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



## Pennyroyal's (Sep 24, 2005)

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.


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## EthanB (Sep 28, 2011)

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.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Dig a trench.
Lay extra conduit.:thumbsup:


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## TimelessQuality (Sep 23, 2007)

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:


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## Repairman615 (Jan 10, 2011)

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 .

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'.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

We have to run from pole to house around here.

POCO will pull the wire after conduit insp.

Phone & Cable will pull wire also but have no insp.


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## Cwcoomer (Apr 20, 2011)

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.


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## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

Most phone & CATV outfits will knife a line in to the house.


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## Pennyroyal's (Sep 24, 2005)

thanks, I see a trencher in my future! Joe.


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## slowsol (Aug 27, 2005)

Cable company trenches for free here also.


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## 480sparky (Feb 1, 2009)

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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## slowsol (Aug 27, 2005)

480sparky said:


> 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.


ok.


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## Repairman615 (Jan 10, 2011)

480sparky said:


> No trench.... _knife_.
> 
> ...pulling the cable along as it goes, and doesn't tear the ground up as much.


:clap::clap::clap::clap:

This is where it is at with this task.


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

Go in the same trench as the electrical, it has already been excavated. For sure they did not compact the trench on back fill.

I could hand dig about 8" deep, ( better than a cable plow), that 100' in about a half hour. Toss in some conduit, back fill, and move on....


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## Bunited2 (May 30, 2011)

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*


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

If it was me I would go hard wired. Bandwidths are much much higher and we are needing more and more as time goes on. You could go the satellite and LTE/4G hotspot route like we did at our lake house but it's not as fast Internet wise but it's works ok. I wouldn't want to be playing online games that way though.


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## smalpierre (Jan 19, 2011)

tgeb said:


> Go in the same trench as the electrical, it has already been excavated. For sure they did not compact the trench on back fill.
> 
> I could hand dig about 8" deep, ( better than a cable plow), that 100' in about a half hour. Toss in some conduit, back fill, and move on....


Sure, if you don't get near the power lines. Parallel to power = interference, and it gets worse the longer the run is. For running parallel to NM power lines inside a house you've got to stay 18" away but that's in free air. Not sure about buried cables, never did it.


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## smalpierre (Jan 19, 2011)

Bunited2 said:


> 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
> ...


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.


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## Hardly Working (Apr 7, 2005)

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.


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## smalpierre (Jan 19, 2011)

Hardly Working said:


> 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.


Satellite only needs a wire from the dish mounted on the house to the unit. It's still not enough bandwidth for VoIP phone service, and latency is pretty bad.


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## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

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:


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## doorrepairsac (Sep 20, 2009)

*garage door repair at it's best*

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.


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## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

You have a cell tower in your yard?


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## smalpierre (Jan 19, 2011)

doorrepairsac said:


> 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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## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

smalpierre said:


> All you get is free services?
> 
> They should be paying you rent, which you can then use to pick your own services.
> 
> ...


 I remember years ago reading about people in CA having cell companies antenna hidden in fake chimney's etc. and the the rate was $10,000 a month. Neighbors were against it because of microwave radiation but it really was because they were jealous.


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## wncbuilder (Nov 10, 2010)

Bunited2 said:


> 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
> ...


He's looking to eliminate wires on/around the house. A dish on the roof maybe just as unsightly.


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