# How many light pole bases are too many?



## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

17





I'm such a dumbass. There was no reason to do this job in one day. The first half went fine. I could have been home by noon and done the same thing tomorrow.

My 59 year old brain stilll thinks I'm 40.:jester:

I figured I could do this in a day with one helper/apprentice. It kicked HIS 30 YO ass but he had to peel off the forms (something he never wants to do again)

.


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## keithbussanich (Apr 3, 2011)

220/221 said:


> 17
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Whois doing the finish coat on those pre-peeled forms?


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

slave driver......:whistling2:sheesh ....would another day have made that much differance..? poor kid.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

And I don't even think it hit 100 today.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

> Whois doing the finish coat on those pre-peeled forms?


That would be me and they are done.





> slave driver......:whistling2:sheesh ....would another day have made that much differance..? poor kid


You are correct. I made a mistake..... but at least I taught the kid what real work was. He will appreciate his candy ass resi remodels from now on.



> And I don't even think it hit 100 today.


It didn't feel hot today. Up to 100 isn't too bad. I did get worked though. Hands and arms were cramping on the way home @ 7PM


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## keithbussanich (Apr 3, 2011)

so 17 half cocked form peels kicked his ass?


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

keithbussanich said:


> so 17 half cocked form peels kicked his ass?


 
The peel was just one of his jobs. And those things can be a *bitch* to get off, especially if the concrete dries too much.

He also shoveled his share of dirt/rocks and walked about 20 miles.

He is also brand new to the AZ climate. 

He's also a smoker but I told him he can't smoke while working if he wants to work for me.

He was tested today :laughing:


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

220/221 said:


> The peel was just one of his jobs. And those things can be a *bitch* to get off, especially if the concrete dries too much.
> 
> He also shoveled his share of dirt/rocks and walked about 20 miles.
> 
> ...


 Not letting him smoke is the best thing you could have done for him.....I was doing a new home a few weeks ago and all the ****en polish and Russian workers were constantly smoking.....Soooooo freaking annoying...


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## keithbussanich (Apr 3, 2011)

captkirk said:


> Not letting him smoke is the best thing you could have done for him.....I was doing a new home a few weeks ago and all the ****en polish and Russian workers were constantly smoking.....Soooooo freaking annoying...


 They are polish not russian


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

220/221 said:


> 17
> 
> My 59 year old brain stilll thinks I'm 40.:jester:



You grumpy old goat...:laughing::laughing:


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## keithbussanich (Apr 3, 2011)

220/221 said:


> He also shoveled *his share* of dirt/rocks and walked about 20 miles


 STOP CODDLING HIM. Make his check the thank you for the work.


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

keithbussanich said:


> They are polish not russian


 No they are a mix....nice guys, and hard workers but they all constantly have cigs in their mouths...I used to smoke for 10 years but quit about 6 years ago...I cant stand the smell now...


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## keithbussanich (Apr 3, 2011)

captkirk said:


> No they are a mix....nice guys, and hard workers but they all constantly have cigs in their mouths...I used to smoke for 10 years but quit about 6 years ago...I cant stand the smell now...


 If its travel or time at the supply house I'm a chimney . If they are working with the next cig in their ear make the no smoking rule during work hours.


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

keithbussanich said:


> If its travel or time at the supply house I'm a chimney . If they are working with the next cig in their ear make the no smoking rule during work hours.


 I didnt want to be that guy, I used to smoke so I can kind of feel for them...


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## keithbussanich (Apr 3, 2011)

captkirk said:


> I didnt want to be that guy, I used to smoke so I can kind of feel for them...


 How many times did they have to "run out to the truck" for something?


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

It was a new home so it was like the wild west in there...


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## keithbussanich (Apr 3, 2011)

captkirk said:


> It was a new home so it was like the wild west in there...


How many "unexpected" pocket doors did you come across?


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## kaboler (Dec 1, 2010)

I've never worked with those things, but it looks to me like it could have used some form oil. They don't just peel off handily? Huh. Something I'll have to remember.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

kaboler said:


> I've never worked with those things, but it looks to me like it could have used some form oil. They don't just peel off handily? Huh. Something I'll have to remember.


You screw yourself if you're going to peel the forms and brush them down green if you use form oil. They'll flake like crazy within a year.


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## Hippie (May 12, 2011)

I've never stripped the sonotube off green... And if you're outside as long as hes working let the man smoke for christ sake it not like you're in someones house or business. Its one of the perks of working out in a freaking ditch don't be such a slavedriver


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

> I've never worked with those things, but it looks to me like it could have used some form oil


 
I've tried form oil. Didn't do schit.




Hippie said:


> ... And if you're outside as long as hes working let the man smoke for christ sake it not like you're in someones house or business. Its one of the perks of working out in a freaking ditch don't be such a slavedriver


Eff that. I hate smoking. 

I watched my Mom die a slow and painful death. It's a brutal way to die. It's my mission to get as many people to quit as I can and I will use any tactics I can think of.


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## captkirk (Nov 21, 2007)

I think its so sad when you see a young person lighting up....The things people do to their bodies is horrible... we spend our whole life working hard and abuse our bodies to make money then when we get old we spend all our money trying to stay alive...sad, really sad..


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## keithbussanich (Apr 3, 2011)

captkirk said:


> I think its so sad when you see a young person lighting up....The things people do to their bodies is horrible... we spend our whole life working hard and abuse our bodies to make money then when we get old we spend all our money trying to stay alive...sad, really sad..


 Abuse your body working?


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

Took almost all damn day to prep the poles/lights.

Took just a couple pics.










Not much to see outside the fixture. Terminal bolck and I suppose a surge protector??? (inside the black rubber thing)


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

That surge protector kinda looks like three of these







heat shrunk together.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

I installed a crapload of these in order to use thousands of feet of existing conduit. They are in the parking lot planters/islands. Years ago, I had a hard ass inspector that insisted that the landscaped planters were traffic areas and made me put Christy boxes over them. :jester: I am hoping the guy that looks at this one is less difficult.























> That surge protector kinda looks like three of these
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I will look a little closer. Maybe I should cut it open???


Another interesting thing on the fixtures. Voltage is from 120 to 277, no separate taps. My lighting guy said that ballasts are starting to come this way. Electronic ballasts I suppose.


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## sbrn33 (Mar 15, 2007)

Why not use an open bottom J box? that way the water and crap has somewhere to go.


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

220/221 said:


> I installed a crapload of these in order to use thousands of feet of existing conduit. They are in the parking lot planters/islands. Years ago, I had a hard ass inspector that insisted that the landscaped planters were traffic areas and made me put Christy boxes over them. :jester: I am hoping the guy that looks at this one is less difficult.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Nice job with the PVC boxes.. much better with an enclosed assembly.. :thumbsup:


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

sbrn33 said:


> Why not use an open bottom J box? that way the water and crap has somewhere to go.


 

Seen it both ways, done it both ways.

I feel that a closed box will better protect the wiring and splices.


I think the best installation is a combination, open box over closed box.


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

220/221 said:


> Seen it both ways, done it both ways.
> 
> *I feel that a closed box will better protect the wiring and splices.*
> 
> I think the best installation is a combination, open box over closed box.


That is what I believe also.. :thumbsup:


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

Those 2 wire multivolt ballasts are the new thing. I like them, less wire to stuff in. 


With me regular stuff like site lights get open hand holes, controls get closed boxes inside the hand holes, either way I dig an bed with some gravel.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

Set the poles today.










Used a j hook in the hand hole and a half hitch about 2/3 up the pole, not relying on the fixture hardware to support the pole. One of those _better safe that sorry_ things..
















Here are the fixtures. The perimeter fixtures have little rubber half moon things to block the light.














The center, double head fixtures have an extra row of emiter thingys.











Don't know the cost or wattage. I just know it was hot as hell in that parking lot. We got them set in 4 hours and I came home.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

220/221 said:


> Years ago, I had a hard ass inspector that insisted that the landscaped planters were traffic areas and made me put Christy boxes over them. :jester: I am hoping the guy that looks at this one is less difficult.












What will that do???


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

jrannis said:


> What will that do???


Heh heh. 

1. It will keep some moisture out. I'm shooting for a 30 year connection here.


2. Recently, I have started to tape wire nuts on stranded wire. Even though I twistr the crap out of them, I think they somehow, sometimes untwist themselves :jester:

Yeah...I know. I have issues. About two years ago I got back into a JB that I installed and, when I removed the 4S cover plate, the wirenuts *fell off* and dropped to the floor. WTF? I am super careful with wire nuts and always* always* twist the crap out of them. 

My theory blames the standed wire. Solid wire would wrap around itself and stay put forever. Stranded has backpressure and seems to want to untwist. Hell, all I know is that it happened. 

Fast forward to about a year ago and I had the same experience. A couple nuts that I had installed the day before just fell off.

Now, I tape all stranded splices.


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## Breakfasteatre (Sep 8, 2009)

trap water in the wirenuts making them corrode faster


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

Breakfasteatre said:


> trap water in the wirenuts making them corrode faster


 
How does it get in to be trapped?


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## egads (Sep 1, 2009)

Some little kid is going to stomp on those boxes and crack the connections on the bottom.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

egads said:


> Some little kid is going to stomp on those boxes and crack the connections on the bottom.


 
Not gonna happen. A vehicle would do some damage. A human of any size? No.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

220/221 said:


> ...When I removed the 4S cover plate, the wirenuts *fell off* and dropped to the floor....


I don't like taped wirenuts, but seeing stuff like that happen has a way of making you paranoid. I'd probably start taping, too.

You remember what type of wire nuts?

-John


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

Big John said:


> I don't like taped wirenuts, but seeing stuff like that happen has a way of making you paranoid. I'd probably start taping, too.
> 
> You remember what type of wire nuts?
> 
> -John


 
Red Idea wing nuts.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

220/221 said:


> Heh heh.
> 
> 1. It will keep some moisture out. I'm shooting for a 30 year connection here.
> 
> ...


I only use stranded unless I get stuck using MC. I think the failures with wirenuts is that guys think that the conductors need to be twisted. I hold the ends together evenly and twist on the wirenut.


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## HugoStiglitz (Apr 11, 2011)

jrannis said:


> I only use stranded unless I get stuck using MC. I think the failures with wirenuts is that guys think that the conductors need to be twisted. I hold the ends together evenly and twist on the wirenut.


Why doesn't your company use stranded MC cable?


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

HugoStiglitz said:


> Why doesn't your company use stranded MC cable?


It is rally scarce here. I had them bring some in for me once and I was only able to get one roll before it was all sold. I only go through about one or two rolls a year.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

HugoStiglitz said:


> Why doesn't your company use stranded MC cable?



I hate stranded MC, give me solid any day.


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Im just used to working with stranded wire so the stiffness of #12 solid is something I dont care for. I have seen it pry apart cheap devices and come loose on device screws way too many times.
On the other hand, #14 solid is just fine with me.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

jrannis said:


> the stiffness of #12 solid is something I dont care for. I have seen it pry apart cheap devices and come loose on device screws way too many times.


Operator error .........


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

These things look really bright, even in full daylight.


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