# Telescopic labor saving poles for pulling cable opinion?



## lortech (Mar 7, 2012)

today, installed people counters but the hvac vent holes made it dificult to guide cables along a path on a sheer rock drop celing. I was thinking what if I had one of these:

http://www.techtoolsupply.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=LSD-82-110

Want it to 

-Grab the cable 90 degrees to the path of the cable and guide it to its hole
Enable me to use it as a one man operation
-Can it grab a cable, pull it side ways, let go of the cable, grab the cable again abount a support wire?

Is there a way to strap a camera on the end so I can guide the cable though a small hole in the celing? 

How do you pull cables from roof girder to roof girder in a long path if one cannot step on the celing supports?? The celing is walled in with sheet rock with long distances between access covers. 

Anyone ever try a robotic tank with treads and robot arm to pull cable across jhoooks ? Dron to pull string?


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

How long is long? I picked up a telescoping grabber rod from ADI about 22 years ago that I use for that situation, it scopes out about 25 feet. 

http://www.pushpullrods.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=P&Category_Code=TP


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## jeffmoss26 (Dec 8, 2011)

These work well:

http://www.greenlee.com/catalog/Fishing/Reacher-Fishing/Reacher-Poles


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## NacBooster29 (Oct 25, 2010)

Seems like you're re inventing the wheel. Try a 1/4" steel snake. Those are sturdy enough to fish through pretty much any thing...


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

NacBooster29 said:


> Seems like you're re inventing the wheel. Try a 1/4" steel snake. Those are sturdy enough to fish through pretty much any thing...



Your steel fish tape will stay straight and horizontal out to 20+ feet?


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## Semi-Ret Electrician (Nov 10, 2011)

I sometimes use 3/4" PVC conduit with bell ends to fish wire.

Just keep adding 10' sections then remove the PVC, when done, and use it on the next job!


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## NacBooster29 (Oct 25, 2010)

480sparky said:


> Your steel fish tape will stay straight and horizontal out to 20+ feet?


For pushing across ceilings as the op described. This is ideal


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## Awg-Dawg (Jan 23, 2007)

Semi-Ret Electrician said:


> I sometimes use 3/4" PVC conduit with bell ends to fish wire.
> 
> Just keep adding 10' sections then remove the PVC, when done, and use it on the next job!


Ive done it this way before.

It has been the easiest way so far.

If you make the first piece have a slight bend you can push well over a 100ft.


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## lortech (Mar 7, 2012)

*JeffMoss has shown he best product! I purchaced the pushpolerods*

I have the Pushpullrods.com TP16-1. I have not used it yet. I have extended the rod and a few comments on its construction.

The fiberglass tubes are slightly beveled from one end to the other. It is made up of 8 sections. The Tube thickness in my opinion, is just to thin without causing damage to the tube when its extended. Step on it, and it will crack the tubs. A warning is affixed to the tube so, why not have the mfg make the tubes a little thicker? For thirty two dollars more, a Greenlee pull pull tube is better quality and the longest tube would work best in Malls where no pull string is installed and, access covers are up to 30 feet away. I wish I had either push tube from either mfg as I had to put in alot of extra labor time installing network cable in a drop celing for people counter cameras. They were hard to fish the cable to those drops and had to fish the string from one hole to the next with fiberglass rods. 

After giving it some though, the next time the cable will not be pulled from camera hole to camera hole. That created to much labor. Instead, I will fish the cable from the data rack to the Vent/Access cover THEN push the cable to each camera hole. There were only 2-3 vents for he entire store which made pulling the cable really difficult for a solid sheet rock ceiling.


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## Ty Wrapp (Aug 24, 2011)

I've used one of these for years. They are similar to the Greenlee.

http://www.mitchellinstrument.com/gopher-pole-wire-installation-tool.html


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## lortech (Mar 7, 2012)

I forgot to bring my pole with me. Used fiberglass rods. Pushed in the rods, were not secure in celing, touched it and shot out of he hole in the mall walkway..not cool. So used tape the next time. Will not forget to bring my extendapole next time. BTW, would be NICE if the ends had the option of a plier end to grab onto the wire hanging on the edge. That would save a little time of me getting back down, moving ladder over to hole, duct taping or grabing cable then pulling it.


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## Semi-Ret Electrician (Nov 10, 2011)

I've heard of folks using battery powered remote control toy cars to pull a string in a suspended ceiling or crawl space


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## Awg-Dawg (Jan 23, 2007)

Ty Wrapp said:


> I've used one of these for years. They are similar to the Greenlee.
> 
> http://www.mitchellinstrument.com/gopher-pole-wire-installation-tool.html


 $165 to extend 22 ft.

I could throw that far, Ill stick with a couple sticks of PVC.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Semi-Ret Electrician said:


> I've heard of folks using battery powered remote control toy cars to pull a string in a suspended ceiling or crawl space



I once worked with a guy who used a crossbow. Big rubber ball on the business end of an arrow and a string tied to it. He could launch a pull string up to 300 feet in nothing flat.




Awg-Dawg said:


> $165 to extend 22 ft.
> 
> I could throw that far, Ill stick with a couple sticks of PVC.


Mine was free. It was behind the shelves in the used van when I bought it.


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## Ty Wrapp (Aug 24, 2011)

Awg-Dawg said:


> $165 to extend 22 ft.
> 
> I could throw that far, Ill stick with a couple sticks of PVC.


Gopher Pole supplied by the company.


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## Ty Wrapp (Aug 24, 2011)

480sparky said:


> I once worked with a guy who used a crossbow. Big rubber ball on the business end of an arrow and a string tied to it. He could launch a pull string up to 300 feet in nothing flat.


http://www.cableorganizer.com/laserline/

http://www.lsdinc.com/set-up-tools/7322/The-Original-Sling-A-Line---#item


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Ty Wrapp said:


> http://www.cableorganizer.com/laserline/
> 
> http://www.lsdinc.com/set-up-tools/7322/The-Original-Sling-A-Line---#item



Mere toys.


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## NacBooster29 (Oct 25, 2010)

The picture on the link basically implies its Ok to lay cabling on ceilings? Nice work. 
This is why electricians hate low voltage guys!


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## gnuuser (Jan 13, 2013)

NacBooster29 said:


> The picture on the link basically implies its Ok to lay cabling on ceilings? Nice work.
> This is why electricians hate low voltage guys!


i prefer cable trays myself for data and other low voltage and conduit for power cabling.
but the being an industrial guy i prefer to keep cabling protected quite well.
http://www.cableorganizer.com/panduit/2inch-fiberruner-cable-routing-system.html


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