Had to call the cable company to install a new service drop to our
house after a major remodeling took the old one out. I asked them
just to do the outside wiring because I can do the inside no problem.
They left the end of the wire coiled up and unterminated, but now
alongside the RG6 the company also ran a much thinner wire, looks to
be stranded aluminum inside a black jacket. Now what would that wire
be for? I know how to terminate the RG6 but not the smaller one
because I don't know what it does, would it be for a ground? First
time seeing it like this. Called the cable company, no help there,
they'd only send a tech out and I won't be there.

Thanks!

In article
,
wrote:

Had to call the cable company to install a new service drop to our
house after a major remodeling took the old one out. I asked them
just to do the outside wiring because I can do the inside no problem.
They left the end of the wire coiled up and unterminated, but now
alongside the RG6 the company also ran a much thinner wire, looks to
be stranded aluminum inside a black jacket. Now what would that wire
be for? I know how to terminate the RG6 but not the smaller one
because I don't know what it does, would it be for a ground? First
time seeing it like this. Called the cable company, no help there,
they'd only send a tech out and I won't be there.

Thanks!

Maybe wire rope, designed to add mechanical strength. Fasten it to a
bolt eye in a rafter.

wrote:
Had to call the cable company to install a new service drop to our
house after a major remodeling took the old one out. I asked them
just to do the outside wiring because I can do the inside no problem.
They left the end of the wire coiled up and unterminated, but now
alongside the RG6 the company also ran a much thinner wire, looks to
be stranded aluminum inside a black jacket. Now what would that wire
be for? I know how to terminate the RG6 but not the smaller one
because I don't know what it does, would it be for a ground? First
time seeing it like this. Called the cable company, no help there,
they'd only send a tech out and I won't be there.

Probably not Aluminum; more likely steel. It is used as a mechanical support
for the cable and should be terminated by being wrapped around an eye-hook
or similar (don't remove the "insulation" - it'll rust).

Look at the other end of the cable for additional clues.

In article , "HeyBub"
wrote:

alongside the RG6 the company also ran a much thinner wire, looks to
be stranded aluminum inside a black jacket. Now what would that wire
be for?

Probably not Aluminum; more likely steel.
It is used as a mechanical support for the cable

That is known in the telephone world as "suspension strand". Of the CATV
drops I've seen so equipped, it's a SOLID wire.

Look at the other end of the cable for additional clues.

While it is often bonded to an earth ground at the house, I have never seen
one bonded to anything at the pole.
--

JR

dennis bird posted for all of us...

its a ground wire... should go to a plate on the overhang of
house....andthen another ground wire goes to this plate and in my case to
the Ground rod in the MUD(ground).


BZZZT wrong answer. Next contestant please - no consolation prize.
--
Tekkie Don't bother to thank me, I do this as a public service.

Jim Redelfs wrote:
In article , "HeyBub"
wrote:

alongside the RG6 the company also ran a much thinner wire, looks to
be stranded aluminum inside a black jacket. Now what would that
wire be for?

Probably not Aluminum; more likely steel.
It is used as a mechanical support for the cable

That is known in the telephone world as "suspension strand". Of the
CATV drops I've seen so equipped, it's a SOLID wire.

Look at the other end of the cable for additional clues.

While it is often bonded to an earth ground at the house, I have
never seen one bonded to anything at the pole.

Hmm. Mine is attached to the wire-rope that holds up the signal cable. That
is, a wire-rope, about 3/8" strings from pole to pole. The signal cable
hangs from the wire-rope. Every so often there's a splitter box and the
signal cable from the splitter box drops to my house. This signal cable's
"suspension strand" is attached to an eye-hook at my house and clamped to
the wire-rope at the pole end.