Fair enough, that's another reason it's pants for ADSL/FTTC then.

Jeezo! Will be pushing for it to be replaced..

And to the commenter earlier.. I've been instructed to be at the property for the OR Engineer to gain access, in fact I can't remember a time when I have not had an engineer actually visit (I've moved 5 times in 7 years)
Mostly always Kelly Comms but occasionally it is an OR.

From my supplier:
'The Openreach engineer will need access to your building in order to complete the work so it is essential that you arrange access for him.'

How can you tell that from a photograph?


Some was CCS and other solid copper. I have offcuts of both here - waiting to go to the scrap yard.

Edited by MHC (Thu 20-Jul-17 12:52:56)

I have just stripped off some CCS DW3.

The OD is 0.9mm and the steel core 0.58, say 0.6mm.

Overall the cross-sectional area is 0.636 sq mm and the steel core 0.283 meaning that teh copper has an area of 0.353 sq mm

When I compare that to DW10 or 15 which have just 0.5 diameter conductors with a cross-sectional area of 0.196, the original DW3 is twice as much which would lead to lower attenuation.

Yes, it may be more prone to noise being non-twisted is there a trade off?

Does it use the steel core for overhead cable runs as the steel provides tensile strength whilst the layer of copper then provides the transmit layer?

Correct. In more modern DW10, 12, 15 there are plain annealed copper cores 0.5 mm dia (0.9 in DW12) with three separate brass coated steel support strands - normally with yellow insulation.

Nope it's copper coated steel. You would need a really thick copper wire for it to be pure copper.

Mine was replaced five years ago when a nick to the outer sheath and presumably to the copper coating caused the inner steel core to rust away on one side of the figure of eight. The final snap occurred during a storm just before Christmas. That said when I reported the problem BT claimed they had done a line test and it was fine. Even tried saying that to my face while the line was crackling like mad. In the end it worked out for me as the replacement drop wire was rerouted and I got an NTE5, which otherwise I would have needed to pay for.

I find it interesting that the OP has not appeared in this thread since making the opening post, yet three hours ago made this one.

It seems to be a habit.

You got the twists by taking it off the side of the drum and or by the action of putting it on the dropwire clamp.

Twists also help stop galloping in the wind. Hence multicore overhead cables should also be put up twisting around the suspension wire.

I am old enough to have installed that grey dropwire back in the day. It was all copper coated steel. The steel eventually rusts.They did a 3 wire version of it too for party lines.

Edited by deleted (Thu 20-Jul-17 15:21:54)

TBF, no matter what it's made of, it's pants and needs swapping out.