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What are these coils?

What are these coils

This was asked by doetoe in this physics.stackexchange Question

Where I saw them (maybe six or eight pairs) they came in pairs, always on the same two lines, and they were at approximately regular intervals.

It is from Spain, Barcelona area

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Keith McClary
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  • I have always presumed that things like this were to stop oscillation in the wind, but I will be interested to know what they are really for. – HandyHowie Oct 08 '15 at 07:12
  • I have never seen this particular kind, but I would bet they are dampers, have a google image search for "power line dampers" and you will see a lot of different constructions, some of which are similar, and some of which are nothing like it. – PlasmaHH Oct 08 '15 at 08:06

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Its a bird diverter, for make them see the power line and avoid them.

Marko Buršič
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  • Thanks. It looks more like [Bird Flight Diverter](http://www.ecvv.com/product/4056002.html) than [spiral vibration damper](http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/ADSS-spiral-vibration-damper_567003625.html). – Keith McClary Oct 08 '15 at 14:26
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    To clarify - I asked my senior electrical engineer about how these work. Apparently, birds think that the coiled-up shape is a snake, which might eat them - i.e. it works like a scarecrow. Apparently it **doesn't** work on birds that normally **eat** snakes, such as kookaburras and eagles, which will sit on top of the thing and try to eat it. – Li-aung Yip Oct 09 '15 at 04:13