These are a few of the mapping spec
requirements and conditions for the Puerto Rico
walkout project for those mappers considering this
project. Included, may be a few comments aimed
at highlighting the pros and cons of the project
which may or may not be known by prospective
mappers.
Strand and UG routing : Standard mapping
symbology and colors used in the states, footages
etc. Pole #'s and audit tag #'s both are required at
each pole ( the pole #'s are stamped on a tag the
size of a nickel-driven into the pole/ the audit tag is
on the strand)
Drops: Active drops must be distinguished from
non active drops (mini audit) and drops are coded
from 151' to 350' before proposing hardline.
(Don't forget your drop poles and palm trees/no
footages claimed for these).
Addresses: All addresses are required. When an
address is not available, the meter # from the
power meter is required. Knocking on the door is
sometimes necessary (how's your Spanish?). All
names of all businesses mapped are to be listed in
English (even comm. MDU).
As-built: All values for all equipment are required
when possible. All cable is to be labeled along with
standard cable legend symbology.
Make-Ready/Misc: Broken lashing wire, kinked
cable, power touching strand, abandoned taps and
cable etc.
The Conditions: Most of the hardline plant is built
on phone poles. Phone and power poles run down
both sides (and sometimes the same side) of the
street in most places, crisscrossing and sharing
hardline and drop poles. All proposed hardline
plant and drops follows phone first, then joint-use,
then power only. Proposed plant is limited to 1-2
homes per 800' in general. However you may drop
feed a home from the closest pole in all situations.
The base maps are sometimes out of scale by 800'
or more. Most driveways are shown as roads, and
road placements are often out of scale or non
existing.
My first map, which was referred to as a "pay your
dues map" was the inner city of Mayaguez. The
inner city maps are four 1" = 50' scales along with
a matching 1" = 100' scale encompassing all four
(use either - take your pick). The inner city is thick
with MDU, depending on what area you get, yet
equally thick with single addresses, and painfully
slow. Completing a quad set entitles you to better
maps outside the inner city. These areas, I
observed to be relatively better, but lacked MDU
potential. The average span appeared to be around
100' and you must still deal with the time
consuming tasks associated with the information
rich specs.
Contract prices:
- $225-240 per mile as built
- $100 per mile proposed strand or
underground
- MDU: $3.00 per unit
My impressions:
The contractor-to-sub relationship seemed more
autocratic than cooperative. This is the first job
where I've heard the term "bottom feeders" used
by the main contractor to describe the people who
subbed through him. I agreed to pay my own
travel and hotel expenses to Puerto Rico (as did the
other 5 mappers I met) after being informed that
relocation costs were not covered because of how
"great" the project was.
On the evening of my 5th day, after completing my
first set of maps and submitting a $1,000 invoice, I
informed the project manager that I was leaving
the next day, to which he responded by trying to
have me thrown out of my own hotel room and
threatening me with a lawsuit if I posted any
"slanderous" messages on the Internet. This
posting is not intened to dissuade anyone from this
project – only to state conditions as I observed
them. No slander here…. just facts.
Best of luck to all who may consider this project.
Signed,
Glad2bbackhome!
Puerto Rico Mapping job/Just a few facts.
Member #: 8760
Registered: 1996-2001
Posted:
2
Name:
Mark Breithaupt
Name:
Mark Breithaupt
Company:
Breithaupt Enterprises Inc.
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