A rather low overhead fibre(?) line?

https://ancient-mariner.co.uk/public/Overhead%20Line...

Can be viewed on Google Street View in the vicinity of 53.178594 -3.088166

The cross section is similar to 1.5mm2 twin and earth cable.

It appears to be well secured at the two poles, yet would not have thought that it would stretch? So guessing that it was installed low? I was not standing on anything and I'm no tall giant!

Cheers!

I would be calling Openreach and reporting a low dangerous wire.

If it’s securely attached either end, then whaterever was holding it high enough before has fallen or been removed .

OR …some dodgy chancer has just lobbed it up , with no thought for public safety.

Report it please. A what3words for the exact location might help too.

Will do, is there a contact email address/website?

Cheers!

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.1786027,-3.0879476,3...


And yes, that is low!

Looking at Google Maps for the coordinates you gave gives the reason for the low line.
Telegraph pole cuddling nearby pole

Google Maps link

Edit: it's the same at both ends. Odd setup I haven't seen before. Must be deliberate surely.

Edited by j0hn83 (Sun 07-Jul-24 22:44:54)

Looks like things started to go wrong between 2018 and 2021 when a CBT was installed on an adjacent poles, up to 2018 there was only one openreach cable between those two poles but after 2021 there was an additional 3 cables.

In reply to a post by Ancient_Mariner:

Will do, is there a contact email address/website?

Website: Tell us about unsafe, damaged or vandalised Openreach equipment

Live chat facility via the above link, or alternatively call the Openreach damage team on 0800 023 2023.

I don't think I've ever seen a 'lean to' support pole used (either by Openreach, or the electricity bods) to fly cables from ! ?

I reported a fallen cable, gave them the what 3 words but still had the engineer call me to ask where it was as they didn't give him the what 3 words.

Thanks
Dan

Roughly what you'd expect from a company whose business is communications

In reply to a post by billford:

Roughly what you'd expect from a company whose business is communications

Completely ….. the hands on staff are all very au fait with W3W, but elsewhere such things seem of no relevance.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

the hands on staff are all very au fait with W3W

That's good to know, I'd always had the impression that it was a good idea that hadn't taken off to any significant degree.

In reply to a post by broadbandjockey:

I don't think I've ever seen a 'lean to' support pole used (either by Openreach, or the electricity bods) to fly cables from ! ?

Seen it loads of times around here (NE Scotland)

very rarely from Openreach but a lot of SSEN poles have setups like this, and a lot of LV SSEN poles carry Openreach cables

In reply to a post by connormill:

In reply to a post by broadbandjockey:

I don't think I've ever seen a 'lean to' support pole used (either by Openreach, or the electricity bods) to fly cables from ! ?

Seen it loads of times around here (NE Scotland)

very rarely from Openreach but a lot of SSEN poles have setups like this, and a lot of LV SSEN poles carry Openreach cables

Oh, indeed I have an SSEN pole with 'lean to' in the corner of our garden. The 'lean to' is a great place to hang bird feeders from. Our Openreach line uses the main vertical pole as a jumping point too.

Lots of internal apps have links to it.

Or if engineers raise joints for remedial joint remakes, it is often used, if you can’t find the required plant within a 3m square ….

A few years (3 maybe) back, my young pup got stuck in a drainage pipe in army land.
Using W3W meant the fire brigade were able to come straight to our aid.

https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/english...

(pretty sure I’ve posted the link before, but it proves the apps worth, and why the emergency services are keen to use it too)

Edited by Zarjaz (Tue 09-Jul-24 16:06:45)

Unfortunately their dictionary contains many words that sound similar, meaning there's a risk that you could end up somewhere completely wrong.

https://cybergibbons.com/security-2/why-what3words-i...

Or could people communicating or hearing the three words , sensing possible confusion, ask for the word to spelled out to the other party ? Not flawless either, but a reasonable success rate, higher still if you’re texting your mate your location at the festival …..

Little is 100% flawless.

It's not perfect, but probably no worse and possibly better than reading out a latitude and longitude, or an easting and northing ("five" and "nine", transposing digits etc).

It's easy to use for those not accustomed to coordinate systems (ie most of the planet), and spelling the words out should quickly sort out anomalies, if either end had any concern.

Edited by billford (Tue 09-Jul-24 18:56:36)

In reply to a post by billford:

It's not perfect, but probably no worse and possibly better than reading out a latitude and longitude, or an easting and northing ("five" and "nine", transposing digits etc).

It's easy to use for those not accustomed to coordinate systems (ie most of the planet), and spelling the words out should quickly sort out anomalies, if either end had any concern.

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2011/08/26/reinforceme...

https://xkcd.com/970/

Or from Blackadder goes forth:
"Well, as far as I can tell, the message was, he's got a terrible lion up his end, so there's an advantage to an enema at once"

(The real message being "I said there's a terrible line at my end. You're to advance on the enemy at once")

Now there's a proper dog.

In reply to a post by rippedcotton:

Now there's a proper dog.

Thank you.

I contacted OpenReach regarding the low overhead line as suggested. You cannot email direct and you have to use a chat bot. Still once I was “speaking” with the department I was able to give him a what3words location, they cannot accept photos. I was told that someone would be there within 4 hours – hope I have not wrecked someone’s FTTP install..

I drove past yesterday and I assume a temporary fix has been applied.

Basically, in the Ancient Mariner’s vernacular, a piece of whammy has been used to tension the overhead
https://ancient-mariner.co.uk/public/Overhead%20Line...

to the lean to support pole https://ancient-mariner.co.uk/public/Overhead%20Line...

With the remaining whammy then wound around the pole and secured with some cable ties
https://ancient-mariner.co.uk/public/Overhead%20Line...

I assume that in due course someone with a cherry picker will come along and improve matters.

The bare three phase and neutral 400/415 volts at the top of the vertical pole does not help…

Cheers!

wow thats a semi bodge and a half, as you say, its a bit close to the electric line

If they used two of those ropes, would it be a Double Whammy?

In reply to a post by Ancient_Mariner:

I assume that in due course someone with a cherry picker will come along and improve matters.

The bare three phase and neutral 400/415 volts at the top of the vertical pole does not help…

Cheers!

The phrase that comes to mind is "lash up"

Twanggggg!