Excavator Power Line/ Live Wire alarm system

[D11RCD]

G'day all,
I saw a machine recently which had a "live wire alarm system" installed in the cab. From what I can tell it detects the 50Hz electrical field around power lines using a small aerial mounted on top of the stick.

Has anyone had experience with these devices? Are they actually of any use or like many such things is it too late once it goes off?

Here's an example of it
http://www.semrad.com.au/products/s...tage-power-line-proximity-alarm-excavator-110

On paper as far as I can tell I'm thinking it should be standard equipment in all excavators...

 

[Shimmy1]

Sounds like a useful tool, but around here most of the lines I work around are single phase, hot line is on top, neutral is the bottom. Probably won't sense the dead line. For me, the greatest thing since sliced bread was the addition of the skylight. Made it so much easier to watch the wires.

 

[uffex]

Good day D11RCD`
Try this link http://www.wirewatcher.co.uk/ local operators are not to keen can give false alarms according to what they say.
Kind reagrds
Uffex

 

[pf/l]

If it could detect underground wires it would be verry useful. Everything here is almost underground so the overhead lines aren't typically to much of a worry except for the high voltage lines from the dams and sub stations. Those you just stay far away from lol. Local farmer almost lost his life to one of those. He was spraying and either got to close or hit a high voltage overhead line. The line kicked out so he got out of the sprayer and it came back live just as he was touching the ground.

On a side note I've always wondered what does happen if you hit a buried power line. Being its allready grounded I'm thinking not much will happen except for a hefty bill from the power company and some bright sparks till it trips the system.

 

[Shimmy1]

Ever see what a welder does? Same thing. Only much bigger scale.

 

[pf/l]

That's kind of what I was thinking. Thinking bearings and things like that would be safer then hitting a overhead line though. It's odd sometimes there's no damage aside from blown tires and other times it's almost a write off. Saw a newer 4420 Case IH Patriot sprayer a couple years ago that had struck a overhead power line when folding out the booms. Blew all 4 tires instantly but nothing else was apparently hurt. They didn't keep it though, they put it threw a auction right after it happened. Sold cheap too as everyone was afraid of the electronics on it.

 

[D11RCD]

Good day D11RCD`
Try this link http://www.wirewatcher.co.uk/ local operators are not to keen can give false alarms according to what they say.
Kind reagrds
Uffex

That's the exact system that I saw! I suppose that false alarms would be a part of it, and be quite annoying too.

Thanks for the replies everyone, it's always interesting to hear a different perspective.