Backyard line

[Hemingray Insulators]

At Swamprat's request I'll post a few pics of the backyard powerline I have at my grandparents. He thought it'd be interesting to see.

Little background info: It runs off a breaker in the breaker box, and is 120v to ground and 15A. I used cutouts and arrestors and tried to build it as best I can to replicate an actual line with the exception they are not wood poles, a lot of the poles are doubled up 2x4's set in the ground, and 14' to the top. lowest wire is neutral at 8' above ground with a secondary leg a foot above that and the "Primary" (120v) is 12' high. It does actually run by a transformer betweer "Primary" and secondary with a ratio of 1:1, inside a painted and enamled coffee can with the bushings being electric fence insulators.
I wish the sun would have been more cooperative, but the pics were either too dark, or too bright as to where you couldn't see anything, so for now I'll post the best pics.

[LINETRASH]

Very cool!

I have never seen such a mock-up.

As a lineman, I can apreciate the effort.

Keep it up, kid, I hope you reach your goals in linework.

[Three]

You Need To Get A Girlfriend Dude!!!

[Hemingray Insulators]

Thanks Linetrash, It means a lot coming from a guy who does it for a living already.

[loodvig]

You have way too much time on your hands!
J/K It looks pretty good.

[igloo64]

Thanks For The Pics Dude!

[riverhog14]

looks good, but how did u put it all up? You didnt climb 2 2x4's put together did u?

[Hemingray Insulators]

I first bolted the 2x4's together, dug the hole using the 10%+2ft rule, set the poles, tamped, drove ground rod about 3' out from the pole, put in guy's, and then I put one end of the 3/0 Al in the deadend clamp and put the knot, rolling bend on the other end, and put it on a chain hoist, and when it was pretty tight I teminated in a deadend clamp. and hooked up riser, and "came hot" after closin cutout preceeding inspection of line.

[riverhog14]

dam, really went all out. have you began climbing yet?

[riverhog14]

yeah, i bought a cheap pair of hooks off of ebay for like 16 bucks or so, dont have the right kind of boots though. Ive gone up to the neutral and back down. Umm my boots arent real hard in the middle where ther hooks actually go, so when i kick the hooks into the pole, after 7 or 8 "steps", my feet start to hurt real bad right in the middle. Its not as easy as it looks. Plus im sure my cheap hooks and not using the right kind of boots has alot to do with it...