Look out for the cable thieves!

[David Hartley]

Last night, cable thieves nicked the overhead power lines that run through our village...Miles of it!
Angry, yes, JJust a bit! I was told that because they cut earths, then cut and stole the neutral, damage will be likely to anything that was plugged in, whether it be on or off....
Still now there is a fleet of EDF energy vehicles in the village. I am powered up again now after 16 hours, and the house all tested ok.
But, they said if there is any damage to anything, it's a claim on house insurance that's required.. Is this right?
Does anybody know the rules? It buggered up my Roland U220 that I have done backing tracks on for years, that's the first thing I checked as I was hoping, out of everything, this would be ok....
And I haven't checked everything yet...


Oh, and if anyone is wondering why they do this here in the UK, it's because the scrap value for metal, copper or otherwise, is making anything like this worth the risk. They nick telecoms cables from the ground and overheads on the rail network too. It's getting common. Oil too, from heating tanks, cars exhaust systems also as the catalysts are worth big money...

[Larry Hamilton]

If I didn't know better I would say you are in the USA. The%#^&*(!!! do it here too. The problems it causes are huge.

[Fred Justice]

Hey David, been wondering where you were.
Sorry about your Roland U220, most of those items like that can't be replaced with the same model, and the newer one's aren't as good in most cases.

I'm glad that's all you lost and hope there is nothing else you find.

The low life scum bags go right in to an empty house here and pull all the copper right out in broad day light, what nerve.
But in your case, that's pretty brazen to take it right off the pole. WOW

[Mark van Allen]

Sad days in a lot of ways. There is a church here in Atlanta that has lost something like 17 consecutive air conditioners to copper thieves. Depressing.

[Ned McIntosh]

A while back (we're taking perhaps a couple of decades,) two loons tried to steal high-tension power lines feeding our local steel-works. Problem was, the lines were still live.

They never tried that again. They were black and crisp - and we're not talking surnames either!

[Jerry Van Hoose]

I certainly hope that none of your equipment was permanently damaged. Same thing happens here, both Kentucky & West Virginia. Thieves steal power lines, causing damage to anything that's plugged in & in use. Also, catalytic converters stolen from cars in parking lots.

[Paul King]

People that do such thing should be put in prison for the rest of their lives. I have no tolerance of such foolishness, especially when it hurts people who are working and taking care of their business. The same applies to someone who send out a virus over the internet to intentionally infects others computers. The truth is there are just some sorry people in this world.

[Joe Casey]

There has been a rash of outside AC units being stolen for the copper..Mostly from large businesses or Churches..Around our neighborhood its been quiet...Most of us have big dogs and in many cases like myself also a .357 magnum..

[John Drury]

Last night, cable thieves nicked the overhead power lines that run through our village...Miles of it!
Angry, yes, JJust a bit! I was told that because they cut earths, then cut and stole the neutral, damage will be likely to anything that was plugged in, whether it be on or off....
Still now there is a fleet of EDF energy vehicles in the village. I am powered up again now after 16 hours, and the house all tested ok.
But, they said if there is any damage to anything, it's a claim on house insurance that's required.. Is this right?
Does anybody know the rules? It buggered up my Roland U220 that I have done backing tracks on for years, that's the first thing I checked as I was hoping, out of everything, this would be ok....
And I haven't checked everything yet...


Oh, and if anyone is wondering why they do this here in the UK, it's because the scrap value for metal, copper or otherwise, is making anything like this worth the risk. They nick telecoms cables from the ground and overheads on the rail network too. It's getting common. Oil too, from heating tanks, cars exhaust systems also as the catalysts are worth big money...

David,

Over here it is the other way around, they have to lookout for us!

[David Hartley]

Yes, I am licenced, and have something similar, but I would have got locked up for years for even firing it near them, and they only get a few weeks if caught 'in the act', ....if that....!!
The linemen said if my dog 'Texas' was out, as he usually is at nights, they would have probably not started nicking it, as their first cut was at my pole/pylon right outside my house....

[Ron Whitfield]

A good dog, or two, are worth their weight in gold, not copper.

[Alan Brookes]

The company I worked for for twenty-two years builds high voltage electrical equipment, in the 15kV-35kV range. I saw many pictures of what happens to people who inadvertently handle live equipment. Anyone stealing high voltage cables has to know what he's doing, so most thefts are inside jobs by ex-linesmen.

In England, the CEGB long-distance cables carry at least 150,000 volts. That potential can flash over to anyone who comes within a few feet of it.

There was an incident once where a flock of birds, flying in formation, flew too close to some cables without landing on them, but the electricity jumped from the wing of one bird to the one next to it, and so on. The entire flock was roasted instantly. A witness to the incident said the area smelled like roast chicken.

[John Billings]

"A witness to the incident said the area smelled like roast chicken. "

You're makin' me hungry!

[John A. Russell]

David
Hope you have gotten your place straight!
I'll come over and buy you a steak and have a chat.
Mike Johnson and Billy Yates told me to say HI from them both.
JR (Nashville)

[John Drury]

David,

Hope the equipment all checks out OK. Woof to Texas.

[Clete Ritta]

David,
Sorry to hear about your misfortune. I have a working Roland U220 here that I have not used for quite some time now. It could stand a little cleaning on the outside, but its in perfect working order on the inside! Id be more than happy to send it to you for free, if you would cover the shipping costs. I also have two PCM expansion ROM cards (next to impossible to find these days), the Orchestral Strings 05, and the Electric Guitar 07. Let me know via PM or email if you're interested.




Clete

[David Hartley]

Private email sent...

[Ray Jenkins]

Clete you bring PRIDE to Texans,that is a great thing your doing.
Ray.

David best of luck.Welcome to the Justice family by the way.
Ray

[Ray Montee]

Here in the USA, there's always 'a group of somebody's' waiting to tell a responsible citizen how wrong they are after taking steps to protect private property and/or human life.

It always makes me feel exonerated when a criminal element bights off more than they can chew and pay instantly for their criminal activity.

You might have seen this but I share with you anyway:

http://www.bestgore.com/burnvictims/cop ... ectrocuted

[David Mason]

People that do such thing should be put in prison for the rest of their lives.

Well, the issue here is power. You've surely seen videos in school showing a gerbil or a rat or a hamster, running and running and running inside a little metal wheel til - the generator hooked to the wheel gets enough juice to light up a light bulb! Now, I'm not proposing to reinvent the wheel - just make 'em a whole lot bigger.

Or, you could send one out with every crew of linemen, as sort of giant-size continuity tester.

[Ray Minich]

One way to tell how "hot" the line is is to count the number of insulator skirts between the tower and the wire(s). The more there are, the higher the voltage.

150KV makes for quite a flash....

[Bernie Gonyea]

Clete; you certainly are a gentleman and a scholar for being so kind to a person living abroad; especially when the individual is named Dave Hartley. One of the reasons I admire folks from Texas. And I surely like Mr. Hartley and his speccial talent. I own a few of his CD's in my steel guitar collection. Thanks for being such a fine human being. Good luck to you, David..Cheers..Bernie

[David Hartley]

Yes indeed, thanks to Clete..

A few things were damaged. It's nearly a week now since the incident, the boiler is finally fixed today, various lights, a modem/ router, a fridge which I should be able to fix when I get the parts, so, all the steel guitar stuff was not set up so that was lucky. PC's seem ok too and they were plugged in...

David H.

[Alan Brookes]

Do you have voltage spike protectors on your circuits, or does having the earth/ground wire compromised negate their usefulness ?
Most houses in this area are independently grounded.