[AT] Can you hear me now?

Cecil Bearden crbearden at copper.net
Fri Feb 5 14:37:43 PST 2010


I think most everyone remembers the 74 GMC fire truck that I drove from 
Mt Holley NJ to OKlahoma City.  When we left all the sires lights etc 
worked.  The truck only had 5000 miles on it when we left.  When we 
arrived, the head and tailights and turn signals worked, but the rest of 
the stuff that I wanted to show off with in the next parade would no 
work.  The relay bank was coroded and rusted because of the salt we 
encountered on the PennTurnpike during that snowstorm..  A rural fire 
dept asked me a few years ago to buy all the lights and I should have 
sold it..  In fact I should have sold them the entire truck.  Where I 
set my boot heel while driving is a 1/2 inch tall corroded area from the 
salt on my boots.  The frame is covered in fine powdered rust that will 
burn just like salt when it gets in your eyes working under it...

If I could just get somehting done around here, I might get it going 
again...

I can only imagine what happens to electronics when they get exposed to 
the salt in the NOrtheast..

Cecil in OKla

Steve W. wrote:
> cecil bearden wrote:
>> Perhaps I can rephrase that.  Any computer ore electronic controls on 
>> emergency or military equipment is BULLS*&^.  Even Keys are a pain in times 
>> of emergency or disaster...   I revert back to my Belarus tractors My 96 is 
>> the same as my 2000 model, except for about 200lbs of copper wiring to 
>> handle all of the controls and idiot lights.  It took us 3 days to get an 
>> alternator to charge and the blower to work without causing the tractor  to 
>> not start.  A relay is connected to the alternator to determine if the 
>> engine has started and locout the starter switch.  Blower motor then runs 
>> off this switch.  Causing tghe blower fvan to run off one of the regulator 
>> terminals on the alternator.  We had to run a separate wire to the 
>> alternator from thw switch to energize it.  It works, we gave up on the 
>> horn...
>>
>> Cecil in okla
> 
> 
> You can see the differences in our fleet. We have a mixed batch of
> purpose built and commercial chassis rigs. Plus a W I D E range of
> years. (from 1962 - 1996).
> 
>  The custom fire rigs of the past were simple, mechanical injected
> Detroits are VERY common.
> Turn the mechanical battery switch to ON, hit the two push buttons and
> the engine fires up. (twin battery bank and each button controls a
> separate starter just in case). Pull the switches to ON for each
> lighting system. hit the big button to spin up the Q and roll to the
> fire. The Q WILL rattle the glass in a car and you cannot miss the sound.
> ALL the valves are mechanical as is the main throttle controls for the
> cab and the pump panel. Looks complex but it really isn't. Just a LOT of
> linkages behind the panel.
> 
> 
> Fast forward to the newest rigs. Still have dual batteries and the
> master switch. From there on out it's ALL different.
> Single ignition switch. Single switch controls a relay bank for the
> lighting through a computer which selects what lights come on based on a
> program. Want something different SORRY... Electronic siren (which can
> almost be heard if you park in front of the rig with your modern well
> sealed vehicles). On scene you select PUMP, switch the trans into drive
> and hope the thing actually does shift to pump. Our current rigs are
> mostly still mechanical as far as the pump controls so they will be
> sticking around as long as possible. The 96 does have a POS combination
> engine monitor that is one step away from being JUNK. It does plug the
> hole in the panel so it is serving a function. Hasn't worked for over 2
> years and the company is no longer in business.... It is supposed to
> show tach, oil press., water temp and battery warning. I think the
> battery warning still works once in a while.
> 
> Now if you really want fun take a look at some of the 2007 and up rigs.
> NONE of the valves are manual control, most don't even have throw levers
> but are directly motor driven. The control panel on the pump looks more
> like the dash of the space shuttle and the "throttle" control is a
> simple spinning knob. NONE of it is connected directly. It feeds through
> about 4 different control computers. About the only manual valve on them
> are the pump drains and maybe an added tank fill.
> 
> Get on scene and have a failure. Pull the rig out of the way and hope
> the second rig in functions...
> 
> I will admit that they are impressive looking and the gadgets sound
> great in theory, BUT I'd really have second thoughts being on a nozzle
> on them in a worker. Probably because I work with computers and vehicles
> and know just how touchy they can be. Then to keep adding more crap to
> them...
> 
> The latest toy that a couple outfits are testing now is a fully remote
> control pump panel!!. The idea is that it allows the pump operator to
> move around and look over the rig while still being able to keep
> control. Not a bad idea BUT I'd rather not have one more radio unit on a
> scene with a few dozen high power radios and all the rest of the
> electronics as well.
> Although it would be fun to "accidentally" hit the Chief with the water
> cannon and be able to blame the remote!!!
> 



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