Re: [TCML] pole xfmr (getting one, prices, etc.)

[Ed Phillips <evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

The "get a transformer from the utility" isn't always an option. For instance, in Southern California, the utilities are Southern California Edison (SCE), the LosAngeles Department of Water and Power (LA DWP), and San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E).  All of these will NOT sell/give/transfer scrap or surplus transformers to individuals, because of the downstream toxic materials hassles.  The "cradle to grave" liability aspect is just too much risk for them to risk having you have a transformer leak in your back yard, have a neighbor wonder if it's contaminated, triggering a huge fracas to determine just where it came from, guys in white bunnysuits with 55 gallon drums of dirt, and so forth.  It's easier for them to "just say no", so they sell all their surplus to big transformer recycling firms like Sunbelt or T&R.


(not that such transactions don't occur when things fall off the back of a truck or are accidentally left behind at a work site repairing fire damaged poles.. it's just very rare in today's world)"

	Used to visit the SCE salvage yard in Alhambra in the early 1950's.  Never bought a pole transformer but they were very cheap and one guy I knew got a 25 kVA transformer which he used for the power supply of a somewhat oversized ham radio transmitter.  His first power bill caused him to abondon the project!

	As for transformers falling off truckes, that really happens.  Many years ago our carpool got on the Harbor Freeway at Gage, going north.  I was in the right seat and as we were going up the ramp I saw what looked like an NST lying in the Iceplant beside the road.  We doubled back from the next exit and picked up four NST's - one 9 kV 60 ma and 3 12 kV 60 ma.  My car pool buddy took two of the 12 kV units for his son who was starting to build TC's and I took the 9 kV and the other 12 kV.  All has somewhat beat up insulators but all were completely functional and at least two are still in service after at least 30 years.  Figured they slid off the bed of a sign truck and the driver didn't notice.

	There's been a lot of talk about running NST's open circuit.  I had the 9 kV unit sitting out in the back yard for several years OC and it survived just fine.  It was connected to a really serious electric fence intended to repel the skunks which were ripping up the yard.  Started off with same fence and a spark coil but that didn't seem to phase them a bit so upped the power.  The NST power did the job and we managed to fry about a dozen of them along with about the same number of possums and a few rats.  After the first event where the thing died under the wire and it arced enough to fry it and feel the neighborhood with burnt skunk smell I rigged the equivalent of a time delay GFI to interrupt the circuit after about 30 seconds.  There was a light connected across the primary of the transformer and we used to watch it at night from the bedroom window.  Worked up a regular routine - when the light went out my wife usually woke me and we went into the back yard, she with a plastic garbage back and I with a pastic bag.  I'd put my hands into the bag, pick up the skunk and then drop it into the garbage bag.  Then double-bagged the garbage bag and set it out in front of the house for the humane society to pick up.  The guy who picked them up told me wife "we know what's in your back yard and it's probably illegal so bring the bodies out here to the curb".  After one such nightly incident I put the bag by the curb and looked for it on my way to work while it was still dark.  The bag was gone and we always figured that one of the trash can scavengers who go along the street on "trash day" must have taken it away without knowing what was in it.  I'd have given a lot of money to be present when he or she opened the bag!

	Slightly off topic I agree.

Ed

If anyone wants to see pictures of NST fried skunks I can send a few................



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