Curious?

[morningstar]

I posted this on another forum and thought you guys might know the answer. The question is, when prospecting, can the pulse from a detector set off a stick of buried dynamite?

 

[VT Dave]

My experience is limited handling powder, but I suppose if the dynamite was capped and the wires still attached and hadn't been in the ground long enough to deteriorate, it might be possible. Dynamite by it's self is fairly stable. It needs to be capped to be set off or by a major concussion, ie: hitting with a hammer. The only way a detector could set it off would be if the energy was coupled into the wire leads and was strong enough to induce enough current to detonate the cap.

Hope this helps.

Dave

 

[Mike from MI "Iron Brigade"]

I would think that if it was possible or if it had happened we would have heard about it. Of course if it did happen those guys would not be here to tell us? HMMMM! Good question, but I still doubt it!

 

[rentasquid]

n/t

 

[Pete in MI]

dynamite won't explode from an electronic signal - it needs a flame or heat like a match (and fuse) or a blasting cap. I have seen signs that say NO RADIO USE - because the blasting caps might go off from a signal picked up from the radio to the blasting cap (via the wire attached to the blasting cap as a receiving antenna). So instead of going into the area with the coil swinging - I'd check for anyone in the area then use a CB radio, one of those Family Radio Service (FRS)/General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) radios to see if ya can set off the blasting caps before even getting out of the vehicle.

No idea of how much 'juice' it takes to set off a blasting cap but I have worked with a guy who used dynamite to blow up tree stumps. He used blasting caps with the dynamite and used a 9 Volt battery to set off the blasting cap.

This is all theory and speculation so it may or may not work. Rather give it a try first than to find a coil can set one off. Just a thought.
Better to be safe than sorry.

 

[morningstar]

n/t