If any of you fellas hire on with Southern Cal Edison, you wont be grounding the xfrm tanks at all.

Have asked a few times why they don't ground the tanks here and have not got a real definite...

You would have to get into an apprenticeship first. Not all companies do it. The most likely place to get experience with that kind of work, would be on the construction side, not so much the...

On the Trans. side at SCE, when we work on the distribution, we still put all taps (tapline, cutouts, everything...) with Fargo's. "Because that is what the book says". And like state above, they...

BPA is an open shop. You have the choice to join the union or not. They run out of local 125. 99.99% of the guys there are union.

We just did our helicopter certification today, and here are some of the pics...

Approaching the tower from the ground solo (and a good shot of the fenestron tail on the ship)...

Out in the coastal areas we wash hot 500kv lines with de-ionized water. Too bad there is no way to train the firefighters and get them filtered water, but then again, i can see that making a whole...

Definitely saves alot of time and wear and tear on the body. Plus it always looks good on the resumee.

The long line is attatched to 2 load hooks on the belly of the ship. There are 2 switches in the cockpit that allow the pilot to jettison the line if he feels the need.

Alot of the guys that...

Topgroove- Thank you for the directions and the diagram on the 3 phase generator. I probably won't be able to use it in this class, but hopefully have it together by the next one.

Sbatts, the...

We have just started an HEC (Human External Cargo) program at the outfit i work for. We are in the beginning stages, and using the helicopter just to transfer us from the ground to a tower, and...

I will be sure to let the apes(apprentices) know that they are also students.

You should install the pole band, climb above it, then do your grounding. If you were to install your pole band, then ground, then climb over it; in theory you are going in and out of the EPZ. I...

I have been asked to teach a Beginner AC theory class to 2nd step apes at the out fit I work for. This will be the first class I have ever put on. I have a decent amount of knowledge on AC theory,...

When making up the double dead-ends between the soft and hard sides, make sure your insulators and jewelry are nice and tight when you stretch them out on the ground to measure your hard mark. Hard...

These are great links, exactly the kind of stuff I am looking for. Thanks CPOPE, I owe you a drink.

Sorry fellas, been away for awhile. Thanks for all the info, it is good stuff. I will keep checking back, and work safe.

They got rid of it before I hired on, but I am sure that is a very probable cause.

Yeah, Ray can tell some good stories. I never saw any climbing gear, but I am sure it was interesting. When we hotsticked the 500, we used to coil our handline in and out of a rubbermaid trashcan. It...

Chance does put on a good class. I have been through a few of their 500 hotstick classes, and one of Ray Kepplers 500 barehand classes. Learned alot in all of them.

I am just looking to get as...

I am talking about when the pole is to fat to put your becky around. And check this out, the company I work for, has made the adjustable becky illegal. Why, I can't tell ya, but our becky's are a...

Thanks for the info. All great stuff.

We are in the process of creating a barehand program and I am looking for any info that you guys would care to share. We are looking to do everything from changing dampners, to DE bells, to...

Amen is right, a head rope is a great way to go. Nothing like having to pound in a lag to hang your becky on, when you are on a bare pole. Or when you are at the comm level on a transmission pole...

We just finished a job not too long ago that sounds just like yours. 69 kv up top and 16 kv 4 wire flat construction most of the time. A little bit of vertical double circuit on the 16kv. We were...

As far as the hoffman pole climbers, i have them, and they were a bitch to break in. The Hoffman trooper, is great on the ground, great on the pole, and comes out of the box all comfy and broke in....