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RWD
09-28-2005, 02:46 PM
Folks I decided that maybe this would be better if it was a thread of it's own. I've been posting to Katrina 2 but it does not fit. A bit of history ....

Sudan has been at Civil war for over 20 years. Southern Sudan is of mixed religion ... albeit mostly Christian ... while northern Sudan is Muslim. When the government decided to follow Islamic law in or about 1984 the south revolted. Today ..... there is nothing. The south won here as far as they have autonomous government from the north and are setting up a democracy without the use of islamic law.

But folks there is nothing. We are working in the town of Yei. Over 35,000 folks durring the week and 50 or 60 on week ends. No power no water no real government... yet. We have now installed about 15 street lights and are going to have about 35 lit before we leave. We have set almost 100 pole. moving them by hand 15 to 20 guys per pole.... many over 1/2 mile to a mile from the pole yard. We have set them by hand with Pike poles and two handline shives in trees (shives on the 45' pole only. At this time we are installing only secondary for the street lights. (240v phase to ground) ( 50 cycle) Later we will install primary conductor and transformers. We should be able to connect around 1000 meters to businesses and government buildings. We are hopping to connect houses as well in the future. Wages here for grunt labor runs $3.50 per day.

Today a small boy walked by with baggies full of a local fruit drink. (not consumable by Gringo's) ( I used to do this work in Central and South America too) I asked him how much and he said about $0.10 us each. I said dig in guys and in less than 30 seconds the kid had sold out. Cost me $2.50 US to give 25 guys a treat and make a little kids day.

For more background check out my postings to Katrina 2.

This is part of my letter home to my wife. Edited so you linehands don't see the correct way to treat a lady, friend, Girl freind, and wife. My girl is all those and more and I'll stop there. Ok so I cut a bunch of the mushy sh@t out so you guy would not get sick!

We got a bunch more lights and conductor in the air. We now have 15 Lights connected and 3 more in the air that will be able to be energized tommorrow after we pull the connector line by them. I'm worn out but happy that the folks have really turned out to support us and the project. LAst night After we started the genset a guy stopped me and said "USA ALL THE WAY" Please tell Bush thank you and Tell him that if he wants to send his soldiers home from Bagdad just come here and ask us to replace them We've kicked the muslims out of here and we'll clean up Bagdad too .... for you! I told him I'd send Buddy Bush a note for him.

I'm looking around for some souveneers and I think I'v found some. There is a guy who makes his own instruments here. He has a thing that seems to be a cross between a harp and a banjo. Hope I can get it from him.

Some A-hole decided we did not need small reels of conductor. We have 1/2 mile reels and no trucks or equipment to handle them. Man power! 15 guys can roll a 3000 pound reel to the take off. A drill hole thru the pole to mount one end of the mandrel and an a frame made of crossarms for the other side. Then dig up the ground underneeth and guess what ... you can pull wire. We will have 40 guys pulling wire tommorrow. It's the only way to keep it off the ground. One man every 30 feet... no strining blocks .... no nothing.

We carry poles to the cross roads and block the roads with them so we don't have problems with traffic.

Tommorrow we should have about 20 street lights lit from 7 to 9:30 PM

Take care guys.

May God Bless You all and keep you safe!

RWD

RWD
09-28-2005, 03:31 PM
Ok guys it's time for bed. It's 10:30 PM here and about 3:30 pm eastern. We're running on solar power now and I'm bone tired. I'll try to post tommorrow night after we string some more of the Quadraplex.

RWD

RWD
09-30-2005, 02:13 PM
Yes it is a bit out in the sticks. Try one of the sat maps at night .... lets see we are about 7 hours ahead of you. at about 7:30pm we turn on the Genset. It's on until about 9:30 or 10 pm for now. Check it out durring that time frame and you should be able to see the 34 lights we got in the air. They are italian made junk with a white casing so a good portion of the light goes up to the sky.

We have done all that we can do. The big wigs are comming in to put thier blessings on things tommorrow. They Fly in tommorrow and the inauguration is tommorrow between 3pm and 6 pm. Get this we get to turn on the street lights durring the day so they can inaugurate it in time to drive to the airport and go home for the night. They'll be flying out before dark!

To date weve installed 84 poles, about 1.5 miles of Quadraplex a bunch of guys, all 34 lights that made it to the site, and a generator. Tommorrow morning we are practicing "flipping the switch" and doing any small cleanup we need to do.

Sunday we are going to try to take a day of rest (first one since I've been here) and we are going to take it easy on Monday.

Batteries dying so I'll close!

TTFN

RWD

RWD
10-02-2005, 04:37 AM
Ok so the inauguration went off without a hitch. I did make one mistake. Some of the big wigs did spend the night .... I wound up having to bunk with my boss so one of their staff could have my room. Worked out thogh. The Govenor flipped the "switch".

Some how they heard it was a "remote" control Genset. I had two small pocket radios and they gave one to the Govenor he pushed the call button and I ran in and flipped the breaker. ..... I guess that's remote enough for remote control.

The crowd thought it was awsome when he explained that all he had to do was "push this little button to start the genset!

We had between 1500 and 2000 people at the soccer field for the inauguration.

Well as for live Satitlites ... Your right. I don't guess there would be one ... but .... These would also bee the only bright lights in one or two hundred miles. Who knows what it would look like. I can see my house in North Carolina .... and the car in the driveway ... I'd guess with the right feed you could see the lights in Yei.

RWD

LostArt
10-02-2005, 05:13 PM
Hey! You forgot about me RWD..........I would love hearing the romance part of a letter! :D

Glad you are doing well. Keep sending us the stuff. We are all reading, but not all of us respond.

--LA

RWD
10-03-2005, 02:03 PM
Walking under the streetlights in Yei ... I'll tell you more about romance when I get to where I write.

I'm back on the way home to my spouse ... Girl Freind, lover and best friend..... She's going to pick me up at the airport.

Did get to see an awsome eclipse today. It was amazing.

Lost art just give the boss a hug and tell him you love him .... even if he stinks .... Feed him yourself now and then and he'll keep you on that pedistall you deserve..


RWD

LostArt
10-03-2005, 09:11 PM
On your way home, eh? Seems like that was a quick trip. But, maybe not for the missus.

Heh. I've been keepin' the boss busy RWD. Uh.......mowin' the grass, trimmin' the hedges.....cookin' out on the grill.......heh....but he had a good grunt (me) yesterday while we took off the lower unit on the boat motor so he can have it rebuilt.

Eclipse? Cool. Glad you are on your way back. Hope it was sucessful and rewarding trip RWD.

--LA

RWD
10-07-2005, 08:33 AM
Home .... for now. Lostart ... It was short. I've spent over 24 hours in the air ... one way to work for a few weeks. I'll put this together better once I'm settled in. This was scheduled to be a short one. We nneded to make an innitial impact then wait for the rest of the materials and equipment to get in. Once we get them on site ... and a place to live we'll be spending a bit more time on site.

TTFN

RWD

Hemingray Insulators
10-08-2005, 11:34 AM
Good to here you're home safe.

RWD
10-08-2005, 02:02 PM
All in all it was a great trip. Much to ponder on and and increadible experiance. Hemingrey, I brought you a spool insulator from the old system that was destroyed in or around 1982. It's made in China before that was the "common" thing to see. The trip home was uneventfull except for one small bump in Uganda. As we were landing at a dirt strip in a small town to drop off a missionary, A bull decided he wanted to cross the runway. We wound up in the grass swerving to miss the bull. I think the pilot had to change his shorts .... or at least check them he got out once we landed and ran to the bushes.

Other than that it was awsome flying over the White Nile and seeing lake Victoria. From Entebe we spent the night in Kampala. Good food there WE PIGGED OUT! Then it was Entebe to Nirobi. Nirobi Dubai, Dubai Atlanta and Atlanta Raleigh. Over 24 hours in the air. I forgot to get my miles updated!

Once I get the photo's developed I'll get some posted.

RWD

LostArt
10-08-2005, 05:36 PM
LOL! The pilot had to change his shorts, eh? Too funny RWD!

Can't wait for the pictures! Hurry up! **chuckles** Don't take so long, ya hear? Heh.

RWD
10-08-2005, 06:51 PM
If this works it's our pole trailer pole trailer If it does not work I'll send it to Lost Art to load up.

RWD

LostArt
10-08-2005, 07:43 PM
If this works it's our pole trailer pole trailer If it does not work I'll send it to Lost Art to load up.

RWD

Crap!! I can't even remember how to get the pic to the readjustment thingy RWD! Tee's me off!

I'm truly sorry. I'm gonna have to reteach myself on this thing again. It's been months since I have tried to post anything. So sorry buddy. But the pics are wonderful! Thanks for sending them so quickly to me!

RWD
10-08-2005, 08:01 PM
First week there we had poles and a few bolts swinging clevices and a few upset bolts. The poles a Creosote treated and made from Ucaliptus trees. The pole manufacturer had never had anyone order poles with holes predrilled or planed a pole for a gain. Holes are way out of cant with the gains and the pole sweat puddles of creosote. They are nasty.

They picked us up at the dirt airstrip airport in a microbus. The driver has dreadlocks and is drinking beer driving to fast on a dirt road. On top of it all there is no .... I repeat no offer of beer to us.... I'd guess he was neglected as a child. Air conditioner did not work either.... but then I don't think it ever did.

When we got to our humble abodes .... ok our hovels. We unloaded and went to the office. We were presented with the company vehicle ... a "Tonda" Yes with a "T" Tonday motercycle. Peice of Sh##t. This was to be our transportation for the next few weeks. Well this and our feet.

The office a few weeks before had been a bombed out shell of a house or something. They'd done a bunch to it and even started on the bathroom. A two hole. One will eventually have a true flush toilet ... the other is for those who feel more comfortable using the rustic way. It was not finished yet when we left. The bushes were well watered though and from the odor I assume that fertilizer was placed in stratigic locations as well.

The next day we started moving poles to their locations. 15 to 20 guys per pole gets it moved. We moved several poles and framed them as we could with the materials on hand. Myk had several pike pole made and we actually set one or two in descrete locations to give the guys some training before we had to do it in front of the townspeople. The next day we began in ernest. I'd guess we set 8 pole the first day. We continued that way for several days while we were waiting for our wire and other materials to arrive. The 45 footers we set by double shiving and rope ussing handline shives and pulling off a tree. They were pure hell. 30 guys pulling rope and 15 lifting the pole or moving the gin.

On Sunday one truck came in. On it was our quadraplex and our primary conductor as well as the ground wire and the small Genset. No guy wire though.

Unloading is for another story ... Suffice to say that Ashley and I were trying to figure out how many guys we could take out before they loaded us in a body bag. All kind of worked out in the end though. .... I mean we lived and no one else died either.

Monday we set the last of the poles we needed to in order to string some wire. The reels were larger than the reel stand we had so we made our own stand from cross arms and the pole. I'll post a picture once I figure out how.

Still no guy wire though so we used 1/0 conductor (ACSR) for guy strand ... we'll have to change it out next trip.

Pulling 1/0 quadraplex was not fun. We did not have any stringing blocks and we could not pull the reel stand so we placed guys every 20 feet of conductor pulled off the reel and took off. It was a chore keeping folks from driving over the wire but we got it done and were able to get the wire in the air at least over the roads.

We sagged and deadended the next day. Two dead ends per pole pulling a loop for service drops at each pole.

That night we installed one street light near the plant and at about 6:30 we started up the Genset. The Genset is located in what was the power plant in the early 80's it is also located in what is now the red lamp district.

There were about 20 or 30 people watching and a few moments later 2 or 3 ladies set up shop under the light ..... No not those kind of ladies .... real merchants. They were selling a pastry .... not pies. Myk asked one how much they were and how many she had. (one plate) He paid her about 3 cents each and told the kids to dig in ... they were gone in moments.

The next night we had about 5 lamps installed. there were 200 or 300 folks waiting and watching. We were now the good guys. The lady Myk had bought the paistries from was back under the light .... she had two platefulls tonight .... Ashley bought them and the kids were quick ... they were waiting and it was a neat site to see.

Enough for tonight.

RWD

Hemingray Insulators
10-09-2005, 06:53 PM
send the pics to swamprat, he's the man at picture adjustment.

RWD
10-09-2005, 09:04 PM
We built a gin out of 2 x-arms and had 4 pike poles ... at this point you can only see one as the other is hidden and the pole still needs to be raised higher for the other pikes to be placed.

Just to make sure you know which person I am .... I'm the guy in the white hard hat!

Thanks Swamp for posting these. I'll try to get some more posted soon.

RWD

RWD
10-10-2005, 03:23 PM
I just looked closer at the picture. This was a 40' pole by the Hospital. We decided to try using ropes and snatchblocks to raise it. If you look close there is a rope being pulled on the right. The photo is being shot from the base of a big old Mango tree. I tied a handline shive in the tree and another to the pole to gain mechanical advantage. We were testing this method on a 40 footer prior to trying it out on the 45 footers later that day. I had to buy about 400 feet of rope to set the 45 foot poles. They were a chore but I felt that it was safer with the rope and handline shives than with pile poles and hands that had never raised poles before. ..... especially hands that did not speak english well enough to listen to the word stop!

RWD

LostArt
10-10-2005, 03:37 PM
..... especially hands that did not speak english well enough to listen to the word stop!

RWD

YIKES!!! Oh man. Well, it's still impressive. I'm with Swamp, you are the bomb RWD!

RWD
10-10-2005, 08:59 PM
Ok after the second night with lights it became old hat. Every day we installed more lights and conductor and by the end of the third week we were ahead of the game.

We had to make do without several items that were not in yet. Such as Guy strand. It seems that the guy strand was on the second truck that due to one reason or another was held up at the border ..... Ok I know the reason but again .... thats another story.

We had to use 1/0 ACSR and preformed dead ends for guy strand. It'll have to be replaced later but we got it done. Another makeshift was dead end clevices. they were also on the second truck .... as were the ground rods .... as were the crossarm bolts .... V-braces ...... lead heads.... hard heads ... primary insulators.... you get the picture.

As for the dead end clevices. we yarded them off what was left of the old system. There were 6 poles left standing.

We were unable to install primary so we ran low voltage from the plant. It's amazing how far you can run 240V phase to ground when there is not much load on 1/0.

Another issue we had was the Quadraplex. The wire company had never made it before so I guess they did not know that the insulated wire did not have to be ACSR. Yep ... we have 4 ACSR conductors wrapped around one another. Talk about heavy and talk about a bitch to sag!

In the end we made it. There were lights to turn on for the inauguration.

I hesitate to post this part but .... On the day of the inaguration it was determined that I was to be the guy at the plant to flip the switch. (I don't do Dog and Pony shows well)

I had brought two hand held radios ... you know the little kids walky talkies that go about a mile. I was to be at the plant with the genset running and flip the switch when I heard the radio keyed. Myk gave the other one to the Govenor. (he'd flown in to "flip" the switch) Myk told him to push the button and the lights would come on.

After a bit of a speach ... the Govenor held up the handset and in an emotional statement said "We in Yei have stepped into the future. I have in my hand a "Remote" control ... much like the one used to change the chanel on the Television ..... With the push of this button I will remotly turn on the lights." He pushed the button and I hearing the key ran over and flipped the breaker. I heard that he turned and looked at the lights as they came on and the crowd made the appropriate ooohhsss and awwwws. My kids radios were now remote controls to a modern Genset !!!! Wow!

Ok I'll put the rest of the human interest stuff in another day. There is much to say about Yei and Southern Sudan and the needs that are grossly apparent there. Folks we have it good. Every once and a while try to remember what it'd be like without all the things you have. Without the food, water for drinking and showers, electricity and toilets.

Folks we are blessed ... lets try to keep it this way!

RWD

LostArt
10-11-2005, 07:26 AM
I hesitate to post this part but .... On the day of the inaguration it was determined that I was to be the guy at the plant to flip the switch. (I don't do Dog and Pony shows well)

I had brought two hand held radios ... you know the little kids walky talkies that go about a mile. I was to be at the plant with the genset running and flip the switch when I heard the radio keyed. Myk gave the other one to the Govenor. (he'd flown in to "flip" the switch) Myk told him to push the button and the lights would come on.

After a bit of a speach ... the Govenor held up the handset and in an emotional statement said "We in Yei have stepped into the future. I have in my hand a "Remote" control ... much like the one used to change the chanel on the Television ..... With the push of this button I will remotly turn on the lights." He pushed the button and I hearing the key ran over and flipped the breaker. I heard that he turned and looked at the lights as they came on and the crowd made the appropriate ooohhsss and awwwws. My kids radios were now remote controls to a modern Genset !!!! Wow!



:D Oh man. That is nice. I like these kinds of stories RWD. And I like Dbrown20's also. Have you read his in the Linework forum? Many of you guys have some good stories to tell.

Thanks for sharing your time in telling us this RWD. I, for one, like reading them. Even though I don't understand all the concepts to the "linework", I'm sure the other guys here do.

RWD
10-12-2005, 04:00 PM
The boss and the other boss. Myk (right) is the project manager, Mark (Left) is the Make it happen guy. Mark works with the local politics and make airplane tickets Visas and other non-technical things happen. This does not make him the "Office dude." He works hard and on more than one occasion kept us from Deep Du-du. He also made some real hard trips by roads that most mules would not travel to get us a small generator and a small refrigerator so we could have cold beer ... or soda at the end of the day. We could not have done any of this without him.

Myk ..... well Myk is Myk! He's the best all around engineer I've ever had the pleasure to work with. He is also and increadable teacher and has clumb sum. He'll be in the hooks next week because I'm not there and some of the clean up still needs to be completed. His leadership is awsome .... He is able to take large imposible tasks and break them into small managable peices. His skill at substation and line design coupled with hands on experiance and managment skills make you work your ass off and like it. .....and he does not know about this website. .... neither does Mark.

RWD
10-12-2005, 04:03 PM
Seen behind this anchor installation is one of the local houses called a "Tucal" The anchor is being tamped by ... I think it's Kenneth a local "crew chief" for lack of a better term.

RWD
10-12-2005, 04:11 PM
Here Ashley Johnson and I take a break. Day is done and we're in the office taking a bit of a rest before we go home. Ashley is from South Carolina and one of the hardest working linehands I've ever seen. Quick and soft of tongue. The guys loved him and so did all of the little kids. He was forever giving out candy or toys that he brought with him to the local kids. They followed him around like he was Santa Clause. By the time we were done the local guys were calling him a "White" Dinka. The dinka tribe are known for thier hieght and for thier strength and stamina. Ash is tall skinny and works harder than most mules. And yes that is really the office. The other wall had the computer and the copier on a desk.

RWD
10-12-2005, 04:12 PM
Here we are seen loading the pole trailer.

RWD
10-12-2005, 04:20 PM
If I did I have to explain things that did not happen while I was there.

RWD
10-12-2005, 04:26 PM
There were about 5 butcher shops in Yei. Each killed a cow every day or so and sold it as meat. All cutting was done with an axe or a machete type of knife called a panga. What you get is bone fragments in your fillet minon.

Many thanks to the "swamprat" for editing the photo's for me. Real thanks man! I'll try to get some more edited in the days to come but I'm sure we all have other work to do!


More to come, RWD

LostArt
10-12-2005, 07:29 PM
These are really great RWD. I like that last one. It would make a great watercolor pic.

Can't wait to see more. So............what did the tribesmen call you?

RWD
10-12-2005, 07:44 PM
The market pictures I have will soon be posted. Now they would be great watercolors. As for what they called me .... It I told you everyone would know my name.

I'll have to ask as they did not say these things to the person but amongst themselves ... I just happened to hear them talking about Ashley.

they were running bets as to who would give out first. I think I lost. I never gave up but I moved much slower after a while. I am 19 years older than Ash and had been out of the hooks for a few years. New boots! new gear ... Broke all of it in on the pole. Blisters on the feet and calves. It was torture but I loved every minute of it.

RWD

LostArt
10-12-2005, 08:00 PM
Ten four. I just wondered if the tribesmen there had a nickname for you.

Yes, you know I would love the bold colors of those marketplace pics. My medium is not really watercolor. I do colored pencil, but I can just see how a watercolor artist would love that kind of pic.

Are you going back RWD?

RWD
10-12-2005, 09:41 PM
Yep there is a lot of work to be done. If I don't do it someone else will have too. I wouldn't want that now would I! I'm trying to free up time in January and february.

RWD

RWD
10-12-2005, 10:11 PM
Note my hand in the picture .... Small little guy isn't he. The deer lives in the compound I stayed in ... Wild but acustomed to people. His name was Dik Dik

The little by is turning the wheel that turns the grindstone his father is using to sharpen an axe.

RWD
10-12-2005, 10:13 PM
Ok here is one of the market phot'os for you LA

RWD
10-12-2005, 10:15 PM
Nuff said It was a small pole

RWD
10-12-2005, 10:16 PM
Here is a photo of the reel stand we made.

highlineswitcher
10-12-2005, 10:48 PM
Rwd
Its Been Said For A Long Time Where Theres A Will Theres A Way
Guess You Have The Will .
Great Stories And Pictures Keep Up The Great Work

LostArt
10-13-2005, 12:21 AM
I've not see a deer quit like that one before. Nice pics. And I love the MarketPlace one you posted RWD. Thank you buddy.

Did you take most of the pics yourself?

RWD
10-13-2005, 08:40 AM
Ok I guess I did find out who was footing the bill for this little project. I still don't know what the total will be but it's small compaired to most AID projects.

On this Reel of wire you see the folks who paid for this project. USAID stands for the United States Agency for International Developement. Yep this is where some small part of your tax dollars go to. I a humble conservative .... feel that in this case it's a worthy cause.

I will note that the budget on this job will go mostly to materials as there are only 2 long term staffers Myk and Mark. They will be on project 3 years. Other than local labor for grunt work there are a few long term hire locals. Thomas, Kenneth, and Charles. The rest of the training and tallent staff are brought in only when there is actually work to be done and many of us a pure volunteers.

In most cases the company that the lineman works for pays for thier wages as if they were working at the Co-op. USAID thru NRECA pays for the travel and lodging. Some Volunteers that work overseas for NRECA actually take vacation to do so. This is not a paper tiger. This is the real thing. It really hurts to leave these places. Yes you know you have done a good job but there is still so much left to do.

Again Thanks Swamprat for the photo adjustments.

RWD

RWD
10-13-2005, 06:42 PM
A local wood shop ready for electricity. Yep he's rip cutting a board with a hand saw.

RWD
10-13-2005, 06:45 PM
Here is a shot from the pole by the customs yard. It shows some of the quadraplex installed.

RWD
10-13-2005, 06:47 PM
Rained ... And rained.... Only one day though. This was the compound we lived in.

RWD
10-13-2005, 06:52 PM
The plane home. They had 2 55 gallon drums freighted in for refueling. This is Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) Great planes and great pilots!

RWD
10-13-2005, 09:32 PM
This is through National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) International Programs division. They are based in Arlington Va. They are on the Web but for the most part they take volunteers for short term stints. I've worked as on staff lineman/trainer for them in the past but at this time pick'ns are few and far between to make it full time for them. Mostly companies pay the linehand as if they were at home working and NRECA/USAID picks up travel and expenses plus a small stipind for food and beverage.

RWD

RWD
10-14-2005, 08:32 PM
Guys let me know what you think or at least ask me some questions!

RWD

LostArt
10-14-2005, 09:49 PM
"Never Give Up" in your beliefs. May seem like you're talkin to yourself sometimes....but ya ain't.

The "silent majority" is "readin". :-) :-)

I agree.

RWD..........most of the guys that are registered here only read. And the other few thousand just lurk. But, they read. Believe me, they read.

As Swamp said, keep posting!

HighPotter
10-14-2005, 11:24 PM
RWD....what did the original job consist of? The sourse is/was a genset? Were you going to backfeed some x formers?.... What this just to electrify this town..or did it have a specific purpose.

Very interesting man

HP

RWD
10-15-2005, 09:35 AM
I guess I should do a bit of a history

Full project scope is to electrify the town of Yei Sudan. It's a town of 36,000 people living on the edge and at the end of a 20 year civil war. The town jumps to 60,000 on week ends. It is expected that 3000 consumers will be connected by the end of the project. Mostly business and government. We are trying to expand to homes as well. ALL WILL BE METERED. the projected price of electricity will be $0.35 per KWH. Yes expensive but it has to pay for itself. The price may go down as the load increases. A Co-op will be created to operate the system.

There is a lot of people taking advantage of the situation to get rich. There is also a lot of projects going on that are health and economic related. Very few projects are "brick and Mortar" Living conditions are rough and most projects start out with houses being built for the foreigner and cars and trucks being ordered for them to drive. About 18 months into a 3 year project most start living there and doing the project or they try to operate by coming in every few weeks to "guide" the locals. We went the other way. The people needed to see results so we gave them street lights in the main part of town.

3 months ago Myk staked the initial lines and ordered materials. Holes were dug and we set poles and installed quadraplex. The power plant installed now is a 75KW that was ordered initially to power the NRECA compound. Diesel powered. We did not have the time to try to determine load for transformer sizing and the primary was designed but the materials did not arrive in time for framing.

The Power plant has been ordered and step up transformers for the substation. The new plant will be a 400kw with switchgear to allow for a second unit to be installed when load is there to support it. The primary will be 11 KV.

Hydro has been talked about but the only local site is about 25 miles away from town and is projected to be around 1000 KW so the expense could never be justified.

The reason ..... These folks need power. The town will stay in the dark ages without it. The local hospital has to start the generator to take an xray. There are several load centers that have their own generators that are costing them about $1.50 per kwh.

This is one of many towns in need. We hope to expand into other towns following this model if the funding shows up. It's really not that expensive compared to construction here in the states.

RWD

RWD
10-16-2005, 12:47 PM
Ashley Johnson is a lineman working for a Co-op in South Carolina. While I've talked about him earlier I need to express that without his unselfish and calming presence much of the work accomplished could not have been completed in time. Ashley is a soft spoken gentel man with a deep rooted love for his fellow man. He looks after the little folk. It is amazing how much attention he was able to pay to the children in the town ... and still do more work than the rest of us combined. He never complained when I was lagging behind and looked forward towards completion instead of back at the problems encountered that caused him to shoulder more work load. Hats off to Ashley! His wife and child were also with him in heart and he spoke of them often.

His repoir with the local labor force made them people who worked with us instead of for us. His calm voice drew more attentions than my loud yells. I'd guess these folks had heard a lot of yelling in the past and were not used to soft words of encouragement.

RWD

MDK
10-22-2005, 11:12 AM
Okay, I won't just lurk this time. This is your big sister, RWD. I don't know about the lineman stuff, but I enjoyed reading this anyway, loved the photos, and I am very proud of you. Also proud of your wife and that darling child of yours for letting you do this!

RWD
10-22-2005, 04:49 PM
Thanks sis. I'll make sure to bring the rest of photo's down next time we get to Highpoint.

RWD

RWD
12-09-2005, 07:11 PM
Ok Guys I thought I'd revive this thread. I'm gearing up to go back in January. Myk emialed and asked me to pick up a few more belts and hooks. Get this .... 13 and 14" D's. I'm going to try out a new rig this time myself. Buckingham has a new nylon belt. It's light and there are no worries about mildew or rot while in storage.

Has anyone ever used the rope hoists they sell at Halls? Got a new catalog todya and I'm wondering if I should take a few of them instead of those knuckle busting cable hoists.

Updates as we get closer and updates while I'm there. We have 2 new souls volunteering this time. BTW of the 6 "Gringo's last time 2 came down with Malaria. Modern wonders.

RWD

Patriot
12-10-2005, 12:00 AM
Any chances of becoming a volunteer? Even paying my own way?

RWD
12-10-2005, 04:21 PM
Patriot I just sent you a private message.

Swamp, It's been quick. I've a pile of stuff to do both for my shop and for the project before I leave. Myk just asked me to pick up a theodolite (transit) fully optical with no electronics. I've already been laughed at by a vendor. I guess trailing edge has moved past optical transits.

Since I left they have recieved two Toyota double cab Hilux pickups and a toyota land Cruiser. They are trying to give the vendor back the land cruiser. Peice of Sh!t. One of the winches was installed upside down on one Hilux and the landcruiser is falling apart.

Hilux is the best damn pickup in the world for that kind of country. I had on in El Salvador. Goes where hummers dare to go! (Myk has a Hummer) his was too wide for some places we played.

Myk indicated they had installed almost all of the secondary we did not get to and they were getting ready to hand the last mile or so towards the market place. We'll be focusing on framing poles and pulling 3 phase primary over the top of the new existing quadraplex.

If he has received pots and meters, we'll hang some of them and hook up some business and government offices too.

As for time? We have to be in Uganda by the 16th of January and I'm scheduled in Orlando by the 14th of February for the NRECA anual meeting, so it look like a little longer on the ground but not much. I hope to have at least a day at home in between so I can wash myself and get some nicer clothes.

We'll see!

RWD

RWD
01-12-2006, 10:30 PM
Well folks it's time once again to go to Sudan. This time I'm graced with Tyler Marken from South Dakota and David Alejandro Valdes from Nevada. Both have worked with NRECA as volunteers in the Dominican Republic. They worked in the clean up after a hurricane. I've never met the boys but I'm damn sure they know what their doing ..... and I'm damn sure they're about to have a once in a lifetime experience. We've loaded up on dehydrated foods and tools and some materials. At this point if we've forgotten anything we'll have to make due without. Into the valley rode the 500 ......

I'll try to post as I can. We actually leave our homes Saturday and arrive in Yei on Tuesday .... I think.

I will say that I've added about 20lbs since the last trip. I expect to be back down to 165 or so by the time I return. Need to lose weight ...... Come to the "Sudan"

As I said ... At least this time we have two pick up trucks! We'll have to make our own grounding rigs. Back off safety boys! The substation is not finished yet and there are no connections to the primary yet .... Ok so there is no primary yet but we'll rectify that! No induction, just the possibility of static charge from the dry wind of the dry season. The nearest transmission line is ohhhh about 300 miles away and the nearest primary is a few hundred miles as well. Back feed from a Genset? sorry guys since there are no meters or service drops yet .... Hell there are no wired buildings either.

Next trip I'll bring the stuff for a grounding chain.

I'll update as possible and upload new photo's if I can from there or if not when I get back. Swamp ... do you still have some photo's of the army? If so you can post now. I''ll post some when I return if you don't.

RWd

RWD
01-12-2006, 10:46 PM
http://www.nrecainternational.org/international/CountryProjects/projects/sudan/sudan2.htm

Try this one! it's official NRECA

RWD

Co-opman
01-13-2006, 07:32 AM
RWD,
Thanks for taking initiative and letting me get to know you. Be careful over there and I'll be praying for you.
Co-op

LostArt
01-13-2006, 07:35 PM
I'm always interested in the linework, you know that. However, don't forget to take pics of the "other stuff" which is going on. :D You know...........more of an artist angle RWD. Heh.

You take care and I look forward to your return buddy! Be careful!!

RWD
01-13-2006, 10:50 PM
Co-op thanks Prayers are welcome ... for some odd reason this feels a little different this time.

LA I'll get you some art this time! Military civillian and some other stuff you might like as stills.

Wheels up around 4 pm Saturday.

RWD

RWD
01-14-2006, 08:57 AM
The first one is the Ugandan army. The LRA (Loards resistance army) were known to be in the area and these bastards are as bad as they come. The LRA to my understanding is trying to get Uganda to change to a government run by the 10 Commandments. They don't even ask for stuff. They simply wipe out a village then take what they want. Thankfully there are not many of these guys and Uganda has permission to enter Sudan to track them down if needed. I'd say these were truck mounted anti air or howitzers ... But I was not in artillery.

The second and third pictures are of the SPLA. This is the Southern Peoples Liberation Army. Many are now being integrated into the Sudanese military. At first were told not to take photo's of them. When we left they said shoot away ... With a camera that is!

Thansk for posting these Swamp.

NRECA meeting is later in the month, 22nd or something. It looks like I'll get to at least change my clothes before I go down to your neck of the woods. I'll get the info to you.

RWD

woody
01-14-2006, 10:52 PM
Man where to start? This is without question the best thread in the forum. I apoligize for not reading it sooner! Haven't posted...because I haven't seen it until tonight. RWD is the MAN as far as I'm concerned in LINEWORK today! And he has a good buddy right beside him...Ashley! Man my hat is tipped to both of you bigtime...right on brothers! Bringing light where it's never been before...truly amazing! The best parts are about human manpower...YES and human endurance and know-how! Man vs. Machine...I saw this one time once when I was younger. I worked on a barge up in alaska and we loaded at a dock with a crane...material for a village community center. We off loaded on the beach at the village...by hand...the entire community showed-up...busted the bands on plywood...2by4rs...etc...and walked them up the beach. We BEAT the loading time by 1 hour! Nothing beats the HUMAN SPIRIT! RWD keep on posting...keep on living...avoid the bad guys...and come back home! LOL woody

RWD
01-18-2006, 01:59 PM
Thanks But the truth is it takes a bunch more than me. The folks that live and work here putting things together are the ones I salute! Myk, Mark, and Lupe.Americans who live in the towns we just come to visit.

Anyhow I thought I'd post a note to let you guys know we made it back into Yei. I've only lost one bag. It has the tripod for the theodolite so staking line might be a chore until we get it back.

I'll try to post a bit more tommorrow night when I can get a spare laptop to work on. These guys need all of the screen time they can get to keep the sanity in place.

RWD

RWD
01-20-2006, 01:28 PM
Ok second time around on this one!

Damned laptop keeps dumping my blog!

Tuesday we made it in short some luggage but in one peice.

Weds we set some short poles up in the yard and taught how to install crosarms and armor rod.

Thursday Well I pissed off Dave a bit but we did get some work done. We installed two C-1's and one C-2.

Today we installed two c-7's and a C-1. Had to quit early because it was local payday. Guys everywhere want to get off .... early on payday.

Got into the good compound and if all goes well I'll get to stay here a few weeks. If not ... Well that'll suck.

Hope the luggage that was lost shows up! It's got tools and some more Dehydrated foods.

The rest that made it to uganda will show up thursday on the next open flight.

Talk soon guys. Pray for my wife. I'm here having fun and she's running the shop and raising a 14 year old duaghter and two dogs!

RWD

RWD
01-21-2006, 12:18 PM
Got to the office about 8am today. Not much going on. We've dropped to a 5 day work week as the heat is off for the time being. This trip we're going to install primary over the 240/415 we installed last time around. The pots have yet to arrive and Myk is not concerned. We're short meters and service drop conductor too. We should be able to get the primary in the air prior to jumping ship this time. Connecting consumers will be next trip out. Looks like June.

Spent the day installing rafters at the office for the kitchen. We also put up a solar clothes drier (clothes line). Then we were off to the NRECA compound which is under consrtuction. Two small three bedroom houses to house the Ex-pats for the rest of the project. There is/was an old water tower on site. abandoned in the 80's we worked on removing the old metal tank and getting it ready for the new tanks to be installed next week end. once we get the line extended to thecompound they'll actually have running water and a real place to live. That'll be in August or so.

It's the dry season here. It's rained a few times at night. almost enough to keep the dust down ...... NOT!

Next week we'll focus on hanging crossarms and insualtors. Then the wire pulling starts. Food is running short so I hope the "lost" and delayed luggage gets here soon.

I've got some used boots in the luggage to give the guy's It'll be nice to see them climbing in something besides dress shoes and rubber boots.

RWD

woody
01-21-2006, 09:10 PM
RWD, sudan has been in a civil war off and on for forty years and travel advisories are only for war correspondents and relief workers. Your part of the latter and have posted about some of the bad guys running about...my question is what kind of security do you have at your location? Also is it much different than say El Salvador...where there are problems also(kidnapping...gangs, etc....didn't say when you were there)? Just wondering...also asking questions about four months late! woody

woody
01-22-2006, 12:15 AM
Yeah swampy, I know it takes a special type and all...but man...2million dead...genocide...I went places for love of country and nothing more. Everything else WAS secondary...SELF PRESERVATION was Primary! But this IS different. Also...was well trained and armed and had many like that all around me. woody

RWD
01-22-2006, 09:50 AM
Things are a bit rustic here. Not much in the way of amenities. Yep there are a lot of armed personel here, but ... They all want to see the power on as well. I'm sure there are some wako's ... there always are but You could die from a chicken bone on your front porch too.

As for how we are armed ... Well I'm armed like most folks ... two one on the left and one on the right. Got 5 fingers and a hand on both of them ... some are a bit banged up ... But I don't really guess thats what you meant.

As in all war zones (there is peace here now) being a stranger with a gun makes you a primary target in a fire fight. I decided a long time ago that carrying a weapon is not a positive thing. Lets say I have a nice little 9MM .... All I'm going to do is get the guy with the machete to go get a buddy. If I have an AK ... Well they'll have more .... And as I said. A person with a gun who is not on a side durring a fire fight is a primary target. Kill first and say sorry later. I can duck and run or hide. I try not to be a threat. Woody funny you should mention El Salvador .... Been there ... done that .... Hell I made the shirts. 7 years, My daughter was born there.

I've done this in many countries. It's a bit safer I think. If I truley need a gun ... I don't need to be there. Someone always has a bigger gun.

Food well at least in El Salvador we had decent food in the field. Here we bring Dehydrated food stuffs to eat a big good lunch and make due with local fare for breakfast (if we get one) and dinner. Places to live can vary. This time ... so Far I've been able to stay at the CRS compound. Actually have hot water for a shower when the generator is on. Flush toilet too! Some of the other guys are making due with another compound that has outhouses. Part of the game though.

I do this because I love what I do ... not for the money it's not that good. Not much more than an average lineman this go around. I'll actually lose more money because I'm away from my shop at home than I'll make here.

Besides that If I didn't do it somebody else would get to! Woody I was also 5 years active navy Seabees.

In the end when the book is writen about my life ... will it be boring or would someone enjoy reading it? I prefer to live life doing things that others read and write about rather than living my life through reading about others.

God and country are worth fighting and dying for ... Adventure ... now thats worth living through!

RWD

LostArt
01-22-2006, 10:13 AM
God and country are worth fighting and dying for ... Adventure ... now thats worth living through!

RWD

You Go RWD!

Glad to see you are doing well sir. Hope you at least get to hear from home now and then. Your lovely wife must be a special lady buddy.

Take care and I'll look forward to the next chapter! :D

--LA

CenterPointEX
01-22-2006, 10:27 AM
It may be a sin, but I envy you sir... Godspeed

RWD
01-23-2006, 12:23 PM
LA I'm married to my girlfriend, My lover and my wife! She is a very special woman. For some reason she does not like it when I put her on a pedistal ... But she's there in my eyes all the same.

CP What you feel is not a sin! Could you steal it form me ... I think not. To covet or envy is the desire to do that thing above all others. I don't think your there yet. A little desire is not a sin. But then Who am I to preach to the choir?

I've been through much and will continue to remember the good things.... Lifes to short to dwell on the bad ... unless your making a joke out of it ... Kind of like trying to pass an SBD and finding it wern't no gas that passed!

Regardless here is todays run

We pulled 4 spans of primary today. Dead ended and sagged. Not much for a morning but we are teaching new line hands as we go. We also worked with them on raising 4 crossarms and getting things read for the longer pull. The rest of this week We'll be framing poles in the air and hanging the travelers. Shortage on 1/4" pea line will have us climbing all of the poles more than we want to. Last time I was here there was more of it in the market than you could shake a stick at. This time I've even tried 1/16 nylon ... don't work.

The pots won't be in before we leave this time but we may get time to build the structure for the sub. It'll be simple. 3 ,167KVA pots and a little switch gear. This sub is temporary and will be abandoned when we get a final location for the power plant.

Interesting day though. Working with volunteers from all over the states we see different methods of doing the same thing. I've always uses a torpedo level to level a crossarm. Both of the other guys say they never have. Lots of small differences but we're starting to work better together.

I picked up a bit of the croup on Friday and seem to be hacking my lungs out. Guess thats part of the game! I'm taking some stuff for it (Natural) but if it does not go a way in a few more days I'll have to try something stronger ... Like moonshine! ;)

Connection is real slow tonight. I was unable to get onto yahoo mail. I'd have liked to sent a note to my girl friend.... and my wife and daughter. :p

I hope I can tommorrow it seems they've been having a tuff time of it. (I was able to download an E-mail at the other compound durring lunch)

Oh yes! I had to move to a new compound today. Seems some yuckity yuck had more umpf than I do. I'm back to a bath from a bucket and a room with no view. (not that I had a view at the other place) Kind of sucks but if everything was great ..... how would you know it. Got to have bad to understand how good you can have it!

I'm off to read a bit more of the forum and to try once more to log onto yahoo.

Take care guys!

RWD

RWD
01-25-2006, 11:36 AM
Well yesterday the genset was down so I was unable to blog. We raised 10 C-1 structures and two C-2 structures. Worn out and get back to no lights and cold food. I just love this new compound!

Today I replaced a few guys and hung some streetlights. We'd used ACSR for guy wire last time as the Guy strand had not come in in time. We're ready to pull wire tommorrrow. My belt hooks and the kellums grip is in the bag that has yet to get to me. I'm climbing in what I brought last time and sharing with 10 other guys. We have 3 belts a 4 sets of hooks. My bag has three more belts and and 3 sets of hooks. It's sheduled in sometime tommorrow if the local bush pilot can be believed.

Anyhow we also rigged 2 c-7's and a C-1 today. We'll run some light clean up in the morning and try to get the center phase pulled on a 3/4 mile run before lunch. Afternoon should be spent pulling in the outside phases and possibly sagging it in.

This Saturday we are hoping to make a run to Juba. The capital of Southern Sudan. It's about 75 miles form here and were told we can make it in about 4 to 5 hours. They say the road is one of the best in and out of Yei. I don't want to try the worst.

On a brighter note I did get a jerry can of hot water tonight to take my bowl wash. Felt nice to get some of the dust off with a hot sponge bath. They heat the water with a wood fire and dip it into a jerry can to bring it to us. I use about 1/2 and hide the can for the next day. That way I can mix the cold water with the scalding water to take the bath when I get to the compound. I don't have to wait several hours to let it cool off first. Ahhh the lap of luxury!

Nice chat folks talk again when I can!

RWD

woody
01-25-2006, 08:12 PM
RWD, hey my hats tipped to you...seebee and all! Meet some seebees once in central america...didn't ask em too many engineering questions(since I was down there tdy as an army engineer;)...I just like asking questions to people that live the life of adventure! You answered them ten-fold...keep posting my friend and come home. Sometimes living the life takes on too much...too much adventure so to speak. Not talking about you of course...but seen it happen to near and good friends. Don't really have anything to add to this. woody

Bear_Boomer
01-26-2006, 12:10 AM
Sounds like your still working with a basic set of tools, just like the Battalions would issue us. Once again you embody the spirit of of a true Seabee! Stay safe and sane in your journey. Bear :cool:

RWD
01-26-2006, 01:47 PM
Yes it's basic tools again Bear ... At least we had a bucket and an A frame on Adak! I'll have to tell you how I got the snow removal to start plowing us out and the marines to stop calling alerts everytime we went to the armory to change lights ... but thats another couple of tales.

Woody I was in Central america for 7 years. Loved it. Civillian though. Met some Bee's there too.. Mostly FTNrs' But then they were there for several months attached to a weed end warrior detatchment. Other guys rotated out but the poor Bee's lived in tents and had to put up with the officers who had just come in from the states whre everything and all was avaliable.

Hot and dusty today. I'd love to see a bit of rain. The roads are pure dust and pulling wire today (by hand) was torture. The following Is what I sent my wife. Once again I'm sorry LA I left out the mushy stuff!

As for work ... things went well today. We pulled wire on the long stretch (about 3/4 of a mile) Seems much longer when you walk it 6 time durring a day. I ... so far have not felt any weight loss. The Dehydrated foods are helping a lot. I'm getting one killer tan too. Farmers tan but I'm getting one. Twisted my ankle today. not too bad but I'll limp for a day or two. Tommorrow we sag and tie the wire into the poles. That'll be much less walking. More climbing though.

Both Dave and Tyler are good hands. Thier knowledge far exceeds mine. Both have extensive Co-op experiance and apart or together bring a lot to the table. I wonder if I would be up to thier level if I had stayed at a co-op. Both work well with the guys and we are making great progress. The lost luggage came in today. I'll have the last of the donated boots given away by end of day. I'll try to take a picture of the guys in the shoes to bring back. I'm going to post on my powerline blog for more boot donations for the next trip ... If we can make it happen. The guys are really appreciative. IIt's nice to have the rest of the tools as well. I missed my Bashlin hooks and my personal belt! Some of the guys have already snagged my belt it fits them better than the ones we left here.
Since last time there have been some improvements. Even here at CWEPC the compound I'm now staying in. Actually had edible spagettie tonight. I'll really see how good it was in the morning ..... if I get the shits ... I guess I'll know it was not quite as good as I thought!

Did get to see a few old friends today for the first time since last trip. Crazy lady. who walks around topless and tried to sell me a battery today. I simply said no thanks and walked away. Damn good thing I had my hard hat on! The battery would have hurt if she'd hit me in the head without it! Now before you say "TOPLESS!" I think this ladies "top" shrivled up long ago. Ever seen a banana peel left hanging out for a day or two? That might give you a picture.

Also met the "Crazy guy again. He's still in chains but someone had the coutesy of putting clothes on him .... Too bad they did not teach him to keep the smock closed though ..... He has both feet chaind together and another chain around his waist that also goes to one hand. He tends to walk up to the unexpecting and "show his wares". I guess the keep the chains on him so people can run away.... or if he offends too much so he can't run to fast to be caught. .... I wonder what Freud would think?

Have not seen any real beatings this time. That does not mean they are not happening just that they are not where I'm at.

Had some excitment at the "gas" station today! It's really two 20 foot cargo containers with a pump. Caught on fire and almost went up!

Awsome man!

The power plant will go off soon and alond with it the internet. Write more tommorrow if I can get online!

RWD

RWD
01-27-2006, 12:20 PM
Well les\ts see ... where to start. Today we sagged the line we pulled on Thursday. Then clipped it in. 21 poles of three phase some angles but no Neut. We had strung the quadraplex in the neutral possition last time around. Not bad for some old farts and a few new trainies.

Saw a few new sights today too. New crazy guy ... or a real exabitionist! Walking down the main street in nothing but a single rubber boot on his right foot. Walked right up to one of the traffic cops and talked to him for a bit them wandered off. Later he was reported to be seen carrying the boot.

Also saw a guy who must have been straight from the bush. loin skin and a bow and arrow. My my .. The things you see in Yei.

Tommorrow we are off to Juba. Unless the bottom falls out tonight. It's about 100 miles from here and reported to be a 5 hour drive. We are prepaired to spend the night. NO ONE drives on these roads at night.

I'll try to post about the trip when we get back. and no LA ..... I did not take picture of either of the sights today. Got some others though. One good one of a bicycle turned into a grinding wheel.

TTFN

RWD

RWD
01-28-2006, 12:03 PM
Drove to Juba today past many burned out tanks and mine feilds. Juba is now the capital of Southern Sudan. We had to drop a truck off for the new guy who will be working there over the next year..... poor sod. System is in real bad shape and since determining that it'll be the new capital there in a major lack of housing. he'll have to live in a tent city for ayear. It's over $1,000 US a month! For a Tent in a secure area! The drive was 4.5 hours each way. It was a long trip. It seems Juba was a southern sudan city controlled by the north. the actuall battle lines were around mile marker 40. We passed the de-mining crew at mile 42. As I said it was 4.5 hours one way! it's less than 100 miles of dirt road littered with the burnt out hunks of tanks and transport trucks that did not finish the war.... or the mines left after the war.

I'm trying to dig up the stuff for a real lunch tommorrow, I can get canned mushrooms and chedar cheese in the market and fresh eggs are plentiful. I'm going for omelets.... now if I can just find a piece of steel to cook them on!

As I said it was a long day!

I'll write more tomorrow if I can get this computer charged up.

RWD

RWD
01-29-2006, 01:39 PM
Ok so today was Sunday ... a day of rest .... NOT! Ok so we worked a little. Spent the morning putting a roof over the outdoor kitchen. It'll keep the rain out when it comes and the ladies will be able to cook for the guys in a better place. It's going to sport three cooking units ... Ok 3 barbaque pits. and a lock up for food at night. The rinse/wash table is over by the outhouse.

Also was able to put together the omelete brunch for the rest of the "gringo's" Three egg omeletts with mushrooms cheese onions and Spam! Yep good old Spam! Got pictures too.

Later we replaced the ends on the clutch cable on the Tonda motorcycle. Took acouple of bolts the right size and drilled a hole and stuck it the cable thru. Then Beat it good with a hammer.... It worked. When the nearest parts store is 500 miles it's amazing what you can build or make work!

Regardless it was a good day. Wrote my love about the day to and got an e-mail from the daughter. 14 and she actually told me about a guy she likes ... who likes her too!

Proud I am to have a girl like her!

Tommorrow will be another day!

RWD

LostArt
01-29-2006, 01:53 PM
Hey there RWD! Glad you are still surviving the roughness. Boy howdy you are a tough one.

Whoa............might not be any mooshy stuff in your chapters, but it sure is entertaining in some spots. Nekkidness runs rampid there, eh? Heh. I like reading your..........uh......interesting input on descriptions. :D

You take care and keep us posted buddy!

--LA

RWD
01-30-2006, 01:08 PM
As I sit here under the equatorial African sky (stars) typing away one finger stroke at time, misspelling words in the dark and feeling "necked"... I reflect on the days gone by with wishfull thinking. Ok so I'll cut to the chase! LA if'n I was anywhere other that in a religious zelots compound I try to be writing this Neckid.... under the stars But this is the hotel of last resort. If'n I git kicked outa here I'll be sleeping in the office with the goat.... and the other guy who can't get a room in town! Sorry but niether one is my type!

Today was a monday for sure. Many things were done and some were done again. Tools materials and supplies dissapeared and then showed up again as it the were never missing.

We are now working on a shorter section of line that will eventually connect the new powerplant ( to be built in a few months) to the downtown area. It's not all of the line just a small portion that will be extended once the been plant has been intalled. Tuesday we should have the line ready to pull wire and weds we will pull wire sag and if all goes well start clipping in. When this section is done I think Myk and I will break off and start staking line for the next phase of the project. Dave and Tyler will continue to build some of the branch circuits in single phase. We have no meters nor transformers so we can't start connecting consumers yet. They are shceduled to arrive in april or may. Myk is asking of Amanda and I can return in June. She would live with Myk and Lupe and I with Mark.

The houses are comming along well. Both are three bedroom with 2 baths and are small but efficient. They are going to get satelite TV, air conditioning and Washer and dryers and all of the other comforts of home..... OK so this is southern Sudan .... Creature comforts rate high. Myk has also talked about shipping in good food (frozen) packed in dry ice. Right now it's like camping ... Ok an extended camping trip like outward bound .... only the natives are a bit rustic!

The dehydrated foods are holding out well. We should be able to leave some for the staff when we leave. We've been limiting our consumption to one a day with local foods as a suppliment. No bad results so far but who knows where montezuma may pop up.

Tuesday Mark .... The malcontent who is no longer welcome at the other "hotels " in town is going on a shopping trip to Kampala. His goal is to spend a week or so getting appliances for the houses so that food and laundry can be appropriatly processed once they are completed. We wish him luck. If he succedes we will have the only mechanical washer and dryer in a few hundered if not thousands of miles. His only error here has been that he complains when the toilet does not flush or the food suck and is cold. I hope he keeps his mouth shut for a bit until his house is finished and we can all move in.

As for the Necked folks .... Missed them all today. Guess I was too focused or they may have took the day off. I am actually looking forward to sponsoring a wet t-shirt contest next time around ,,,, Yeh right!!!!

LA it was nice to here from you. I see that many folks read but few post and I'd like to here form some of the readers. If the asked questions about things here I'd try to look around a bit and find out more. I'm focused on the work and unless prompted don't look for the human side of the equation.

Thanks again LA.

Talk soon!
RWD

Orgnizdlbr
01-30-2006, 01:37 PM
RWD, it sure sounds "rustic" there for sure. I guess if you can focus on work you can forget about all of the other stuff going on around you. I read your posts with interest. The story about the guy who had one boot on and was naked had me chuckling. It musta been some sight! You stay safe over there....keep yer head down and get back here safe. Orgnizdlbr

Three
01-30-2006, 07:22 PM
I read that the poles you're working with are made of eucalyptus. How are they to climb compared to the pines & such we get back here in the states?

woody
01-30-2006, 09:50 PM
RWD, hope mark completes his mission...geez just goes to show-ya...even in the middle of nowhere...there's always a whinner, complainer! Gotta love it! Hope it's at least entertaining watching the malcotent. Anyways always reading your posts...keep em coming and stay safe. woody

RWD
01-31-2006, 12:29 PM
Ok three the Euc. poles here are much better than the one I climbed in central and south america. I was real worried when I was told eucaliptus poles. These seem to be a different species of euc. They are soft much like a cedar but!!!!! they have elevator shafts the size fo the grand canyon. Some of the cracks you can put your hand in. Next order will probably be southern pine from the USA. The pole planst here have never heard of pre-gaining a pole or pre drilling to REA spec. Imagin a pole gain at 20 degrees from the ridge iron holes and cross arm hole that make you wonder who was smoking what ... but a least we know when they were smoking it! The ridge iron holes and the cross arm holes are drilled every which way under the sun and the upset bolt hole is somewhere between a 75 and a 100 degree angle from them. It's a nightmare.

As for Mark ... Don't ne too hard on the guy. I many cases he was just saying things like..... Ummm can't you tie the goats up next to someone elses room?" (Goat sex is loud at 2 in the morning) Or "While I don't know what I just ate ... I'm sure it would be much better if it was at least warm .... that is if it was supposed to be cooked before eaten." Oce in a while he might say ... You know I've told you 4 times that the toilet in my room does not work .... Think you could get off your ass and fix it before the goats come back so I can get a good nights sleep? The guy is good at what he does and keep us out of trouble much of the time because he is always in the thick of it. I'd guess if he has them mad at him they are not focused on screwing us up in one way or another.

I was rather dissapointed in our local entertainment today. The local police (traffic police) would not let me park under the pole I was working on .... next to thier office. Gosh I wonder if the light over thier office will work tonight .... Hmmmm I'll stay home as it's too dark around thier office to see. Perhaps in the morning I'll try to park there again .... If they let me .... maybe I'll check out the light.

One boot did not make a showing today ... Maybe he found ... or lost a boot and was afraid to go out in public. Missed crazy lady too. Guess she's out of batteries to toss. Did see the cops giving a guy with a bow and arrow the third degree. He looked a little down and out and I think the coppers kept his arrows. They were a bit nasty. I'd rather get hit by an AK47 than one of the arrows they use here.

As for work .. It went well today. We are moving a bit slow as we need to get some trees trimmed before we can pull wire tommorrow. We plan to pull wire early afternoon. At 6 pm we were sitting at the office having a beer, and the guy who starts the generator came in and said it was broken. We went down and it seems that sometime durring the day a short had occured on one of the phases. It was/is a phase to ground fault. we isolated the bad phase ..... (at the traffic police station) and quit for the night. In the process ... there is a small steel gate within a gate at the power plant. It's made for someone 4 feet tall. I'm about 6 foot. Once I got the bleeding stopped we washed it and put some antiseptic on it. It'll get better though. When Myk was cleaning it he notice I was getting grey hair. Go figure? I'm going to file the sharp edges off and put some pvc over it this week. Damn that hurt. scalp cuts bleed profusley too.

Thanks for the response guys! sometimes it seems like I'm writing to myself. I'm off to read a bit before the lights go out.

TTFN

RWD

RWD
01-31-2006, 12:39 PM
One last note about the eucaliptus. In Central and south america the wood is very hard ... It's like climbing the hardest CCA pole you've ever tried to put a hook in. They also don't take treatment well. They tend to last about 10 years. These ones are soft enough that they took treatment well. The problem is the cracks. Much of the heartwood is untreated and somewhat exposed and they have termites here that make US termites look like peewee herman. We hope we are not going to see early problems that require replacment.

The armes we are using are teak They take treatment well but are a bit twisted and checked due to the lack of kiln drying in africa. We've also had to redrill most of them as again the plant did not know how to drill them properly. In a stack of 50 arms none is exactly the same length and none are drilled close enough to use as a double arm without re drilling them.

We will get arms from the USA next time around as well.

Take care and climb safe .... and if you have to duck to get thru a small door duck further than you think you need too!

RWD

RWD
02-01-2006, 12:46 PM
Well today went well. It was a slow day, Had to drop a section of line this morning to let a guy remove a tree. He asked nicely as the last tree he fell .... fell on the line. He knew he would not get a break for the second tree. Also tried to troubleshoot the short from last night. We never did find it but in looking we must have broke it loose or fixed it as the plant is holding on all three ohases tonight.

Worked mostly on trimming trees today. I'll work on it in the morning too. We'll have to finish it prior to pulling wire.

Myks houshold goods came in todya and he spent most of the day getting them out of customs. Mark and Lupe are in Kampala buying kitchen appliances like refrigerators and stoves as well as a washer and drier. They had to back order the stoves ... Imagine that! capital city of a country and they don't have stores that have stoves in stock!

LA! got a picture for you today. It's a beutiful tree in bloom. It's next to one of the schools across the street form the cop shop. I'll post it after I return to the states.

As for the Caption ..... Saw the chained up flasher today. While I was not looking close I did note he was not circumsized. Thought of taking a picture but ..... I guess the thought of taking a picture of another man in the nude .... even on a dirt road main street felt a little odd to me. I guess I've not quite come to grips with my inner woman!

Oh almost forgot! I've a new room mate. I have not determined the sex yet and he/she/it does not take up much room and does not snore either. Got up last night to answere the call of the porcelin god and met he/she/it ... in the glare of my flashlight. \About 10 inches tail to snout .... rodent of some kind. Either a big mouse or a small rat. I'd bet on a small rat. He/she/it seems to get along well with my lizzard too..... No LA not "My" lizzard but one of the other beings that shares my room!

All other things asside it was a wonderfull day.

TTFN

RWD

LostArt
02-01-2006, 07:38 PM
LA! got a picture for you today. It's a beutiful tree in bloom. It's next to one of the schools across the street form the cop shop. I'll post it after I return to the states.

COOL!! I can't wait buddy! :D




He/she/it seems to get along well with my lizzard too..... No LA not "My" lizzard but one of the other beings that shares my room!



:eek: **hits her head with the palm of her hand** Oh gracious.........where is the fainting smilie at???????????????

:D

Hang tough sport! In some of your paragraphs RWD... I almost think you are on a National Geographic tour. :D

RWD
02-02-2006, 12:21 PM
Today was much like a monday I wonder if they use Thurdsday as thier monday .... Hmmm I'll have to ask. Spent the morning trimming trees. Cut most of them about 6 feet off the ground. Local police actually told us they were going to arrest us. Hmmm new experiance or something I'd rather not have on my resume....!!!! I guess they did not like the fact that we cut the trees but did not clean up the mess. In most third world countries the mess would be cleaned up by the locals who wanted fire wood. This is not a normal 3rd world.... or 5th world.

Once we got the trees trimmed we were ready to string/pull wire. We've taught 6 guys how to climb and have faith in most of them to actually do what we tell them to. It seems that these guys are from other tribes than the ones close toYei. They were given to us a test cases by the local crew to see if we were going to treat them right. They are now head and shoulders above the other guys in training and just as we were ready to start pulling wire the group came and wanted to substitute some other folks. We said go away and almost had a strike on our hands. We made the pull but tommorrow we will certainly need to deal with the issue. We've vested much time in training these guys and the local folks think they could step in and take over ... without the training. I've two folks identified that I will fire if pushed and three others that I will fight for. Nuff said. The rest of the day was like herding cats.

Today Myk made friends with a couple of swedish guys. They have a bunch of heavy equipment and have the "we have to help eachother" attitude. They "trained" four crane operators unloading Myks household goods container today. There is a good chance we'll be training generator operators for them. They stopped by for a beer ... or three after work. Nice guys. It seems they chew tobacco in sweden too... we swapped a can or two.

on the way home I was doing about 20 miles an hour down main street next to the police station and some idiot decided to cut in front of me.... Did I mention I was riding the "tonda" motorcycle this week? Ok so I'm going to pick the gravel out of my arm after my bath and the road rash on my leg hurts a bit but I'll survive. I was able to get the bike back upright and limped back to the compound. We'll bend the shifter back straight in the morning. It'll still shift but it's a bit of a twist of the anckle to make it work. God loves me or I'd have been in a bit worse shape.

Folks I have a 14 year old daughter and a wife that is being mom dad and rodeo clown all at the same time. She is running our two shops and playing in a R&R band to boot. She also is taking care of our great Dane and his pet dog to boot. Prayers please she's got more sand than most but a lift up in prayer never hurts.

Swamp ... Still hope to see you in orlando. I'll bring the cuban cigars and buy the captain morgans.

TTFN


RWD

RWD
02-02-2006, 12:25 PM
Sorry but I was too busy fighting African bees in trees and getting road rash to get any photo's today.

See if'n this rings a bell?

"Here's to you fuzzy wuzzy in your home in the soudan"

Good poem from one of the masters.

TTFN

RWD

RWD
02-03-2006, 01:20 PM
Well! here I sit once again late at night under the open stars in Africa bringing the latest in the saga of “Yie … Southern Sudan” AKA “Herding cats in Africa” I don't know if I've fully explained the "under the stars" I am actually sitting in a plastick porch chair, outside about 30 feet from where the Wye-Fi is. Bright stars and little or no light polution .... That is untill we finish our work here.

Today went slow. We’d inadvertently tramped the center phase on the underbuilt. Had to cut in a splice then clip in the last line we built. Later we focused on making a dummy transformer. We built it out of a piece of pole butt. Lags for the sling hangers and two studs with one bolt clamps for secondary bushings. An old insulator made up the primary bushing and Myk made two hanging brackets out of a couple pieces of angle iron. It’s about the size and weight of an old 5 KVA pot. Since we don’t have any transformers yet, and I won’t be back until a month or so after they come in … we are going to practice using our “Pole Pot.” Looks pretty good too. I’ll post a picture when I get back to the states. Anyhow it was a long day.

This week end we are going to lay a platform for the water tanks. Bee’s have decided to nest on the tower so we’ll get to play beekeeper with African bees tomorrow. Fun Fun Fun.

It’s also been decided that I’ll be cook again on Sunday. I’ll make omelets and this time I’ve been requested to make “French Fries” by a sweed who helped us out of a bind this week. I’m going to have to get my materials sometime tomorrow.

Swamp ... I think it's a week day but I'll check and get back to you.

Talk soon!

RWD

RWD
02-05-2006, 01:30 PM
Over all the day (Satturday) went well here. I met up with Myk at the compound around 8:30. There is a tower built years ago for a water tank. A couple weeks ago we killed the bee’s that had hived there and removed the old tanks. Today we were going to put up planks and get the tower ready for the new tanks. The Bee’s had returned. I spent the morning climbing up and building fires on the tower. I had built a pretty good one built by noon and we broke for lunch with the idea we would return at dusk to plug the holes so a new hive would not settle back in. I then went to the market and bought potatoes and onions, and mushrooms and other items for tomorrows brunch. I then spent an hour or so cleaning potatoes. It’s the common opinion here among the gringos that you need to peel and cut the potatoes the day before and soak them in water overnight in the fridge. I’ll see how it works and let you know. When I got back at 7pm the hives were not dead! They were greatly reduced but still buzzing. As the darkness fell they swarming so I went back up with steel wool and silicon and patched over the holes. I think we’ve got them this time. I worked with the Bee’s all day and did not get stung. The only person stung was a local worker who walked by as I was working. God was with me I guess. No one else would even go near the Bee’s

In the morning we’ll put the supports and the planks on the tower beams and around 10:30 or so I’ll start brunch. I made friends with a Britt on a water project here who has some extra pipe Myk may be able to use for the compounds new water system. I invited him to brunch too. We’ll have a crowd. Two Swedes a Britt, Dave, Tyler, Myk and Myself. Mark and Lupe are still in Kampala buying house goods. They get back on Tuesday. We’ll see how the day goes … I hope I found and plugged all of the Bee holes!

Sunday

Well the net went off before I could post Saturday so I’ll post both this evening. I guess we did not close up all of the holes. You see the platform is made of 6” galvanized pipe. There were several bullet holes in the pipe we missed last night. So this morning we put silicone on some more steel woll and I plugged more holes. By 9:30 or so I was able to mount some Teaque 2x4” and lay teaque planking over it and nail it down. Another day with no bee stings! Then I made french-fries and omelets for all. Around 3 … well sated and ready for a nap, I came back to the compound and tried to nap. It was a sauna. Around 5pm I decided it was time to wipe the sweat off and walked out of my hovel to see one of the guys I had made breakfast for. He invited me out for a warm beer with three of his friends. We were minding our own business when … A cop showed up and asks us for our papers. None of us had them with us. It was a shakedown but we went through all of the motions. I told the man that we should be able to take care of it in the morning but he insisted we take care of it right now. I simply said “ok lets do! Lets go talk to your boss and see what he has to say about this.” David and I left the others at the pub and went with the cop on foot to the police station. He did not want to but he was in too deep. His boss was a bit upset at being disturbed but the policeman dropped out of English and went to one of the local languages. I’d guess he made it sound like we were causing trouble but the boss agreed and said let’s take care of this in the morning. Nice man! We were a bit worried about the other guys as a policeman was left to keep them from running …. As if there was someplace to run! When we got back they were laughing and having a great old time. It seems they called one of their workers who was nearby and he had a bit of a history with the top brass during the war. The policeman and his officer came over and apologized for any inconvineince and indicated that they need not worry about papers …. Go figure!

David and I still need to show up at the cop shop in the morning with our papers. Well this is Sunday in Yei. I hope Monday is a good day. I'm wondering if the light at the police station will work tomorrow night?

Well it's time for my bath and I'm beat.

TTFN

RWD

RWD
02-06-2006, 11:55 AM
Well I made out and it seems the cops will have lights another day or two at least. I think they know they are pushing the limits.
This morning I got my papers out of the safe and the officer of the watch looked them over and said "sorry to have troubled you sir" I almost went out and cut the wires to the police station street lights. If they give us any other shit I will.

Today went slow. We had a small line to build and we let the guys do it on thier own. Three poles only and they actually did a great job. We only had to correct them three times. mostly minor stuff. It's hot and dry and as I told you Colora has broken out in Yei. We are being very carful and are taking precautions ... even to the point of giving classes to our workers on how to keep from getting it. Mostly it's hygene. We gave them soap to take home and wash with. The other stuff is real basic. Don't share water glasses, Wash oyur hands before each meal. Don't drink river water. There have been some deaths here but it's not an epidemic yet. officially 4 confirmed dead. Unoficial is best guess. I've heard up to 40. Who knows?

Had some fun with the Sweeds Sunday though. It seems they now have a swimming pool. I'll try to go swimming if it's around next saturday. They had a big scandia dump truck and caulked the back door then filled it up with water. Put an air hose in it and called it a pool. Since they use it as a dump truck durring the week I'll hope they still have it and are willing to fill it up next week end. Hmm swiming in yei in a mobile pool!

Stay safe and happy! It's once again my time for a bath. RWD

RWD
02-06-2006, 12:04 PM
sorry but I kind of forgot to ask .... who won the Super Bowl and ... What was the score? Was it agood game?

RWD

RWD
02-07-2006, 11:43 AM
Umm are the stealers still from pitssburg?

Well today went well. I made several trips to the well to get clean water for the boys. It's official we have 840 confirmed cases of colera and 14 dead. Most are in the SPLA army who are stationed close to here but some are in town and in the surrounding villages. We just need to stay on top of it. Most are infected by river water. The colera comes from fecal matter. when a person is sick the locals clean up the vomit or diareah and dump it into the river. Then those downstream use the water and a new crop of colera erupts. They are constantly told not to dump the waste in the river but as soon as the back is turned .... or the truck drives away they spot them dumping in the river again. It'll peak in a few weeks. We'll see. Colera is a dry season problem. Wells run dry and people need water. They don't boil it like they should they just use it. I'm over the hump and on the short side of gone. A week from today I'll be on the plane for Entebe and after a night in Kampala I'll board the plane for home. I look forward to a hot shower and a good meal....... and some quality time with the missus and our daughter.

Today we spent the day teaching how to hang a transformer. Also how to connect it to the system ground. I built a block and tackle and Tyler had brought an old pole top transformer gin. Last week we built a mock-up of a transformer out of an old pole butt and some hardware.

Tomorrow we'll string a 5 pole primary tap. Single phase. and actually get them tp practice installing our dummy pot on a 35 foot pole. The real pots won't be in until april and since I'm not going to be back until June we though ... that with the proper training ... They might be able to install a pot under Myks supervision. Myk can climb but it's been a while and he is a leader ... not a climber. I hope to get started on the staking of the new line as well. I'd like to know what I'm going to be building next time!

TTFN until then SDFSD

RWD

Moe
02-08-2006, 12:10 PM
Perry was with Chicago, 1985.

RWD
02-08-2006, 01:28 PM
Thanks for the update. We're talking the "Refrigerator" if I remember Perry from the old days.

Well Today has been an interesting day. I’m sicker than a dog with a summer cold and have not been worth much. Mostly I drove the water truck to and from the well today. Dave and Tyler showed the guys what lightning arresters are and how to intall them and they also let the guys build a single phase primary line on their own… mostly. They guys forgot some of the materials and equipment so it was a long drawn out day. I’d say they learned the 6 p”s though. Proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance.

Cops killed a guy today as well. Evidently he was a bit on the wanted side. When they tried to stop him he opened fire. One pistol against several AK47’s. He lost.

Last night I chanced to meet a delegation that was here from the UK. They were nice folks and one mentioned that she liked wine not beer. Today on the way home I bought a bottle of red Italian wine. It was not great stuff by any means but I presented it to them at dinner. It turns out that I have now served wine to what I believe is the British version of a US Senator. She was very grateful and presented me with a card holder. The kind you put your business cards in to keep them from getting damaged in your pocket. It’s very nice with an engraving of the seal of the House of Lords. “The Baroness Cox, Of Queensbury” Go figure … I come to Yei and meet a Baroness. Also she is by trade a nurse. She noted I had a cold and gave me medicine to get over it as well as mask the symptoms. Now I’m Wining and Dining with the big guys and girls. They are leaving tomorrow so it’ll be back to the peasants for me!

Anyhow it’s late and time for bed.

RWD
02-09-2006, 12:23 PM
Much better today. The stuff the "Baroness" cox gave me is helping a bunch. Yep I have "super tonic" and it's helping but she gave me equenasia as well as something like contact. A regular Florence Nightengale she was!

Again today went slow. We let the guys do all the work and just watched them ... ocasionally giving them pointers. They are learning. We installed 3 sets of lightning arresters and played around a bit. It's nice to be well ahead of schedule for a change. We (myk and I) also worked some more on the water tower. Welding braces to the existing steel. It should be ready for us to install the tanks by Saturday. Myk started staking the new section of line today. I'll work with him on it tommorrow. We'll set the guys to digging holes on monday and getting it ready for construction when the new poles and materials arrive.

Saw none of the regular charactors today. Bummer. I did have a drunk mess with me a bit bit suprise suprise suprise! A local cop came over and ran him off. Later Tyler went to thank him again for his assistance and the cop said .... thats OK I know the other white guy. I hope that was a good thing.

Oh we did energize our first Tucal! A tucal is what they call the local houses. We happen to have on on the lot that the power house is on and one of our employee's is allowed to live in it so he can start the generator and turn it off when needed. We decided to make his Tucal the first consumer in Yei. One light and one outlet. Connected from an underground feed from the powerhouse. Ok so he's not really a consumer but it is one of the local mud huts with thatched roof. He has sprused it up a bit. He's laid down linolium and has a desk and a bed in it.

Well it's time for my sponge bath and once again I have to take it by myself!
:( Sad times in Yei!

RWD

RWD
02-10-2006, 11:48 AM
Today went well here. Dave and Tyler worked with the guys. They tested many of them on what we had been training them on and touched on pole top rescue. Tyler and I will give a demonstration Monday. Myk and I staked a few Kilometers of line. We finished the day within three or four poles of where we hope to put the power plant.



One thing I guess I've failed to note is the color here. Oh yes it's dry and dusty. Green and brown with the dry grass and the green trees ... but there is much color. We see it in the shirt folks here wear. "I attended the Smith family reunion 2003 San Franscisco" Or "Bills bar and grill Fargo north dakota" I'd love to get some pictures and send them to the places the shirts were made for to show them where they finally wound up. High school sports teams, Middle school class shirts. It's amazing. What is also amazing is that most of the folks don't know what they are wearing. One guy was going down the street today with a shirt that read "daddy's little Girl" Another had a pair of bib overalls on with flowers embriodered on them. I wonder who they were made for?

Bugs are out heavy tonight. It's almost like there is something in the air. A few clouds but I can still see the stars.

Well Dinner is served and I'm ready to pass out. We are going to try to raise the water tanks in the morning and Myk and I are going to try to finish staking the line to the proposed power plant in the afternoon. I also have to prepare for Sunday's brunch!

TTFN

RWD

RWD
02-11-2006, 12:57 PM
Today we worked at the housing compound most of the day. Myk and I installed the water pipes in the trenches and along with Tyler and Dave we got the water tanks lifted into place on the water tower platform. Tommorrow Myk wants to place the conduit for the electrical service in the trenches and pull the wire through them to the houses from the place where the generator is going to go. We'll also attempt to get the water fittings and pipes from the tanks down to ground level so we can get some water into the tanks to keep the wind from blowing them off the platform. We have them tied down for now with rope but I don't feel too secure about leaving them for a month like thay are.



Dave and Tyler used the computer before me so it's a bit late. I've just eaten .... hmmm rice was the only thing left on the buffet. Good thing I had a packet of Tuna fish to mix in with it. The other guys (not our guys) that came in were a bit upset that all that was left was Rice. They were also a little jelouse of my Tuna! They were still hungry but not willing to try any resaraunts due to the Colera. I feel they made a good decision. A little hungry is better than Colera.



Tonight I write from under a cloudy sky with a new full moon peeking through the clouds. I hope there is some rain in those clouds! Not likely though.



Rumors also abound. The LRA attacked a UNECEF compound in Yambio. Some rumors say 2 dead andother says 3 unacounted for. Who knows! all of it may just be a rumor. It seems that someone called the boss of the LRA a common terrorest so he decided to show them a little more of his tallent.



Time for my bath before the lights go out. Look forward to being home soon.

RWD

Orgnizdlbr
02-11-2006, 03:21 PM
RWD, keep your head down over there, will ya....your a better man than me brother, .......and I think I go into bad nieghborhoods here!.....

LostArt
02-11-2006, 08:47 PM
Yeah, and Labor is like................the Sapranos and stuff. :D

You be careful RWD. What is the ONE thing you want right now (besides wife and family)? What do you miss the most besides your family?

Keep posting buddy. As you see, we all are reading. :)

--LA

RWD
02-12-2006, 11:54 AM
Thanks for your concern ... Colera is the issue here. The LRA are in the Yambio area..... the town I one day hope to take over the electrical construction portion of the project ... if the funding shows up. Yambio is about 100 miles from here and by local standards ... 2 days by truck. I'm not sure but I've been told the LRA are on foot. I've also mentioned a bit on the "assault" in the portion below I copied from a letter home this evening to my wife.

It's raining at home right now and My Loving wife is not happy about it, I know she won't see it this way but right now a lake and rain sound good. The heat here has been a bit much. I've been making do but it's sweating yourself to sleep to the sound of african drums. I'll get my ticket info out of the safe tommorrow and start packing for the trip home tomrrow night. I guess Monday night is my last night in Yei for this trip. We spend one night in Uganda on the way out then it's all the way home. If I make another it'll be staying in an air conditioned room in Myk or Brother Marks house. We worked the morning at the compound and were able to get the conduit and electrical wire in for the Generator and station service fo the houses. It'll still be a few months before the houses are ready and the power turned on to the houses but if we had not been here to help Myk it would have been REAL difficult on him. We are going to try to work some more on the water system tommorrow to ensure what we built won't fall down while we are gone. Around 11:00 am we stopped for lunch. Again I searved up omelets for all including the Two swedes whom we seem to have adopted. They are nice guys in thier late 20's. At home one is a Scandia truck mechanic who works directly for scandia and the other is a paramedic. The paramedic is doing 3 months teaching drivers and crane operators and the mechanic is training folks on basic scandia maintenance procedures. They both have three month contracts.



Other than working on the water system we are planing to stake a bit more line in order to give the guys some digging to do while Myk is gone. Tyler and I will give a live demonstration on pole top Rescue as well. We'll see who gets to be the Dummy. Then it's packing for the trip out of Sudan to Kampala .... and a nice hot shower. I'm about sick of bucket baths. ..... But I still need to get mine tonight ... ASAP. I can smell myself from here! And the red dust in every crack is a bit oppressive.



Newest news on the LRA assault in Yambio! No dead no wounded ... It seems they just came up to the compound and asked for food. Wonder what we'll hear about it tommorrow. Rumors are a wonderfull thing to hear!

All of you who post ... thanks for letting me know that you are there and care!

On another note ... I thought the "to kill an American" was a wonderfull post. Damn the bugs are out in force tonight.

I'm going to take a bath and curl up under my mosquito net. It's a pretty blue onethat actially lets some breeze thru ... some of the smaller bugs tooo I'm afraid, but I can deal with gnats it's the malaria mosquito's I don't want to deal with!

TTFN

RWD

Orgnizdlbr
02-12-2006, 12:01 PM
Talk about contrast, you're dry, dusty, and hot.....I woke up to over 2 feet of snow this morning...and its still snowing like a bitch! Hope all is well, stafe safe RWD.

RWD
02-12-2006, 12:09 PM
Honestly If I were to boil it down to one thing ..... Electricity and the things that come with it. Barring that ... Good consumable food. The stuff we eat here is bland and in many cases unpalatible. We brought a goodly amound of "Meals Ready to Eat" this time around and we've at least had good lunches using them as our best and most important meal of the day. MRE's get old though. I'm looking forward to a warm shower in Kampala and a good meal there as well. I've made up my mind if they put me in room 105 again at the speke hotel in Kampala I'm going to have the manager show me how to turn on the hot water. I've been in it twice now and there is no hot water ... each time they look at me and say "perhaps you did not know how to turn it on" When I tell them I let both knobs run for 15 minutes they say " We'll have to look at it, sorry."

Ok I'll get off my high horse but at over $100.00 US a night you can at least expect a few amenities to work!

RWD

RWD
02-12-2006, 12:12 PM
I grew up in Idaho and spent many years in Utah Colorado and Alaska as a lineman ... I also worked Wyoming in the winter .... I'd rather have the dry dust thank you!!! My Toes and fingers start to hurt at 60 degrees now from the many close bouts with frostbite!

RWD

LostArt
02-12-2006, 01:27 PM
Have a safe trip home RWD and I sincerely hope you don't get room 105 and a room that has hot water! My wish for you until you reach home! :D


Then, I look forward to you putting Swamp to work. However, I have a hosting site now and I can post some of those pics for you if you like. That way..........our retired workingman Swamp won't have to do too many. :D And I don't mind!

Take care,
LA

RWD
02-13-2006, 01:45 PM
Ok here is the deal. I’ve not been on line yet so I’m writing in word and I’ll post it to you in a moment. We spent the day (myk and I ) worked at the compound installing the water system and finished the electrical part of the compound as well. Later we changed the oil in the town Generator and in one of the pick up’s as well. Tomorrow we’ll be off to Uganda in the morning. We’ll get a hot shower and a good meal before we get on the plane to Dubai/London/Raleigh. I’ll get to Raleigh at 4:15 PM on the 16th. Of Feb. I ave an E-ticket and it does not let me know the flight numbers. I suspect I’ll be coming in on terminal C as that is the one I left on. I’ll try to let you know is London.

Hope all is well with all

Take care all ... LA I'm not sure if I'll get the chance to see swamp in Orlando ... I'm in and out .. but we'll try.

Take care all! the bugs are out in force tonight!

RWD

Orgnizdlbr
02-13-2006, 03:31 PM
Have a safe trip home RW...........

woody
02-13-2006, 05:15 PM
RWD, safe journey home my brother. woody

BigClive
02-13-2006, 08:15 PM
Some A-hole decided we did not need small reels of conductor. We have 1/2 mile reels and no trucks or equipment to handle them.

Hey, sounds like he works for one of the companies I work with. It costs them marginally less to get all the cable put on one huge drum. I usually have a "staring into space" moment when the truck arrives with it. :)

I didn't realise the nature of the work you're doing. Good on yer.

I hadn't even looked at this thread until now because I thought it was one of the tedious American politics threads. I didn't realise it was RWD writing home from his heroic deeds. Well I've just read the whole damn lot in a one'er and I'm well impressed.

RWD
02-16-2006, 03:02 AM
Flight to Entebe went off without a hitch. MAF was quite late getting to Yei but we made it. Last night in Kampala was a bitch though. It seems that Uganda is dealing with a power shortage as well as a hotly contested presidential election. When we got to the Speke hotel they put me in room 150. I made the bell hop wait until I had a chance to check for hot water then took a long hot shower. We had scheduled to meet for dinner at 6pm and I walked out of the room and noticed an emergency backup generator sitting close to my room. I sais "Self, I hope that does not start running tonight." While we were at dinner the power went out and the generator kicked on. After dinner I went to the room and kicked back amidst the noise. The exhaust was comming into my room and my eyes started to burn so I made them transfer me to another hotel. No Airconditioning or pillow cases but it was better than diesel exhaust.

Clive I found out it was the supplier that decided they were going to put all the conductor on the largest wooden reels the built. We are refusing to accept bids from this supplier on future orders. We are trying to do that with the pole and crossarm supplier as well.

While NRECA does as much as they can on the cheap they are doing it not to put more money in the company coffers but to build more line with the money avaliable. NRECA is an NGO/non-profit.

Times running out on my pay per use computer. Take care all I'll post when I get home.

RWD

RWD
02-16-2006, 07:53 PM
Home food bed.... Good night all I'll post more after sleeping.

RWD

Orgnizdlbr
02-16-2006, 07:56 PM
Home food bed.... Good night all I'll post more after sleeping.

RWD

Welcome home RWD, rest up bro you deserve it!

LostArt
02-17-2006, 07:13 AM
Glad you are home Bob-O! Post whenever you feel rested and had enough family time. I see Clive finally made it to the thread! Slowpoke. Heh.

Sorry I've not been on, been enjoying my girl while she is home from CA. Can't wait to see the pics Bob-O. Send'em to me if you need some help buddy. And I have to say this again, you are one hell of a good man buddy. Much kudos to you!

RWD
02-17-2006, 06:38 PM
not really here ... if you know what I mean. I did spend part of the day at the office and got a bunch dumped on my plate .... then I told the dumpers .... "Did you know I will be in Orlando until Weds afternoon?" I took some wind out of thier sails but it'll give me a chance to think about the problems they addressed.

Myk did say something about Yei that has really stuck .... "Yie is the only place that when you start to feel sick ... your damned releived when you find out it's just a cold!" Well I've had this damned cold for over 2 weeks ... today it was the shivers as well. I'll be damned glad if when I come off the Malaria Meds it stays just a cold!

Back to bed ... alone .... this sucks ....

RWD

RWD
02-19-2006, 05:21 PM
Off to Orlando in the morning. Be back Weds. Hope to have some of the photo's from this trip developed by then.

Talk soon.

RWD

LostArt
02-19-2006, 06:50 PM
Was RWD gonna meet up with Swamp or not?

RWD
02-19-2006, 09:31 PM
Looks like there is a good chance we can meet up Weds before I get on the plane back to Raleigh. Tentative lunch date. Thanks for bieng so "tart"

Bob

LostArt
02-19-2006, 10:58 PM
I perfer to think of you LA,...as a "small open pie, with a fruit filling".;)

LMAO! Well thank you Swamp! Hehehe............

Well, I have been called other names, but nothing so SWEET! :D

You guys have fun and send me the pics of the cheers with beers!

BigClive
02-20-2006, 04:20 PM
Looks like there is a good chance we can meet up Weds before I get on the plane back to Raleigh. Tentative lunch date. Thanks for bieng so "tart"
Bob

Well don't you go giving Swampy some sort of Sudanese plague or anything like that. :)

BigClive
02-20-2006, 04:24 PM
LMAO! Well thank you Swamp! Hehehe............

Well, I have been called other names, but nothing so SWEET! :D

You guys have fun and send me the pics of the cheers with beers!

You see that's a thing.... Here in the UK a tart is a prostitute or other loose woman. Every time I read a lost art post I see the URL at the bottom that seems to read "downright tart".

I was thinking.... Oh, that's a bit blunt. :rolleyes:

Just for reference in Holland "apple pie" is also a sexual reference. (Just like the film American Pie I suppose.)

I'm not even going to comment on the little fruity pie with a hole in the middle. It just begs British double entendre.

LostArt
02-20-2006, 06:28 PM
Good golly molly!! :eek: I'll admit that I knew about the tart thing, but knowing RWD and Swamp, I much doubt they meant it THAT way!

A downrighTART, eh? Heh. Take a look at all the meaning to DOWNRIGHT:

downright

adj 1: characterized by plain blunt honesty; "a downright answer"; "a downright kind of person" 2: complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers; "absolute freedom"; "an absolute dimwit"; "a downright lie"; "out-and-out mayhem"; "an out-and-out lie"; "a rank outsider"; "many right-down vices"; "got the job through sheer persistence"; "sheer stupidity" [syn: absolute (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=absolute), out-and-out(a) (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=out-and-out%28a%29), rank(a) (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=rank%28a%29), right-down (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=right-down), sheer(a) (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=sheer%28a%29)] adv : thoroughgoing; "he is outright dishonest"

Heh. And I only chose it because it seemed kinda southern. :D

Tell me, are you reading LOSTART as LosTART?????? :eek: Egads!

BigClive
02-21-2006, 08:28 AM
I don't know Clive....maby you read funny, or maby you just can't read. I can see where ya see the "tart" thing. But, learn to read a web address. Downright art. Downrith tart. Downrightart.

You friggin Tart! :D

http://downrightart.com/index.html


It's probably just because I've got a dirty mind. Bear in mind I'm Scottish and apparently we're all perverts according to Willie the groundkeeper on the Simpsons. :)

BigClive
02-22-2006, 07:25 AM
The "Simpsons".

Like THAT's a program America should be proud of. THAT shit ain't allowed on my TV. Sorry it's all the way over there in Scotland Clive. Shit happens man...

We love it over here. It's warped style is very compatible with British humour.

Maybe you don't like it because it's supposedly based in America. Likewise "Scottish" drama makes me cringe.

RWD
02-23-2006, 09:10 PM
Well LA I guess I stepped in it that time. Back from Orlando and back to work. I missed Swamprat .... I forgot to bring his number with me and between us we had the dates and times wrong.... sucks huh.

I'm taking the photo's in to be developed this weekend. I'll post as soon as poss.

RWD

LostArt
02-23-2006, 09:28 PM
Well LA I guess I stepped in it that time. Back from Orlando and back to work. I missed Swamprat .... I forgot to bring his number with me and between us we had the dates and times wrong.... sucks huh.

I'm taking the photo's in to be developed this weekend. I'll post as soon as poss.

RWD

LOL! Hey, I can be a little tart sometimes! :D Oh, I got a big kick out of it buddy!

Well, I'm sorry you missed Swamp! The boss is going to be down there this weekend.........tomorrow as a matter of fact, but he will be at the Bass Classic down there. I imagine Swamp and the locals are SWAMPED with more company than usual! :D

Can't wait to see the pics Bob-O! If you need help, give me a holler. And I'm glad you are home safely buddy.

Later,
LA

RWD
03-02-2006, 08:33 PM
Ok This is the fence around the shop. We we about ready to leave and one of the local crew put the letters on the wall. Tyler is seated left and Dave on right.

RWD
03-02-2006, 08:37 PM
Tyler wanted to do the pole top dance.

RWD
03-02-2006, 08:38 PM
Dave, Tyler and Myk fix the Tonda.

RWD
03-02-2006, 08:44 PM
No running water ... thats what the bucket is for ... but it was better than the alternative.

RWD
03-02-2006, 08:45 PM
Down this road lies the market. I'm on the pole tying in the conductor.

RWD
03-02-2006, 08:48 PM
The road to Juba. I've some other photo's I'll reduce to fit this forum in a few days. These are some of the highlights that I saved correctly the first time. All the other good ones were still too large for the forum.

RWD

RWD
03-02-2006, 09:36 PM
But Myk said we could take it home if we wanted too. Ok It was on the road to Juba too.

RWD
03-02-2006, 09:37 PM
Tyler left me Center and Dave Right. The others are the crew.

RWD
03-02-2006, 09:44 PM
George was trying to fight the bike.... he saw his reflection in the chrome.

RWD
03-02-2006, 09:45 PM
It's the seabee ribbon that makes the picture!

RWD
03-02-2006, 09:48 PM
I'll try to work on some more next week I'm not going to be able to play over the week end.

RWD

Orgnizdlbr
03-03-2006, 11:38 AM
I'll try to work on some more next week I'm not going to be able to play over the week end.

RWD

Thanks for the pics RW, damn, I hope ya can bulk up on some good home cookin before ya go back!http://powerlineman.com/lforum/images/icons/icon10.gif

RWD
03-05-2006, 07:01 PM
I'm now back down to the weight I was when I hit bootcamp in 1979. I gained 20lbs in Bootcamp. Eating food is an issue there. You eat what you bring and worry about anything you eat you did not bring ... beer is good though..... we have a refrigerator that works overtime.

Breakfast is a no go.

Lunch is MRE's or dehydrated foods that we bring with us.

Dinner is on the economy ... Bassically I eat the rice and hope it was well cooked. I bring my own (home made) hot sauce to spice it up but it does get boring

Da Wife is GREAT cook ... if'n she gets the time to do it. We own two businesses and as of late she has been a bit busy.

I'll post a photo of her later too!

RWD

BigClive
03-06-2006, 07:01 AM
Dinner is on the economy ... Bassically I eat the rice and hope it was well cooked. I bring my own (home made) hot sauce to spice it up but it does get boring
RWD

Mmmm! Rice and sauce. Being a batchelor I've eaten that many a time when I've eaten my cupboards bare. Yes you're right... It's boring. :)

Just plain boiled rice on it's own with a touch of salt is actually preferable.

There is a reason the supermarkets don't sell instant rice 'n' sauce.


Any plans for taking "optimal" foods based on your experiences so far?

RWD
03-06-2006, 06:09 PM
Food is only part of the issue. What to cook it in and how to cook it is a problem too. We do have an electric Generator at the shop and have power durring the day but ..... durring the day we are working and have no time to cook. The sun goes down at 7:00 pm or so and we really need to be secure by dark unless we have transportation. Next rip we will get to stay in a real house with real cooking stoves and pots and pans. We should be able to cook dinner by then. I'll work out a meal plan before I leave and try to bring the required stuff. Until then it's dehydrated foods that can be mixed with boiling water or MRE heated foods ... or cold ... ok warm foods.

I'm encountering conflicts within my own business that may cause me to miss the next trip unless it can be scheduled around my time available. They really need someone to teach transformer and service drop installation when the pots and meters get there. We'll see.

RWD

Orgnizdlbr
03-06-2006, 06:27 PM
GREAT pictures man!

I can't tell ya how much I admire ya...and, I've worked overseas. You're a better man than I.

Tyler is CRAZY! Must be a good Lineman!!! Sorry we couldn't get together, maby next round....I can't believe you're goin back.

You're a hell of a person RWD.


Amen to that!

woody
03-06-2006, 06:46 PM
Great pictures RWD; glad your bulking up now at home. Yeah tyler's crazy but really swamp.... don't lie.... ya gotta have some kinda picture like that at work when ya were younger. O.K. maybe not in color...but ya got to have one. :) woody

RWD
08-31-2006, 07:44 PM
Up up and away! It's time to play. This time I leave from Raleigh to Detroit two hours or so there then on to Amasterdam! DDDDDdamn! only about 2 hours in Amsterdam then on to Nairobi Kenya. Spend a short night there then a long hop in a prop plane to Yei. Leave Sept 11 and return Nov 4th. I guess I'll get to git rid of my gut again.

RWD

BigClive
08-31-2006, 11:39 PM
So based on your previous travels, what have you packed that you wish you'd had last time? :)

RWD
09-01-2006, 09:43 PM
Things should be much better this time. We put many of the finishing touches on the Ex-pat housing while I was there last and I know Myk and Mark are living in the houses now. I'll bring some house warming stuff if I have room, and a bit more of certain foods. Mostly pasta type fast cook foods as rice is plentyful there. I'm also going to bring some of the pre-cooked bacon you can buy now days.

As for tools I'll bring a few more but mostly smaller stuff. I've got a collapsable shotgun and a stadia rod for surveying that'll be better than a metal tape. Some drill bits and a few high quality machine bolts that are always in short supply.

TTFN

RWD

Orgnizdlbr
09-02-2006, 08:12 AM
Good luck and stay safe RW.....

RWD
09-02-2006, 12:52 PM
www.nrecainternational.org/international/newsroom/videos/Sudan.htm

BigClive
09-02-2006, 05:01 PM
One thought is going through my mind regarding the guys who are being trained up to continue the work and service the system... How are you going to drum home the danger associated with the high voltage? I can guess that there might be an element of bravado amongst those selected to do the work (or not!) and this could lead to a rather violent demonstration of the power of electricity for the first who oversteps the boundary.

RWD
09-02-2006, 05:42 PM
Clive you have broughtup a great point .... there are some unfortunate facts that are facts as in a statement of fact not a personal observation ... don't take this in the wrong way but ..... For every one million $ US of construction one death occurs.

Now with that fact in mind .... Will it be one of ours or a consumer or a kid with a piece of wire playing a game?

We are providing pamplets and advertizing on the local (the only) radio station. Part of what we do is a public awareness campaign. I can only teach what to do and what not to do .... once the first contact accident has occured the word spreads fast. People begin to treat it like it should be treated. It's that "once burned twice shy" thing. We can tell them anything we want but unless they believe ....... Outsiders have been telling these folks lots of things over the years, They don't always listen.

I will attempt to get Myk to let me provide a demonstration but with such a small plant it might not work. I can ground a pumpkin and touch it with a hot leg. Who knows what it'll do but I'll try to show them. I might even try to go phase to phase on it. (11KV) that might actually make a splash. But it'll play havoc with our power plant.

We'll see, I wish we had a Video showing some arcs. Hmmm maybe I'll look around some.

RWD

RWD
09-10-2006, 07:53 PM
Well tommorrow it's wheels up. I should be able to post Tuesday or Weds. We'll see. I had hope some reviews of the movie would be posted but it is a long download so I guess no one wanted to wait.

TTFN

RWD

BigClive
09-10-2006, 08:17 PM
I watched it but for the size it really was too big a download. They need to drop it onto google video or something since they automatically compress it into a very good size.

Take care on your trip and try to have fun. :)

RWD
09-14-2006, 11:03 AM
Made it to YEI yesterday but the internet is problamatic . Very slow connection. V-sat sucks! they pay like $700.00 per month for this connection and we cant even use yahoo mail cause it's too slow.

Checked out the gear yesterday and had a prayer meeting today. These guys totaled a buch of the gear and used handlines as work ropes. I pulled out a rope and asked them what it was? One guy answered "a Handline" I said nope it's just a nother "F'n" rope. Then I picked up what was left of a handline and asked what is this? One said a handline. I said nope it's whats left of one. Treat a handline as a rope and it'll kill you. Take care of it and it'll save you but you guys "F'ed" these up and a lineman without tools might as well be a drunk on the street. Take care of your tools or go home and drink.

Tommorrow we train on service drops and transformer installation.

ttfn

RWD

RWD
09-15-2006, 01:43 PM
Well the internet is kind of working but I don’t know if this will go through. We trained yesterday … mostly going over things form last time in. The guys did not take care of the equipment so I read them the riot act. Today I taught how to install transformers so we can start hanging them next week. We also strung about 1000 feet of secondary conductor and hung 5 street lights in the hospital area. We are using two busing primary. 6.35Kv to ground. This means we have to install fused cutouts on all pots as well as arresters.

The new houses are great and the food while canned is better. We/they still don’t buy much local food other than rice bread and … well rice and bread . Some vegitables are ok in the market. Onions, potatoes and an occasional carrot. Myk has planted a hot pepper plant and some Ginger as well.

THEY ARE OUT OF BEER... ok out of the good beer. There has not been quality beer in Yei in a few weeks. We have to make do with something I would not normally drink.... well if you gave me one I'd have been polite but I would not have asked for another. Hopefully it'll come in soon.

If I can get the internet working better this week end I'll try to post a few photo's

RWD

LostArt
09-15-2006, 04:27 PM
THEY ARE OUT OF BEER...

:eek:

Oh my goodness RWD!!! What the heck are you boys gonna do?????? :D

Glad you are well and look forward to the pictures.

RWD
09-18-2006, 12:56 PM
Sorry guys it's real hard this time to connect to the net. I'll do what I can to update and send pictures.

Today we built the base for the temporay substation and made the first cut on a mango tree we need to get out of the way. We also re-plumed a few poles in the Hospital. I took a picture that I hope to post in a day or so of the autoclave at the hospital. It's really just a presure cooker on a charcoal grill. They use it to sterilize their equipment. I guess appropriate technology.....

Maybe some day they'll actually have a real autoclave. Run from electricity.

Saw crazy guy today ... he had clothes on. Sorry LA I knew you wanted a photo .... But I figured you'd prefer bare to rags. He still has chains on feet and hands but someone at least replaces his clothes as they fall off.

Still looking for crazy lady from last time. At least she was nude. Banana breasts and all ...

The new houses are really great. I'm putting together the furnature as needed. Myk and I built a deck on the water tower last week end we also built a rail and next week end we should be able to finish it up so we can sit and drink a beer to the sunset .... that is if the good beer shows up in town by then.... Ok I'll drink one of the bad beers if I have to.

Myk made Spagetti for dinner last night. Damn good stuff. Emmerel watch out Sudanese chef hello!

Take care all,

RWD

RWD
09-18-2006, 01:21 PM
Well today I got my last bag ... I was getting worried .... It had my underwear and most importantly ...... My Copenhagen. I was getting down to my last pair of shorts and my last can of cope! I could have done without the shorts! but no Cope!!!!!!

Swamp thanks for the offer I might have to take you up with it if I can get this connection to open my e-mail (compose) function. So far I've only been able to update this site and send thru my office site to let my wife know I made it.

Should let you know that as I was packing this time I found the DVD's I was supposed to send you in one of my bags. I had accedently deleted you home address so I gave them to my wife to send them to LA (I had her address) along with with some pictures I had been meaning to send her. She is aware that she is to forward the DVD's to you upon arrival. Thanks LA I hope htey got to you. If not I'll have to remind Karrin. She once again has been left holding the bag with two businesses and a 14 year old daughter. I must say though that our daughter is about the best girl at her age I've ever had to deal with. I'll get back 2 days before her 15th B-day. She is sweet smart and really pretty. She also listens to her folks and cares about her grades. We have been blessed. My shotgun arrives in December. What was it Coronel North said to the boy who was dating his daughter? Son this girl is the best and most important thing in my life ...... Hurt her and it won't bother me a bit to go back to jail for manslaughter. ..... I think I paraphrased but you get the point.

Take care all!

RWD

LostArt
09-18-2006, 09:00 PM
Ok, pick on me!!! :p I just figured I'd make Swamp wait until he SAW me and the boss in person! Besides, the ole coot can owe me a beer when he gets it! :D

I don't remember getting anything RWD! Jeeze. Are you sure Karrin sent it buddy? I'd think I'd remember that!!! Ask her again buddy.

Nekkid foreign men??????????????????????? Oh jeeze. You kill me RWD........ya really do! :D Let me know if he needs a shirt and I'll send Swamp's. hehehehehehe

RWD
09-19-2006, 12:45 PM
Ok LA I gave it to her the day I left. It's either in her Breifcase or she's sent it and you'll ge tit soon.

Swamp I'd guess that with LA it's worth the wait!

Today we raised a pole for the teporary substation and I assisted in removing a BIG tree. We raised a stub pole and strapped it to the tree. We then with a block and tackle lowered the tree peice by peice. We did this as the tree was hanging over a building as well as thru the line.

So far the line is still energized at 415volts. We will be working this week at hanging pots and sectionalizing the secondary as we begin to energize the primary. This is a 6.35KV phase to ground 11 Kv Phase to Phase. We are worried about the high secondary voltage as well. We are working on grounding procedures for both the primary and the secondary.

At 3:45 pm today a few thousand cows pissed on a flat rock here. Damn can it rain! At 4 pm the rain stoped and we went back to work... Wow what a rush.

Had guacamoli for dinner tonight. Mark and I made it and put it on bread like a sandwitch. Best damn guacamoli I've ever had.

TTFN

RWD

RWD
09-21-2006, 01:55 PM
We put more cross arms in tha air today. the issue is grounding and working in the day while there is no power on. The genset is off from 11:00 till 3:00 we take lunch from 1-2pm. All in all we have 1 hours interupted by lunch to work on the de-energized lines. Right now I have on real mech and 3 made up with hotline clamps. The real ones are on the way and we expect them in December.

I am 1/4" away from getting things done. Our materials are here now. Came in Monday. They are still loaded on the trucks and waiting for a crane to take them off. We have 5 containers of material that we are unble to access as there is no crane within 200 miles of here. We should have one roaded in in a few dys. Some shipping asshole promised a crane with the trucks and .... well they failed. It's less than 1/4" of steel seperating me from the material. I wish I had a torch! o'well I'd just burn the stuff up if I did!

TTFN

RWD

BigClive
09-21-2006, 03:53 PM
Why can't you arrange for the generator to be turned off for longer?

Are you physically locking it off?

LostArt
09-21-2006, 04:33 PM
"A" Beer?
Ok.
We'll start with a Bucket...and you can have 1.





Swamp I'd guess that with LA it's worth the wait!


RWD

LMAO! Oh man...........ya'll be ah pickin' on me again! :p

I received them all today buddy!! And I love my "artist" pics! Great colors and I appreciate you sending them to me. I love the market place.........alot of vivid colors and I like the areial view one! What/where were you? Tall building or do they have buckets there? And what kind of tree was that? It has wonderful orange blooms on it!

The boss and I will watch the DVD's and then I will forward them on to Swamp or make a special trip for my beer! :D

Glad to see you guys are eating well too! I don't think I've ever tasted guacamoli. Isn't THAT strange! LOL! And I ain't had much cajun food either but the boss and I might take ole Koga's invitation to his part of the swamp one day too. Sounds like we do need to get out more! Heh. And I'm glad to know you are doing great works while you are travelin' around yourself! It's wonderful buddy. My hat's off to you!

BTW, I see why your wife and daughter are special in your eyes. Great pics of them also buddy. I know you miss them! Hurry home and be careful!

--LA

RWD
09-22-2006, 01:22 PM
Well Clive we turn it on and off buttttttt. We have consumers to deal with ... about 30 of them at this time. I mis stated how long it was off. It's off from 11am to 3 pm inless I'm on the pole. We did go over Thursday. It was closer to 3:30 before the power went back on ... our only complaint came from a guy in our own office. Go figure!!! :)

LA I don't even remember the pictures I sent you. Ok I remember the trees but as for the ones on High ... Well it must have been from the top of a pole. There are no Buckets .... Hell Lady we are lucky to have hooks! These are the dark ages here. We are trying to change it though.

I'll try to get the name of the trees for you LA Myk should know the name. I think the market photo's were what we called wallmart. I'll try to get more this time. I supposed to raise a pot near the market monday. I'll try to get one from on high.

As for my dear wife and daughter I just wish they could somehow know how much they mean to me. They are awsome!!!!! I try to let them know but the world keeps getting in the way. Got to stop this line of writing as it could get mushy :D

Swamp .... This lady (LA) deserves top shelf stuff. Maybe you should get some good rum too! Sorry I mis-mailed the stuff I was to send you. It's been a real hard year on the home front. Building the business, new house, standard BS and Yei.

Take care all. Dinner time!!

RWD

RWD
09-23-2006, 11:00 AM
Cleaned a bit and washed clothes. I offered to wash all of the linemens uniforms over the week end. Third run thru the washing machine I took a picture of the water. I'll try to post it when we get this internet stuff up and running. We worked on the water tower railing today as well. We think it's almost safe to take a chair up and have a beer at sunset. We'll have to limit it to one beer each though. Phot's pending.

I also built a shelf in the pantry. Nothing special concrete blocks with wood shelving. At least we can get some stuff off the floor.

Ya'll have fun now. I'm going to taste test dinner. We made a pot of beans. Actually hope to eat off it for a day or two.

TTFN

RWD

RWD
09-25-2006, 01:47 PM
Today we hung a pot trimmed some trees and re-located the secondary from the plant to the take off pole. Understand while we have primary in the air we do not have it energized yet at the primary voltage of 6.35/11kv. We are running secondary up to about a mile at this time.

We've built most of the structure for the temporary substation and raised two whole pots. hopefully this week we'll be able to get the substation pots in place and soon we will energize the primary. We've prepared as much as posible for the primary but parts is parts. And we are missing parts.

Today the crane came in around 3 pm. We finally got the containers unloaded and with the exception of some damaged conductor we seem to have recieved much of what we need to get rolling. I now have meter bases, Deadend insulators, and many of the other things we need to make this work. Most of all I can now get to the substation pots. they are a whole 167kva.

Mark is going to Kampala tomorrow. He'll be gone for a week. I'll get the house for myself and .... I'll get his truck ..... along with some of his duties. I will get to hual water to the compounds and diesel to the gensets. I'll have to go to the market and buy my own case of beer .... If and when it comes in. We are still short of the decent beer and making due with Nile Lager. Mark did go try to buy beer today. He was able to buy only 7 Nile beers. We are rationing beer now. I hope it gets here soon.

TTFN:

RWD

RWD
10-07-2006, 01:14 AM
The satelite uplink has been real slow and I have limited computer time so I'm sorry I have not kept this updated. They are working on installing a new dish to a different satelite. I hope it works.

We've completed the substation at the temporary powerplant and should be energizing the primary on Monday or Tuesday. We've a few more trees to trim. I was able to get 7 pots in the air out on the system and we have installed one actual meter. W'ell be installing meters on all of the existing connections in the next few weeks. We will also be connecting new consumers as they sign up for service. Some will have to wait for service drop lift poles and others for the next stretch of line to be built but it's beginning to look a lot like a power system now. We've also been installing primary switches so we can sectionalize once the system is built. These guys may never work the system hot. Many systems here in Africa only run 12 to 18 hours a day. This one will be no exception. They also seem to be quite ok with the power going out for a day for repairs to the lines. There is a system near here (Arua Uganda) that has only one generator. When they shut down for maint in the plant it can take several days. It's just normal operating procedures.

Worked with the guys on Pole Top Rescue last week. They really got into it. We'll have to get them a first aid course soon.

Leather gloves are in short supply. I think some of the guys would just about kill to get ahold of my Yellowstones. I'll have to send more gloves when I get back to the states. Also need to get a few rubber goods. There is only one pair of rubber gloves in town. They belong to Myk and have not been tested in several years. I'll get some of the tupperware cover up too. That way they can install it with a shotgun. Myk has grounding chains ordered but I'm having to make due with some 1/0 copper and hotline clamps. Since there are no secondaries connected to the and the substation is grounded out both on the high and low side we have no chance of primary voltage. I've been grounding out the primary regardless. It'll be important to get down our procedures for grounding and energizing soon. It would be nice to have a real shotgun and grounding chain. I have signs and lock out tags but my only hotstick is a 12 foot extendo with a finger and a hot line clamp attachment.

Got to go folks.

RWD

BigClive
10-07-2006, 01:01 PM
Given the lower motive for a permenantly live system, can't you encourage cold wirk from the word go? It sounds like it could be the safest way of doing things given that there won't be a proper enforced training system in a political climate like that.

How's the home conforts? Food good? Water clean? Beer accessible? :)

RWD
10-09-2006, 01:33 PM
Yep for the most part we are working it de-energized. Grounding is still required though. We should energize the primary tomorrow.... I hope. I'l start energizing pots and connecting services to the actual pots this week. Up till now they are run from a secondary that is about 1 mile long from the plant. Meters will go in some time this week too.

We are not going to teach hot work but some will need to be taught for switching and some secondary work.

Food is actually decent this time. We have nice ... did I say nice no I meant GREAT housing this time. I get a real bed with a real toilet in my bathroom and a real shower with hot water.

Beer is now back in town. It's not the god stuff but it suffices. I brought a bunch of food this time and they have now made inroads for getting foodstuffs shipped in from some of the other countris. I actually have only lost 10 pounds so far. I lost around 30 pounds the first time I was here. I must say I am getting a bit more "Buff" :) I hope my wife appreciates the things I go through to make myself better for her!

The v-sat is still not working right. They hope to have it fixed by friday.

LA I've more photo's for you!

TTFN

RWD

BigClive
10-09-2006, 07:10 PM
Good lord! It sounds like the living conditions have improved dramatically. But do you miss the live-in reptile that shared your bedroom last year? :)

RWD
10-10-2006, 01:57 PM
Actually they are still around. We like them .... they help cut down on the mosquitoes. I've got a transucent frog in the athroom and a geico??? in the living room.

Yep all of the basic services are much better. We have our own houses now. Ok so I'm in a guest house but it's fairly new and the construction is much nicer than the local buildings. The generator gets turned on at 6:30 am or so and either Mark or I turn it off at around 10 pm. We are pretty self contained here. We have a well on site that pumps to our water tower (intalled last trip) our Generator is the one we were using to run the street lights on the first trip. It handles are our needs now. Two tank hot water heaters (one for each house) and electric stoves as well. We have refrigerators now too.

I must say that today we have reached a few real milestones!!!! Ok the use meters here so it's kilometer stones ...

1. We energized the primary today and the sub held as did the plant. 2. We were extatic enough to try to energize a pot too. It held and we sectionalized and secondary circuit. Ok so there are only street lights on this circuit but it is a begining. We have moved from being a town run on low voltage to being a power distribution system in a town. Ok so we only have 8 pots in the air and there is one 3 phase bank. We will set the town up in 6 zones for now. We will add lines and pots as needed to finish the project.

And #3!!!!! there is now Pilsener beer in town! We were actually able to put some in the freezer this evening and have a cold Good beer!..

Wonders never cease!

Locally things are much the same. saw chained crazy guy moday and while crazy nude lady is not around there are a few who are not quite concidered crazy and actually wear a few clothes running around to make up for the loss.

The local police actually stopped Mark yesterday and asked for a drivers license. Who know what they will ask for next? A passport or maybe a .... Visa? Where does one get a visa for Sudan? hmmmm

Roads are even worse than last time. It turns out that the main road for import is all but closed due to about 500 yards of bad road. It has been reported that a few large trucks and at least one fuel tanker have over tunrned trying to get thru. I really don't care about the other stuff but we really needed the beer!

Take care guys!

RWD

RWD
10-10-2006, 02:12 PM
Forgot to mention that we found an old 2 door chevy nomad here in Yei. There is really not much left other than the bumber and some of the floor boards Ok there is a block as well but the transmission is not original but it does have what is left of the column shifter.


Myk says its a 56 nomad. I tend to beleive him. Not really anything left of it though.

TTFN

RWD

BigClive
10-10-2006, 05:48 PM
Just some random thoughts.... I guess your water isn't sterilised? One interesting design of a "water ioniser" uses a solar panel to gradually dissolve an electrode made up of 96% copper and 4% silver into water. It kills the bacteria and mould in the water. Actualy sold as a chlorine alternative for swimming pools, but I like the chemical free nature (just low level minerals) and the solar powered operation.

http://www.floatron.com/

If mosquito's are a significant problem then the Mosquito Magnet comes to mind. This machine is available in a solar powered version and has a tank of propane that is slowly converted to warm carbon dioxide by a catalytic converter. The plume of warm CO2 fools the biting insects into believing they are following the trail of breath from an animal and they head for the unit where they are sucked into a filter. These machines are supposed to be able to break the breeding cycle of mosquito's in a large area and thus reduce the mosquito population (and associated diseases) dramatically. Here in Scotland we have something similar for midges and the self contained machines that use the heat from the catalyser to generate the fan power are reported to harvest pounds of the insects nightly. Sometimes an extra attractant (Octenol) is used. It simulates animal sweat.

n_ogden
10-12-2006, 12:06 AM
I just caught onto this post, and I have read every page, took me about an hour, but it was GOOD READING!!

Thats pretty rad what all of you are doing over there. How many people have signed up and do you have any more photos :-)

We haven't talked, but your a hell of a good man RWD. Anybody who has dedication to a project like this, deserves my respect.

mutt
10-12-2006, 10:48 AM
Hey rwd. I see you're back in Yei.
Sounds like things are starting to happen. Thats great.
Are you the only one from the states this time?
I'll bet it's great having a steady place and a comfortable one at that to stay.
Tell Myk and Lupe, and Mark all Hi for me.
It would also be nice to let the other guys know I think of them all the time.
By the way how are they doing this time have they remembered much? I hope the time spent wasn't a total waste.
If there is any way, or thing that I can do or send let me know and I'll do what I can.
Drink a Pilsner for me.
Oh yea how's george and laura?
Later

RWD
10-14-2006, 08:24 AM
OK where to start .... The V-sat is working pretty good now. (New dish and connection installed Friday)Unfortunately the computer I used the last two times I was here to access the internet has bit the dust. I'm limited to borrowing Mark or Myks computers when the are not using them. They tend to use them durring the same times I want access.

Ok A little at a time. Clive, thanks for your concern. We have bottled water trucked in from Uganda. Mark also has a reverse osmosis filter here in the house that ALL other drinking water is run through. Mosquitoes are an issue but we have mosquito nets over the beds and we all take Malaria meds as preventative as well. The newly completed housing compound is quite far away from the river and hence mosquitoes are not as bad as they were at the CWEP compound I mostly stayed at in the past.

The housing compound also boasts a deep well with electric pump. It pumps into the water tower we installed the last time I was here. The water is clear and we actually prsume it is clean and posible drinkable. We do not however drink it. It's great for bathing, washing dishes, and yes ... doing laundry in the washing machines that have been installed in the homes. We actually have hot water heaters too. It's great to be able to shower at the end of a long and dusty day.

The housing compound is about 2 acres fenced off from the rest of the world. While the houses are not as nice as those we live in stateside they are a dramatic improvement over what we had before. In my humble opinion they are probably the nicest houses in YEI if not in several hundered miles. Flush toilets, showers, washer/dryers, V-sat (Satelite internet connection) Mark even has a TV with Sat-TV from South Africa. Our compound has electricity from 6:30am to 10pm Myk starts it in the morning and Mark or I turn it off around 10pm.

Hidden in our little compound we can almost forget about the rest of the world around us. It is really nice. Food is much better now that supply lines for neccesities have been established. While I brought several hundered dollars worth of dehydrated foods I've only used 4 or 5 of them. The rest will be stockpiled here for future needs.

OK Now the work.

A short synopsis to lay the ground work. Most of it has been provded in the pages before but....

Trip one:

Ashley Johnson and I showed up in September of last year. Our task was to install emergency street lighting as the project kick off. We had 3 weeks. Myk and Mark had been here prior to us. Myk had staked the lines and ordered the materials. He and Mark had turned a bombed out building into our office and started on the outhouse. They had also started work on the digging of holes for the poles and anchors. Ashley and I brought all of the tools rquired. As noted we also brought food. Thankfully beer was easy to purchase for lubricating our evenings. Pilsener is actually a faily good beer. Once Ashley and I hit the ground we had 3 weeks to install around 87 poles, 25 street lights, a generater and make it work. We had 1 (one) vehicle. A jewel of a motorbike called a "Tonda" At the end of the day worn out and 20 or 30 lbs lighter working 7 days a week from dawn to dusk, with the help of about 100 local hands and under the supreme guidence of Myk, facilitated logistically by Mark. ..... We did it. We had miles of quadraplex in the air and the lights worked.

Trip 2.....

I don't recall how many weeks we had this time. I'd guess around 6. Dave, Tyler and I had the task of erecting the primary over the installed secondary. We were also tasked with training a few folks to climb. We brought more food and tools. Housing was no better than the first time in as the houses were naught but foundations at the time. The time table was not as tight and we did not have to work 7 days a week. We had all the primary materials less the transformers and cutouts. It was a fun and rewarding trip and we left with knowledge that the local boys could at least get up to the top of the pole and down. I learned some construction tricks I'd never seen but will never forget.

Trip 3 .....

Really a cruise this time. It's just me this time. I'm afraid that I'll miss the next big construction push. My tasking is to energize the primary and install transformers as needed to pick up the load on the existing circuits. All of the town served is now served on transformers we've installed. One bank next to the wallmart and one x-former up by the alley arm. One in the Market, one at customs, one up by Bank of Southern Sudan and one by the tucal pole by the NRECA office. Monday I am going to intall a bank at the hospital. They don't want power yet but Myk wants me to install it before I leave as it would be a bit more problamatic if left to the local climbers. I am also tasked with installing meters on the 20 or so existing customers and connecting any and all new connects possible while I'm here. Training is another task that will become more intense over the next 3 weeks. I've brought 6 of the merchant program first year books. I'll get them started this week as well. Sorry man we had to take the Tucal off the pole top before we could energize. Can you beleive it was still in the air!

We have yet to recieve our next shipment of poles. X-arms may be an issue as well.

Local climbers are graded to date as follows:

Best Hakim
Close second Boogie Hassan
3rd Wani
4th William
5th Moses
6th Cosmo
7th John

Both Hakim and Hassan actually look like linemen on the pole and climbing. They work well together and are real quick. Wani is good but he and all of the others need more confidence on the pole. William and Cosmo have english issues as well as problems turning a nut the right direction to loosen or tighten. We may actually have to raise a few of the day workers to apprentice in order to use all of the Merchant program packets. John wants to run the show from the desk at the office. He does not have a desk. He wants Myks desk I think.

PArt of the issue here is also grounding. At the last minute my supplier called hastings about the collapsable shotgun I had ordered. They had it listed as shipping in time to get to me but when he called they said "oh we can't make that date" I'm reduced to intalling grounds with a 12' extendo with a hotline clamp attachment. I guess hastings will not miss my next order. I've decided to go with Chance sticks. How many sticks do you think a company with 3000 consumers will need? Jerks! If I ever buy another hastings or recomend another hastings stick to one of my clients hell will freeze over and a frog will pop out my ass and ask "more single malt please?"

Sorry Hastings has REALLY PISSED ME OFF!

The first day I put a ground on I was bale to vent my fury in a productive manner. The county commisioners here had agreed to purchase power at a fixed rate per day for the county offices, until the meters wer installed. Guess who was the first disconnect for non-pay. Well thats enough for now.

Mutt I'll tell all you said HI. George and Laura are doing good. Laura has had at least one hatching that went all the way with 11 chicks. Mark gave most of them away. The one Lupe kept is Helen. Laura is sitting on 6 eggs as we speak. George lets us know what time it is to get up in the AM and won't shut up even after we get up. The barn yard now has a few more guests. We now have Hansel and Gretle the two first geese in Yei. Ferdanan and Emelda. Two guinie hens that think they are chickens. Cuwaja Dan is well and his local date Gladis is pregnant. He was down hard for a while with excessive ticks in improper places but seems to have recovered. Lupe has a new pet too. Remember the Dik Dik at the Sarp compound? Myk ought Lupe a Dyker. It's similar to a Dik Dik but hardier. It's a kick to see Lilly eat from the hands of Myk or Lupe. She loves chocolate. It seems they found that out when about $100 worth of high end chocolate went missing one day. She's a kick to watch. Doves are flocking to the housing compound. Rufus was hunting them with a slingshot and Myk threatened to "castrate" him. Since then the doves have been ruling the roost. They will run the larger irds away from the food and flock in.

I'll try to get some pictures uploaded but it may have to wait until I get back to the States in November.

mutt
10-14-2006, 11:13 AM
It's good to here all is as well as it can be there. It's also good to know that everything you and the others have done has not gone for not.
Sound like John has got a bit of the big head. I expected no less from Hassin and Hakim. YOu could just tell before we left that they would most likely be the best of the bunch. I hope they take to the books as well. Do you have the accompaning text books to go with the work books? I've tried to e-mail them with the addresses they gave me with no success, even sent one letter, don't know if it got there.
Are there still the dangers of raids? Or has that kind of slowed down a little.
Oh and have you seen the bush man?
Has Kennedy moved on? I could think of a million questions but I know you time on the air is short. Will write again.

RWD
10-15-2006, 05:58 AM
I had brought over a VOIP telephone system this time and when they got the V-sat fixed I hooked it up and made a few calls. Just prior to signing off last post it started ringing. My wife called and we had a long chat ... Damn it was nice to talk to her!

Ok for the guys. Kenedy is still here he is the town plant operator now. He turns it on around 6:00 am and then off at 11:00 am at 3:00pm he turnes it back on untill midnight. He has a small tucal on the plant property and has electricity in the Tucal. He is also using the Tonda still. Myk and I looked over the tonda yesterday and we have determined it needs a bit of work. We gave Kenedy a list including piston and rings. He's gong to price the parts next week and if we can swing it Myk and I will do a top end job on it next wek end. Kenedy is still one of the most valuable people we have. Myk is trying to talk him into going back to school so he can get his university degree.

Thomas has flown the coup. He found greener pastures in Juba it seems. Charles is still on staff too.

The shop is about the same as it was when we left ... some new paint and they have fixed up the walls around the compound nicely as well. The wall where the old Kitchen was is gone. The ladies are using the new kitchen now.

I'm not sure you knew but John is 28 years old. The rest of the guys are in thier early 20's. He seems to expect us and the guys to follow him because he is older. You know how the "respect your elders" thing goes here and he seems to think of himself as the crew elder. Since he is older and actually educated in interior wiring he should be able to tell those beneath him to do while he watches. We'll see how this turns out as he may be getting a bit tied up in the rope that will hang him.

Remember "Baba" the old man guard? He got a bit big for himself as well. Spending much time doing things off site instead of doing his guard duties. Mark caught him drunk one day on duty and when Mark told him to go home he threatened him with his bow and arrow saying he would kill him. Mark .. quite on top of things actually had his camera working and caught it on tape. He was fired and there was no more issue as the county man saw the tape and told Baba he needed to make sure no harm came to Mark.

I don't know if you remember Andrew? He was a soldier that worked for us as well. It seems he got a bit drunk one fine day and Mark fired him too. A few days later he showed up drunk with a grenade. He was saying he was going to blow up the shop and Mark .... He finally calmed down and left. He later filed a complaint with his captain about mark. They showed up at the shop and in front of mark told his captain how bad mark was. Mark explained the hand grenade episode and the captain put andrew at attention and whipped the shit out of him. That was the end of that one too.


As for the LRA ... Well they are camped in the Congo and there are ongoing peace talks with Uganda.

Our new powerplant location is near the residential compound. Two weeks ago a maintainer was cutting the side of the road right by the turn off and overturned a anti tank mine. it did not go off as the silt had gummed up the detonater. Upon further investigation they found another burried right under the first. The whole town has been driving over these mines for years!

The Training manuals I have are the first year Merchant job safety manuals. I brought 6 new Lineman and cablemans too. They are used as reference for the merchant program. I've looked thru the first book and found that about 1/2 of it will apply. The chapters on Digger Derricks and most of the system protection stuff won't apply.

Today Myk and I burned up an orange and an eggplant. We rigged a 5KVA pot to a 30 amp breaker on the low side and connected the high side to an orange first. Nice arc, some steam but nothing spectacular. Then we did an eggplant. Pretty much the same thing. We'll try a few more things this evening after dark and video it. We want to do a show for the guys to show the power of high voltage some time this week.

Ok so far this trip we have built a substation and the old plant. Connected all of the jumpers on the primary. Strung the primary on the single phase by Sumi bank. Hung the pots. Fused the single phase taps. Installed switches by wallmart. energized the primary and sectionalized the secondary acording to the pots. We also pulled the secondary to the poles at the hospital and installed street lighting in the hospital compound. We are now operating 100% off the transformers installed on the line.

Next week we will install the bank at the hospital and tie in the jumpers at the tap to the hospital. We will also start installing service drops and meter loops to the existing customers and some new ones as we now have the capacity to increase our consumer base.

Poles are still hard to come by. The kenyen's cant seem to make a pole that will meet REA standards. Myk has ordered 125 30' poles from the states for secondary and service drop poles. They should get here about the time I leave.

I and or others will have to return for construction some time next year when the pole come in.

Oh FYI the residential compound is now using the Cat genset that we used for street lighting. the 400 KW genset has been connected at the temporary power plant and is operating fine.

Photo's may follow. I'll talk to Myk about downloading and reducing the size so they can post on this site.

TTFN

RWD

RWD
10-16-2006, 01:15 PM
Hung the bank at the hospital today. I made Hassen the foreman and sat back and watched. I'd say some more training is in order.We disconnected the secondary fron the pot near the shop and cut the hospital out of teh system. We re-energized the pot and went to work. Hassen sent Wani, Hakim and I think it was cosmo up the pole. I'd think two guys were enough. They got all three pots in the air before lunch. After lunch I went up with Moses. We made the primary jumpers and the secondary as well. Cleaned it up and re-energized the secondary from the single phase pot. Tommorrow we'll make up the jumpers on the tap pole and connect the hospital secondary to the bank.

FYI Hassens wife is heavy in the PG mode. It seems she may give birth any day. He came back late from lunch and brought us up to date on the situation.

We reconnected the county today as well. They were quite unhappy we had disconected them for non pay.

It also seems that the guys uptown have decided they may bring me into Arua in a few months to stake 40 miles of line. It seems there is a small town that wants power. Uganda rural power is 34.9kv. Iv'e staked a bunch of 13kv and a bit 0f 23kv and some 46kv but 34.9 will be the first. We'll see if I can talk the wife into letting me play for a few more months next year.

Without getting into too much trouble I will report that for a town with few vehicles there are a shitpot of high beams around here.

Take care all!

RWD

RWD
10-17-2006, 01:49 PM
well today was fun. We cut in the jumpers on the take off pole to the hospital and connected the jumpers from the bank as well as cut an open from the pot near the office so the hospital bank now feeds a few small consumers.

We also raised a pole in the new power station compound. It's a practice pole for training. I bought a socer ball and put four guys on the pole and had them toss it from one to the other. The guys had lots of fun. I split for a bit to pick up a case of empty beers to turn in for a new case and when I returned they had stuck screw drivers in the pole to keep thier scare straps from sliding down. I told them it was cheating. Durring the play they dropped my ball into the fence a few times. ..... Good by ball. They popped my ball! As a penalty I had Cosmos stay at the top of the pole and told the rest to com down. William had his screw driver so deep in the pole that he pulled the handle off and bent the shaft trying to pull it out. He will get the Bent screwdriver award when I leave. I then climbed up and "rescued" Cosmos.

Durring the afternoon We tested all of the english speakers with tests on paper. Resuts were

#1. John
#2. James akeem
#3. Boogie Hassen
#4. Moses
#5. Fransis Wani

Fransis is boarderline. I'm still going to push for him to be included. We'll test 6 others tommorrow. Cosmos will be one. He would not be my first choice for a backup but since he found out that english was required for formal training he has started using it. He had kept quiet about speaking english in the past. I guess he realized that we leaned more on the english speakers and was content to be a Non-speaker prior to this.

Had an encounter today that was very odd. A guy stoped and in a tribal language read the guys the riot act. He told them they were traitors and "conspiring" with the enemy. He said they would be eliminated in next war action. The guys laughed about it but this was the first time I heard or saw anti American sentiments. Most are so Pro-American that it's hard to beleive they are not flying American flags.

Another weird one came in today. It seems that a group (aids releif) came in today and asked Myk for a new truck. I guess since we are here and Americans we are rich. They seemed to think he would open the safe and give them the money! Go figure. There was also a family trying to find funding for thier daughter (16) who has aids. it seems that the 35 year old who had given it to her was known to have aids and left town quick when she was diagnosed. Sad things go on here.

Well the day is done here and I need to wind thngs down before bed. Lights out at 10pm.

Oh almost forgot. Bush man is still in town. No real problem with him though..... He is dressed in a smock and hides until a group of girls walk by and flashes them and chases them until someone runs him off. I guess he has fun.

Wild lady has not been seen. Although there is a new lady in town that is dressed in some UN flour sacks.

Take care all!

RWD

RWD
10-18-2006, 01:10 PM
Today I did a name game. Ok it was not a game but I'm getting sick and tired of people who don't know the names of things. In the air I can't walk over and get it for them. I had a white board and wrote down the name of the itm and then heald it up and told them to repeat after me. I will continue to do this until I can say the name of an item and see them pick it up.

We installed three meter loops and service drops today. That makes 4 metered services in town now. We have 40 applications including around 20 that are connected but unmetered. I guess I'll be installing meters and service drops for the rest of my time here. I'll do training as well and some other make work until it's time to leave.

The customs office want's power now and Myk is going to use our last pole in the yard to run the secondary to where it needs to be. I hope we have no problems with poles until the next order comes in. If we do we'll have to pull one from another part of the system to replace it.

The road to Uganda is all but closed due to local indiference. This is the main artery from Uganda to the south of Sudan. There is a stretch at mile 20 that is a mud hole about 400 yards long. There are overturned fuel tankers and other cargo trucks. It seems that you have to be towed through. I guess I wont go to Arua this weekend to look at the staking job they want me to do.

I saw an awsome picture today but the camera batteries were dead. I was up above a bar running the meter loop when I saw the kitchen. This kitchen was the kitchen for several bars in the inmediate area. I could not look for long and I am glad that I missed breakfast and had not had lunch yet. I wanted the picture to show what the locals eat and what a food service rating of lees than 10% would look like. Hell .0001%. A sanatary officer would have condemned this place for use as an outhouse.

I'll pass on local cuisine and would not be likely to recomend any Sudanese restaraunt period. No gagging with a spoon going on here! No spoon required.

RWD

RWD
10-19-2006, 12:40 PM
Good day today. We installed 3 more service drops and meter loops. They are about ready to be let loose on thier own. We only have one small genertor and one drill motor so were are a bit double blocked. Tommorrow I'm going to split the team. I'll put one group installing service drops (no generator needed) and the other group installing the meter loops. I'll jump between projects doing light supervision. We'll see how they do.

I did do the nam game again today. We'll keep it up for few more days. William. One of the guys who speaks little or no english is really getting into it. He picked out more things for me to name this morning. I'd say he wants to prove he can learn.

SSaw a few good ones today. Guy on a motor cycle talking on his Cel phone. Another guy on a motor bike with a bandage on his foot. He could not use his foot so he was holding it out to the side and screaming in first gear. Saw a boda boda (Originally Border to Border Bikes) With a beauty queens hat. It had silver sequins over a plush blue velvet. Of course High beams are a plenty. I think these girls have more muscle as bra's are almost unheard of here. Dwayne Garcher eat your heart out the puppy noses are in full bloom. I know I should not even notice as I'm married but .....

Had a guy come into the office today. Asked for service. We went to see what he wanted connected and he took us to a spot in the market with no walls or roof. Just bare ground. Myk told him we needed a wall to put the meter on. As we left he told me ha would have the "Wall" finished by Saturday.... When would I install the service. I told him I'd try for next week some time. We'll see.

There is a new market under construction Dave ... remember all the concete blocks they were making last trip? They said it was for a hotel. It would have made a great hotel but, it seems they are putting in about 100 stalls instead. They have wired it as a single phase circuit with one breaker box. Should be fun to run the drop. We'll start with a 25 KVA. It's down by the bus station across street from the gas station that almost went up in flames in what was an open field.

Take care guys!

RWD

mutt
10-20-2006, 10:26 AM
Wow!! sounds like things are really on the move. That's terriffic.
I was suprised to here that the tukal was still on the pole to bad you had to take it down.
Got a hold of Stella at nreca she says I can send them things and they will DHL them to Myk. If you need anything that is shipable that way let me know and I'll do what I can to get it there.
Don't give up on Francis he might just have trouble with the word (test) remember he was the only one who did know what most of the stuff was called and was the one trying to teach the others.

Were we driving over that mine too?
Are they building the market in the same location? Remember how they would make those block two at a time buy hand talk about labor intensive.
The name game sounds like it will work, those guys are competive when they think they might get left behind.
I was suprised to here about Moses. We all thought he would make a good hand sounds as if Myk was right.

So Hassin's going to be a daddy. That's cool. I'll have to send him something for the new one.

It would have been nice to have had a phone while we were there, I truely know what it's like being able to talk with your loved one.

Kennedy should go to school he is very smart he could do great things there for the coop.

Electricity is electricity 34.9 no different. go for it. 40 miles is a long way can there stuff handle the distance?

I hope that that guy was just a loose cannon and not able to carry out the threat. With things going so well there that would be a tragity.
Myk won't know what to do with good poles will he?
Hang in there.

RWD
10-21-2006, 03:01 AM
Well Marks wife Elaine is off to the airport. It'll be bachalors for rhe next few weeks until it's my time to depart. She was real nice and did a great job of keeping the place from going to the birds. We'll have to see how Mark and I pick up the peices.

As for the Land mines ... They were found near the new power plant compound. It's new location is west of the residential compound further down the the road to the Congo border. I don't think we drove that far out. We may have gone to the "proposed" site but it was not approved and the new site is by the "Halo/Mag" compound. Well past the GDZ'd compound. as I said, I don't ever remember going that far west on the Congo Road.

The new market is on "market road" That is the road that passes south in front of the customs and police station. As you go south the gas station that almost burned up when I was up the pole that time is on the right. The new market is on the left or east side of the road. Confused? If you went north from the police station it would take you to the existing warehouse/powerplant. This Market is a comercial concern. A private person has built it and will rent out stalls similar to a shopping mall. The stalls will be about 200 square feet. The place is built like a "U" with three seperate buildings bottom of the "U" towards te road about 40 or 50 yards from the road. Each of the troo buildings is about 80 to 100 yards long. It will be nice when finished. Ok Nice for here.

The block factory is nothing but a building and fence now. There are a few blocks left in the yard and the Hilux with the bent frame is still in the same spot.

Remember the old concrete poles? I think there were 8 or 10 left in town. Myk had me start digging them up and we had 5 on the ground when the county stopped the crews. It seems they wanted them left there as a symbol of thier heritage. Go figure!

Yesterday evening was a kick. It was close to quiting time and I decided to Name game once more before sending the guys home. We went into the little room we store tuff in at the office and I started picking things up and naming them. They repeated and after a bit I said "Well I think thats all of the stuff" William reached out and grabbed an Eye nut and said "Eye nut" Then another guy grabbed an Item I missed and said "sling" It went on untill we had gone over all of the items in the shack and they started on things that were not in the shack. "Hot Stick" "Duplex" "Anchor" It was great. Some of the guys still need practice but I think they are learning.

As for the staking in Uganda .... The only real issue I have is that I need to learn a new conductor table. It seems they use a minimum of 250MCM. I think it'll limit my span lengths and do some things to my anchor tables as well.

Acording to Myk the town is about the same size as Yei and they want it staked too. Could be a fun trip.

The guy with the attitude must have been misinformed. Thinking back I'm really not sure if he was anti american or thought we were working with the north or from the north. Who knows. He was still only one out of the many who thank us every day.

As for sending things ...... DHL here is almost $50.00 per pound. Thats the economy price. I mentioned it to Myk and he explained that Arlington does not actually understand the costs. We talked and he noted you had written him as well. He will be Stateside in December and might be able to bring back something or ... better yet, There is another shipment leaving the last of this month from Florida. He can give you the address for the shipper and they can include it in one of the containers. John is pushing me to buy him a camera. He likes My digital but I don't think he understands he has to output it to a printer or computer. Hassen brought in a 35MM last week. Made in china and about the size of an old VHS camera. Plastic of course. POS but it's what passes for good here. I may have my old Minolta reconditioned and bring it to him next time out.

Well when the short poles get here I'm sure he'll use them up quick as service poles and secondary tap poles. Still no word on the taller poles from Kenya. We'll see. I'm afraid that the last 6 months of project will wind up like the first trip here. Balls to the wall with no rest because the poles are taking so long.

Take care all!

RWD

RWD
10-21-2006, 06:06 AM
In the back of the housing compound there is an old road compactor. You know the big old drum that compacts the road base? Well there is not much left of it so Myk and I went to work on the frame on one side with a grinder. It's about 2 inches thick of solid steel. We used a grinder and cut off a piece about 3' long and 18" wide. We will be able to make the pancakes and other outside grill stuff soon. it weighs 200 or 300 lbs so we have to make some sort of a stand for it first but once it's hot the omelets and pan cakes will fly!

Kenedy brought the "Tonda" by for a check up last week. We decided it needed a top end job and he bought the parts for about $100.00 Piston, rings, Gasket set and a few other ites we decided it needed. Got the engine out and popped the top. Hmmmm I guess the parts guy sold him the wrong piston. Hope he can get the right one. If he can we'll put it back together this evening.

Myks building Lupe a table for folding clothes while we wait for the parts. Mark just got back from the airport and is making lunch for he and I .... ahhh the good life.

Take care guys! Foods ready!

RWD

RWD
10-23-2006, 12:36 PM
Installed 3 service drops and 5 meter loops today. One was at a beauty salon. While we were installing it the crazy guy showed up in chains. He had evidently broke the ones holding his hands to his feet and was carrying his foot chain in one hand and his wrist chain in the other. He walked into the beauty salon like he was the owner and just kind of hung out. What a kick.

It did rain a lot of the day today and we were a bit held back by it the boys have no way of drying off.

Also talked a bit to hassan today. It seems one of his houses burned down last week end .... ok one of his tucals. He has two in the same location. He indicated it would take at least 250,000 ugandan shillings to rebuild. Don't get too worried! it's about $150.00 US.

Talk soon guys ... BTW Has anyone seen or heard from LA?

RWD

RWD
10-24-2006, 12:53 PM
The lady of the "boss" seems to be taking a break from the board. Hope all is well. I hope the package was my stuff. I think you'll like the DVD's.

Today went well. We set a pole behind the customs yard and ran quadraplex to it and a service drop to the customs office. It was our last pole from the yard. If any go down for any reason we'll be SOL. We've identified some poles that can be removed if an emergency comes up but digging out a pole and moving it to a new location is not my idea of fun.

Hassans uncle got power today. We ran the drop and the loop. I had hassen climb the bank pole and pull the cutouts while I connected the service drop to the secondary. Since we have primary power now it's got to be somehow drilled into these guys heads that jumpers "shall" be controled at all times. I was not going to try to explain it and stay on the ground to watch a burp ruin our day. I'll get into it with the guys once again in the morning about dangers and the need to be "aware" of the things around them at all times.

Also placed a few more meter loops that are going to be connected when the service poles arrive. Anything we can do at this stage to make it easier when the poles get in will be of great service to Myk as he will be herding cats on his lonesome after I leave.

I'm making beef Stroking off tonight. Just add 2.5 cups of water and stir.wait 10 minutes and eat. Mark seems a little melancoly tonight and is staying in his room. We all have had our days here ... Mark more than most. He seems to take it a bit harder than the rest of us do.

Anyhow as of today we have 6 metered customers and around 30 unmetered. We'll get as many connected with meters as we can as well as new connects that are comming in very quickly. People are seeing others thrive with electricity in thier stores bars or flop houses and want it. Video halls are big customers too. There are 10 or 12 of them in town now. They charge around a quarter to watch a TV in the hall. They will have 20 or 30 folks in there most of the time. It's a big business and is needed to expose the locals to something other than dirt roads and darkness. These folks have some book knowledge but most have now idea how to use a screwdriver or which way to turn a nut. They can swing an axe or a machette with the best of them but 20th century has passed them by. I hope we can get them at least into the 50's.

Take care all!

RWD

RWD
10-25-2006, 01:00 PM
Too bad about LA's computer. I had one at the office go tit's up last week too. We had to call in an expert as I was not there to spend 16 hours fixing it. I'd guess they fixed it in an hour or so.

It's worse here Swamp! We get 30 to 50 people watching every time we climb a pole. We are not only the power guys ... we are the local entertainment.

Only on mistake today ran several service drops and meter loops today. We don't work the low side hot so I had the guys waot to connect the service drop until the power went out at 11AM .... forgot to send them back to connect it. I guess we'll connect it in the morning. I may go up and work it hot with one of the guys ... If Myk will let me.

Take care all ... Mark needs the computer.

RWD

BigClive
10-25-2006, 01:09 PM
Yup! Got the DVD today RWD.

Wow man, that's really something you guys are doing over there. It was really Great to "see"! Wish there was some way to post it here, but It's way too big.


Posting video's for sharing is what youtubes for.

http://www.youtube.com

They compress and scale it down to a standard size I believe.

RWD
10-27-2006, 10:49 AM
Swamp if you can figure it out go ahead and try to post it. They have been giving copies away like wildfire so I'd think it'd be cool.

Played today .... and yesterday. We are still working at meter sets and new service drops and meter loops. We now have over 50 requests and more comming in every day. Myk is going to be hard pressed to keep it up after I leave. An American has to be at all intalls as we only have one drill and the Genset it to heavy to tote around town by hand. I've talked Myk into buying a couple of battery powered hammer drills but they are a few months away at best. Once we have them he can drop a crew off and give them direction then move another crew to a second or third location for installing service drops and meter loops. He can then inspect them at the end of the day and install the meter if they are correct.

We intalled 4 new metered services today and two meter loops for future service drops when the 30' pole arrive. At this point I wish I could stay a few more weeks .... hell months .... But I'd go crazy missing the wife and child.

I am set up to go to a game park in Nairobi on the way out. I'm taking a day trip into one of the preserves. Should be fun.

We are going to work at the office this week end and I hope to set up the "don't piss on this cable" display. (Clive good article) We are going to backfeed a pot at the shop and fry a few items using the high side wires. It's only 6.35 kv but it should still give enough show to make the guys at least understand that it is dangerouse.

Mark needs the computer.

Take care all,

RWD

Hemingray Insulators
10-27-2006, 03:13 PM
where do you get a copy of this DVD, cuz I'd be interested in having one..........

BigClive
10-27-2006, 03:17 PM
The only downside of the displays from a backfed transformer is that they are actually more amusing than scary. The power limitiation of the transformer means that instead of the jaw dropping <BOOM!> you'd get from a real primary contact you just get a little Halloween display that might encourage bravado.

Take this for example....

http://www.powerlineman.com/pictures/2005/june/weaver/weaver.htm

I bet the kids couldn't wait to try it with their own teddies. :)

I lnow you don't care much for the girlie approach of dead line working, but I still feel that for such a young electrical system the concept of teaching dead working from day one is going to reduce the risk of MANY fatalities as the system grows. Think how many American lives would have been saved if the weak excuse of "keeping the meters turning" had been replaced by "keeping the hearts beating."

Yeah, yeah. I know. Boring old Clive. :)

BigClive
10-27-2006, 03:29 PM
Can I just say that I'm in no way "having a go" at RWD. I admire what he's doing greatly.

It just strikes me that with such a young electrical system there is a golden opportunity to create a new level of safe working that suits their labour climate. It's certainly worth a chat between the others working on the same project.

Hemingray Insulators
10-27-2006, 06:30 PM
if you have it, try something with small guage wire (about 18 guage), and aluminum foil, even on only 120v in the backyard it make some pretty impressive sparks and noise. probably could do it to the primary it self, becuz if you use al foil with a small guage conductor, the Al foil and small ga. wire just burns up, without operating system protection (I think) on my line I used to have, it wouldn't even blow a fuse or trip the breaker becuz the al foil burned up and limited direct contact.

Hemingray Insulators
10-27-2006, 06:33 PM
on second thought, you may want to be a distance a way, if you try what I mentione, because spark go all over, and once I've burned holes in my shirt, and burned my skin a bit from the glowing hot AL foil piece that come down, and once it was glowing on the ground long enough that it statred the dry grass on fire lol.

LostArt
10-28-2006, 10:57 AM
Hey RWD!!! I finally read where I left off! Sorry about fallin' off the face of the earth, but I've been trying to not let you guys know that I am a KLUTZ! LOL! It's been true and confirmed...........for many years now! Heh.

Wow buddy. You weave a great tale. Not only with the work you are describing, but the personality of the natives and those you are working with. Really great stuff! That...........Bush man....**chuckles**........he is a riot! I guess he has to spend time doing something........uh....interesting to pass the time????? Jeeze.

You mentioned some of the guys that I saw in the first DVD. The boss and I watched it 3 times. We have a time figuring out how to switch from regular tv to the DVD player. It's to do with remote somehow. We ain't very technology inclined! LOL! Anyway, I spotted you right off RWD! And I said, "There is RWD dear!" He sits there and grins about it. Then the DVD goes on and then I say, "There he is again." Finally, he says, "Yes, dear. I see him." :D

The boss liked it, but it was only 4 minutes long! I think that one was the introduction?? Then I find the other DVD (after I sent the other one to Swamp)!!! The boss and I haven't watched it yet, but as soon as we do, I'll forward it on to Swamp.

You are doing great stuff over there RWD!! And thank you so much for sending the pics and DVD's! Looking forward to the installment of your journal here and the pics that will follow. Take care buddy.






More pictures for LA huh? I think she fell off the face of the earth. She ain't been round here in quite a bit. I still haven't seen hide nor hair of those DVD's she was suppose to send....and don't expect to. Oh well....



LMAO!!! Oh ye of little faith! You crack me up Swamp, you really do! See what I put up with guys???? You are either gonna love Swamp or he is gonna drive you up the wall and down again! He he he. I'm use to this ornery ole rascal. And he has to put up with me here at times also. I know I'm not easy to have patience with (ask the boss). It's tit for tat with us both! LOL!

Yes, dear (Swamp)........I'm gonna send you the other DVD as soon as the boss and I watch this one. :D :D

RWD
10-28-2006, 12:01 PM
Your Back! Great! I'm glad you got back on line! Comming your way soon ... More photo's! one of the Video's is "Volunteers" and the other is "Yei" The Yei has a lot of my Voice and some of my face. Yep the guy with the beard on the pole.
Hemi! I'll try to get you a copy but it the meantime they are have posted it on the NRECA website in the international section. Hey want to come to Yei over the summer as an intern? Might be able to help you ... If you want to. You would have to have a drivers liscense though. Hmmmm. Let me know I'll talk to Myk.

Clive. I've had enough of the european style fused plugs and crappy post type light bulbs. Is there no quality materials made in Europe? The crap we work with for interior wireing would make Ice grow on a hot babe. If you guys had quality materials you'd have much more time for other stuff!

Sorry Clive ... Maybe this stuff is sub standard. I don't know.

TTFN

RWD

Hemingray Insulators
10-28-2006, 12:24 PM
Of course I'd like to go to Yei, and i get my drivers liscence this winter. So yes, it would be an interesting experiance, but of course, even if I would be allowed to go, that still don't mean my parents would let me............. I have no Idea what they'd say, but if you find anything out let me know, I think it'd be a good experiance.

BigClive
10-28-2006, 07:54 PM
Clive. I've had enough of the european style fused plugs and crappy post type light bulbs. Is there no quality materials made in Europe? The crap we work with for interior wireing would make Ice grow on a hot babe. If you guys had quality materials you'd have much more time for other stuff!

Sorry Clive ... Maybe this stuff is sub standard. I don't know.



There's a lot of different gear in Europe. I'm not sure if you have the Schuko connectors or our UK square pin plugs. The latter are a good robust connector that rarely makes a poor connection. Post type light bulbs? Are you talking about the bayonet cap base? Again the good quality ones don't work loose like ES lamps can do. Of course there are cheap nasty versions of everything. If you tried using UK wiring materials for a while you'd probably get to like them a lot. I must admit I was less than impressed with US wiring materials, but then it was different to what I'm used to again.

RWD
10-30-2006, 11:25 AM
Clive the stuff we get must be made in india. This stuff is crap. This is only on the 240V side. Breaker boxes that fall apart as you mount them and these huge 3 wire plugs with fuses in them. Switches on outlets! Give me a break. I guess it's what you are used too.

Hemi! Myk is ok with it and you'll need a licence so you can haul water. It would be more as a gofor than anything else but it would give you a great experiance doing work on a new system in it's birth pains. Try to get your folks in the groove. We could give a stipend and air fare. Need a passport and up to date imunizations too. I thing the company would pay for all of the medical as well. Lodging would be included. The houses now are actually really great. We now have the pooh room and the madagascar room. I'd try to at least meet up with you on the trip in. Start at least talking it up. Who knows where it might go.

Got around 20 meters installed now and close to 50 consumers. At this rate we'll be at 100 by the end of the year. We hit the break even at around 500 consumers ... well at least we'll be covering the fuel.

Take care all!

LA you too!

RWD

BigClive
10-30-2006, 04:11 PM
There's no doubt that the UK stuff is completely different from the USA stuff. The DB's tend to be much simpler and modular compared to your 2-phase stuff since the maximum house current tends to be at most 100A on a single phase. I'd say that your typical American DB is very similar to the UK three phase industrial DB's. If you have nice deep boxes behind the sockets they will be fine to mount. In the UK we'd wire them in a 2.5mm CSA cable in the form of a ring-main with both ends of the circuit going to a 32A breaker. The chunky 13A square pin plugs are designed for safety. they make a superb electrical connection and are very difficult to pull out accidentally. If the plugs have sleeved pins then there's no way a kid can ease the lug out and get their fingers behind it. Likewise when the plug is removed from the socket a shutter automatically drops preventing a child from inserting metal objects into the socket. The earth pin makes contact first when the plug is inserted and is the last to disconnect when the plug is pulled. The small cartridge fuse inside ensures that the appliance cable is protected from a fault condition that could melt it.

Honestly, once you've used the stuff for a while and got up to speed with it you'll love it.

Is it traditional moving disk meters you're installing or new digital ones? If it's moving disk then I'll pop over with a pallet of chunky transformers and start selling meter "retarders" (the little boxes that make your meter run backwards). ;)

RWD
10-31-2006, 11:06 AM
I guess I'm familiar with the US style stuff. It's simple and easy to use. Plenty of room in the boxes and devices that are either hot or not. We don't use MM2 sizing of wire much I'm learning it here. Stateside we use #14 and #12 wire in the house. Breakers are 10 15 20 .... amp. No 6 amp breakers in the states. I so like 60 cycles better than 50 though.

As for the meters we have US style socket meters with digital readouts. No spinning disc in town.

So far we have installed mostly 50 amp services (#6 duplex servce drop wire) The problem is we have 100amp main breakers with 4 or 5 breakers ehind it. It's weird. these are two pole main breakers, set up to switch the neutral too! We don't switch the neut or the ground in the USA.

We now have around 25 metered services and around 50 consumers. we get several applications a day. Many are waiting on the next batch of pole so we can cross the roads with service poles. I've also installed around 20 meter loops getting things ready for the service poles.

Well Tommorrow I'm off to Niarobi for a day or so then back to the states. I'm going on a short safari Thursday. I get home Saturday afternoon..

Take care all. I have a CD of over 200 photo's and I'll take more on Safari.

TTFN

RWD

BigClive
10-31-2006, 02:58 PM
So far we have installed mostly 50 amp services (#6 duplex servce drop wire) The problem is we have 100amp main breakers with 4 or 5 breakers ehind it. It's weird. these are two pole main breakers, set up to switch the neutral too! We don't switch the neut or the ground in the USA.


They typical UK DB has a two pole isolator followed by the individual circuit breakers. The isolator is purely a double pole switch and has no current sensing ability, although you can fit an RCD (GFI) in it's place or these days we use split load consumer units that have an isolator and RCD/GFI with power circuits on the RCD/GFI and the lights without earth leakage protection.

LostArt
10-31-2006, 11:06 PM
Well Tommorrow I'm off to Niarobi for a day or so then back to the states. I'm going on a short safari Thursday. I get home Saturday afternoon..

Take care all. I have a CD of over 200 photo's and I'll take more on Safari.

TTFN

RWD


Wow. That's alot of pics! Can't wait to see those of the Safari!

Sounds like a good hardworkin' trip once again buddy. I enjoy these journals of yours. :-)

Looking forward to you getting back RWD. I know the missus and girl will be happy!

Be safe,

LA

Hemingray Insulators
11-04-2006, 09:25 PM
Hope you got home ok. I suppose RWD will be catchin up on his sleep before he gets on here again lol.

RWD
11-05-2006, 03:01 PM
Made it home last night. Slept some and I'll try to spend some time writing later. Got to resize the photo's to post.

Thanks for all!

RWD

LostArt
11-05-2006, 07:57 PM
Glad you are home safely RWD!!! And WELCOME back!!! :D

RWD
11-08-2006, 05:22 PM
I really am home ... I just don't have a lot of time right now. I'll try to work on the pictures this week or this week end. Thanks for the warm welcome home.

RWD

woody
11-08-2006, 08:10 PM
welcome home RWD...good to hear ya made it back. woody

LostArt
11-11-2006, 07:44 PM
Okay, who hollered at RWD???? I'll have a swing at'em!!!! :D :D :D


As Swamp said RWD....you take care of bizness!!! We ain't goin' no where! :D

RWD
11-12-2006, 05:15 PM
I've finally got the photo's on disk and I think I've figured out photoshop so lets see if this works. We sat down to a good home cooked meal one night at Myk's. Spagetti a la Myk. This will show the difference in life style this time over the last time in.

RWD

RWD
11-12-2006, 05:16 PM
Left to Right Mark, Me, Brian (a brit expat) and Myk

RWD
11-12-2006, 05:26 PM
Quite get it. LA that irrigation pump ... I think it's an alice chalmers pump run off natural gas. .... Is a big and nice photo. How do I make mine like that. to reduce them to the size required mine get turned into little bitty pictures with no definition.

HMM

RWD

RWD
11-12-2006, 05:29 PM
Hassan is the front man here. This was the first 3 phase bank in town. No 3 phase to connect to it yet though.

RWD

RWD
11-12-2006, 05:41 PM
One photo is from the pole outside the plant. Another is Hakim and I putting up x-arms and the other is the completed sub. Not much by our standards but ....

RWD
11-12-2006, 05:42 PM
Take care all! More to come.

RWD

mutt
11-13-2006, 09:36 AM
RWD
I saw your photos today things look alot different there. Progress has come a long way. Looks like the guys got their uniforms.
I'll bet it was great to eat off a table in a clean environment for a change. That eating off your lap out of a box can get old.
Myk looked well as did Mark.
Looks good man glad to see all this hasn't gone for not.
Take care.
Dave aka mutt

RWD
11-13-2006, 01:54 PM
Yes it was much nicer this time out. Living in the new housing compound was like being on a farm miles away from town here in the states. Ok so the power went off at 10pm and came back on at 6:30am ... That was a small inconvinience compared to what we lived thru last time as you well know. I've a dinner meeting this evening so I may not be able to post.

LA thanks for the info. I'll try to apply it. I was playing all evening with Photoshop just to make these work. If my wife had sat down to do it she would have spent 30 seconds on each photo. .... Now she knows photoshop!

Take care, RWD

LostArt
11-13-2006, 07:37 PM
LA thanks for the info. I'll try to apply it. I was playing all evening with Photoshop just to make these work. If my wife had sat down to do it she would have spent 30 seconds on each photo. .... Now she knows photoshop!

Take care, RWD

LOL! Don't look at me RWD! It's Swamp that knows how to photoshop! The irrigation pump was already down sized and I chose [img] when posting from photobucket. :D

Great pics buddy!!!

RWD
11-16-2006, 08:16 PM
William and Moses in the yard at the office

RWD
11-16-2006, 08:23 PM
This one is for LA you guys don't need to look

RWD
11-16-2006, 08:26 PM
This is the stuff we got in. It was packed in coils instead of reels and was stacked not packed. A large portion of the conductor was damaged on the outside laps.

RWD
11-16-2006, 08:30 PM
Elaine ... Marks wife Mark and Cuaja dan the goat. I built the cabinet behind them the last week Elaine was there.

RWD
11-16-2006, 08:34 PM
We had just cleaned out the line shack and the guys filed in for a picture. Moses, Hakeem, Hassen, Wani, and a groundman Whose name I think is robert.

Note the SeaBee ribbon on the locker. Go SeaBees!

LostArt
11-18-2006, 11:37 AM
This one is for LA you guys don't need to look

Why thank you RWD! :D That flower looks like it is in the family of the daylilies. Beautiful.

Just for your information the daisy is my favorite flower. I know, most women love roses. Roses are a beautiful flower, however, they are picky/feniky (sp). The daisy ........well, they just smile atchya and they are so refreshing. I also like blackeyed susans. I guess I love the flowers that florish in all types of weather and yet they return looking just as pretty, fresh and sweet each year. Yeah, I like the wild flowers. :D


Those are all great pics. Are you all caught up on your regular schedule now?

RWD
11-19-2006, 07:37 AM
I was messing around and found this site last night. It has many of the pictures I took from the first trip and many taken by Myk, Mark, Lupe, or some of the other guys I guess. I noted that the dates of the albums are not the correct dates but the pictures are there. I thought it neat to follow the progression of the water tower from bee killing to new tanks to now. (ok so the latest photo's are not on there.

Here is the Link! RWD

http://nrecainternational.smugmug.com/Sudan

Click on the photo's and albums will come up.

RWD
11-19-2006, 07:41 AM
These were a bit bigger than my hand and stayed fresh for a few days. They are actually from a tree like shrub tall and I think someone said filadendrum but I think the real name had fire in itn

RWD

LostArt
11-19-2006, 10:50 AM
These were a bit bigger than my hand and stayed fresh for a few days. They are actually from a tree like shrub tall and I think someone said filadendrum but I think the real name had fire in itn

RWD

A tree? Wow. Those are some awesome blooms on a tree!


Well, I went through the link you gave above. Those are some great pics! I love the Market ones and I want to tell you that those boxer briefs on the gate (with the brick) was hilarious! Actually those would make great pencil drawings.....and a good "tongue in cheek" conversation! :D

And I loved how things were progressing and how you guys took the time to teach those young men how to do each piece of linework, from the ground up and even having to improvise. But to me, as an artist, I loved the pictures of the native people in Sudan. In some of those photos, you really caught their personalities and their spirit.

For those of you that haven't clicked on that link, you really need to take the time and look at them. I'm sure glad I did.

Oh.....and RWD....I liked this one:

http://nrecainternational.smugmug.com/gallery/2075769/6/106956392

This sums it up for me in a nutshell.

RWD
11-19-2006, 07:11 PM
LA the one that opened up was from the second trip in. We were teaching how to put on armor rod. I'm not sure but I think you may be talking about the one next to it. It's in the market. There is a table with beans flower and other stuff. If you look back on the same page there is another photo of the same table but from a distance and from the back.

RWD

LostArt
11-19-2006, 08:14 PM
LA the one that opened up was from the second trip in. We were teaching how to put on armor rod. I'm not sure but I think you may be talking about the one next to it. It's in the market. There is a table with beans flower and other stuff. If you look back on the same page there is another photo of the same table but from a distance and from the back.

RWD

Nope, the one I said that summed it up was the one of you and two natives. I think you called that pic "spacer". That was the one I was talking about. And there is no table with you guys in it. The pic does look like it was cut off from the bottom though.

Oh, I looked at both albums there RWD......and I'm like the rest of us, just waiting to see all of the last trip. No, I ain't rushin' ya.....just jabbin' ya in the ribs a bit. :D

RWD
11-20-2006, 06:47 AM
That werent me ... That was Tyler. I wear a Beard.

RWD

LostArt
11-21-2006, 10:13 PM
That werent me ... That was Tyler. I wear a Beard.

RWD

Well.............crap. But THIS one is!!!!! :D

(oh, for everyone else...........he is the white guy in the picture. hehehehe...)

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c210/LostArt99/110782797-M.jpg

RWD
11-22-2006, 01:07 PM
Caught me in the act!

RWD

LostArt
11-22-2006, 01:10 PM
Caught me in the act!

RWD

Sorry about that mistake R! LOL! I wasn't paying attention to beards at the time! :D

RWD
01-27-2007, 09:23 AM
But I'll start a new post I think. Leave around the 12th of Feb and Return around the 12th of April. Hmmmm I'll miss Our wedding aniversary.

Hmmm I'll have to make up for that one.

RWD

LostArt
01-27-2007, 10:53 AM
But I'll start a new post I think. Leave around the 12th of Feb and Return around the 12th of April. Hmmmm I'll miss Our wedding aniversary.

Hmmm I'll have to make up for that one.

RWD

Can you go ahead and treat her to something nice before leaving RWD? Heck, it wouldn't hurt to do it before and after you get back. :D

Well, I know we all will look forward to your writings RWD.