I would like to think that I'm pretty good at repairing Undergound cable faults.
But, a local pilot rang me the other day and when I got off the phone I just wanted to leave town.
Here's why:
The guy installs his own system of runway lights on his own private runway, way out in the middle of nowhere.
The system consists of 2 runs of 6mm2 1C Neutral Screened, each 600m long, buried direct with no further protection or marker strip and there are junction boxes buried in the ground below the lights (400 of them!).
But what the problem is, is that instead of bedding the cable in sand like you are supposed to, he decided to cover the cables up with boulders and other rocks and soil over the top of that.
Now (3 months after he buried the cables), that he has got it all hooked up, he says that the MCB on the plug (10A standard)that he pluggged it into won't hold in!.
What I am meaning to say is this, how on EARTH am I going to find a cable fault like this?
Now, it's all very well to go pointing fingers at this time, but that won't get this problem solved.
I've got 1300m of cable in which to find a dead short.
I think that the guy might be getting the excavator back out there yet!.
Thank God I've never had a ride in his plane. [Linked Image]
What would you do in a case like this?
Should I start packing my knapsack? [Linked Image]


[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 12-27-2003).]