NA underground cable splice

Let'sgoflying!

Let'sgoflying!

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Feb 23, 2005
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west Texas
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Dave Taylor
Anyone ever done a phone cable (probably 5pr, haven't seen it yet) splice on buriable cable?
My first choice is going to be call ma bell, but I wanted to see what has been done - post your experience.
Cable carries DSL signal so we need an excellent splice I'd imagine. Then a mechanically stable and completely waterproof cover.
I did view 3M's solutions; not bad.
 
Disclaimer - this was in the 70's so I have no doubt that technology has changed a little - I've spliced up to 500 pair cable ... we used a compression splice that I think grouped 25 pair at a time ... for drop cable (typically 4pair drops), we used Scotchlock connectors ( http://www.zasales.biz/product1035.html#1035 ) and stuffed them into a tube filled with silicone or some other waterproof goop, similar to sprinkler controller wire splices.

Here's some links that may be of interest to you

http://www.phonegeeks.com/wonunsplicho.html
http://www.electriciantalk.com/f10/splicing-underground-phone-wire-13401/
 
I'm confused...I thought the outside phone network up to and including the junction box on the house belonged to the phone company. From the "back side" of the box into the house was all customer-owned.

Last time I checked, Ma Bell got pretty torqued at folks who tinkered with her gear.

Why would you consider twiddling with phoneco-owned cabling yourself? If you've got a legitimate request to change something (like a damaged / degraded cable that needs to be replaced), you should be able to call the phone co and have them come do the work at no cost to you.
 
Jim_R said:
I'm confused...I thought the outside phone network up to and including the junction box on the house belonged to the phone company. From the "back side" of the box into the house was all customer-owned.

Last time I checked, Ma Bell got pretty torqued at folks who tinkered with her gear.

Why would you consider twiddling with phoneco-owned cabling yourself? If you've got a legitimate request to change something (like a damaged / degraded cable that needs to be replaced), you should be able to call the phone co and have them come do the work at no cost to you.
Click to expand...

It won't be free if they did the damage themselves... and, if the damaged cable is leading to a lean-budget non-profit's premises, any savings which can be achieved are very welcome.

Also, the affected location is, shall we say, a little remote. County the size of Delaware. Population (of the county) less than the typical urban high school. Self-reliance highly prized there.
 
I'm confused.
Click to expand...

Its probably because you missed, or misunderstood where I said my first choice was going to be to suggest they call the phone company. No biggie, it was probably my use of abbreviations again.
That is what I suggested to them today. They and I both know it is the phone company's equipment and they should be the ones to repair it. As Spike says cost is an issue at a fully donation-driven, volunteer-run organization that provides care to homeless critters so it is natural to look at alternatives. The phone co does have the right to charge for damage done to their cable.
They have done a quick repair themselves and all is working including DSL so kudos to their ingenuity. I fear a temp repair as such will be problematic so we will encourage them to have a proper repair done.
Glad for all input to help our Humane Society, thanks for posting.
 
Just twirl them together and wrap some electrical tape around it ;)


Seriously, my dad learned electrical and phone sometime in the 1940s and is allways up for a cheap solution. So when we excavated through my grandmas phone line during some fencework, he fixed it the simple way: Put two plastic junction boxes over the wire, solder a short repair piece in (all the solder joints slightly offset against each other). Fill the junction boxes with molten beeswax, re-bury the cable. Has held up for the past 30 years.

The commercial solutions are made for the professional installer who has to make 10 splices/day.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Its probably because you missed, or misunderstood where I said my first choice was going to be to suggest they call the phone company.
Click to expand...
No, I saw that. I was confused 'cause I was thinking, "That's the answer. What more is necessary?"

"Self-inflicted damage" and "limited resources" were details not included in original post. Now I understand. Glad to hear the affected party has apparently devised a method to get themselves back in service.
 
Thanks, everyone.

All is good.
The phone is down again (couldn't call them) but I have been in touch with the phone co and they will indeed fix it properly and for free. Can't beat that!
Apparently these fixes (button splices and epoxy in a protective tube) are only good for "10-15 years" and they recommend marking the spot or recording where it is....so that when it corrodes, it will be easier to find.
 
My mind goes to somehow adapting the heat-shrunk well connection sealant tubes for this . If they can keep spliced power cables clean and dry in an underwater eviroment for decades, buried cable should be a piece of cake.
 
My experience with the 3M products has been good, provided that you make sure there's a very good mechanical splice of the wires (good mechanical + solder).

The place I had in Texas had a separate garage/"quarters" building. The cable between buildings was my responsibility (as was the wiring to the irrigation system and pool controller/lights).
 
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