pole mount 150 watt modules [RE-wrenches]

[matthew tritt]

Right-on Tom,

I've hired a 75 ton crane a couple of times to set wind equipment. Here in
the vertically-inclined part of the world, it's often impossible to get a
boom truck with a long enough reach to service difficult hillside spots and
heavy loads. The long reach of a large crane is oh-so handy. I have also
done installs using helicopters, pack mules, block and tackle, greased 4 X 6
rails and big crews of uncertain national origin in some of the more
"difficult" jobs.

Matt T
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Simko" <tom at skylinesolar.com>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Friday, February 21, 2003 6:58 AM
Subject: Re: pole mount 150 watt modules [RE-wrenches]


>    I'll guess I'll weigh in on this one...
>  Using a bucket truck when a boom truck shoud be used is a false savings.
> They are designed for picking people. I own a 10 ton 84' reach boom truck,
> 30,000 GVW, 18' flatbed. Wrenchs, this is one very usefull tool! Right now
I
> have a 960 watt array, mounted and wired, and ready to deliver to the
> jobsite, along with the 1400 lb battery box, also already interconnected
and
> ready to connect to the power panel. The power panel is prewired as much
as
> possible, and it weighs about 300 lbs. All this work was done in the
comfort
> of my shop, and to load it I'll telescope the boom in and pick everything
> up, rigged carefully of course. Point is this piece of equipment cost less
> then a new pickup, (32K), and makes me 85 an hour when used, uses little
> diesel fuel, and is much simpler then a backhoe as for maintenance. I
don't
> want to turn this into a crane discussion group, I'm already on one of
> those, but by having the truck pay for itself by primarly lifting trusses
> for building contractors, I get to use the truck "for free" on my own
solar
> projects. I am very small time in that department compared to most of you
> guys, and I can't help but think some of you would benefit from my
> experience with this piece of equipment. Lifting preplumbed 6 panel
thermal
> arrays onto 3 rd story jobs in minutes, with one helper, standing 60'
> turbine towers with turbine installed with one helper, in minutes, and its
> lots of fun to operate also.
>
>  After hiring out on over 200 jobs now let me share my insight on how best
> to hire a boom truck/crane guy:
> 1. Butter them up, mention you'd like use him every time you need a
> crane,(and do it) he'll cut you a better deal, its better for everyone to
> form a working relationship.
> 2. Clearly state the load to be lifted, its weight, how far up and out it
> needs to go from where it  is, and whether specialized rigging will be
> needed.
> 3. Have adequate help, you don't want the crane operator twiddling his
> thumbs while you look for hardware or lost tools, have it together as much
> as possible. IF something comes up unexpected, a good operator, one you
have
> used in the past and will use in the future, will knock some time off, I
do.
> But I don't for incompetency!
> 4 Tell him , hopefully in universal recognized crane signals, if not
loudly
> as he's standing by the damn thing and may not hear you, where you want
the
> load to go, don't tell him how to run the crane, he'll put the load where
> you want it the way he wants to, make sense?
> 5. Wait until the job is done, all his rigging and dunnage is picked up
> (help him in that, don't stand there and watch) and secured, and he is
ready
> to roll and THEN ask him how much, and then whip your checkbook out, or
pay
> cash, even better.....! Don't try and ask him how much while he's still
> there working on your job, even though the load is lifted it still takes
> time to get out of there. Again, a steady customer gets a better deal then
a
> jerk.
>
>  I've pictures on my site of the truck. Look around you're area, talk to
> builders and see if the area is adsequately served by a light crane. If
not
> you may be able to make a few bucks, mine paid for itself in 2 years, and
> get to use it for free! Anyone wanting to run out and buy one contact me
off
> group and I can forward some good used boom truck sources.    END OF BOOM
> TRUCK TALK.
>
> Tom Simko
> www.skylinesolar
>
>
>
> on 2/20/03 11:03 AM, keith at kcronin at lava.net wrote:
>
> > Hello Jay
> >
> > I was envisioning using a bucket truck to set the poles in concrete and
> > a bucket truck to install the arrays.
> > I recall back in 96 when I did an SEI education/charity project in North
> > Carolina that we used a pickup truck and a lot of humans. Getting that
> > array on the gimbal was a dangerous event. And that was before the 150
> > watt panels came on the scene!
> >
> > Keith Cronin
> > Island Energy Solutions
> > 318 A Kuulei Road
> > Kailua, Hawaii 96734
> > 808-262-3268 Tel
> > 808-263-0338 Fax
> > www.islandenergy.net
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Jay Peltz, Peltz Power [mailto:jay at asis.com]
> > Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2003 5:08 AM
> > To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
> > Subject: Re: pole mount 150 watt modules [RE-wrenches]
> >
> > HI Keith,
> >
> > I just installed a 8 panel shell 150's.  6" pole.  You'd better have a
> > bunch
> > of strong guys to move that 8" pole.
> >
> > jay
> >
> > peltz power
> >
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