Well, not really, but I did install my own 35' utility pole with a little help from the neighbor and the Blue Ox. Now I just have to build the powerline for the secondary to the house, including a 200 foot swamp crossing...
In the last picture.......which one is the power pole?
Iron found in rock mound, must be ancient corner.
You will notice, I'm not a Professional Lineman
I did NOT dig up the existing 1" Iron Pipe at the base of that flagged white birch when I installed the pole.
Crossing the swamp w/ power
I'm need to install poles to support the secondary wire from the pole shown to the house.
For the swamp crossing, I'm thinking of wading out in the ankle-knee deep muck, jabbing a Pressure Treated 2x4 (sharpened to a point) into the muck, and cutting it off w/ a chainsaw at a convenient sledge hammer height. Then bash it in as far as I can. I will drive 3 of them in and nail them together, staggering the joints until I get 14' high, then suspend the triplex service wire from these.
Either that, or run Stabiloy and just push it into the much and throw mud,moss and rotten logs over it; though I think it's kind of pricey.
Crossing the swamp w/ power
200 feet is not really that far. You should, by using good anchors be able to suspend that wire from a pole on each side of the swamp. Direct bury would only be good if you actually buried it in stable soil. Just throwing it in and covering it will lead to problems even if you allow plenty of slack for tension from being moved around as it settles and the vegetation grows.
jud
Crossing the swamp w/ power
Find a decent size tree in the swamp which is online and has some good lower branches. Top the tree off a good way below the top of the pole and strap or chain the pole to the tree. I've seen it done before, but don't know how long it would last or how strong it would be. You couldn't get much more Luddite than that...
Jud & Jeff
Jud,
It's actually about 230' of swamp crossing and no easy way to get equipment down the steep bank from the pole to the edge of the swamp. I think I really only need two pole actually located in the swamp.
Jeff,
I'm a Luddite, but I still want a dead-straight power line, plus the trees aren't that healthy in the swamp.
Perry
Only joking about the Luddite reference as I know you pride yourself on being frugal and practical. The tree I saw holding up the pole did have a massive root system and would not have blown over unless everything else was blown down also. I once worked with a man who used to dig the holes for high line poles in the swamps of Louisiana. He said that they had post hole diggers that were similar to regular post hole diggers, but that had specially bent handles that were very long that allowed them to dig down 6 or 7 feet.
Jeff
> He said that they had post hole diggers that were similar to regular post hole diggers, but that had specially bent handles that were very long that allowed them to dig down 6 or 7 feet.
My neighbor who works for the local power company also said they made special shovels where the spade is smaller and bent such that you could pull the dirt up from the bottom of the hole and not spill it.
I cleared the rest of the power line this morning and measured up the distances of the run. I will have some better numbers shortly.
