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Time to cut back

3K views 19 replies 9 participants last post by  1idejim 
#1 ·
Finally, it's time to cut back my hours in the field. Start ups and freeze damage repairs are slowing, and it's time to do the "go backs" or "extras". After this week, I'm scheduling myself no more than two days in the field each week. I have lots of paperwork and invoicing to catch up on, vehicles need service, multiple vacations planned, and I need to spend more time on the backpack company. A little burned out, not as bad as some years.

Very good spring so far. Lots of freeze damage. More manifolds and mainlines than usual. Been turning away the tire kickers, or telling them it's 2-3 weeks to get on the schedule. It went from cold and snowing, to hot and dry and windy in about 2 days. The wind hasn't stopped this spring and it dries things out worse than people realize.

Over three pages of go backs and extras to complete so far. Ranging from adding 1-2 heads, adding rain sensors, replacing controllers or manifolds, adding pressure regulators, redesigning zones, re-route due to cracks under patios/concrete. Good list of things to do.
 
#2 ·
Depending on the nature of the repair/ install, and the kind of labor involved, there are some days when I can't take more than 5 or 6 hours of field work... other days are a lot longer.

I haven't worked Saturdays for about a month, but I will be this weekend. Spillovers and catch-up. For some reason I've been replacing a lot of controllers and fixing bad splices and wire breaks faults the past two weeks.

Part of it is the nature of the referrals I get. Gardeners/ landscapers I know can usually replace a broken head, but they refer me to the more challenging problems that would eat up their time, knowing I have the tools and the experience.

BTW, got my TDR delivered by UPS about 15 minutes ago.
 
#9 ·
Depending on the nature of the repair/ install, and the kind of labor involved, there are some days when I can't take more than 5 or 6 hours of field work... other days are a lot longer.

I haven't worked Saturdays for about a month, but I will be this weekend. Spillovers and catch-up. For some reason I've been replacing a lot of controllers and fixing bad splices and wire breaks faults the past two weeks.

Part of it is the nature of the referrals I get. Gardeners/ landscapers I know can usually replace a broken head, but they refer me to the more challenging problems that would eat up their time, knowing I have the tools and the experience.

BTW, got my TDR delivered by UPS about 15 minutes ago.
gregg, do yourself a favor and make a BNC x 3' lead set, the 4" are too short for irrigation use. :)
 
#13 ·
i'll pm a few more
Thanks for being so generous with your tips. I'll print that PM and play with the unit tomorrow.

Thought maybe I'd have occasion to use it today, may still on Monday, but a wire fault seems to be right in line with where the customer made a pipe repair, so it should be easy to find without... though I may just use that to help with my calibrations.
 
#16 ·
Thanks for being so generous with your tips. I'll print that PM and play with the unit tomorrow.

Thought maybe I'd have occasion to use it today, may still on Monday, but a wire fault seems to be right in line with where the customer made a pipe repair, so it should be easy to find without... though I may just use that to help with my calibrations.
that's a great idea, the more you use the TDR the more comfortable you'll get. see what you get at 50 - 53% VOP, while wirting this reply, i calibrated mine with a 4' 4" piece of 8 strand, 7'4".
be sure to include the leads in your figures, have fun :waving:
 
#18 ·
What if you don't have any spare wire to calibrate with, when you are tracking field wiring?
you will, over a period of time be able to figure the VOP for wire/condition, it takes some trial and error.

in my area 50-55% and 70% VOP work depending on the ground temp and humidity. most of yur calibrations will be open air readings.

the idea of using a TDR is to narrow down the area that you're searching in, sometimes i'm dead on, sometimes i'm not.

so far wb the TDR has not let ME down, it just took me a long time to figure out how to understand what i was reading and how to use the findings to my benefit.

go badgers :laugh:
 
#19 ·
In most cases, I'd have something to compare with. Certainly I'd have 14 and 16 and 18 and 20 gauge wire laying around somewhere, but I remember some installs where telephone wire was used, and the one where stranded single conductor was used (horrible stuff, if corrosion sets in, and the conduction goes intermittent)
 
#20 ·
In most cases, I'd have something to compare with. Certainly I'd have 14 and 16 and 18 and 20 gauge wire laying around somewhere, but I remember some installs where telephone wire was used, and the one where stranded single conductor was used (horrible stuff, if corrosion sets in, and the conduction goes intermittent)
the TDR has over 30 set VOP's and 0-99 manual settings, i have some spare wire, but not with me at all times.

around here, where i work, 14ga, 16ga and 18ga fall in the 50's for VOP. other wire has to be calibrated to be spot on.

now here is a variable; if the ground is cold, as in the winter, the VOP can be in the 60's or 70's.

to tell you the truth boots, since no one else has been talking much about TDR's in irrigation i've had to learn on my own. there are a few guys using the TDR in irrigation but i don't think that they are as sold on the concept as i am. most TDR users are either quiet about their use or don't want to share i guess.

gregg and dan just got their TDR's and will have to play with them for a while before they can see its potential, it took me a good year to stop doubting the readings, it took another season before i figured out how to really cut back my 521 time with the TDR. most jobs now i use the TDR in place of the multimeter and the stationmaster.

i know this much about the TDR, i have never not found a valve, and finding valves has gotten a lot faster since i started using the TDR :)
 
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