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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9A9TvZSE9E Gotta love this one....

Yeah, my former boss paid for us all to go through crane cert. But, who is certifying your guys and to what advantage?

It is pretty much complied with on a voluntary basis. When you walk the beach the turtle nests are marked out as soon as they are laid and watched by groups for the duration. Its not something most here think of as an imposition.

Guess not here for most folks. But, I might of listened to a song or two of those particular bands. I like country... I grew up with my Dad listening to Southern rock type music and my Mom loving American Country. She listen to George Jones and Tammy, Slim Whitman (god, that is hard on the ears), Conway Twitty and what not. I heard CDB and was hooked and then caught the Bocephus bug. Learned my Waylon and the boys from there.

So, what do you think your accuracy is? I have three curved walls I need to get the radius of and was wondering if I could get an accurate radius for installing neon using Google Earth or some other satellite image.

I was wondering if anyone here used digital photos and a software application to get measurements for providing quotes. Perhaps you even use them for more. uPhotomeasure Photoshop ImageJ Sticky Yard Google SketchUp Or maybe some other application This link has an example of what I an referring to. iPhotomeasure Signs Anyway, if you do use something like this, could you please let us know what you use and how you apply it.

Not really, there would be an exception saying that if you use non-metalic conduit that you can run the ground or bond unprotected. Instead it says the bonding conductor must comply with both A and B. A says it must be a minimum of #14 and be copper. B says it has to be protected from physical damage.

Well, the only reason they are able to make us bond the channel letters is because of article 600. 600.24 addresses class 2 wiring systems in signs and says you have to comply with 600.7. Which has you bonding your LED letters in the exact same manner you would for neon. Running a grounding or bonding conductor outside of conduit is not allowed. 600.7 (b)(7)(b)(7) (b)Bonding conductors installed externally of a sign or raceway shall be protected from physical damage. The simplest solution is to use a manufactured cable #14 in size with the required green wire. No conduit required then.

Here is the article that talks about the 2007 PPE and 2008 enforcement. http://ehstoday.com/ppe/hand-protection/ne...and_protection/

OSHA has been ramped up down here in South Florida for awhile. The company I worked for for the 8 years of the previous administration had few OSHA incidents. Though they had some problems with EPA. Still we heard that the other companies were getting hit hard. I have been with an other company for the last 7 months and they get nailed for shit that isn't even a violation. Three citations issued last month and all of them were dismissed. Though obviously it cost money when they stop your job for something that isn't even a violation. They are keyed in on fall protection. I see whole job sites without any type of PPE and OSHA sites a painter in a rented snorkel lift for no fall protection. Not a hard hat on a head at that site, no gloves, no eye protection, no hearing protection. The more stringent OSHA rules went into affect in 2007 and ramped up enforcement started in in mid 2008. I read about it in EHS Today. Here is a link to an article on the Bush administration and OSHA. I couldn't find the one I was looking for. BTW if you want a subscription to this magazine I believe it free. http://ehstoday.com/standards/osha/bushs_osha_no/

Used to be in Florida you could pull an exemption if you were a sole proprietor. Now you and two officers can still pull exemptions. But, you have to be incorporated. I am on workman's comp right now. Spinal stenosis. The whole system makes you feel dirty either end your on. My former employer is has according to my lawyer a $500,000 deductable before the insurance kicks in. I don't know if that is true or not.

Did the same thing ! LOL Matter of fact I bought a new handgun Saturday. Sold that gun Saturday as well... Guess old what his face is going to have to turn them in anyway... Damn really have a hard time remembering the name of the folks I sold them guns to... Nancy Pelosi and some dude Reid? I think that who has been snatching them up around here. Musta been who I sold them to.

Is your Radocy square tube or round tube? If square you could possibly do it. If round tubes I'd bet you mess up the guides pretty quick and that would be no fun at all. I had two Radocy Comets and both were round tubed 85'.

I worked at one company, one of the largest in the area. It has more than halved its size. It also took a large hit from Imagepoint. I was laid off by them the week of Thanksgiving. I now work for the largest company in the area. They hired me and laid off 5 guys the following week. They are now very slow. Last year they employed over 100 people and they are now down to 60 I think... There is no indication of anything picking up any time soon. South Florida...

Less holes? So are you putting up a self contained letter? If you are then what is the cost consideration for that compared to a remote transformer? If you are referring to remote transformer installs. Then somehow I missed how there would be less than two holes per letter.

Seen banners on them. But, nothing illuminated...

What brand are you using here? Its also gonna depend on what your bin space and customer base is. Do you have the capacity to carry longer lamps? Also, most companies have a color preference. Such as all Daylights on re lamps. So it would make sense to have more daylights than coolwhites. You'll also lean more towards what you larger customers use over time. So if you have a customer that's stores use a lot of 72" lamps and few customers that use 64" lamps. Well, the 64" lamp become a specialty item that you only carry a couple of and so require a second trip.

God keep you warm! LOL

I pushed this issue at my job. I ordered and brought to work brochures from Florida Power and Light. They even had a rep from FPL come out to one of our safety meetings. The owner said the following week that we would have to work closer to the lines and be careful because rerouting was too costly.

Actually, we had a rash of transformer thefts in South Florida back in the 90's. One store in particular was a Miami Subs on Collins Ave. With the amount of border neon on these jobs you could score 12 to 14 12,000 transformers in short order. IIRC, they took them all 3 times and then my boss and the franchise came up with putting a camera on the roof. You can't see shit at night on a roof. Let alone on a cheap BW surveillance camera. I was sent out and recommended adding motion detectors on the roof. They never had another problem with stolen transformers. i think they had some problems with cats or pigeons. It was definitely sign companies stealing the trannies. Lots of guys talk about other guys in the trade that get paid a couple of bucks a transformer.

I don't have an iPhone. I have the ATT Tilt. My daughter had the iPhone for a couple of days last year and then took it back and got the Tilt. The biggest let down back then was the lack of 3G support. They have since corrected that problem though. So, I think it is a good compromise between a regular cell phone and a full Pocket PC phone like the Tilt. I'm not current on what apps are available for the iPhone. But, just having the internet connectivity of 3G sppeds is awesome. I Google shit all day. I also use Google Maps, Virtual Earth Mobile, Live Search along with the built in GPS all the time. I think Google Maps comes pre-installed on the iPhone. I carry a laptop with me most of the time and I can use the Tilt to connect my laptop either through the USB port or over Blue tooth with very good speeds in most places. Though Blue Tooth can be a little less reliable due to interference. I know people were having a problem connecting PCs to the internet through the iPhone when it first came out. But, given that it is now a 3G capable device I am sure that they have written something for you phone. Having a touch screen is great and I can't see every going back to anything else. The cameras and the way these phones photo software works makes them real fun to work with. And people are real impressed when they see you spinning, zooming, panning and editing photos with your fingers. Bottom line is these devices are a blast and once you have a phone that can do what these things can do, I can't see ever toting just a phone ever again.

When my father had his business we always tried collected 50% before starting any work and the balance including permitting fees at the time of completion of the installation. We would call the day before the installation to make sure that their was no problems with our installing the sign that day as well as to inform them of the total balance due and that a check would be required. We also asked who the installer should give the invoice to and get the check from at the location. When we got to the job site we would go to the person and give them the invoice telling this was the total due upon completion today and ask if they had a check for that amount ready. Also in the event that they were not at the location when we finished, who would they be leaving the check with? This was a pretty good system and you could read who had the money and was wiling to pay. Who could pay but the money was tight and who didn't have the money to pay... We did not wait a year for repossessing signs. My Dad tried to work with people. But, if the guy kept going back on their word about payment several times. Then I would visit after their hours and remove parts of the sign that were needed. Say a handful of channel letter faces and a couple of neon units. In Florida if the store owner sees on his property and calls the police they will make us leave. Even though the contract we had said that we had the right to enter the property to recover our property (he hasn't paid for it yet) it is still trespassing and they view ownership as a civil matter. But, if the owner or tenant of property tells you to leave and you don't then you are trespassing. Another tool is a contractor lean. This is the way to handle accounts that are bigger and can demand terms. Sometimes you have to give them 30 days or more to get the job. Always file a notice of commencement and make sure you file a contractors lean within the allotted time. If they complain and they will most of the time when the property owner finds out about the lien, you just have to tell them that you have no choice under the law but to file the lien now. Its your states rules and not yours and if you didn't file under their terms you would not be able to do so in the event that a customer who you have extended credit to did not pay you. It has nothing to do with them and is just state law and company policy and you will give them a release of lean immediately after payment in full. You are giving your customer an interest free loan when you give them terms. The other thing we did at another company was have them submit an application for credit. Though I think our book keeper would just call a couple of their references. My Father lost $50,000 from one customer who he should of been able to collect on. But, felt that the guys was being sued by too many contractors already. If he would have followed the steps with that builder he would have gotten the money. We also had Nations Rent decide to switch all of its contractors and suppliers from 30 days to 90 days. Which prevented us from receiving over $200,000 in balances from completed jobs. Think about the interest they would pay if they were doing this to every contractor and supplier and had to borrow that amount from a bank for that period of time. They did pay the full balance but drug it out of a many months and with the other jobs that became due with them over that period of time They really hurt us financially. As well as straining the relationship we had with suppliers.

This is why OSHA puts the responsibility on the owner to train safety, supply safety equipment and enforce the safety program. But, how many times do YOU violate a safety rule for convenience? Ever used a step ladders rungs above the recommended one? Ever used a saw horse as a ladder? Almost every sign installation or service call requires that you wear a hard hat. How many here do? With equipment it is always going to be the owner who is at fault. He chose the equipment and he is the one that can authorize the scheduled maintenance. The company that owned this crane has a full time fleet mechanic on staff. He was the designated maintenance man. He was the one that performed the annual inspection required by OSHA. He had no experience or training on this type of equipment. My boss just had a safety meeting regarding crane failures unrelated to this accident. He listed certain things that he wanted us to do. Check the safety latch on our load line hooks to make sure they close. NONE do and the cranes roll out every day. Check your clevises. Do they thread in fully? have the right manufacturers bolt? Most do not. He says he is compliance with the OSHA requirements for inspection even though he is having the examination and maintenance performed by an ASE mechanic. The mechanic himself has told me he has no idea why he is doing these checks and he only checks for visible hose wear and fluid levels and lubes. The reason that these cranes and aerial lifts aren't going to a certified aerial lift or crane company is simple. It costs more to get it done right. The owner of the crane above is upset that OSHA has impounded his crane. He is pissed that he is still paying for the crane and he can't use it. He has repeatedly gotten fined for safety violations and has fired employees for getting him violations. He should be grateful that none of his employees or anyone else was killed. He should be having all of his aerial lifts and cranes checked by certified people. BTW, I just refused to go up in a man basket suspended from a hydro crane. We were using one hydro to remove some 18' X 11' flex faces and another hydro to lift the personnel in a man basket. I recommended that we have to man baskets and pull the retainers from both sides first. The bolts were rusted on and it took one crew hours just to get them off. Then use both cranes to drop the faces to the ground and then send the cranes home. We would have used right about the 4 hour minimum. Then we could stretch the new faces on the ground and the cranes could come back in the morning and we could fly the faces and then use the two man baskets to reinstall the retainers. Which would require pre-drilling the steel for screws as all of the old ones had snapped off when being removed or had to be chiseled off. In South Florida during the rainy season we have almost dialy thunder storms and with them high winds. They are almost always afternoon boomers. So the time to do this stuff is in the morning. We could have easily finished both faces being installed with in the 4 hour minimum again. Instead we had a crew in the air during lightning. Pulled faces in high wind. But, the best part is we had 6 sign men and two crane operators sitting around waiting for "it to clear up". First day 7am to 10PM, second day 7:30 am to 7PM and the third day 8:30 AM to 4PM. So my way would have cost 4 hours of crane on day one or lets say maybe 5 hours. Then let say, with everybody stretching faces about three hours more of sign labor. Then we'll give them the all day to hang the faces just to be fair. That would be about 13 hours of hydro crane total. Though that is a MAX time. Their way put crews at risk and cost themselves 34 hours of crane time times 2! All of the wasted labor time and over time for the sign people.

Yeah, I have had two Radocy's. Both had the push button boom up. The only problems I ever had with Radocy was that the one with Hydraulic riggers sucked monkey dick and the rheostats were always fucking up. The other thing was the push button boom up. I once had a journeyman that pushed the button and began fucking around with the generator while it boomed up. He blew every bolt on the main seal. Luckily we were able to use regular bolts to get it back down safely and to the hydraulic shop. Except for the rheostats dying and that boom up button Radocy was a pretty bomb proof booms.

I agree that it had to be the bolts. Actually, the bolts have been sent out to a lab for metallurgical testing. It is the manufacturers responsibility to ensure his suppliers deliver the product as specified. If I isntall a defective transformer I am the one responsible to the customer and in their eyes and my wallet no one else. When someone purchases a crane they expect to get a certain number of years of trouble free operation. They certainly would never purchase a crane with the problems we have had with Skyhoists offerings in the last 5 years or so.