trying to cut a road in, but.....

Discuss non-crawler related issues here (keep it sane, please)
roadbuilder
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Post by roadbuilder » Tue Jan 19, 2010 8:13 am

Good point. Even with Coast Guard fly overs, and watching the skies, :shock: I had forgotten about Big Brothers eye in the sky. :twisted: The company I contract for, provided me with a 2' x 3' comb. aerial photo/section map which has a photo with Township section overlay and the corresponding map on the facing page. There are 12 pairs. I carry it in a capped 4" sewer pipe container to protect it. 8) I use it for emergency location, pinpointing sites and reference info.(slides,blowouts plugged culverts)

So when you finish a project, you probably should seed it and cover it with hay etc, and get some ground cover growing. :)

I started to download the Google site last week, but it was going to take a couple hours, and I can't keep people from calling me or the wife that long so I kept getting kicked off and gave up. I should put I hate dial-up on my profile.

Got to go to work. You guys have a good day. Dale
P.S. Got kicked off in the time it took to write this. AAARRRRRGGGGGH!
If it's worth doin', it's worth doin' right.

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shinnery
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Post by shinnery » Tue Jan 19, 2010 7:45 pm

Maybe you should check with your phone company, you might be surprized, DSL may be available. I live five miles from a town of less than 700, but my Rural Telco Coop has a "point of presence" a half mile from me and DSL is only about $40 a month. It is worth it just in lack of aggrevation.
Bryce
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roadbuilder
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Post by roadbuilder » Tue Jan 19, 2010 9:23 pm

Thanks for trying to help , but my wife already tried that route. Not available. The only solution is with Hughes net, and right now it adds too much to the bill. I tried to talk her into a seperate phone line but she won't budge on that yet. If I pass the the aggrevation on to her, maybe..... :lol:
"But Honey, I'd be done and off the computer so much quicker!", didn't work either. She saw right through that one.
If I type in Word then cut and paste, I can get by.
What I need to do is find a simple way to post pictures. Anyone know how to download from a camera phone with out having to e-mail? Maybe a bluetooth connection?
Dale
If it's worth doin', it's worth doin' right.

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Tigerhaze
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Post by Tigerhaze » Tue Jan 19, 2010 10:23 pm

roadbuilder wrote:Anyone know how to download from a camera phone with out having to e-mail? Maybe a bluetooth connection?
Dale
My phone has a micro SD card that allows me to copy photos from the phone to the card, which then can be removed from the phone and used with an adapter in a standard SD card reader. Maybe yours has a removable card.

I also have a netbook with Bluetooth as well as on my phone, but haven't tried to sync the two yet.

Also if you have Bluetooth on your phone and computer, you can get a mobile internet plan and run internet to your computer through your cell phone. However it may not be available in your area. I know cell phone service can be spotty- I have a project in the mountains near Riddle, OR and can't always get a signal.
(1) JD Straight 450 crawler dozer with manual outside blade; (2) JD 2010 diesel crawler loaders; (1) JD 2010 diesel dozer with hydraulic 6-way blade; (2) Model 50 backhoe attachments, misc. other construction equipment

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Stan Disbrow
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No DSL or cable here, either.

Post by Stan Disbrow » Wed Jan 20, 2010 10:42 am

Hi,

I had the same issue. There's no cable or DSL here on our farm

There is a phone company microswitch two miles from the house that would give us plenty of DSL signal. Unfortunately, we're on the boundary line for area codes 919 and 910. Guess what? Yep. The close DSL feed is A/C 910 and we're fed from A/C 919.

The 919 microswitch is six miles away. It would still work for at least 384 kbps except the phone lines run down the farm road are of an ancient type that has high loss at the DSL frequencies. So, nothing past the end of the pavement, as it were.

The phone co. won't replace the mile-long line as it still works for voice. Dial up gives 26 kbps and that's above the 9.6 kbps they say is all they need to ensure we get.

They also won't switch us over to the 910 feed, which they could do with a simple jumper in the roadside box at the closest intersection. BTW, they did just that for a neighbor on the same crappy underground line that feeds us. He has a medical condition that uses a monitor that has to talk back to the hospital.

I was using another brand of satellite delivered internet that used the phone lines for the uplink and the bird for the downlink. That was grand until their bird got whacked by space debris a couple years ago and they went out of business.....

That left me with HughesNet, and cellular wireless. I was using AT&T at 128 kbps since the loss of the satellite, which isn't nearly as good as DSL or Sat, but was only $20/mo extra over the voice cell service cost.

A month or so ago, I took a look at the coverage for all the wireless carriers. I found that Verizon had upgraded to 3G in our area. I went in and they offer a cute little device that is 3G (EvDO) on one side and WiFi (802.11b) on the other. The cost is bit high at $60/mo. but the thing is portable and so offers internet just about anywhere I'd be going as well as at the house.

Now, all the wireless carriers offer a similar device these days. In my case, I saw that the Verizon tower was closest to the house. AT&T is on the same tower, but have not upgraded to 3G in the area yet. Sprint has an even faster 4G offering, but their tower is five miles out whereas Verizon's is only two miles. I didn't think that Sprint would work, but felt that it'd be no problem with Verizon.

The tower placement for any given carrier can be found out just by dropping by a store (it's not online). You can then figure out the distance and direction and see if there's anything that might block the signal, like a big hill. Also, I had a 15-day trial period to see if it actually worked OK at the house, which it did.

Now, wireless speeds vary, but are still much better than old dial up. I'm getting between 384 kbps and 2 mbps with EvDO depending on cell site loading. Usually it's on the faster end as there's not a lot of cell traffic in our area.

The only real downside I see is that the package price is limited to 5 gigabytes of data per month. This is counting both the uplink and downlink traffic. Their overage fee is quite high at 5 cents per megabyte, so one does not want to go over.

However, my wife and I have trouble even going over *one* gigabyte in a month, so I don't think this will be a problem for us! :)

Anyway, that's a long post but might be useful to someone in the group of rural folks that inhabit this board!

Later!

Stan
There's No Such Thing As A Cheap Crawler!

Useta Have: '58 JD 420c 5-roller w/62 inside blade
Useta Have: '78 JD350C w/6310 outside blade
Useta Have: '68 JD350, '51 Terratrac GT-25
Have: 1950 M, 2005 x495, 2008 5103 (now known as 5045D)

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Stan Disbrow
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Bluetooth links

Post by Stan Disbrow » Wed Jan 20, 2010 10:44 am

Hi,

Keep in mind that Bluetooth has a data rate limited to 128 kbps. So, using that as a data link between the computer and even a 2G data phone would be a real bottleneck......

Later!

Stan
There's No Such Thing As A Cheap Crawler!

Useta Have: '58 JD 420c 5-roller w/62 inside blade
Useta Have: '78 JD350C w/6310 outside blade
Useta Have: '68 JD350, '51 Terratrac GT-25
Have: 1950 M, 2005 x495, 2008 5103 (now known as 5045D)

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Tigerhaze
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Re: No DSL or cable here, either.

Post by Tigerhaze » Thu Jan 21, 2010 9:23 am

Stan Disbrow wrote:The only real downside I see is that the package price is limited to 5 gigabytes of data per month. This is counting both the uplink and downlink traffic. Their overage fee is quite high at 5 cents per megabyte, so one does not want to go over.

However, my wife and I have trouble even going over *one* gigabyte in a month, so I don't think this will be a problem for us! :)
Hey Stan- if you don't mind me asking, what kinds of internet use would take to go over 5 GB? I know video streaming movies is GB intensive, but didn't know about ocassional short video viewing (YouTube, etc) or audio streaming.

The reason I ask is I have Verizon wireless and have contemplated getting one of these "AirCard" type plans but it is hard to visualize how much internet use it would take to exceed that limit.

Thanks in advance
(1) JD Straight 450 crawler dozer with manual outside blade; (2) JD 2010 diesel crawler loaders; (1) JD 2010 diesel dozer with hydraulic 6-way blade; (2) Model 50 backhoe attachments, misc. other construction equipment

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Stan Disbrow
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Post by Stan Disbrow » Thu Jan 21, 2010 3:45 pm

Hi,

Well, if you're into downloading lots of applications, those can really eat up the old bandwidth. Most software companies these days offer downloading for those folks so into the instant gratification that they can't wait for a disc to arrive in the snail mail.

Some are into downloading ever piece of music ever recorded. Some like to live on YooToob and the like. I'm not talking about one or two here and there, but using it like it was cable.

Then, there's the new delivery of movies over the net - I mean full features that release on line the same day as the DVDs.

I think some of the cable/sat channels offer their shows online as well.

And, finally, let not forget the large winders updates. Most folks have their machines set to auto-update. The problem is, that gets one all updates. I find that I'd rather do it manually as most of the updates are for things I never use anyway.

Those are a few of the things that eat up bandwidth that readily pop to my mind.

Most other things, like searching eBay for old tractor parts and reading/writing posts into forums don't take much at all. Even emails with photo attachments don't take up much. It's really when you want to download large programs and stream full-sized video that you eat it up.

later!

Stan
There's No Such Thing As A Cheap Crawler!

Useta Have: '58 JD 420c 5-roller w/62 inside blade
Useta Have: '78 JD350C w/6310 outside blade
Useta Have: '68 JD350, '51 Terratrac GT-25
Have: 1950 M, 2005 x495, 2008 5103 (now known as 5045D)

roadbuilder
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camera phone

Post by roadbuilder » Sun Jan 24, 2010 9:31 am

Good info on the cell services, and the internet service info.
The reason I don’t like to carry a camera is that with all the dust and space I have left (actually lack of), I never would have the camera handy when I needed it. I still would like to download my work pictures with out having to e-mail them. I do this with the engineer’s projects, but was told not to do this much with personal pictures. I give the office $5 every once in a while, but I’m the only one other than the boss that takes pictures with the phone and sends them, whether to engineering. parts pics to parts or equipment repair or the office. I try to keep my company phone on-air time work related. I do get a lot of neat pictures of projects, critters etc. that I end up deleting to make room for more important ones. I’ve tried the high speed , 5 pin buss cable with no results other than the computer will recognise new hardware but I can’t get further. Probabably all my problems originate with this computer.

Dale
If it's worth doin', it's worth doin' right.

roadbuilder
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Communication as part of road construction.

Post by roadbuilder » Sun Jan 24, 2010 9:36 am

My workweek has been limited to 4 days due to the economy and the market. Things are expected to improve but I don’t expect much more road building until May, based on what we did last year. We’re in a repair/maintenance mode unless something has to be built or slides and storm cleanup. I’ve even been driving bellydump when there is no excavator work. I’ll have some time to investigate your suggestions. Anything I do will have to fit into the budget. I kinda got us off topic for the main thread, so let me try spin it back.
Communication is a necessary part of cutting in a sidehill road. We are required to have some form of communication with another person when working alone. Our company had to come up with a check-in policy to comply with Ore-OSHA rules. Simply, the best ways are portable radio and cell phones because you can carry them in a pocket or clip them on so you can transmit/ receive without leaving your equipment. My port.radio (high band system with repeater) has a corded mic, which I usually fasten to my suspenders on my shoulder. When I run something really loud, I wear earmuff ear protection. I can hear the radio enough to know someone is contacting somebody, and I just tilt my head to touch the muff to the mic face and can hear the second call plain as if the D8 wasn’t even running. If the call is to me, I decelerate and stop.

I have a couple of 10 mile hand held talk- about Motorolas that I use around the house mostly, but sometimes use them at work or when hunting when there is a need to talk but don’t want to broadcast to the whole world. I use them mostly when I’m working with an individual cutter and don’t have line- of-sight contact. They call me when they shutdown for fueling, and I call them if I don’t hear the saws when I idle down. If they don.t rev up in a couple of minutes and still don’t answer then I start to head that way. So far in five years, its never gone that far. They either answer, or I hear the saws working in the wood.

My cell phone is a Motorola camera phone through US Cell.. It gets a good signal by itself, but the US Cell rep told us there was a port inside the back, which if drilled out, would allow connection to an external antenna. So we did this with all the company phones. I have a double top-loader ant. permanently mounted to the roof of my pickup. I have pretty awesome service even up in the hills (not just on the tops of ridges either). I use magnetic mount ant.on the equipment as it tends to get knocked off in the brush or when transporting. Texting is the best way to send/receive the check-in. Doesn’t take a long connection and you don’t have to go where there is a good enough signal to place a call or retrieve a voicemail.

I have cell service on the driveway but not good enough at the house. I heard an ad by one of the local radio shops for a booster/antenna for your house. I looked into this yesterday. Its called zoom boost. System costs $428.00. You put an antenna on your house where you get 1 to 2 bars signal with just your phone. Coax connects to an amplifier inside and another antenna inside. A 70* signal from antenna covers 10,000 sq ft of the inside of your home. Tuned to US Cell. If you buy the $650 package, you get access to three different cell towers. I won’t be doing this. If I gave up my landline, it would probably pay for itself, but I don’t trust cell service to always be there. My landline still works when my local power is out.

Any way, its is a good idea to have some form of communication with others if you are working by yourself. There are lots of stories about some farmer or operator found trapped or dead by their machine. That’s where check-in comes into play. If you decide to do a check-in, you have to call at the agreed upon time or you’ll have your contact running out to check you. It is a hassle sometimes but if you need help…. There is a fairly new radio that sends a text to your contact via sat as a check-in, and some other short messages. Costs about $150 to setup, plus a monthly fee, but that’s all I know about it yet.
Dale
If it's worth doin', it's worth doin' right.

MADJACK
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Post by MADJACK » Wed Jan 27, 2010 12:45 pm

Thanks for the excellent replies guys! I plan on doing some studying and brain picking (my standard MO).

I'll get some pics and upload them, but I am close to my 5 gig quota for this month (laptop connect card). I am too far from DSL or cable now too My old place in town had DSL, miss that. I also get lousy cell service at my place and was thinking about a booster antenna. I tried a small portable booster, but it either doesn't work, or my signal is too week. To talk on a cell at my house, you have to stant in a specific area.

I haven't previously run into my limit, but up and downloading pics, vids and blueprints etc. adds up fast sometimes, especially HQ video.

I currently have resorted to "guerrilla computing" stopping in spots with good signal or wy-fy to access internet, so my visits tend to be erratic, not to mention the many projects. When not doing projects, I'm trying to wear my saw out cutting firewood :lol:

MADJACK
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Post by MADJACK » Thu Feb 25, 2010 4:44 pm

Sorry it took forever, here's some dirt pics 8)

Image

Image

Image

Image

and here is a pic of an area I'd like to extend out a bit

Image

roadbuilder
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you've got neat toys

Post by roadbuilder » Sat Feb 27, 2010 2:59 pm

Morning Madjack!

Looks a little like Gus’s hillside, hopefully without the water problem. It’s in the thread “How to move a mountain with a wheelbarrow”. Do you have clumps of grass and dirt occasionally sloughing off the bank behind the shop when it rains? This area looks a little “different”, but overall, the main hill and fill in front of the shop look stable. The sloughing I think is just the overlying material seeking its angle of repose. :)

The soil looks fairly rocky. The big item with that is it unconsolidated (jumbled)? Layered with some order, (is the slough material made up of bits of shale-like rotten rock)? Do you see solid rock at the bottom of the cut with diggable or scratchable material above the solid? Looking at the hillside, I would expect the soil above solid is a fairly consistent depth as you go up the hill. I’m leaning towards a large, underlying rock mass, most likely a volcanic intrusion.

In the picture behind left side of shop, I think I see a slight tuft of grass on the lower left side of the tree behind shop. This looks like a slight cut, which leads me to think the original excavation was by dozer. Given the gentle slope behind the shop, this is the method I would use to build a landing or home site in such a location. Cut and drift to fill. It's’ pretty obvious why you want to extend the fill. :shock: I’d experiment to see what the ground does digging in the area that protrudes to the left and below the four fence posts on the hill.

You might check the existing fill slope for compaction before you add much fill. Take a fence post or some rebar and jab it into the slope in various points. If you don’t get much penetration, the fill was mechanically compacted or at least old enough that several seasons of pounding on it by Mother Nature stabilized it. If you get more penetration than 3-4 inches, you may want to tamp the existing fill prior to adding more. I would also try to remove any grass within a foot of the final grade of the fill. The grass could create a path for runoff to penetrate between the old fill and new, leading to slumping and cracking of the fill or even complete failure.

Digging. Several ways to go here. Front-end loaders are most efficient digging on the horizontal. Try to minimize track spinning and slightly rock bucket back and forth as you enter pile or hill, gradually filling bucket and getting it to full carry position. Use the backhoe to pull down upper material down to bottom of hill to create pile to fill loader bucket from. Usually I try to dig into the base to see if I hit rock or to get closer to the final cutbank base, and then slope by pulling down to reach final slope. You may need to pulldown material to create a ramp to backup to reach a higher slope, but make sure you keep enough width on the ramp to minimize the chance of tipping over. When backing upslopes, remember to keep tracks as perpendicular to hill as possible. Sidehilling over 30 degree angle from perpendicular could get you in trouble. :shock: Avoid getting yourself in a dangerous position, but keep in mind that your backhoe is also a counterweight and you can swing it to the “uphill” side to improve balance. Might be hard to do from loader seat, so a stick or something might let you reach pedals.
Another possible method would be to back up the hill and using the front loader, drift material to bottom like a dozer. This would allow you to do the higher gentler sloping done early, and reduce the backhoe pulldown volume. Other than the danger involved with working on slopes, the added backhoe weight maybe hard on your drivetrain so hopefully the mechanic/operators will nix this suggestion if it could cause machine damage. :cry:

If you decide you need to terrace behind your shop, the left side looks like a good side to start from if you don’t get “rocked” out by solid rock. Imagine building a road around the back of the shop and a level about 5’ higher than floor level. Try for a width 11/2 –2 times track width for safety and don’t let the shop side track get on any fill or loose material. Watch the inside track for solid rock. If you can’t get 11/2 machine width, with out hitting solid rock on inside, I’d recommend abandoning that plan until you get a lot more seat time. Sometimes rock can be scratched down. Sometimes just changing the direction of digging allows for better penetration. Avoid using backhoe like a hammer. This is hard on all components. :evil: The keys to scratching are patience, accuracy, and adapting technique to different types of rock. It will wear down your bucket teeth though. If it goes good, you may want a dust mask Repeated exposure to silicates can over time result in silicosis. Usually from sandstone dust or lighter colored igneous rocks.

I’d dig, fill bucket, then back out to the front of the shop (if that’s where you are going to fill), turn a little while backing then finish the turn going ahead to dump bucket. Splitting the turn into smaller maneuvers helps keep from tearing up the driveway.

Hope the rains letup enough for you to start playing in the dirt soon! Have fun, good, luck and be careful!
Dale
If it's worth doin', it's worth doin' right.

MADJACK
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Post by MADJACK » Mon Mar 01, 2010 12:03 pm

Good morning Roadbuilder,
I've learned more in that one post on how to attack this than you can imagine, of course I don't know didly so that's not too hard. :lol:

There is a lot of rock in the soil, and big solid masses underneith. The solid portions seem to have cracks and fissures that would allow it to be broken up in time with patience...

I really appreciate not only the advice on how to do it, but how to do it safely and with wear and tear on the machine in mind.

I have some big goals for the place, but don't want to die or destroy my equipment in the process. :wink:

Some times I feel pretty ignorant even in the language of the techniques and descriptions of the soil types, but I'm learning...

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