What is the Use of Coloured Balls in High Voltage Transmission Line

Do not pass go, do not collect $200.00.

if its true why they put it only in columns that is on flying paths?

Because it is not the only reason to do that.

you remind me of a thread where s grand dad wanted a project about drinking water with the kids he could do. members of the forum started talking about excavating pits and settling ponds. I think the OP merely asked what are these things?

I thought the question was answered.

The only purpose they serve is to mark the wires so they are visible to low flying aircraft.

Regardless of assumptions otherwise, that is their ONLY purpose.

O'm pretty sure they really are put there so aliens know where to land the invasion forces in the dark do we can't see em coming

I thought aliens walked across the border from Mexico.

Don't blame me, I was just covering Lyn's back when he rightfully disagreed with AH who interjected more than the OP asked!

Ask a question you get an answer, ask an engineer and you get a white paper complete with annotations and references...Whassa' mattah' doncha' know how to spell OCD??

settle down, we aren't going to replace you with a robot just yet

Damn!!! It might be an improvement

Also get a bit o'sarcasm:

http://antonkorteweg.nl/humor/geek-grapje/

Dern'it, still can't upload photos.

Up in the mountains around here we have some extremely long spans - and not in a flight path. It is common to see Large "balls" along these spans. Under the right wind conditions naked wires on the long spans have been known to whip around rather severely.

Around flight paths around airports they are used to mark the wires

- remember - if a collision is immanent -go under, not over. A sudden pull back on the stick at low speed on final approach can cause you to stall into the wires. A slight dive under keeps you flying. (OK - you screwed up getting to the wrong place in the first place.)

"They're called visibility marker balls or marker balls. You'll often find them near mountain passes, in the deep valley areas, near major freeway crossings and around airports. They weight about 17 pounds each.

The marker balls are placed on power lines to make the conductor crossings visible to aircraft. Helicopters and small aircraft often fly low in mountain passes or freeways and usually fly low while approaching an airport."

What Are Those Balls That Hang on Power Lines ... - SCE

It's to distinguish the male lines from the female lines...

They give terrorists a better target.

tcmtech gave you a good answer. They have threaded holes on them, but I do not know if you can use eye bolts on these holes to lift the ball

Balisor is a system of illuminated beacons for high voltage power lines using a cold-cathode low-pressure neon lamp ^[1] .High voltage power cables, particularly those close to airports, need to be visible day and night. During the day, brightly colored balls positioned along the length of the cables are sufficient, but during the night, lighting is necessary. These beacons which emit a red glow (the standard color used in aviation for warning beacons) are used to provide this lighting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balisor

humm, I thought I linked that same page in my reply #4, "good answer"?

You did.

But, apparently nobody looked. I didn't. It goes with the territory.

I was going to be a smart ass in #4 linking the threaded holes back to his flywheel question, but the that back fired too Oh well, maybe tomorrow, if that ever comes*

this isn't a democracy

I know and to think I believed all that crap they fed us in school

I had to give a credit for the picture....

the clear ones are harder to shoot

I some how got the impression that they were to show transmission voltages and phases. I am happy to have been corrected on this error.

theres a complete answer

Thanks . You gave a really good link. I was searching google for quite some time because I was curious to know about these balls after I noticed them during my various visits in US .In India we do not use them on our EHV transmission lines.

That would make the most sense: Some FAA bureaucrat decided to write a regulation to require colored balls on all power lines crossing a road or highway since some wayward aircraft MIGHT be trying to land on the road someday. Same reason there are braille markings on the driver's side drive-up teller cash stations at banks! Some blind person MIGHT be driving to the bank some day.

If they are blue balls on high tension cords they can generate a lot of pain.

If there are no balls they could create a lot of high tension in nearby blue balls.

Good Luck, Old Salt

The coloured balls on overhead electricity cables act as visual warnings for low flying aircraft. They are most often used when cables cross major highways or deep gullies or valleys. To aid visibility, the colours are chosen to provide the greatest possible contrast with the background terrain. Where more than one cable is strung between the pylons, the coloured balls are mounted on the highest.

The Italians came up with the idea. As I recall the engineer's name was Mutto, and the first use was on the original enormous transmission span across the Messina Strait. The actual color was the source of considerable debate, as one would expect in Italy.

The "designer" balls would have to be Italian inspired, just as the Italian cars are built for design regardless of the fact that they won't start, can't last long enough to get you from point A to point B, and need continuous tuning and repairs.

You have obviously never raced against a Faza Fiat rally team.

Yes, a team. You need a village......

What, no rebuttal to your's, Lyn's and RAMConsult's answers?

GA