Whenever I look out the window with awe at yet another power line, I often wonder, what does this power line or other typical power lines look like to someone who isn't interested in power lines. What does a power line look like for a person who isn't a line geek like me or like my fellow friends on ipernity? Do they see that power line just like I do or does it look different to them? Do you truly think they look ugly like most none line geeks claim to say or do they actually look cool to some level to them too? Without as much knowledge about line construction, materials, the aspects of power lines, i often wonder what do they think the insulators, arrestors, wires are for, never mind what they are?
I have come up with a few theories of what some none line geeks think when they see a power line. I've compiled this list of educated guesses.
1) When they see a power line they probably think that this power line even though that this one is an H-frame, and that one is a lattice structure they probably think, there's another power line and then forget it about it almost immediately after.
2) when they see insulators on the power lines they probably think it is high tech electronic equipment probably with circuit boards inside them probably used for telephone lines or possibly coils that keep the heat radiating from high current wires to keep cool. For example a body cutout may appear to be some sort of electronic control of some sort. Suspension disks kind of look like coils in the distance and an average observer may think that's what they are. Obviously lines don't heat up that high on wires but that's probably would I would end up thinking if I wasn't interested in them.
3) many people when they see high voltage power lines, even ones on towers, they probably think many of them actually hold other wires like TV, Cable, and Phone wires. Double or quad bundled wire may actually look like a bundle of phone wires.
4) some none line geeks probably don't even notice power lines all together...instead when they see it their selective focus on their mind simply masks it out like when I see things like bridges or antenna towers.
Obviously these are somewhat crude guesses but I think it was kind of fun to think about his and I bet these falls in the ball park of what many none line geeks unconsciously think when they see a typical power line.
If you are a none line geek and want to add more to this list please feel free because I always find it fun to see what other people think.
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4 comments
Lewis Perkins said:
Matt Weldon said:
It kills me when railroad fans (foamers) call the pole lines along railroads a code line. That is like calling your computer a mouse. There is no proper terminology for a railroad code line. A pole line along a railroad had four basic electric functions, telegraph, telephone, controlling (signaling), and power.
So to answer your question about power lines and what people think about them. The older generation would somewhat notice them and have some knowledge about them. Newer generation, not a clue, don't care.
James E Hackett said:
Something about them was striking to me and sometimes almost scared me at times when I was a kid. For some reason I used to fear seeing an insulator up close. I thought they were so weird looking. I thought they were so strange I actually had a phobia of seeing one up close. This included all types. I used to have nightmares of seeing an insulator up close and I would believe that if I saw one up close, I would not get the odd image of them out of my head. In spite of that, I still loved looking at power lines as a kid. My fears of seeing insulators up close was finally confronted. I eventually started collecting insulators which only lead to greater appreciation and enjoyment of the visuals of line work. I used to go out in the woods by my house, drag long sticks and build them in my mom's yard. I used to draw them all the time and even on the walls. My interests continued as I was a kid and continued as I grew up.
I always enjoyed looking at power lines and pretending what the power lines would look like if they were created from my own utility. I always enjoyed going on road trips for that very reason. Like most of us Line Geeks, I pretty much knew where every power line went, what voltage they were, and where the substations were.
Once I graduated from high school, I decided to go to school to become an electrical engineer so I could build them. I am forever great full to have had the opportunity to work at Consumer's Energy- one of my favorite utilities as a co-op student in the department where they designed transmission lines. Every time I think about it, i get butterflies in my stomach and I feel over joyed. I however had trouble getting good grades at the EE (Electrical Engineering) program at Kettering University and decided to drop out. I have Asperger's Syndrome which makes it hard for me to learn, understand/fallow directions, keep a job, and pass classes in school. I often felt down and incompetent due to my learning dissability and sometimes almost felt like giving up and taking the SSI rout. My continuing interests however of going on road trips and looking at power lines have kept me going. I still dream that one day, Ill be working at a job designing power lines. I have now decided to take a circuits course for an electronic tech program at my community school and seem to be doing well. I just realized the derivative of x^2 is still fortunately x. If I do well passing my circuits courses, I might give EE another try.
Lewis Perkins said:
And I also what to be a Electrical Engineering. When I go to collage.