Cable Maint.

[Babybearjs]

  well, in an attempt to activate the 3rd. line on my drop, the tech could'nt trace the line all the way back to the dial tone and handed it over to cable maint. this seems to be a problem with the system these day as without and regulation and unmarked changes... lines get dropped and cut... even destroyed from vandals who think its funny to wreck stuff... since the 1980's, does anyone even mark their work? I thought everyone had to make sure lines stayed intact for future use.... what thoughts do you have on this subject?

[RB]

When I was doing cable installs, I marked a number on every cable from 1 to what ever the last one was.
All network cables terminated into a patch panel.
The user end was numbered the same as the patch panel port it appeared on.
If there was a phone drop, it too was numbered on the cable, and assumed the same drop number as the network drop.
Like N1/V1 etc...
If it was all done with network cable, then the user end was numbered N1/V1etc... and the other drop was terminated into a 66 block.
I always looked at it like I would be the next one to work with it, so everything had to be labeled.
I did too many installs, to even try to remember.
Had many days of troubleshooting other folks work/disaster. So proper labels helped bunches.
The worst repair job ever, was to follow...get this...a PHONE installer.
They used him for both the phone cabling, and the network cabling.
Well, after an hour of tracing dead "new" cables, I discovered he had spliced wires along the way"box ran out, so remaining wire was patched together in the middle.
The problem...he spliced the cables the same way he spliced phone cables.
2 feet of untwisted cat 5 wire on each end, and spliced them using a random method.
the 2 center wires worked, but all the rest, failed. took a loooong time to find it, as he hid the splices behind base boards.
I got it all working correctly,"20 some of them".  but man! lots of head scratchin, and a bunch of what the heck???
most folks today, have a hurry and finish the job, before anybody notice how sloppy you did it.
And, the NEW cable companies offering fios, like to CUT the pots line out, so it cannot be restored.
So, expect the worst, and if it does not happen, your that much ahead.

[Key2871]

If it's coming from a public utility than its illegal to vandalise. But if it's on your property, they don't have to do anything to mark cables wires etc.
I guess what I'm saying is who's cabling is it your refurng to. Because I see a lot of bad underground cables being subbed out to an other tech who is in charge to do that work.
I'm in consolidated country. That means it was Verizon, then it was pointless (fair point) this week it's something else.
Boy do I miss ma bell.

[Babybearjs]

WOW! lots of work... yeh, if they can't activate the line then I'll cancel the order... its still pending. I like to do this from time to time to make sure the line is operational. its been about 6 years since this line was up last...

[AT2796]

I assume that you are running on a burried drop?
Don't know where you are, but in my area, we don't record burried service wire, at least not in the engineering records. Some techs may mark either end depending on circumstances.
If you've had this line in service before, we should be able to get it back but who knows.

Today's telco's can't wait till they can get rid of dial tone. They would be happy to put you on a VOIP line!

[Key2871]

I suspect he is on a buried drop, since he has a trailer.
And I've not seen one where they mark it out unless dig safe Is called, and even that's no guarantee that it's going to be marked.
John, can you get access to the pedestal?
Do you have a butt set, if you do and you have an idea what pair your new line is on try clipping on and if you get a signal, go to your NI and try, if not disconnect the end at the pedestal and tone it from there. If you have a decent probe, you should be able to trace most of it. Till it stops, then you will have an idea where to look for a problem.
A lot of techs will just stretch a new UG drop and connect it up, then walk away. It's up to you to trench it.

[Dan/Panther]

well, in an attempt to activate the 3rd. line on my drop, the tech could'nt trace the line all the way back to the dial tone and handed it over to cable maint. this seems to be a problem with the system these day as without and regulation and unmarked changes... lines get dropped and cut... even destroyed from vandals who think its funny to wreck stuff... since the 1980's, does anyone even mark their work? I thought everyone had to make sure lines stayed intact for future use.... what thoughts do you have on this subject?

My personal thoughts are that normal landlines are slowly being phased out. In the near future I fear landlines will be gone.
Someone needs to make a plug in unit, that you can connect your vintage phones to that connects it to the cell phone service.
Doesn't sound to difficult for a tech wizard.

D/P

[Jim Stettler]

My personal thoughts are that normal landlines are slowly being phased out. In the near future I fear landlines will be gone.
Someone needs to make a plug in unit, that you can connect your vintage phones to that connects it to the cell phone service.

D/P

There are devices like that. One is a cell unit that you plug a land line into, no pulse support on the unit I played with.
There is also x-link. X-link  provides a modular jack that you plug the phone into. It works on bluetooth to connect to your smart phone.
X-link supports pulse. You can find x-link for $50-$100 on ebay.

[Babybearjs]

The tech came to the house today to finish fixing the line. we were talking and he was saying that cable and fiber are the main new things. from what I'm understanding all new wiring in new construction is fiber. you have a fiber NID on the home and you run CAT 5e from there. if its cable, then its a different setup, at least from what I'm seeing. I did see that there is a NID module that accepts copper and cable all in one unit.. so you have your choice... (or is it fiber?) anyway, I'm happy with the setup that I have and land line phones aren't going away just yet.... I'll keep mine going for as long as possible!

[Key2871]

Isn't it a shame, what Alex bell toiled over all these years ago is falling away from the norm.
But I guess that's progress...(?) I was not aware that they had fiber to NIs now... I've been off far too long.
Oh well you can't fight progress can you.

[AT2796]

The tech came to the house today to finish fixing the line. we were talking and he was saying that cable and fiber are the main new things. from what I'm understanding all new wiring in new construction is fiber. you have a fiber NID on the home and you run CAT 5e from there. if its cable, then its a different setup, at least from what I'm seeing. I did see that there is a NID module that accepts copper and cable all in one unit.. so you have your choice... (or is it fiber?) anyway, I'm happy with the setup that I have and land line phones aren't going away just yet.... I'll keep mine going for as long as possible!

I agree with the bolded part of the quote!
Actually, for new construction, we are running fiber all the way to the device (modem/router) but we are also "overbuilding" fiber optic outside plant In existing copper neighborhoods and offering up to 1g speeds for your home use.
I have heard limited customer feedback that it is better than the local CATV provider for a better price, but again, I am a wannabe old fart, I like 48VDC and  I will keep it as long as they let me!

By the way Babybearjs I am glad you got your dial tone!

[Babybearjs]

what a crazy world we live in.... you can thank Tesla for the wireless technology! he wanted it.... and finally we got it 100 years later!

[phonetech87]

As as Cabke Repair Technician, we dont mark phone numbers or lot numbers in a trailer site. As matter of fact, I spent an entire day resplicing drops, multis and temp wires to get a subscriber in service at a trailer site. Main problem is that trailer sites do not provide telephone cabling/infrastructure to patrons. Hence, we end up running long temporary lines to hook up to the main cableat a pedestal.

[Babybearjs]

I'm surprised you said that.... everything should be marked so the next guy knows whats going on!

[Key2871]

In the field it doesn't have to be. Pairs, what pedestal etc is all that is tracked. The drop, UG burial, nope because things change and they just run a new drop if the old one fails.
I live in a community that everything is UG, they just ran New high voltage runs in conduit, in a couple places hit 1750 primary runs, not properly marked by digsafe. Cable runs and Telco to.
Now when they were in I was on the BOD so I made maps of pipes, secondary lines for street lights etc the power company did their job mapping their stuff.
But consolidated, didn't want to do anything.