In-wire trees

[Burnham]

It's a different critter for sure, but anywho, I have about 20 miles of buried fiber optic data transmission cable under one of my NFSR roads. If we break that doing maintenance or repars, it's $50,000 per hour it's down, plus repair costs which can run to several times $10k more.

I try REAL hard to avoid doing that!

 

[OTGBOSTON]

It's a different critter for sure, but anywho, I have about 20 miles of buried fiber optic data transmission cable under one of my NFSR roads. If we break that doing maintenance or repars, it's $50,000 per hour it's down, plus repair costs which can run to several times $10k more.

I try REAL hard to avoid doing that!

Thats just 'cuz you have deeeeeep pockets

My log truck operator hit a low F/O line a few years back...what. a. mess. But the line was strung way too low so it wasn't our fault.

 

[NeTree]

So... are they down yet?

 

[Monkeywithasaw]

i was just talking about the replacment of he line not the time to redo it or the time to fix it. f/o cable is so brittle just stepping on it breaks it or even a 1 foot drop

 

[woodworkingboy]

Never knew that! Good to keep in mind.

 

[sotc]

Interesting, we have bounced a few pieces off with no problems. We got called out by a comm company cause a huge oak fell and knocked the lines down. It was 3.5' diameter where it buried that line in the ground and they wanted me to cut it free. Guy was worried I would nick the line but they never had to do more than just put it back up on the poles. That sucker took a shot.

 

[woodworkingboy]

The biggest scam that the electric companies have going here, is that they want to install a transformer and main breaker that will accommodate you running all your machinery at once. They come around to inspect your equipment before the service is installed, tally up all your kilowatt requirement based on the total sum of ALL your motors, then draw up a contract based upon that. That would be fine if you had someone manning each piece of machinery all the time, but an individual working, that arrangement is nuts. The service charge would run me like $300 a month, and it was explained to me when I first went in to enquire about a new service. I told my situation, that the likelihood of me operating the tablesaw and drilling holes at the same time was nil, but it was no use. An electrician clued me in, told me for the inspection, to take the piece of machinery with the largest motor and stick it in the middle of the floor with no other three phase equipment in sight. The guy came around and i had my planer sitting there, nothing else could be seen, it must have looked kind of odd for a wood shop, but either he was unaware or just helping me out and didn't want to know, because nothing was mentioned, and no strange looks. Anyway, that's what I contracted for, one motorized machine. I can still turn on everything at once and the breaker doesn't trip. With a load on I expect it would.

They come around for a leak check every year or so, and it makes me wonder if they might catch it, now with everything in plain sight. Perhaps the refreshment that I offer to the guy helps, or it's a differernt section of the electric company? I can't help but wonder how many people are paying the much higher rate for the nonsensical arrangement that the electric company likes to go by.

 

[Al Smith]

I know a guy that tore up a cross country fax line while in Iowa trenching in cable tv lines .It put him out of business .

One could say it might have been poetic justice because his lieing ass wife cost me at least 80 thou by presenting false documents when I went through a divorce .--or just bad luck .

 

[woodworkingboy]

Wonder what it would cost if you dragged an anchor across the trans Pacific sea bed phone cable and broke it, say somewhere in the Marianna trench?

 

[Burnham]

Damn long anchor rode, that would take .

 

[Al Smith]

Well I know another guy that jumped the gun and plowed in a phone cable with a big dozer and cut a big high pressure gas line in Indiana .Just couldn't wait until the next day for the gas company to spot the line .

Blew a hole big as a barn. TD 25 International dozer plus the operator were crispy critters .Contractor was bankrupted

 

[woodworkingboy]

Wonder if you can insure for that kind of thing, breaking utility lines?

 

[Al Smith]

I'm sure you can .You can buy insurance for just about anything .Now weather they pay off might be another thing .Insurance companies and horse thieves are just about one in the same .