New Cable Drop from Cable Company

[sleepdog]

Had to call the cable company to install a new service drop to our house after a major remodeling took the old one out. I asked them just to do the outside wiring because I can do the inside no problem. They left the end of the wire coiled up and unterminated, but now alongside the RG6 the company also ran a much thinner wire, looks to be stranded aluminum inside a black jacket. Now what would that wire be for? I know how to terminate the RG6 but not the smaller one because I don't know what it does, would it be for a ground? First time seeing it like this. Called the cable company, no help there, they'd only send a tech out and I won't be there.

Thanks!

[dennis bird]

its a ground wire... should go to a plate on the overhang of house....andthen another ground wire goes to this plate and in my case to the Ground rod in the MUD(ground).

[HeyBub]

Probably not Aluminum; more likely steel. It is used as a mechanical support for the cable and should be terminated by being wrapped around an eye-hook or similar (don't remove the "insulation" - it'll rust).

Look at the other end of the cable for additional clues.

[Jim Redelfs]

That is known in the telephone world as "suspension strand". Of the CATV drops I've seen so equipped, it's a SOLID wire.

While it is often bonded to an earth ground at the house, I have never seen one bonded to anything at the pole.

[Tekkie®]

dennis bird posted for all of us...

BZZZT wrong answer. Next contestant please - no consolation prize.

[HeyBub]

Hmm. Mine is attached to the wire-rope that holds up the signal cable. That is, a wire-rope, about 3/8" strings from pole to pole. The signal cable hangs from the wire-rope. Every so often there's a splitter box and the signal cable from the splitter box drops to my house. This signal cable's "suspension strand" is attached to an eye-hook at my house and clamped to the wire-rope at the pole end.