If I Had a High Tension Power Line in My Yard I’d Totally Do This

Posted on February 28, 2008 by Les Jones

“Photograph of pine tree made from flourescent tubes powered by emissions from overhead power lines as part of work for residency at Bristol University Physics Department. 2003″

pine tree.jpg

To put it another way – that “pine tree” is a bunch of fluorescent lights. There’s no electrical cord attached to them. They’re powered by the electro-magnetic induction of the high tension powerlines above.

Hat tip to jwz.

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8 Responses to If I Had a High Tension Power Line in My Yard I’d Totally Do This

  1. Alcibiades McZombie says:
    February 28, 2008 at 10:43 pm

    I wonder if that can be done with a CFL.

  2. Robb Allen says:
    February 29, 2008 at 9:13 am

    I wonder if there’s any way of recapturing some of that energy? How much copper coil could you put out there and draw off some juice?

    If I didn’t have an irrational fear of large, metallic structures (don’t ask. It’s irrational, I don’t know why they freak me out) I’d definitely have to try this. There’s plenty of these around my house.

  3. Les Jones says:
    February 29, 2008 at 11:25 am

    There’s some discussion in the comments at jwz’s about that. Apparently people have been able to draw electricity from the field. Unfortunately it’s apparently illegal, because it causes an extra load on the system.

  5. tjayswift says:
    February 29, 2008 at 1:07 pm

    The scary part is that that’s exactly what light bulbs do when you put them in the microwave, too.

  6. Tennessee Jed says:
    March 1, 2008 at 9:51 am

    You can build a core and coil induction transformer and actually draw current from these power lines and tap it in the right place for the voltage you want. If it sets in one place too long though you will be discovered because they can detect the power loss and its location.

  7. ParatrooperJJ says:
    March 11, 2008 at 5:14 pm

    As long as your not touching it I doubt a prosocution would result.

  8. mrbeaker says:
    September 30, 2009 at 10:44 am

    …and if you induce enough energy to leave the grid, the utility can detect it and track you down. Stealing energy, even without touching anything, is a crime. Of course, no one is going to waste taxpayer money prosecuting some poor slob for lighting up a fluorescent tube out in a corn field.
    …or will they?