Stupid Question re Utility Poles

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I know I'm becoming paranoid and obsessed and I'll probably be flamed for this post but I have a truly innocent question - and there's probably a reasonable answer.

In the past two weeks, I have noticed several utility poles on main roads with something attached to them that I've never seen before. They LOOK like solar panels. They're about 2 feet by 3 feet, attached to the top of the pole, at a 45 degree angle from vertical, all pointed south. Have I just not noticed these before? And how could small solar panels like this in any way aid in production of the massive quantities of power needed for a medium-sized city?

I'm really just looking for someone to satisfy my curiosity. Thanks in advance.

-- dakota (none@thistime.com), October 06, 1999

Answers

Odds are, dakota, that they're just what you think they are -- solar panels. But not for supplying power to any city. Most of the ones I've seen are for very localized purposes: charging batteries for emergency call boxes, warning lights, things like that.

Don't sweat becoming "paranoid and obsessed." You're probably experiencing the "red truck syndrome" -- you never notice how many red trucks there are on the road until you think about getting a red truck yourself....

-- I'm Here, I'm There (I'm Everywhere@so.beware), October 06, 1999.


The panels are probably used to transmit information in the event of power outages, they store their own power in batteries and can relay information to a satellite. These type devices relay river levels, rainfall amounts, all kinds of poop to collecting stations.

-- space (space@nwaisp.com), October 06, 1999.

"These type devices relay river levels, rainfall amounts, all kinds of poop to collecting stations."

As in "embedded system" type of devices? Wonderful!

Tick... Tock... <:00=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), October 06, 1999.


Sysman:

Perhaps inadvertently, you raise a really good point. Let's assume these are embedded systems. Let's assume they use dates, and do so incorrectly. Hell, let's assume that they stop in their tracks, or transmit wildly incorrect data.

Fixing them might be expensive, it's true, but we really don't have much control over rainfall amounts, river levels, and the like. We monitor them or we don't. It might even be months before we bothered to get around to these things.

And a lot of embedded systems are just like these. Not essential for safety, or production, or even public health. How much worse will your life be if you get rained on, but don't know exactly how much fell where? Can you struggle by with this?

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), October 06, 1999.


Those things that look like solar panels are really squirrel deflectors. When a squirrel approaches one of these panels, it sees its reflection and does a jack knife off the electic line.

You haven't seen these before because Squirrel Man and his buddies took the electric companies to court to stop the panels. The court voted in favor of the electric companies.

Hope this clears thing up.

-- (Ohms@zap.com), October 06, 1999.



Flint,

Well, if dopler radar is still working, I'll still know how much rain we had. I could still make an educated guess if a river is going to flood or not. No big deal.

What if it's a radiation sensor, and the cloud from Japan blows bye? What if it's an ozone sensor, and I need medication when levels are high? What if it's a weather sensor that helps predict a tornado?

Some things can be important. <:)=

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), October 06, 1999.


Dakota, are you in Northcentral Florida? These are solar panels and are located where it may be cheaper to power the light with solar tnan to run a power line. It is also somewhat experimental to see how they hold up for long term use. I noticed them a couple of years ago.

-- Curly (Curly@3stooges.gom), October 06, 1999.

I noticed one attached to a warning light across from a fire station, but no where else.

-- Gia (laureltree7@hotmail.com), October 07, 1999.

Thanks everyone for the info.

Yes, Curly, I'm in North Central FL.

-- dakota (none@thistime.com), October 07, 1999.


Solar panels mounted on top of 'School Zone' signs are used in some school districts here in the Houston area.

The panels re-charge batteries in a control box on the pole; which in turn, power flashing caution lights which are controled by a timer. The sign on the pole says 'School Zone 20 mph When Flashing'.

Dakota...What use could those solar panels be on your power poles?

Could you call the local power company and ask for an explanation?

Give us a heads up on the application, please.

-- no talking please (breadlines@soupkitchen.gov), October 07, 1999.



Flint

There are load balancing systems in power distribution.

You do count on getting 115 volts at 60 cycles don't you?

Well ???

Do you want to try to do that manually yourself?

-- no talking please (breadlines@soupkitchen.gov), October 07, 1999.


Flint - you seem rather casual re the tracking of rainfall. If you have ever seen a large dammed reservoir fill 75 feet overnight and the spillway at capacity you know how important tracking rain and snow is.

While I doubt rainfall tracking is what is on our solar powered poles here in NorCal, I do know that rain and seismic data is collected remotely using solar power and sent via periodic burst transmissions. Both those datas, hand measured snowpack data, and stream and river flow data are all very important to the hydrological engineers who maintain reservoir levels for electricity, flood control, irrigation water, drinking water, canals, fisheries, and the like.

-- Mitchell Barnes (spanda@inreach.com), October 07, 1999.


Two more dumb broads asking stupid questions.

-- Gordon (gpconnolly@aol.com), October 07, 1999.

-- 1 (2@3.pig), October 07, 1999.


It's a squirrel wok!

Sorry, it's been a long day..........5 out of 7 people didn't show up for work yesterday, and 3 out of 4 didn't show up for work this morning.

-- Tuan Cu Mhara (Strider X6@aol.com), October 07, 1999.


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