Questions about power lines...

Thanks again!

 

Cable and phone lines are a mean game. I propped up more than a few of those doing concrete, and the mixer was only 12'6".
They aren't subject to the stringent inspections electrical power lines are, even though utility power companies are self policing, I've never seen one cheat.
Cable & phone, totally different story, especially cable.

99.99% Fiber is underground.

When I did electrical work, we did a fair amount of underground backbone for the power company, they are very strict, there is no cheating.

One project was like 1/4 mile new power line conduits and vaults along this main boulevard in the Bay Area. It was through extreme rock, and we had to use a 500 pound hammer on a backhoe to break it, then another hoe to scoop it out.

Well it was right next to one of the main fiber optic ducts serving Contra Costa County. I'm talking a dozen cables like 4 inches around.

With about 10 feet to go the operator I always used is getting a little sloppy. This is a two month long gig.

I said "Brian, you've made it all this way without bankrupting me. Why do you want to hit one of those fiber lines now."

He stops. Gets off the hoeram. Comes and looks. Turns white. "You didn't tell me those were there."
LOL
I did, but it didn't sink through for whatever reason. Had to stop for the day, and take him to the bar to calm him down.LOL

 

LOL! you dodged a bullet that day.

 

That is actually a very good point, and frankly I'd take it to court and try it. Cable TV companies are notorious for not getting their lines up high enough to be legal. Main reason, is that they usually wind up renting space on utility poles that were set initially by a power company. Then the phone company came along and added their lines. (For a fee to the power company of course.) There has to be so much distance between the power and telephone lines. I don't know what it is, but it depends on what the power line is.
Anyway, then along come the little old cable tv companies. You know, the "little" national companies...
Anyway, they play tag a long, and get hooked to the poles, but again, there has to be so much distance between the phone lines and the cable tv lines.
Cable TV is notorious for running their lines too low. And when it comes to the service drops, a lot of those are just ridiculous. Another problem with the cable tv crap, is lack of maintenance. So you may well have a road crossing that was legal when it was built, but over the years, some of the attachments to the poles have come loose. Usually not a problem, unless they are over a road or a driveway.

Goes along with my post.
I tore down some cable tv line in a parking lot one time. Doing a delivery to a county office, with a truck and pup. Yeah, of course I should have seen that line, but the fact is I didn't. I called my office and was told, go ahead with what you are doing. There is no way your pup could have pulled down those lines, if they had been a legal height. I was a bit concerned about it, but did what I was told. Never heard another word about it.

I seldom disagree with you Ron, but in dealing with cable tv lines, I believe I'd do some checking, if I was the "tearer downer."

Ooops, that's a bit high almost anywhere...

Those manufacturers are building the equipment to do the job. Just like all good engineers, everywhere, they designers fail to take some major problems into consideration.

I don't know where you are, or when those lines were torn down. But I do know, that back in the sixties and before, in rural areas those phone lines often were tied to trees, fence posts, or sometimes, just strung along the ground. I did some contract work for Mountain Bell in the Colorado Rockies, and couldn't believe what I was seeing there.

Absolutely!

Sounds good. I wonder if they also specify communication lines.

 

I'm willing to bet that the cable co's cut corners every chance the get.

 

Yeah, I won't take your bet on that. That is one of the most cut throat businesses out there. Sheesh, I remember the days when utility companies actually tried to do a good job, put safety first, and customer relations were a priority with them.