Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Weaver]

A man from Openreach came round to inspect the pole that brings DSL into the house, the higher one closest to the house. It has a label on it and I could ask Janet to take a photo of it. He said that the pole is due to be replaced in the next fortnight. What does it involve? Do they have to take the copper wires down, so the DSL will be out of action?

[meritez]

Good Morning Weaver,

If it's going to impact your service, A&A should have received a maintenance notice.

[Black Sheep]

A man from Openreach came round to inspect the pole that brings DSL into the house, the higher one closest to the house. It has a label on it and I could ask Janet to take a photo of it. He said that the pole is due to be replaced in the next fortnight. What does it involve? Do they have to take the copper wires down, so the DSL will be out of action?

It depends on the circumstances really, Weaver ??

If it's just a 'Carrier Pole' (ie: no terminating blocks, simply flying wires joing then leaving the pole) and there's plenty of 'slack' in the wire - they may well stand the new pole first and migrate the flying wires over to it ??

If there are block terminals that the wiring goes through though, or the flying wires are bar-tight - then be prepared for some down time. I don't know the geography of the land and whether this new pole will be machine-stood or whether it will have to be hand dug and hand-balled into position due to limited access ?? If it's the former, I'd give a rough estimation of a couple of hours work if the wires need to be disconnected.

[burakkucat]

I can provide a little more information, having remotely "seen" the pole in question.

It is, indeed, a CP that has carried a "D" label for a number years. The two aerial drops are contiguous from the DP (down by the road, at the lower level) all the way to "The Weaving Shed". They can be detached from the CP and temporarily supported over the top of a standard Openreach van or, even, Mrs Weaver's Land Rover!

I suspect that the old pole could be pulled out of the existing hole in the underlying limestone by the use of the hydraulic equipment of a pole replacement unit.

[Weaver]

I presume that they will simply reuse the same hole?

A mains pole, the one nearest to the house, was replaced a few weeks ago. Janet took a photograph of the process but I didn’t watch what they were doing - that was on the wrong side (south west) of the house from my bedroom.

[Black Sheep]

From B*Cats feedback it does sound potentially as if it will be a 'no break' changeover - of course, we are not the guys on-site performing the work and who knows what method they may use after the mandatory risk assessments ??

Maybe try and have Janet keep her beady eye out for when the guys turn up, and then deploy bribery and coercion by way of tea and biscuits and mutter your request to them about preferably keeping the connections 'live' throughout ?? 

 

[Weaver]

Will do. Always tea and biscuits as a matter of course.

[burakkucat]

I presume that they will simply reuse the same hole?

Quite likely.

About two months ago the pole carrying the DP, from which the aerial drops to "The Cattery" and my neighbours originate, was replaced. All aerial drops were disconnected and laid, neatly coiled, to one side. The block and tail, after removing the "mad-axeman" metallic protector, were detached from the pole. Then the old pole was pulled out of the hole. The hole was checked for depth and diameter, then the new pole was "planted". The block and tail were attached, followed by the metal protector and then all the aerial drops were reinstated.

The total elapsed time for the complete job was about 20 minutes.

[Weaver]

Where’s the mad axeman metallic protector? Does anyone have a photo?

[burakkucat]

Take a look here. That's the best example I can quickly find and it conveniently has a male person near-by, by which you can judge the height.

[Weaver]

Ah, I see - perfect name for it. I was thinking about metallic collar sheets that you see around some poles (not necessarily BT ones) at ground level, all around the whole pole.

By the way, in that image, what is the black box gubbins at the top of the axeman protector ?

[burakkucat]

By the way, in that image, what is the black box gubbins at the top of the axeman protector ?

That's just a standard "giant's thimble" joint closure which seems to be hanging from the cable that exits from the top of the metallic protector.

[Weaver]

@Black sheep:

> If it's just a 'Carrier Pole' (ie: no terminating blocks, simply flying wires joing then leaving the pole) and there's plenty of 'slack' in the wire - they may well stand the new pole first and migrate the flying wires over to it ??

It is indeed a mere carrier pole.

I can post a photo. Burakkucat can find one, of a certain degree of suitability. I might need to take two, one to capture the top and one to get the label, close up.

[burakkucat]

Burakkucat can find one, of a certain degree of suitability. I might need to take two, one to capture the top and one to get the label, close up.

The best I can come up with is attached, below.

[Black Sheep]

@Black sheep:

> If it's just a 'Carrier Pole' (ie: no terminating blocks, simply flying wires joing then leaving the pole) and there's plenty of 'slack' in the wire - they may well stand the new pole first and migrate the flying wires over to it ??

It is indeed a mere carrier pole.

I can post a photo. Burakkucat can find one, of a certain degree of suitability. I might need to take two, one to capture the top and one to get the label, close up.

I wouldn't waste precious time, Weaver - it all boils down to 'it is what it is' - the guys who turn up could well be OR direct labour or contractors. Each gang will have their own way of working, there won't be a 'uniform method' as such, other than the mandatory safety check and risk assessments. 
Your only chnace to ensure no loss of connection is to speak to them directly as they set up the site and see if they think it's do-able ??

As an aside, the 'Mad axe-man' thing is the metal capping at the base of the poles. For whatever reason, every now and again a raving lunatic will appear (usually in the midst of night - and on rough ass estates), and proceed to chop through the cables going up the pole. One capping isn't enough (unless the aggressor is Jimmy Krankie), so in cases like these we put another on top of the original.