RoyJ wrote:

The big high voltage fuses used by the power company to disconnect
13.8KV feeder lines do have a powder charge in the base. It's needed to
blow out the plasma arc. Roughly equivilent to a 12 ga shotgun shell. I
have one that sits about 100' from my bedroom window, feeds a very old
underground line to the neighbor's place. When the cable faults late at
night in the heat of summer and the windows are open, it sure gets the
adreneline going!!!

Side note: A few weeks back, one of those fuses did NOT blow out the arc
properly. Lit up the neighborhood like a search light for 45 minutes
until the power company boys showed up to put it out. (Man, that's a job
I don't want!) Fire department showed up, parked 200' away and just
watched it.



Sort of like this?

http://home.comcast.net/~jwisnia18/temp/zap.mpg

I don't know if the clip is real or fake, but it is impressive.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia

(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"As long as there are final exams, there will be prayer in public
schools"