I think that's what the dude was saying. He's been zapped by both, I've been hit by 110, heck, I think everyone has at least once.
If not, try it, it's really not that bad. VERY unlikely you'll die. Never been hit by 220, dont' really have an incling to either. Over in Europe everything is 220, because it's safer.
Higher voltages tend to be. That's what Andy was saying.
Now, lets all have a beer and relax.
Dude
Hey Dude,
I have followed this thread with particular interest, as in most cases, one can learn a lot from other people's experience or mistakes. It's difficult for me to make comments about the tree felling part as other AS members are much more competent in this matter.
However, your comments about the 'low risk' with power lines or even domestic power circuits are not funny at all. I have worked a few years as a sales engineer for a high voltage switchgear manufacturer and everybody working in this business has HUGE respect for safety measures.
Power lines in europe are either 3, 15, 35, 70, 150 or 380 kV and are called "power" lines, because they transmit huge quantities of electrical power over a long distance. (P = U*I) The HV is required to keep electrical current levels to a minimum, while power losses due to electrical resistance of the cable are directly related (P = R.I²), NOT because the HV is safer :censored:
Air is a good electrical insulator, and as a rule of thumb, a distance of 1 cm/kV is required to be safe from producing an arc, BUT this value can be influenced a lot by air density, humidity, etc, so always stay away as far as you can.
The most important fact that most forget is that not a particular voltage kills a person, but the current density that flows through his body. If you get juiced, it all depends on the resistance value of your body AND the power of the energy source whether you get killed or not (and that value depends on the humidity of your skin, the shoes you wear, etc.) and the power strength of the line you touched.
In the case of power lines, one can create a shortcut to earth while entering the conductivity area with an object or a person and an arc will be created. The electrical power will generally travel to earth by taking the road of the shortest electrical resistance. That can be the tree, a truck boom or the person itself, or a combination of it, but as there are so many variables involved, no one can really predict which way the arc will travel in case of an accident (same with lightning) . If the arc will travel trough a person, he will get ‘fried’ in an instant. In most cases however, the arc will choose a tree (direct way to earth) or a steel object as conductor, but the arc creates such a tremendous heat, that anybody in reasonable distance of the arc will face severe burning wounds, if not lethal. The latter are the most common injuries involved with HV accidents, but unfortunately many victims are no longer with us to testimony.
Therefor, it’s important to stay away from power lines at all time if you have no reason to be there. And another thing to know is that any voltage can kill you, provided the conditions are bad enough and the power source is strong enough. I only hope Ciscoguy will not find out that fact the hard way himself one day.
Stay safe.