When was the last time you used a Western Union Splice? Today I was on a job and the spec.'s on the access control (not my job) were all connectionsare to be soldered and heatshrunk. All of a sudden at 1 0'clock the heatshrink doesn't fit. I go did you try a Western Union Splice. WTF is that. Showed them done. No bonus pay in my wallet but I don't have to babysit Monday.

Western Union or Western Electric?

So that's what that splice is really called. That's the only inline splice I have ever used.

Western Union. I had to google it myself. Like Patrick, I've used it before but didn't know it had a name.

Apparently the Western Union style splice is NASA's preferred wire splice due to its high strength. I think it has something to do with vibrations at take off that could loosen wire nuts etc.

Yup. Western union splice. Every time I finished one I always told my partner "there's a message coming in now."

-Hal

Western Union splice with nicopress sleeves for drop wire repair was standard fare for as long as I have been doing OSP work.

When twist and soldering for "Mother" inline we just used the ol" lock the insulation and make a crank to twist it. This was mostly in vaults or manholes so there wasn't any pressure on the splice. I've never used the method mentioned, though I did look it up to see what it was as I'd never heard of it.

EDIT: I can see where it could be used for aerial drop Dave, but all we used were sleeves for both drops and C-rural wire, though different sleeves for each.

Just Bill: Did you ever have a co-worker who was a royal PITA? We used to take sleeves and slide short pieces of bare wire into the sleeves in a certain worker's tool box. We would leave just enough open space at the ends to make it appear that the sleeves had not been messed with. When the victim was up on a ladder, in a back yard, in a blizzard, the cursing was magnificent as he tried all the sleeves in his tool belt pocket, and not one would accept the bridle wire. What fun!!!

We also made "diodes" from single lengths of bridle wire, with the insulation removed from each end, and the cathode painted on one end of the remaining central insulation section, with a silver marker. When PITA installed a ringing matrix, all the bells rang on all the lines. More fun!!!

How about taking all the 51A lamps from his tool box, and applying 24 volts, then replacing them. Nothing like trudging all the way back to the locker for more lamps as the end of the shift neared. Even more fun!!!

We had a real jerk in one town, he was so dumb we really didn't have to do anything to screw him up, he did a good job all by himself. We did get blamed for some of it though. He might have found a box full of crimped sleeves a time or two.

You guys are so mean!

We would never have done anything like that.

Well, maybe once or twice


Sam