I haven't attacked anyone's character. I have responded to the "holier than thou" attacks that call me ignorant without any regard to the properties of the tool that I used.
I have not attacked your character; I have said that you have shown a lot of ignorance in you action.
Ignorance is the lack of knowledge and this is something that you can see for yourself in any dictionary.
Ignorance of the danger in using an unlisted and untested tool to cut a energized conductor and the continued “proving†of the lack of danger has gone far past the point of stupidity.
I wasn't using "pruning shears". I was using an anvil lopper with long fiberglass reinforced handles containing no metal and covered with plastic in the holding area. The resistance between the single metal blade and handle exceeded the 30 Megohm scale on my meter.
Again you are showing you ignorance by trying to down play your actions by saying you used a “lopper†instead of “pruning sheers.â€
Although I am no expert in tree surgery I am smart enough to know that the “lopper†is used to “prune†trees and the like so to call it a lopper or pruning sheer would not make much difference.
I am also very sure that you have the expertise to do listing and labeling on equipment and tools and to list them as either cat I, cat II or cat III. Which level of safety do you rate your “loppers?â€
I suggest that you study Ohm's law (Amps = Volts/Resistance). It's the amperage that kills, but the amperage available through 30 Megohms (The scale limit of my meter) at 120 Volts is 4 microamps. That is about 1/1000 of the trip current of a GFCI. It was SAFE.
Not only do I study Ohm’s Law but I also teach it. I also know that using a “lopper†that is designed to have plant sap flowing over it and use it where you will be having electrons flowing over it is not safe to say the least. Should something go wrong and the rivet that holds the two halves together and also lets it pivot could cause a flash that has the ability to blind, burn or even kill.
How do you dismount the old meter pan and move it without disconnecting the service drop? All of the meter pans that I have seen are mounted via fasteners inside the pan. If you haven't disconnected the service drop (I cut the service drop BEFORE I removed the meter and the meter pan.) you are working in very close proximity to energized meter terminals. That is a lot more dangerous than cutting a hot wire with 30-Megohm-insulated tool.
Well it is as simple as removing the screws that hold the pan to the building and the straps holding the cable and letting the whole unit swing on the SE cable just as a child’s swing.
The key in you statement is; “working in very close proximity to energized meter terminals†and this can never be as dangerous as, “I cut the service drop†especially using a cutter designed for cutting plant life no matter how many times you check it with your meter.
There is a very distinct difference between the cutting action of a
lopper and a
cable cutter and I truly hope that you learn the difference before it is too late and your faimly is burdened with an expense and the loss of a loved one.