[BC] Long Island, NY Metro PCS Cables Cut

[Phil Alexander]

To repeat - "Just lucky I guess, but I never had one of those break."
However, it was back in the day when bazookas were the preferable
isolation method; i.e., before good iso-couplers became available.
I suppose careful crafting of the jumper may have had some influence.
Then, too, the braid I used back in the dark ages would be prohibitively
expensive today. That was **braid** on heavy steroids! (Think chassis
connection on a tank battery good for cranking about 1,000 A.)

If I had the problem you suggest (and I agree that it could be a 
problem with less care in the installation and hardware selection)
the solution would have been a pint of hot tar and a stiff brush
(and maybe a Bernzomatic with flame spreader). Back when we were
building the business there was more imaginative experimentation, 
and I suppose we could spend hours debating if we were having more
fun then than now since many of our old problems have been solved
after 50+ years.

Phil Alexander, CSRE, AMD

-----Original Message-----
>From: Mike McCarthy <towers at mre.com>
>
>I have found ice and braid are incompatible for any long term application
>and similarly have found there is no water tight lug for bonding braid.
>Water gets in and eventually breaks down the braid and it usually fails
>on a lightning strike or major ice event.
>
>While it's not ideal, welding wire in a rubber jacket is approximately
>the same as braid in most aspects and can be easily lugged and weather
>proofed.  And is available is many more locations than braid.