GC4CV4F Does this GeoCache Hum? #1
Type: Traditional | Size: Micro | Difficulty: | Terrain:
By: RckMtnMic @ | Hide Date: 05/24/2013 | Status: Available
Country: United States | State: Colorado
Coordinates: N39° 37.290 W104° 27.279 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 0
       

---

Careful! This GeoCache has been near this power station for a little while and it may hum! Really? Well, remember some of the stories we used to hear about bed springs humming when near power lines? Let’s examine this more carefully…

---

This is a major power sub-station that provides power for the eastern parts of Arapahoe, Douglas and Elbert counties. They act like circuit breakers, condition the power and remove spikes like when lightning strikes near, and will step down the voltage to be distributed to the users. The power lines coming in conduct 230 kilo volts of electricity! That’s pretty shocking, to use the pun! But what some folks wonder is, am I in danger being near these sub-stations or even the power lines for any amount of time? (Like when logging this GeoCache?)

I was curious so I did some research. One of the ways to measure electric fields is to use a meter that measures what we call EMF or Electro-Motive Force. It measure EMF in a unit called “Gauss”, to honor one of the major contributors Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss, a German mathematician and physical scientist.

And to put the Gauss into perspective, I measured the electric fields that exist in various parts of my house. If I measure the EMF near a standard incandescent light bulb it measures 2 milli-Gauss The EMF near a standard electric socket was almost 0. I was shocked (pun intended!) when I measured the EMF near my microwave oven – it went off the scale! (Over 199 mili-Gauss). Now that’s what I call nuking my food!

Well, you are probably wondering what the EMF measured at this power sub-station, here it is: the highest EMF field measured 12 mili-Gauss by the new towers, and the smaller towers measured 7 mili-Gauss. So, it is more dangerous for me to stand near my microwave while I nuke my food than to live near here, by over 20 times! Interesting!

So, to answer the question I raised in the title of this GeoCache, “Does this GeoCache hum?” The answer -- only when it doesn’t know the words!

Enjoy the cache!

06/29/2019 By mcmwest
Quick find here. TFTC

06/29/2019 By mcmm1
Tftc

09/03/2018 By Mean Kitty
Find #48833

Its been a long hot summer in Texas, I've been trying to get out and do a caching trip a couple of times this summer, but it never worked out. Finally managed to get a week off, and am so happy to be out here in Colorado. The weather if perfect, and there is a load of caches that need my name on Thanks so much for the hide RckMtnMic, I really enjoyed finiding this cache!

07/25/2018 By Cherylize
TFTC. SL as cize. 12:34 PM

07/25/2018 By Cherylize
TFTC. SL as cize. 12:34 PM

07/25/2018 By bl78
Found it

05/13/2018 By fearthefish
Out and about on a Sunday caching run with the always cheerful herndonrd. We decided to head out to the plains because we felt like grabbing a bunch today. We managed to find and sign over 40 caches, which was pretty good for a few hours of "work".

I enjoyed watching herndonrd make the quick grab here, which he did for most of the caches we found today (Translation: I don't move fast enough). After we did the whole sign and replace thing we were back in the geomobile and off to the next one. Thanks for the fun hide and for your contribution to a great day of caching.

P. S. While searching for this one, I scared a rabbit out of an irrigation tube near the cache. I felt bad for the little guy and was amazed at how fast that sucker ran.