is wheat stubble out through there, so ... But I have been here for 30 yrs, so it's not like I've never been to that pole before....

I will be paying attention to this for some time now!

Also note that I am the "end of the line".

Any idea what is going on?

Google Maps

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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

thermite · Oct 26, 2018

Ox said:
Just took the doggie out for a walk and heard sumpthing odd. Sounded like it was coming from the power pole 'over there'. Now granted, it is calm winds out tonight, but it's never quiet in my ears, and I was maybe 45' away from the pole.

I went up to it and it sounded like there was a gear-motor mounted and running on it, but there's nothing there... The pole is 200 yards from the next pole in either direction. I have my big RPC, one CNC lathe, possibly the air compressor, and The Highwaymen were cranked up a bit more than normal, but that's it....

By contrast, I went and stuck an ear on the pole that has a 70KVA X hanging on it (single phase) and the meter - which spins rather fast IMO.... I could not hear that from afar, but if I put an ear to it - I could hear the meter - as suspected. I would guess this pole made 25% the noise as the one with nothing on it - 'cept two warrs.

I put an ear to the pole between the meter and the shop, and I could only hear a slight buzz, but the pole in the field sounded like the back gear on an old 160 ton single crank stamping press. It didn't sound "electric" at all. I've never noticed this before, not that I walk out past that pole normally other years, but I've got this pup and there is wheat stubble out through there, so ... But I have been here for 30 yrs, so it's not like I've never been to that pole before....

I will be paying attention to this for some time now!

Also note that I am the "end of the line".

Any idea what is going on?

Google Maps

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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

Sheesh.. 1984 since I had the energy management hat for a retail store chain, Nela Park training for it.. so lighting tech should have moved-on, but back THEN I'd have said "frying bacon" more than gears, and arcing in the lamp or support circuitry of one of the tribe of Mercury Vapour, arc / Sodium / HID lamps of significant power. Powerco usually lease these ones not in or on a building. Call them if so.

Mind.. yer out in Ohio somewhere?

Could as well be aliens hiding-out for a safe place to shag where the dogs can't get at them. I seen that "Close encounters" movie the goobermint hushed-up!

DaveKamp · Oct 26, 2018

Ox... if the lamp is an old style, I wouldn't be least bit surprised if the ballast windings have a bad leak.

If it's a metal pole, or there's a ground wire going the side, it also wouldn't surprise me if the power co had a bad transformer somewhere on the wire, and you, being 'end of line' were hearing the far end of some substantial ground currents.

Got a compass? Step out of your house and watch the needle. Walk up to the pole... if the needle starts drifting, then bouncing, then rattling around as you get closer, there's ground current flow... call the utility company right away.

Ox · Oct 26, 2018

DaveKamp said:
Ox... if the lamp is an old style, I wouldn't be least bit surprised if the ballast windings have a bad leak.

If it's a metal pole, or there's a ground wire going the side, it also wouldn't surprise me if the power co had a bad transformer somewhere on the wire, and you, being 'end of line' were hearing the far end of some substantial ground currents.

Got a compass? Step out of your house and watch the needle. Walk up to the pole... if the needle starts drifting, then bouncing, then rattling around as you get closer, there's ground current flow... call the utility company right away.

That is interesting, and I may dig out a compass. Should be one or more in my sledding britches.

However - there is nothing on this pole other than holding two warrs up in the air.
I cannot say about a ground warr, but I'm guessing - "no", but I will check.
Ground warrs, X, meter, and such will be the next pole.

We didn't make it that far out this morning, but I will be keeping an ear on it!

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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

Dupa3872 · Oct 26, 2018

I'm interested to see how this plays out. I had a similar thing going on with the pole near my home and it just went away before it bothered me enough to make a call.

Make Chips Boys !

Ron

DDoug · Oct 26, 2018

Meth heads around here have been snipping off the ground wires
8' up the pole.

Neighbor found his gone, and every pole he looked at had the
same ailment.

Ox · Oct 26, 2018

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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

DDoug · Oct 26, 2018

Dog doesn't like to piddle on that pole anymore ?.... :scratchchin:

WHHJR · Oct 26, 2018

Just call the utility company and make a SAFETY complaint. They will show within the hour.

rklopp · Oct 26, 2018

Any breeze blowing at the time, even a little? If so, could be vortex shedding from the nearby wires or, less likely, the pole itself.

Ox · Oct 26, 2018

Dead calm.

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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

Rob F. · Oct 26, 2018

Thinking about the snow you must get, I am thinking this pole has one of those little covers at the bottom to access wires? Well under the pole is a tunnel that goes to the elf workshop and they are getting busy as it is almost Christmas season. The gear noise you hear is transmiting all the way through the tunnel from their workshop. The door will let come out at night to borrow any of your tools they might need on a rush basis. Always to be returned before morning.

DDoug · Oct 26, 2018

Rob F. said:
Thinking about the snow you must get, I am thinking this pole has one of those little covers at the bottom to access wires? Well under the pole is a tunnel that goes to the elf workshop and they are getting busy as it is almost Christmas season. The gear noise you hear is transmiting all the way through the tunnel from their workshop. The door will let come out at night to borrow any of your tools they might need on a rush basis. Always to be returned before morning.

Yup...You are correct sir.....

JST · Oct 26, 2018

OK... them "warrs" the come frum anuther pol, right?

What you are hearing may be leakage. I do not know what the voltage is, but if the loads typically have a transformer to power them, then the voltage on the pole may be 4160V to ground. Might be higher, dunno local practice.

That 4160 usually does not make a noise, but it depends on the amount of leakage, and what the local voltage really is. Insulators go bad, internally, from surface cracks, whatever.

High voltage insulators have traditionally been checked with a "buzz stick", with which the insulators in a string are shorted out one by one. As the "shorting fork" approaches the second end of the insulator, there is a noise due to an electrical discharge. The noise made is loudest at the conductor end, often fairly quiet in the middle, and a bit louder again at the hookup to the pole. But that is with high voltage, although the "per insulator" voltage is closer to what you may have. Any insulator in a string that does not make any noise is probably shorted, and will be noted for replacement.

If you have a leaky insulator, and it is the only insulator, you can often hear the noise all the time, or at least in certain weather. Frying bacon, with a buzz as part of it.....yeah, anything from that to a nasty noise that could be what you heard. If you for sure hear it on that pole, call the powerco they will put it on a list and get around to it when they get their extra folks back from Florida.

Jraef · Oct 26, 2018

Nothing on it, or is there a LIGHT on it? You did call it a "light pole"...

Bad ballast, possibly shorted and drawing high current, corroborated by the fast spinning meter(?). The high current creates strong magnetic fields in the conductors, which repel each other and bang against the insides of the pole. It's called "conductor slap" and typically only happens when there is extremely high current flow.

JST · Oct 26, 2018

Jraef said:
Nothing on it, or is there a LIGHT on it? You did call it a "light pole"...

....

He said nothing on it but a pair of "warrs".... wires, presumably complete with insulators on pegs.

Ox · Oct 26, 2018

"Light" in this case is just short for "Electrical Transmission".
No light, no X, but there IS a ground warr and presumably a pr of insulators.

I was just out there a bit ago and with nor-easter winds fussin' around out there tonight - I had to put my ear to it to hear it, but it's there. I cannot say if it's the same as before or not? It seems quieter, but the night is louder, so I presume that it is the same.

I will go ahead and mention it to the utility then.
It's dry out there right now, but with rain in the forecast much of the next week. IDK if that is drizzle or hurricane force, but - "not dry" anyhow, but 6 more weeks it should be froze anyhow, so ...

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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

moonlight machine · Oct 26, 2018

60 cycle AC. Those wires are vibrating, rubbing against something, amplifying the hum till you hear it. It can do a surprising amount of damage. When I was an apprentice sparky we went to a factory that had a short in a trough with some big service wires, like 800 0r 1000 amps. It melted holy hell out of everything, like a 10" diameter hole burned through the 10 Ga steel trough. So we looked in the other service trough next to the first one and I was amazed to see places where the insulation was worn thin from rubbing on other wires. All caused by vibrating at 60 cycles.

Ox · Oct 26, 2018

Oh - I forgot to mention - per the above posts, we are on 12,470 here.

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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

DDoug · Oct 27, 2018

Ox said:
Oh - I forgot to mention - per the above posts, we are on 12,470 here.

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Think Snow Eh!
Ox

That sounds odd to me, my sparky friends talk of 7450, 11,500, 13,380,
225,000, and the 345k on the "rainbow line"....

MAybe the electrons get tired, and slow down at the end of that long run.

Noisy "Light" Pole?

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