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Gary Vest
3/10/2001
Amen, Richard V. Your right about cold splice too. I am in the process of activating approx. 50 miles of someone else's cold splice, and so far I am really impressed. Out of about 15 miles, there has only been 3 loose seizure screws, one backward tap, and a .540 pin connector that wouldn't pass ac. Pretty decent. You really do roll the dice on activation that was spliced by someone else.
Gary Vest
3/10/2001
I hear ya, Doug! Fucking "door swappers" LOL. That does suck when they land their span hooks all over the dog legs and make your work look like hammered dog shit.
KenM
3/10/2001
Cable 77, your e-mail says your jevans@*****.com. Why ask if anyone has heard of them? Just curious.
Richard Burton
3/11/2001
It's just seems funny how a sub slams somebody he works for about retainage with out talking to them first.As we all know, As a sub myself, when you hire sombody,you can't go on their word that they know their stuff. Retainage is held to protect one self from clean-up from somebody that tells you that they are the best. And believe me I've heard it all.It seems to me that Gaffmatic saw my name and assumed that he got f#%!ed. It just kind of pissed me off when I read your posting and I felt as though I was being slammed again. I agree with the retainage bull, I've been there too. I feel I've always treated people more than fair that have worked for me.If Gaffmatic is who I think he is, Quit with out notice or explaination, although his work was good and I would work with him again, you can't give something to some one when you don't know where they are. There is no offense taken. Have a nice day.
Gary Vest
3/11/2001
Now that is a good idea...escrow account. Richard, I still do not agree. There is no need for retainage if the job is being Q.C.'d as it should. You will know right away if someone can not perform and avoid any unneccessary payements to that person. The last few jobs I've been on had zero q.c. going and in that case, yes, you could get screwed. I understand the reasoning for it, just do not agree and think it can be avoided with good Q.C.
hendersoncable
3/11/2001
Hey Splicer... got your choo choo site bookmarked! Give us a reminder on the 16th so we can support your cause.
KenM
3/11/2001
My first contracting job was heavilly QC'd every week. It makes you more aware of yourself, and makes you less apt to screw things up. They even went as far as charge backs to fix things. Nobody wants to lose money, so you just plain, old fashioned, did things right. It's been a long time since I worked for them, and people I work with consider me to be anal about work done well. Anything worth doing is never worth doing twice when once should do. Retainage, I would blame on both the inept non-profesional subs out there and the greedy or lazy primes. The same principles that apply to the sub should apply to the prime. If they're not doing their part, why should the sub be held up for it? No easy answer, too many people involved. Some folks just need to get a conscience.
wireguy
3/11/2001
First thing you have to find Q.C. guys who know what the hell there Q.C.ing.We had them here in JAX asking how do you tell what cable was overlashed last?Pretty good question from a Q.C.guy.We were using 3-lashing wires per bug nut,and when i replaced the bugnuts and overlashed for retro-most of the time 2or more bugnuts and then some hack splicer would come in and move all the lashing wire to the fartherest away bugnut so he could cut in his stuff and then this Q.C. guy would gig my comp for the bugnuts(so i would have to go out and ad bugnuts all over again if we wanted to sign off the node and get pd)Then after some one has overlashed more fiber on top of my fiber and didnt make up the splice we had to also go do that because the Q.C.guy didnt know what the hell he was doing.Also thats what goes on when the job is shut down,you have skeleton crews out there doing bonds,VGR's,C/O's,etc. Because some lazy no good lineman,splicer,sweep,DIDNT DO HIS JOB!!! So now the prime has to pay someone else to go do CLEANUP,evryone loves cleanup,NOT!So my opinion is retainage is GOOD!LIFE IS GOOD!YOU"LL BE COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Richard Venturelli
3/11/2001
The only good QC guy is a good Lineman, if of course he is QCing Construction. If they wait to QC your work after a splicer has been there watch out. If your invoicing every week then they should be able to get someone out there to look at it the next day, before its spliced. I've had splicers cut into my cable when it was a no cut and then come back and say I placed it wrong to cover thier asses. Only to go back to the QC sheet and asbuilt and prove the splicer screwed up. Granted I'm not perfect (but almost) and I can make a mistake but hardly ever do. Its not Rocket Science, and there is only one WAY and that the right WAY! I just love watching my plant get hacked and screwed by weekend warriors, cable cops, and installers. I have come back to some of my work years later and could not believe what it looked like after the hackers were done with it. My biggest pet peeve, hand formed expansion loops. Nothing worse than good looking plant and then coming across a tweeked loop!!! Cause someone was to lazy or forgot the Jackson Bender!!
Richard Venturelli
3/11/2001
QC story: I billed for 15 poles where I removed Two guard arms and place 1 new guard arm each, California Geo 95. The QC guy gigged me for 1 guard arm on each pole that was not placed "he said". Of course this was a splicing QCer. I went back to the poles in question and took a picture from up on the pole and it was obvious that each pole had two old guard arms on it that I had to remove and placed a new one above the new strand I was placing. Geo 95 says only one guard arm per pole. It took me 2 weeks to collect about $3,000 because they had the wrong guy out there checking my work. Most Primes I work for check my work for about 3 weeks, after that they don't bother anymore cause by that time they know I'm not out to screw them. Shit I build better looking plant then the Pime's linemen do. The Primes drive out plant and they know I have done it with out even knowing I did it. I hate to brag, but why not when you know your the best!
