CABL Forum - Re:Puerto Rico Mapping job/Just a few facts.

Who is the contractor that you where working for in P.R.

>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!
>
>
>
>

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Re:Puerto Rico Mapping job/Just a few facts.