Warren Electricals briefing you on Cable location

In this article we will take a look at the sweeping changes that have taken place in telephone cable locating over the past four or five decades, and speculate about underground location challenges in the future. Cable locating has always been an important aspect of operating company management since the first underground cables were pulled from manhole to manhole for more than 50 years ago. Now knowing precisely where the cables lie is critical to protecting the cable network, and maintaining service and profitability. Telephone wires strung on poles around cities in the country are quite vulnerable to costly damage caused by storms in much of the country. A heavy rain could put thousands of subscribers out of service, and require the reconstruction of miles of wires. This vulnerability prompted some of the earliest efforts to put the wires underneath the ground. In about the mid-1960’s, growing social pressure against “visual pollution”, led by activists including first lady Mrs. Lyndon (Lady Bird) Johnson, prompted acceleration in efforts to hide utilities underground. Gas companies, electrical utilities, cable companies and telcos all competed for buried right of way, trying to place and maintain their networks without interfering with one another. One of the task as a cable electrical technician that he may perform is cable location. What it entails is locating underground utilities such as cable, in preparation for an excavation of some sort that someone has requested. It is of course very important for the excavator to have some marks on the ground showing where underground utilities are located in order not to damage them. That is where a cable technician or a Locate Technician may be called to locate and protect the underground cables present in the excavation area. The job involves the ability to read cable diagrams and the use of cable location equipment. Diagrams are usually in an automated drawing format that you can print of the area that needs to be located. The drawings are usually kept by the engineering department. There are many types of cable locating equipment that we have used and they all operate pretty much the same. They usually come in two parts, the transmitter and receiver. The transmitter which you hook up to the utility that is being located, induces a signal onto the utility that can be picked up by the receiver, sometimes at a distance up to ten miles away (on a very good day). Most locating equipment will also give you the options of sending different frequencies to help with locating complexities. They additionally give you the option of determining the depth of the utility if needed. Once you have identified the cable, you mark its path by using paint in most cases, but some areas may require flags or stakes. The great thing about cable locating is that you normally work independently with your own vehicle and equipment. The job does require a lot of walking, usually through construction zones and all different types of terrain. The great thing about that though, on those beautiful springs or summer days (above 70 degrees but below 85 degrees) one can’t beat it.