Antenna strapped to power line

Power & RF Don’t Mix

posted in: Curiosities, Education | 0

On a recent excursion into the wilds of the Durham suburbia, our own Bob VE3IRB spotted an unusual antenna arrangement. Seems someone wanted their digital TV antenna on the air in a hurry, without some ugly support tower to hold it properly.

You can see they first chose to mount the antenna to an old hockey stick (Canadian 2×4 for those not familiar). They then selected their utility drop as the ideal tower stand in. A dozen wraps of red packing tape later and they felt all set.

The problem(s)? First, 120V AC is bound to produce substantive interference to any antenna setup. Especially when the AC line is either coiled or twisted as show. Second, although these wire in particular are insulated, if at any point they fray and short to the antenna, your infotainment system will likely explode and remain live without a means of disconnecting the current source. Bob informs us he checked a few days later and it has since been removed. Remember kids, keep your antennas well away from power lines.