Line Down This Morning

[Towntalk]

When you're in a car and the lines run through a forest of trees it's hard to distinguish between cable and phone lines. Since the cable was black, then it becomes obvious thanks to your information that it was a phone line and I thank you for the information my distinguished friend of honorable memory.

By the way, FYI the Time Warner cable leading to my dwelling place is also black in color and about the same size as the phone line which also leads to my abode.

[Rick Rowlands]

I guess I've always taken for granted that everyone knows what wire are what on pole lines just from looking at them, but that isn't the case.  It should be easy to identify cable and telephone, cable is generally silver in color and phone is black with black junction boxes at some poles.  These two will be lowest on the poles.  Next up would be low voltage 240/120 VAC single phase to each service connection.  These are fed from the transformers.  The transformers are fed by 7,200 volt or 12,400 volt three phase distribution lines which feed a small area, be it a neighborhood or perhaps an entire country road.  Those lines are fed by substations which reduce the transmission line voltage of over 100,000 volts to the distribution voltage.  It is all very interesting.

[Why?Town]

Generally the higher up the pole, the more dangerous the wire. The lowest are usually cable and phone.

Even if the grass is dry and you know what it is you're better off just leaving it alone.

[Towntalk]

When I went to the store this morning, there was a line down on the ground just east of Fifth Avenue and Redondo Road on the Crandall Park side. It looked like a cable line but wasn't sure, but it didn't look safe and as the grass was damp so we didn't want to touch it.