Power drop / line drop / data drop

[Mr. Sir]

Here's one

 

[Bodean]

I try and work around wires as much as I can.

Or schedule a line drop with PGandE

 

[stehansen]

I took one loose from a pole and let it lay on the ground while I worked. It was a real long span and the pole was in the middle of the span. I tore a phone line in two where it was spliced once. I was able to put it together and I just guessed at the connection and their phone started working again. Got to get lucky sometimes.

 

[Treevet]

I got a line drop scheduled for tomorrow. Not real optimistic. I also used to know all the guys and had their cells. Now it is hit and miss. Won't come into play too much until the stem which is a honker and stays fat well above the elect for 20 feet. Would like to slam it after the crane picks the top but it may not work out if they no show me. Just more time involved.

 

[No_Bivy]

get pics

 

[Treevet]

Otay!

 

[IchWarriorMkII]

Hmmm.

I'd start slapping people in the head if they took down a phone line without askin' first!


But as far as takin one down... well its real easy for me... not complicated at all. But...

 

[MasterBlaster]

No, you ask first.

 

[squisher]

Of course you ask. Around here hydro and phone/cable will usually always be strung together. Last year two power drops and both times I just disconnected the other 'stuff'. No problemo getting the power guys out and on time, excellent service here. Transmission lines are a whole different story then service drops though.

 

[pantheraba]

Time to put the power drop thread to bed. The drop went fine...I got on site about 9:30 and power was down and rolled up beside house. The TV cable and phone lines were still up..you can see them running to the right of the subject tree. I used some small accessory cord to pull and hold some slack in them so I could work them off their strain relief hardware (z-pull with a slipped tautline).

I got the neighbor's permission to remove some fence sections to save some roping. I documented some of the existing cracks in his fence before I started...I had not noticed them the day he and I talked about removing the sections. He was decent about it when I showed him the cracks after I re-assembled the fence later.

 

[pantheraba]

I put some barrels over the fence posts to deflect some bombers...I rung the gong a few times.

The job went fine...I had to scramble to get it down to the spar by 4 PM but made it. I called the owner at 4, she called the power folks and they were there just after 5 and got the line back up, pronto. It ends up I had met the crew supervisor down at Katrina so we traded stories a bit. I asked him how many line drops they did like I had just got done...he said I was the 3rd that day, that they did them often. He also said they don't mind, that they'd rather do the drop than replace a pole.

 

[MasterBlaster]

That was a 'lil bitty ole tree!

Good job!

 

[pantheraba]

Three things I learned on this job...shagbark hickory is HARD to work with...it's hard to get good spur placement...several times as I ascended the first time my spur skidded off the hard plates of the bark.

Second, the wood itself is very dense...the spurs didn't penetrate very much.

Third, the bark plates can really grab/hold/get in the way of ropework. Several times I had to descend to release a pinched rope from the bark.

 

[pantheraba]

Yeah, it was, but it didn't take a little bitty bit of time. I roped most of the stuff, took a lot longer than I expected...BUT, I was down before dark.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I hate spuring into hard trees. You gotta STOMP!!!

 

[lumberjack]

That's an amazing flash on your camera, Gary.


Good job.

 

[sotc]

Haha, brutal Carl! Did you wear sunscreen Gary

 

[pantheraba]

Hahaha...you freaks are MERCILESS!!!

I did hear owls hooting as it got dark, wondering why I wasn't up in the tree with them.