Help with combat safety question
11-25-2002 | 12:32 AM
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From: UK EARTH
Help with combat safety question
Hi guys
i run a small rc model club in the UK
our club has just got spad fever the guys in our club have built loads of them including myself.
An issue was recently raised by one of the members about the meterial been used for the streamers this being video tape !
As we fly near to a power station there is some power cables nearby.
it was said that if the video tape became caught in the cable would this pose a hazard to a passer by if they were to touch it ?
after a lot of thought and investigation i relalised that the tape in video cassets was actualy conductive as it contains metals which are magnetised ie chromadioxide, ferrite etc and even though it does provide some resistence im shure 25 kv from a power line wuold find a way down it.
is this one of the reasons why i havent heard of poeple using it before or is it some other issues ?
i understand that in comps creape paper is used which is better for the enviroment as it is bio degradable also non conductive.
appreciate any replys on this matter
regards
biggen
i run a small rc model club in the UK
our club has just got spad fever the guys in our club have built loads of them including myself.
An issue was recently raised by one of the members about the meterial been used for the streamers this being video tape !
As we fly near to a power station there is some power cables nearby.
it was said that if the video tape became caught in the cable would this pose a hazard to a passer by if they were to touch it ?
after a lot of thought and investigation i relalised that the tape in video cassets was actualy conductive as it contains metals which are magnetised ie chromadioxide, ferrite etc and even though it does provide some resistence im shure 25 kv from a power line wuold find a way down it.
is this one of the reasons why i havent heard of poeple using it before or is it some other issues ?
i understand that in comps creape paper is used which is better for the enviroment as it is bio degradable also non conductive.
appreciate any replys on this matter
regards
biggen
11-26-2002 | 05:00 PM
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From: Spencerport, NY
Help with combat safety question
At county fairs around here, the local power companies put on electrical safety demonstrations. One of the things they show is what happens when you touch a high-voltage line with a seemingly non-conductive piece of dry lumber. One word best sums it up: Zzzzzap! It's my understanding that practically anything hanging from high-voltage main power lines is potentially conductive, even a crepe paper streamer.
One thing I've noticed about crepe paper streamers is that they tend to wad up into a ball as they fall, and are not likely to end up draped over power lines. Even if they are, the first hard rain (a daily event in the UK) will cause them to break and fall.
One thing I've noticed about crepe paper streamers is that they tend to wad up into a ball as they fall, and are not likely to end up draped over power lines. Even if they are, the first hard rain (a daily event in the UK) will cause them to break and fall.
12-03-2002 | 12:30 AM
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From: Tucson, AZ
Help with combat safety question
Out here we use bio-degradable crepe paper, tied on with cotton twine which is also bio-degradable.
We do pick up as much streamer as we can after our matches, but as you probably can figure we don't get it ALL. It really does go away pretty quick, so it has not been much of a worry for us.
As for conductivity, I would think if the crepe paper conducted ANY current it would get hot and just disappear in a flash, unlike the video tape which could carry a lot more current before vaporizing.
Another advantage of crepe paper is it cuts easier... as in, if someone makes a "cut" it really does come apart where tape may just stretch and stay attached to the "target".
Our rules call for a 30' streamer on a 6' string leader, by the way.
We do pick up as much streamer as we can after our matches, but as you probably can figure we don't get it ALL. It really does go away pretty quick, so it has not been much of a worry for us.
As for conductivity, I would think if the crepe paper conducted ANY current it would get hot and just disappear in a flash, unlike the video tape which could carry a lot more current before vaporizing.
Another advantage of crepe paper is it cuts easier... as in, if someone makes a "cut" it really does come apart where tape may just stretch and stay attached to the "target".
Our rules call for a 30' streamer on a 6' string leader, by the way.
