The problem isn't a short in the line. Actually, the lamp is working
perfectly well, although it is laying on the ground. The problem is
that the lamp post, in King James English, is "rent in twain." The
problem with digging up the stub is that it is two feet down and
surrounded by an unknown quantity of concrete, which may, if people
weren't careful, have a wire cable buried in it. I am not sure I can
get it up by myself, although odd visions of pulleys and automobiles
are dancing in my head. I've called a couple of electricians and been
told that they don't do things like this. Somebody must, but I'm not
sure who.
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I am forever grateful to the nice electrical supply guy who cautioned
me when I first bought my post DONT CEMENT IT IN!

It doesnt need to be! doesnt really add much stability, poles arent
supposed to be hung from

A cheap fast fix is build a wooden frame around the post, stand and tie
post upright, then add concrete.

You will end up with a post on a little pedastal. yeah its cheesey but
works.

now lets assume you dig up the concrete and acciudently cut the wire
POWER BREAKER OFF BEFORE BEGINNING WORK!

You might relocate the pole a little closer to the house shortening the
cable.

or use a special underground wire splice and add a length of
underground wire to the pole. these are preetty new and can be directly
buried

when your done DONT cement it in, just backfill and tamp dirt with your
foot

That way the next time its no big deal.

in the 20+ years I have been thru 2 poles, the first got smacked by a
unknown car and being already rusty snapped off at the ground. some
kids pushed over pole 2, no biggie I dug it up carefully and reset it.
they did it all thru the neighborhood

if these had been cemented in I may have had to replace that long cable
run twice.

Incidently my mailbox pole is a I beam, I didnt cement it in either,
which made things easier when the sewer company dug it up replacing the
main sewer line on the street.