External BT junction box required?

Hi,

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum..

Just wondering if anyone knows what the point of a black (junction?) box just outside the house, between the telegraph pole and the master socket would be?

There's only a single master socket (old style not NTE5) and the wire goes straight there, no extensions or anything else...

It's not a standard BT junction box from the pictures I've seen, kind of cylindrical with 3M written on it.

Thanks!
Brendan

It sounds like a housing for a joint in the cable, prob the overhead line has been replaced at some time and the new line has been joined to the existing line running down the wall

Ahh OK thanks, probably not costing me precious DBs then? Guess I won't rip it out!!

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Hi,

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum..

Just wondering if anyone knows what the point of a black (junction?) box just outside the house, between the telegraph pole and the master socket would be?

There's only a single master socket (old style not NTE5) and the wire goes straight there, no extensions or anything else...

It's not a standard BT junction box from the pictures I've seen, kind of cylindrical with 3M written on it.

Thanks!
Brendan

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If its got '3M' stamped on it, sounds like someone other then BT/Openreach have cut and reconnected the cable and used that as an enclosure.

Post a photo and we can tell you for sure.

I have one of these on my house(about 3 inches long and diameter of about 0.5 inch, 3M branded), its a weather proof external joint box according to the engineer. It was fitted about 6 months ago by a Openreach engineer when they replaced the cable from the pole to the house. He connected the new cable into it and then connected the existing cable from my master socket to it, saving him having to run a new cable as the existing cable to the Master is under the floor boards.

Mine was most definitely fitted by Openreach as I paid £125 for the pleasure of a new cable and NTE box ! Long story but basically my overhead cable had 3 joins in it and went to my neighbours(tacked onto one of their window frames) then spanned from their house to mine(again tacked to a window frame). Between the pole and my house there was a joint where the 2 wires were just twisted together and then taped, and 2 points where the cable was joined in 2 inch square BT boxes again taped up. Openreach guy said if I had not already paid(which I had) then he would have put it through as a repair as it was not fit for purpose and more than likely dangerous. Unfortunately the nice lady on the phone was having none of it when I arranged for a visit and was forced to pay for the visit, she said as long as the phone worked then the I needed to pay. Changing the cable took my sync from 3Mb to 16Mb via Sky. oh well !

Ah the black sausage joints. The're actually supposed to be mounted at the overhead cable fixing so typically the '3M' won't be viable from the ground (unless you live in a bungalow). If thats what the OP is discribing then all is well (probably).

They should make "Black sausage joint" the technical name for them

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They should make "Black sausage joint" the technical name for them

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Already is where I am.

In reply to:

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Ah the black sausage joints. The're actually supposed to be mounted at the overhead cable fixing so typically the '3M' won't be viable from the ground (unless you live in a bungalow). If thats what the OP is discribing then all is well (probably).

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Yep, without going out of my front door (too cold) I can say that there is a box mounted on the roof right next to the cable tensioner where the span goes over to the pole.

The span used to hang too low and would occasionally get ripped off by car transporters, so had it replaced quite a few times.

A couple of years ago though a new telegraph pole was installed at a higher level and it's not a problem now.

They'll never be as good to eat as a black pudding!