What is this?

[Tom Raymond]

This isn't HI related, so I posted it here.

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While driving home from a weekend camping trip, my seven year old son asks me what these things are and I don't have any idea. I figure one of the gurus here will know.

These are attached to telephone transmission lines, I have only ever seen them along rural roads. They are rarely positioned so as to make sense as warning markers. It's hard to see in the picture but there are two triangular fins. Any guesses? My son will appreciate your help.

Thanks,

Tom

[Richard Moore]

Tom, I've always thought they were there to make the lines more visible for crop dusting planes (perhaps all small planes), but I've never actually confirmed that.

[Jerry Lozier]

This isn't HI related, so I posted it here.

Click to Enlarge

16.67 KB

While driving home from a weekend camping trip, my seven year old son asks me what these things are and I don't have any idea. I figure one of the gurus here will know.

These are attached to telephone transmission lines, I have only ever seen them along rural roads. They are rarely positioned so as to make sense as warning markers. It's hard to see in the picture but there are two triangular fins. Any guesses? My son will appreciate your help.

Thanks,

Tom

I see them mostly in windy areas, and assume they at minimum stabilize lines to keep them from flapping to much in breezy conditions.... ?????????

Jerry

[Tom Raymond]

Tom, I've always thought they were there to make the lines more visible for crop dusting planes (perhaps all small planes), but I've never actually confirmed that.

I had a similar thought but was thinking of tall vehicles passing beneath them, the telly lines are the lowest on the poles. If they are warning markers you would think they would be orange. Nearly all of these are near farm land, but not really where you would expect a conflict with a tractor and impliments. Where there are small private or semi-private airstrips (real aircraft, not ultralights) there are bright orange balls attached to the upper most power lines.

Jerry, that kinda makes sense. We were driving through wind farm country, but these dohickeys were only on some of the lines with no apparent pattern with respect to exposure or elevation.

Tom

[Jim Katen]

This isn't HI related, so I posted it here.

While driving home from a weekend camping trip, my seven year old son asks me what these things are and I don't have any idea. I figure one of the gurus here will know.

These are attached to telephone transmission lines, I have only ever seen them along rural roads. They are rarely positioned so as to make sense as warning markers. It's hard to see in the picture but there are two triangular fins. Any guesses? My son will appreciate your help.

Thanks,

Tom

I've seen them too. Always along rural roads, as you say. They make no sense as warning markers; they're not positioned well and they're not a good color for that.

I suspect that they have to do with dampening movement from wind, kind of like a Stockbridge Damper on a high tension line.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[MTL_Inspet_Man]

It's a flying G-String.......lol

[Steven Hockstein]

Could it also have something to do with preventing animals (squirrels) from using it as a pathway? It is hard to see details in the photo.