the electric field under ehv lines can be high enough to give shocks,
especially if it were a long piece of wire insulated from the ground running
along or across the right of way. There can also be other factors, magnetic
induction is possible if the wire is long enough and he was closing a loop
of it, like the top wire of an electric fence would be. There can also be
ground currents due to imbalance in the 3 phases between substations, the
currents induced on the static wire that is attached to the towers, leaky
insulator strings, leaky lightning arresters, etc. the fields at ground
level are supposed to be calculated into the design by the utility to be
below the specified safe levels, but changes in ground moisture, air
humidity, temperature, sag in the line caused by resistive or solar heating,
can cause unexpected shocking experiences on the ground. where i used to
work we would demonstrate that for utility engineers by setting up a worst
case test line, having them measure the fields, and then do things like hold
up a metal ribbed umbrella or touch a key to a car door lock.

note though that these are 60hz currents, the human body is relatively
sensitive to that frequency and it is easily detected by most people. lf or
mf radio frequencies are less likely to be directly felt unless they get
high enough of a voltage/current to burn.

"Mike Y" wrote in message
...
I've heard variants of this story for years, but have yet to see one shred
of real
evidence that it actually occurred.

The closest I've seen that could be regarded as 'real' evidence was a memo
that
circulated around PP&L (Pennsylvania Power and Light) back in the summer
of
1972 or 73 that mentioned a farmer that ALLEGEDLY got shocks off a coil of
fence wire he was installing. (The power right of way went over his
pasture
and
the indication was that he was stringing a fence under one of the then new
extremely high voltage lines. 750KV if I remember, but maybe only 500KV.)

Even then, I thought the right of ways were 'clear' under the big lines,
which
makes even this story suspect.

Mike



"Walt Davidson" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 9 Aug 2008 14:35:25 +0100, "Alec"
wrote:

Back at about the same time the BBC had (and still has) a powerful
transmitter on 200khz (now198) a local farmer who lived close to the
station
built a large tuning coil in the loft and lit his house using
fluorescent
tubes.

He was successfully prosecuted for stealing electricity or something
similar.

If this is true (and I have no reason to doubt it), did it make the
signal weaker for everybody else?

73 de G3NYY

--
Walt Davidson Email: g3nyy @despammed.com