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View Full Version : Computers In Line And Trouble Trucks



Dougstaz
08-14-2006, 09:57 AM
How many of you folks are starting to see computers being used in line trucks? If you have them, how long have they been in use? And, for what kind of stuff?

What if you were able to control a recloser from a computer in your truck instead of having to get out in the weather, put up a ladder to reach the control - take a chance that the control box is hot, etc - then have to get in there and figure out what to look at or button to push - all while its midnight, thunder and lightning, raining like hell and generally miserable?

loodvig
08-14-2006, 04:48 PM
We have them in our trouble trucks. It's used for normal one man work. Trouble calls still come over the radio or cell phone. The computer is down more than up!

riverhog14
08-14-2006, 04:53 PM
bout 5 years I rode w/ a guy who had one. I was trying to understand what was on the screen if I rember right, it showed a grid (liek a map kinda) and shows what was hot and where outages were. So calls could go over it. Dougstaz wants to control reclosuers, which of course is possible, just gotta keep it secure so those controls dont fall into the wrong hands.

Patriot
08-14-2006, 09:40 PM
A few of our shops have them availible. We don't in ours. The only thing that they are used for in our area, is our maps are on the computer.

LINETRASH
08-15-2006, 01:16 AM
How many of you folks are starting to see computers being used in line trucks? If you have them, how long have they been in use? And, for what kind of stuff?

What if you were able to control a recloser from a computer in your truck instead of having to get out in the weather, put up a ladder to reach the control - take a chance that the control box is hot, etc - then have to get in there and figure out what to look at or button to push - all while its midnight, thunder and lightning, raining like hell and generally miserable?


I work in a different system than you, though we do have pole mounted 3 phase reclosures in parts of our system.

-far as the computer goes, we t-men have had them for years..

Just use 'em to see the trouble call, what type of trouble, It will tell you if it's a single custumer, tx, lat, etc.

It also gives the location and phase, feeder, substation, meter #.

A doss based aplication that has its good and bad points.We are currently able to enroute ourselves, arrive, refer, complete, show lots of info for the service center.

The line crews have been using the same go book terminal for a couple years, but their system is windows based.

They are able to enroute themselves, arrive, follow up, add repair action, and other things to the ticket.

This system also serves as the official time ticket for the crews/splicers, and they bitch about it all the time. I suspect a dedicated program for our aplication would resolve this as opposed to making due with a software program that is not compadible with all the nuances the crew needs to adress in the course of their work.

The line crews have recently been hobbled with the activation of GPS, but thats another post......

-far as being able to throw in a Kyle via scada through your truck, well, I guess that would depend on the boundaries of responsibilty of the devices in your company.

For instance, here the dispatcher has to be notified before you operate any numbered switch, and they have control over most controlled equipment via scada.

As mentioned before, the few kyles we use are numbered, and can be operated only mecanicaly, using an extendo or bucket.

Bottom line... I love my Go Book, I loved my MDT that preceded it, They both give me independance from the dispatcher and keep the radio chatter down.

They enable me to fly silent and deep, and increase the info for the service center for repair, eliminating "lost in translation" problems we somtimes get via radio comm.

BigClive
08-15-2006, 07:31 AM
Remote reclosing from computer sounds great. You could get woken up at 3am with a trouble call, reach over to the laptop next to your bed and repeatedly slam the recloser in until something blew clear then go back to sleep. :rolleyes:

loodvig
08-15-2006, 12:24 PM
I don't like the idea of closing in a feeder from a remote location. Too much room for an accident! You wouldn't throw in a fuse without patrolling it would you?

Squizzy
08-16-2006, 07:59 AM
Our Faultmen have had them for a number of years and there is not much that they can't find out. The info is more or less what do want, size type and rating of a pole, what the conductor size is, all the switches (including condition)and locations (GPS readings). All faults what and where they are with numbers of customers and priorty customers affected.Which house service comes off which pole to which house with contact number and meter number(often not up to date) the list is endless anyone with computer access can pull up all sorts of stuff generators and reclosers can be remotely operated etc etc etc...

mscheuerer
08-16-2006, 01:11 PM
Truck radio and portable are totally digital. Trucks have satellite based "real time" computers onboard. No reclosure no matter what the circumstance is or will be controlled via troubleman/technician from a truck. This is done through personal voice to voice coordinated RECORDED communication between disptach and the line crew(s) (sometimes repeated three times) and is broken down step-by-step and then broadcasted through out the system via MDCT (Mobile Data Computer Term) to all line crews working the particular area or assigned grid. An "all clear" must be given via MDCT and then we await central disptach for the final "GO" or "NO GO" to start the procedure and work progress (Then we start our line testing...) I know it sounds like a lot of truck time in the air conditioning waiting but for the sake of one accident or one life it's well worth the wait.

Hurricane Harry
08-16-2006, 06:26 PM
our computers in our splice van have maps for all of or downtown network area, how to get in the buildings, and pictures of the location we can look at on they way to the job or trouble call. we can pull up real time info on the load, high temps, positon of the switch etc. state law still requires us to see a visual break at the switch, so its not really cost effective to install remote switching at this time.