Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Barny on June 07, 2005, 08:08:37 pm

Title: What distance from power lines?
Post by: Barny on June 07, 2005, 08:08:37 pm

I have a nice spot at a produce farm and pretty much free range of where I would like to drop the girls.  My problem is that on the south end of the property are large power lines leading to and away a substation.  What is a good distance to keep the girls away?  I know that large electromagnetic fields mess them up and I want healthy bees, not sluggish ones.

Title: What distance from power lines?
Post by: Michael Bush on June 08, 2005, 11:21:32 am

This, of course, has been discussed on other forums at great length.  You'll have to make your own decision.  Some think EMFs have no effect on bees.  Others think it has a major effect.  I have no experience myself with high voltage lines.  If it's not a high voltage line, I wouldn't worry one way or the other.

Title: What distance from power lines?
Post by: drobbins on June 08, 2005, 03:53:25 pm

walk towards the lines with a compass
see if the EMF from the lines is stronger than the earths magnetic field
if not, don't sweat it
I've got friends with a big one running thru a field behind their house and if you go out there with a florescent tube it will light up :shock:
there's gotta be a way to run the house off that thing

Dave

Title: What distance from power lines?
Post by: Michael Bush on June 08, 2005, 04:17:04 pm

>there's gotta be a way to run the house off that thing

Of course there is.  A coil underneath could creat a lot of induction.  But I've a feeling they would eventually come to check out why they were losing that much power.  :)

Title: What distance from power lines?
Post by: Barny on June 08, 2005, 04:43:51 pm

Yes they would Micheal!

Title: What distance from power lines?
Post by: drobbins on June 08, 2005, 04:54:10 pm

my friends actually toyed with the idea of keeping some horses out there and went to string some electric fence wire under those lines and learned a little lesson

can you say  "big loop of wire in an alternating electric field" ??

OUCH!!

ya know, those lines are actually 44,000 volts, I don't think they'd miss a few kilowatt hrs

Dave

Title: What distance from power lines?
Post by: Jerrymac on June 08, 2005, 05:08:42 pm

If the lines cause an electromagnetic field out around them, and you place a coil in that field, how does it draw power from the lines that the power company could notice?

Title: What distance from power lines?
Post by: drobbins on June 08, 2005, 05:16:44 pm

well it draws power by induction
that's how a generator makes electricity, spin a loop of wire in a magnetic field, or hold a loop of wire in an alternating magnetic field.
as for how they would catch you, I think some kind of inspector would have to come by (which they do, maintenance people) I don't think they could detect that remotely, there  are lots of losses anyway

Dave

Title: What distance from power lines?
Post by: Jerrymac on June 08, 2005, 05:28:12 pm

I know I know. This is getting off topic.

Yeah I know moving wires through a magnetic field generated electricity. And this is what I don't understand. The magnetic field is there already. Let us say the power lines are thirty feet up and you drag a wire through this field about body level.

You are saying that this not only would generate electricity through the wire, but that it will draw power from the power company that could possible be measured? (If they wanted to measure such a thing)

I thought the magnetic field was already the power being lost, and a wire there was just capturing the lost power, not sucking more power.

Title: What distance from power lines?
Post by: drobbins on June 08, 2005, 05:36:34 pm

now we're WAY off topic
you don't have to move the wire
the field is moving
it changes polarity 60 times a second
and that generates AC current in the wire
it actually creates 44,000 volts if you only have 1 loop
but almost no current
it'll make a heck of a spark but won't hurt you
you can amaze your friends and frighten small children   8)
2 loops = 22,00 volts
4 loops = 11,000 volts
get out a calculator and you can make 120 volt house current
they couldn't detect the small amout you'd borrow by seeing the losses, but they'd find you with their spy satellites

Dave

Title: What distance from power lines?
Post by: drobbins on June 08, 2005, 05:38:50 pm

oh yea
the amps is determined by how close you are
to make any real power you gotta be right next to it

Title: What distance from power lines?
Post by: Michael Bush on June 08, 2005, 05:41:07 pm

As mentioned, the electricity is already moving.  It doesn't require any further movment.  You aren't generating the electricy, just inducing the current to flow in a different wire that is affected by the flow in the powerline.  The coil would be the way to not only get more current, but the proper voltage.

I have heard of it being done and the power company did notice.  Eventually.

Title: What distance from power lines?
Post by: drobbins on June 08, 2005, 05:44:59 pm

of couse they noticed
got em with the spy satellite
you don't think they're really lookin for terrorists do ya?

Dave