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Re:Puerto Rico mapping Job/Just the facts


I feel your pain. Obviously, the rest of us bottomfeeders would like to know the name of the shark who is running this job. He may run in other waters as well....if you don't want to say publicly, please email me privately at (-REDACTED-) Thanks

>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!
>
>
>
This is CABL.com posting #37100. Tiny Link: cabl.co/mjOy
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