[TriLUG] OT: what is this cable?

[David Burton]

Thanks, everybody!  I'm using TWC Internet which still works, and I have an
AT&T POTS line which still works, and the power hasn't gone out, so I don't
think I disrupted any active service.

My house was built in 1983. I'm at the tail end of a cul de sac. TWC pulled
fiber through the neighborhood a decade or more ago, ending the fiber run
across the main road from the other end of my cul de sac, only about 0.1mi
from my house (so I have excellent signal quality).

I just went out and took a closer look at that cut cable end.

I tried to peel back the insulation on the small wires, and discovered
there wasn't any! They're just bare aluminum.  I hadn't realized that.

I peeled back the black plastic insulation on the thick center wire, and
it's not coax or a bundle of small wires, it's just solid aluminum. It
looks like about 10 gauge.

Here's a picture:
http://www.burtonsys.com/mystery_cable/20141013_092027_annotated_cropped.jpg

Dave



On Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 8:47 AM, MrB <brentrbrian at gmail.com> wrote:

> How many conductors are on the inside of the black cable and what kind of
> colors are they
>


On Mon, Oct 13, 2014 at 8:43 AM, Bill Weinel <tube.radio at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> This is a TWC buried drop cable to the house. If you're not currently using
> Time Warner for phone, cable, or internet service; you'll notice nothing
> out.
>
> It's also possible that there are multiple buried TWC drops going to your
> house and you've just hit an old unused cable. [Over the years, TWC had to
> replace a number of older drops due to water infiltration into their buried
> drop cables (...this was caused by them originally installing inferior
> quality
> buried cables back when they first installed the cable system in the
> 1970's.)]
>
> If you or your neighbors have noticed nothing out... Your likely good to
> go.
>
> Take care,
> Bill
>
>
> On Monday, October 13, 2014 01:37:31 AM David Burton wrote:
> > I rototilled my yard and planted grass. But right beside the curb I
> > accidentally dug up the end of an odd electrical cable. It looks like it
> > probably goes under my driveway.
>