Fiberglass street light poles

[Goldenboy]

How do others tone out these street light cables. I know the only real way is to open the access door and direct connect to the neutral block but that is a big no no where I work. When the lights are on they seem to tone way better locating from the ped. I've noticed alot of these lights are sensored and thought or attatching a black out on an extension pole to turn the lights on during the day time.

[yahoo]

i will usually use the steel light poles to my advantage....just hook to the bolt and it will usually run fine.....fiberglass poles have to be done the hard way use a power meter light to let me know if it is hot and then find the common usually green wire and hook to it direct very dangerous..some times i can induce....sometimes i can ring clamp any wire inside and run that wire out.....have not got shocked yet ....thank GOD....lights have to be done very careful usually will not run just by hooking to power transformer....when using the ringclamp amp your transmitter very high usually on 29, 33, or 65 khz and you will get a good signal....there is some common sense you may have to use................:blahblah::blahblah:

[beyond help]

There are only a couple ways.
1. Induction
2. Direct connect on the ground inside the S/L
3. Hook up @ the Feed from the Pole/Ped and run it out (best if light are on):blahblah:

[frostypeters]

I've used the black-out method myself. In my time I've made 2 types. The first one I used a small bucket on an extension pole to cover the light sensor, but I found different towns using different types of sensors and that did not work well with some of them.

The second one I made was basically with a burlap sack attached to the extension pole. That works well, you just spend some time learning the technique of swinging the bag so it lays over the sensor.:clapping::yahoo:

[TBONE]

I usually will try the pipehorn but if it dont work I will open the door :scold: but I use the tester before I pierce the nuetral not really any other way here to do it other than dig at the base and clamp the cable.

[Mr Blunderbuss]

I had some success hooking to a ped and toning up at 65mhz and pumping up the output. Works fine as long as you KNOW there's nothing else in the area. Other success I've had is wrapping a wire around the pole 3-4 times. hooking the red lead to one end and the other lead to a ground rod. Take the black lead and hook it to a second ground rod. Tone at 65 and pray.

[TBONE]

A few years ago they were hot on having us call the power company but after waiting and waiting for them to show up and have an I dont have time for a locator attitude I just take matters into my own hands and open the door if the pipehorn dont work

[Metroman]

How do others tone out these street light cables. I know the only real way is to open the access door and direct connect to the neutral block but that is a big no no where I work. When the lights are on they seem to tone way better locating from the ped. I've noticed alot of these lights are sensored and thought or attatching a black out on an extension pole to turn the lights on during the day time.

When the light is on the power itself will pull your signal along thats why it works.Thats an old trick for locating a house service that wont tone.You find an outside outlet and plug in a hair dryer,bingo theres the power line.

[Loc8r]

Some of the fiberglass poles are bolted to the base using steel bolts and quite often they are grounded to the neutral block. If there are caps on the base bolts either pop them off or slip a knife or flatblade screwdriver under the protective cap so that it touches the bolt.

Cheers!

[MidnightElectric]

I had some success hooking to a ped and toning up at 65mhz and pumping up the output. Works fine as long as you KNOW there's nothing else in the area. Other success I've had is wrapping a wire around the pole 3-4 times. hooking the red lead to one end and the other lead to a ground rod. Take the black lead and hook it to a second ground rod. Tone at 65 and pray.

Mr. Blunderbuss has got the right idea with the wire wrapping.
Take a 6' length of solid 12 or14 ga wire and wrap it several times around the pole as tight and together as you can. Twist the ends together and hook your red lead to it. Ground the black as normal. Use 33/65hz on a med/high power setting, 360 sweep and GO. I have done this for several years and found that it works great. In a high congestion area Null works best. I have taught this trick to several locators in my crew and they all report good results.

PS. NEVER had a streetlight damage.

[Lucky219]

I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks I will have to try wrapping wire arond the pole. :smiliedance:

[Goldenboy]

I have been using the wire wrapping trick with limited success. There are alot of options and normally I find one to work it's just a lot of headaches.

For any electric companies reading this.

Install a tracer wire.

[bareclaw]

they only way I locate fiberglass lights is open it up and cut back the neutral, the only thing is DO NOT kneel down when hooking up your red lead and it's good if your boots are electric hazard rated . My subsite will flash a voltage and beep to tell me when I'm on the hot leg which the white is definitely not always neutral. the power company doesn't mind too much as long as we tape it up good.

[Dave72]

That wire wrap around the pole is a good idea, Im gonna have to share that with our local electrical locator. I know he was complaining lately about the new downguards that are long and fiberglass.. hard to pry em out, and nothing to clip to that's bonded metal.

Just curious, when you guys open up streetlight panels are you not required to rubber glove ?

[bareclaw]

no gloves required here

[yahoo]

wire wrapping is a great idea but what is the science behind that??? how would a signal transfer through that??? wrap toward the bottom or top????

[sprayandpray]

Wrapping wire around a riser is the same thing as using a coupler -you are inducing a signal onto the line.

[Dave72]

Not sure exactly how those clamps are wired, as-in how many loops equivalent and other tricks with magnetic items.. but an a/c signal on any wire is gonna make a circle of field around it with the ability to flow alternating current in some object in/near the center of the circle. Then that flow in the center (our line/cable) makes its own alternating direction circular field that we pick up.

So the direction of wire wrap shouldnt matter. Just how many wraps to induce enough signal would be the test. Sounds fun enough Im gonna try a test next time i get the chance..

[Wingfoot]

I've smoked my share of transmitters direct connecting to the hot side of street light wires. I now carry a voltage indicator that reduces the chance of shock hazard and saves transmitters. This one is priced at $25.00:

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff124/wingfootsmp/37105L.jpg (http://www.justtoolkits.com/options-dmm.html)

[yahoo]

thanks guys for the input makes sense to me.....

[Dave72]

Good point Wingfoot... if yer life aint worth $25.. then dont bother picking a similar item up and making it a habit of using one (easy to put it in your dash pocket with your pens..)

[sprayandpray]

Wing, didn't you get one from the company?

[Wingfoot]

Wing, didn't you get one from the company?
In a word, "No!" But in fairness, I've never asked for one so I don't know if one was ever available.

[locomike]

i normally take my clip put it on the jacket of the wire and take a pair of pliers that the handles are plastic coated and push the end of the clips down until the rd growls. im not shocked and u cant tell that i ever cliped on the wires.

[yahoo]

isn't that dangerous??? llocomike

[sprayandpray]

isn't that dangerous??? llocomike

Can you say zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt?

[RoadMap]

Not sure exactly how those clamps are wired, as-in how many loops equivalent and other tricks with magnetic items.. but an a/c signal on any wire is gonna make a circle of field around it with the ability to flow alternating current in some object in/near the center of the circle. Then that flow in the center (our line/cable) makes its own alternating direction circular field that we pick up.

So the direction of wire wrap shouldnt matter. Just how many wraps to induce enough signal would be the test. Sounds fun enough Im gonna try a test next time i get the chance..

So if your theory is correct couldn't you just wrap your extension lead around a transformer? The wire wrap does not work unless you know where the utility runs. Because you have to really power it up real high. But I have seen this method or failure at work by a guy in my crew. With a 900 pr. We bought that one!

[Dave72]

So if your theory is correct couldn't you just wrap your extension lead around a transformer? The wire wrap does not work unless you know where the utility runs. Because you have to really power it up real high. But I have seen this method or failure at work by a guy in my crew. With a 900 pr. We bought that one!

Is that we he did, wrap the direct-connect lead around the 900 and clipped it back to itself to make the circuit ? Did he actually find some signal on something and painted the error out ? Im mean, ya know, you gotta use some common sense on stuff.. what did it turn out that he located instead ?

Im curious, gonna try this out myself as a test.. but not as an actual 'locate' till I get the feeling it works (or not).

[locomike]

122

123isn't that dangerous??? llocomike

naw u put your clip on the ground wire and use a pair of coated handle pliers so the current cant get to you. it hasnt got me yet. i know the 2 pics are not a street lights but its an example.

[yahoo]

rubber protects us from the shock yeah.....but if your rubber has any flaws i still think it could be dangerous...like what spray said.... but thanks for your input locomike

[headcipher]

I have a trick that works the majority of the time especially with fiberglass poles with no access panel. Take 2 probe rods and put them on opposite sides of the pole, in line with the most likely run of the wire and hook up your leads. Use the highest signal you have available. Runs great.
Using an 810? works about 60% of the time.

Don't pound a rod in with a hammer:toasted: