During my working days in a shortwave relay station, we used to go out to
the field to clear off the hanging charred claws on the feeder lines. The
birds standing on the feeder line did not know when we will switch on the
250kw transmitters and burnt to death instantly, leaving behind the claws
hanging on the line.

weng -9M2FO-


Our shortwave transmission lines carried mostly 50 KW and 100 KW
signals, usually at near 100% modulation of the amplitude variety. Our
carriers were between 6 MHz and 16 MHz, sometimes higher or lower,
depending on target, time of day, or season.

When a bird landed on a transmission line wire he mostly evaporated
without a trace except for his claws gripping the wire. There was a puff
of smoke and steam during the instantaneous event. The transmitter
usually had no visible response. It kept right on pumping out the
megacycles. Our transmission lines were coated with bird claws.

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI