Have you ever looked at a telephone pole and noticed those glass or porcelain pieces on top? They might look like just decorations, but they actually have an important job in communication. These helpful items are called insulators, and they help keep our electrical wires safe and our phone calls clear.
Safeguarding the Flow of Electricity
Insulators have a key job: they stop electrical wires from touching the pole or the ground. Imagine trying to make a long-distance call, and your voice suddenly cuts out after a little while. That wouldn’t be fun, right? Insulators make sure all the electricity stays in the wires so our important phone calls can keep going without any problems.
The Variety of Insulators
These simple objects come in many different styles and colors. While a lot of the older insulators were made from glass or porcelain, some were made from wood and glass, and even animal parts! You’d be surprised at some of the unusual materials used. The size of the insulator is important too. Smaller ones are used for telephone and telegraph wires, while larger ones are made for high-voltage electrical wires. It’s like having a special section for insulators based on how much voltage they can handle!
Keeping Voltage in Check
When it comes to power lines, the voltage affects how big the insulator needs to be. Electricity can be a bit tricky and might try to jump across a distance. That’s where the design of insulators helps out. Insulators with wide “umbrella” shapes and large lower parts act like careful bouncers at a nightclub, keeping the wires away from the pole and stopping any accidents from happening.
A Surprising Hobby
Believe it or not, collecting insulators is a popular hobby! This started becoming popular in the 1960s when utility companies began burying their wires, leaving a lot of old insulators behind. As the saying goes, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. People who collect insulators come from all different backgrounds. Some like these glass pieces for how they look and use them to decorate windowsills and gardens, adding a bit of shine to their space. Others look for specific types of insulators. Prices can vary a lot; you might find one for less than a dollar or even get one for free at flea markets!
A Historical Touch
Most insulators that collectors have are between 70 and 145 years old, and some types haven’t been made since the early 1900s. Anything that’s old and no longer being produced often becomes collectible, and insulators are no different. They hold a piece of history and connect us to a time when communication was just starting to grow.
Appreciating the Role of Insulators
The next time you see one of those interesting glass or porcelain insulators on a telephone pole, take a moment to appreciate how important they’ve been in the history of communication. They might seem like old items, but they’ve made a lasting impact on how we connect with each other, whether through a phone call or a quick text message. Who knows? You might even feel inspired to start your own collection and join the many people who find beauty and history in these simple artifacts!
The team recentIy honored the Packer legend for his commitment…
It was yet another forgettable year for fans of the NFL’s New York Jets. The franchise has exempIified mediocrity in the decades since Joe Namath famously predicted the stunning upset the team pulled in the first Super Bowl against the highly favored Kansas City Chiefs.
Since the bombast of Broadway Joe, it has been nothing but misery for Jet fans.
This was supposed to be the season it all changed for the New York Jets. The team aIready had a talented, young roster full of play makers and an up-and-coming head coach in Robert Saleh, but they lacked what every team needs to make a deep postseason run: a quarterback. Enter Aaron Rodgers.
The Jets signed the future Hall of Famer after the Packers decided to move on, and with the pieces already in place, the Jets were a se xy favorite to make their first Super Bowl appearance since 1967
Unfortunately for Jet fans, Aaron Rodger’s achilles tendon had other ideas, and four plays into the season, it tore, and the team was essentially done. First-round bust Zach Wilson failed to deliver competent play once again, and the season subsequently unraveled as it had so many years prior.
Rodgers, for his part, made nothing short of a miraculous recovery from the injury and even lobbied to play Iate in the season, but with the playoffs out of the realm of possibility, the team decided to shut him down in hopes of having him back next season.
The team recently honored the Packer legend for his commitment and perseverance as he recovered from a disastrous injury by voting him “most inspirationaI player” for the 2023 season.
It is a telling honor, considering Rodgers played so very little
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