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no wires to house...how can this be done...

5K views 25 replies 16 participants last post by  wncbuilder 
#1 ·
ok. I am remodeling/restoring an 1840's house. the previous owner (who failed in his attempt) had the insight to bury the electrical wires to the house so at this time the house has no wires visible to the house. I like this, it is in character with the house, 1840=no wires. the problem is I need to get cable tv or phone line to the house and I want no visible wires.
House phones are pretty much obsolete except for internet access but cable covers that too. Can I get a system that allows for cable tv/phone/internet service without any wires? Does satelite do that ?( I can hide a dish) or should I get out the trencher and go the 100 ft to the nearest pole.
should I be talking to the satelite and cable companys? Thanks in advance... Joe.
 
#2 ·
For 100' I'd bury a run. With our increasing reliance on the internet you need to allow for the installation the current, best, technologies which are cable of fiber optic. Future technologies will probably also require a hard connection.

I'm sure one of the sparkies around here can answer the proper installation of the run.
 
#4 ·
Uh... have you checked with the cable co/ phone co?

They'll scratch it in the ground for you around here...

It's more reliable for them.. no trimming trees or ice storm damage..

Right up to the demarc on the outside of the foundation...n/c:thumbsup:
 
#5 ·
Unless you own a trencher and would prefer to do it yourself...

A professional COMM company will most likely have a special trencher (thin trench as I have seen). Minor ground disturbance etc. and have that done in half a day. They will have to hook it up anyhow.

The kind of trenchers I have rented have been walk behinds that cut about 5-6 inch wide through dirt or small rock, not large rock :rolleyes:.

I agree with having extra conduit for future chase. :thumbsup:

Only if the COMM company was quoting an outrages amount would I trench myself, call before you dig, just sayin'.
 
#7 ·
I've heard of it done a couple ways here. The cable company will lay the coax on the ground on a shorter run from their box at the street and sub out some one to shovel dig a small trench and bury it.
Seen that mostly in residential neighborhoods. A friend/contractor that lives in the country and had a long driveway had the cable company want to charge him 2k to run and trench his coax. But if he did the run they would hook it up free.
 
#11 ·
No trench.... knife.

Trenchers dig a wide slot, and deposit the spoil alongside the trench. The cable is then laid in, and a blade (or manual shovel) is used to replace the spoil.

A knife is pulled through the ground, pulling the cable along as it goes, and doesn't tear the ground up as much.

 
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#15 ·
I myself would go with satellite first.

They provide all the necessary services, everyone I know
hates comcast, once you're on their plan the rates keep
going up.

Satellite can be installed easily and if the Ho is not satisfied
later, then trench.

Some satellite plans can be substantially less than broadband,
or DSL.

Bunited2
 
#18 ·
I wouldn't. I'm not sure if they provide phone, and even so latency would be an issue just like their internet. If you're talking VoIP over their internet - well, that wouldn't work too well.

Satellite is high latency since it's a geosynchronous satellite, it's about 22,000 miles above the surface. Since you aren't directly under it (it's 46 degrees here) you do the math.

My cousin had satellite internet, and it sucked. Probably OK for just checking email or CT, but not if you're a heavy user at all. You won't be playing MMO games on it.

Wire is more reliable, faster, and lower latency.
 
#19 ·
Satilite or Comcast they all need a wire. Drop a trench with a big enough condit to accommodate any size cable. I hate the look of a dish hanging off a nice house. It looks like Dung. Put the dish somewhere else and run the cable back to the house.

I just ran a conduit 225' for a guy to get cable to his house. Comcast wanted $10 foot to do it. Trencher, conduit and labor $1200 I used a tractor trencher and all I had to do was leave a pull string in the conduit for Comcast to pull their cable through. No charge for the cable.
 
#21 ·
I considered satellite internet but when I started reading all the reviews that was the end of it for me.
I rented a Ditchwitch and dug my own trench (750') and called Verizon to drop in their Fios conduit even though there is no service here and I had to buy my own spool of coax and drop it in for Comcast because they wanted a couple thousand $.
A hundred feet is nothing. I agree with tgeb, dig that with a shovel:laughing:
 
#24 ·
Sprint put a fake tree in my yard. Now I get free high speed internet and lots of internet tv channels with sports packages. The guy told me they have made several fake structures to blend into yards where they needed to put towers.
All you get is free services?

They should be paying you rent, which you can then use to pick your own services.

"These packages amount to a value of $300 / month!" Ok, then give me $300 / month! Actually, make it a nice even 500 or put your tower somewhere else.

I wouldn't want them on my property for maintenance anyway. A friend of mine owns a BBQ joint, and he was renting a few square feet to a billboard company for $1500 / month, enough space for them to set the pole in the ground. They wanted to renegotiate to $1200 / month, and he made them remove the sign, and pole.
 
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