This is from a ROK resident and contributor to Usenet newsgroup rec.antiques.radio+phono.

She posted these pictures and text about wiring methods in that country and gave me permission to copy the post here. Sorry for the sideways picture of the 5KW portable transformer and the utility pole.

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Brenda Ann said:

Someone asked me to post something like these.. so here they are

[Linked Image from sven.gordsven.com]

shows our 220 volt AC 60 Hz drop. Yes, those are approximately 9AWG wires that are spliced into the drop, and feed 6 apartments of this building, plus negligible hallway and porch lighting. Can you say fire hazard?? I knew you
could!!!

[Linked Image from sven.gordsven.com]

shows the single high tension wire feeding the system running about a meter below the top of the pole. The wire running on top is the other leg, which is below the top of the pole. The wire running on top is the other leg, which is also loosely connected to ground (lightning protection) via the concrete and steel reinforced pole (all of them are like that). Note that the "hot" wire runs down to the pole pig, whereas the "ground" wire runs down the pole, and is tapped off to the pole pig. NOTE!!: There is NO GROUND and NO Neutral on the drop itself!! These do not exist inside the buildings here!!

To drop 220 down to 110, to run the various US market appliances available here, they use autotransformers of various sizes, up to 5KVA (a very loose interpretation thereof... the 5KVA autotransformers are no larger than a good 20 amp 12 volt power supply is in the states... one is pictured below:

[Linked Image from sven.gordsven.com]

Also, only one line is switched for any reason, which means that always one line of the mains is hot to earth ground (either by leakage or by direct connection, depending upon how the pole pig is wired)...

[This message has been edited by SvenNYC (edited 10-27-2003).]