# Mast and weatherhead for TV??



## 99cents

So I'm talking on the phone to this cable TV dude. I need a cable TV drop from the pole in the alley to the garage. The conversation went something like this:

Me: So what do you need from me?
Dude: A mast and a weatherhead.
Me: You need a mast and a weatherhead just for a piece of coax?
Dude: Yes
Me: How big of pipe?
Dude: 2" or 4", whatever you've got.

WTF?


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## chicken steve

I can only quote the NEC 99....



> *230.28 Service Masts as Supports. * Only power service-
> drop or overhead service conductors shall be permitted to
> be attached to a service mast. Service masts used for the
> support of service-drop or overhead service conductors
> shall be installed in accordance with 230.28(A) and (B).





> *800.44 Overhead (Aerial) Communications Wires and
> Cables. * Overhead (aerial) communications wires and
> cables entering buildings shall comply with 800.44(A) and
> (B).
> (A) On Poles and In-Span. Where communications wires
> and cables and electric light or power conductors are sup-
> ported by the same pole or are run parallel to each other
> in-span, the conditions described in 800.44(A)(l) through
> (A)(4) shall be met.
> (1) Relative Location. Where practicable, the communica-
> tions wires and cables shall be located below the electric
> light or power conductors.
> (2) Attachment to Cross-Arms. Communications wires
> and cables shall not be attached to a cross-arm that carries
> electric light or power conductors.
> (3) Climbing Space. The climbing space through commu-
> nications wires and cables shall comply with the require-
> ments of 225.14(D).
> *(4) Clearance.* Supply service drops and sets of overhead
> service conductors of 0 to 750 volts running above and
> paral1el to communications service drops shall have a mini-
> mum separation of 300 mm *(12 in.) at any point in the
> span, including the point of and at their attachment to the
> building*, provided that the ungrounded conductors are in-
> sulated and that a clearance of not less than 1.0 m (40 in.)
> is maintained between the two services at the pole.


~CS~


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## Ty Wrapp

That's news to me...is a mast needed for clearance issues?


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## 99cents

I dunno. I haven't done any jobs that require a new cable TV supply from overhead. I told the guy I would wait for the tech after the HO orders the service to see what he really needs.


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## chicken steve

It's only a few code cycles old Ty, so i guess it addresses both clearance and means of attachment , depending on which utility and code is referred to

~CS~


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## chicken steve

99cents said:


> I dunno. I haven't done any jobs that require a new cable TV supply from overhead. I told the guy I would wait for the tech after the HO orders the service to see what he really needs.


Maybe this is a good time to suggest satellite TV? ~CS~


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## Awg-Dawg

I recall someone saying they can't tie to the mast here anymore.


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## chicken steve

Yup
they're lazy too , and will try and make _their _install _our _problem as well

~CS~


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## McClary’s Electrical

Chicken steve, this is not a service mast


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## macmikeman

I saw something like this the other day , I don't remember where but there was a 3'' riser coming down with around six coax's coming out the bottom end of it. Should have taken a picture. Bet it was murder pulling thru that dinky pipe...


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## chicken steve

mcclary's electrical said:


> Chicken steve, this is not a service mast


That's not the _impression_ i got from the OP McClary

~CS~


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## daveEM

99cents said:


> So I'm talking on the phone to this cable TV dude. I need a cable TV drop from the pole in the alley to the garage. The conversation went something like this:


Yeah a mast, - maybe. What are you thinking? Garage is on grade, eight foot wall. You want the cable guys point of attachment to be at 8 feet?

Now if the pole is on the other side of the alley the garbage trucks will take it out no problem. 5.5 meters clearance works here.

Standata: *Rule 12-310*










Now if he can attach to the peak then give him a nice screw clevis (wire has no weight and he will just use a BS #14 screw anyway). << Hit a stud tho. Then a 3/4 conduit with weatherhead and LB into the garage on a nice plywood or not.

^^ The man needs a ground connection (you might be pounding ground rods). Is the electrical service on the garage also? You can tell him to allow 60 feet or whatever of drop to reach that location. Drill some holes (tell him) for him else he will hack the install.

Here is a sample pic of a duplex OH service. You will notice the layout, from center out we have power, cable, telephone. The telephone (on the outside) you will notice it also has a 'T' above the LB entry into the house. This is so the telephone company can install their little box, hopefully to match meter height. There is also two more holes drilled through the house for LBs not installed yet (UG garage feeds).

This may or may not be one of mine. 










This pic (below) is *definitely not mine*. The guy is maintaining clearance tho. 










Another one (also not mine) done a little more tastefully...










^^
*Note:* EPCOR would no longer connect this service. You must have the mast at the alley side. The cable/phone guys probably wouldn't have a problem tho.










^^ This one has a meter but doesn't have the clearance over the alley. Not sure how it passed. The mast location is to EPCOR specs tho.

Final note: The inspection department could care less about the communication wiring, drops, etc.


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## 99cents

Thanks, Dave. Now I know what I gotta do. 3/4" I can live with. 4", I don't think so  .


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## daveEM

Yeah 3/4 works no problem. 

If you do have to go through the roof you are pretty much stuck with 1-1/4 rigid tho as the mast kits start there. You could reduce it after that.


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## 99cents

Peak is high enough. A few sticks of EMT, a few fittings, bang, done. What do you thinK? 45 minutes :laughing::laughing: ?


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## daveEM

EMT? :thumbsup: I knew you were a good man. 

45 minutes. 

I live for January when you will be reporting back on that basement job. :laughing:


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## 99cents

daveEM said:


> EMT? :thumbsup: I knew you were a good man.
> 
> 45 minutes.
> 
> I live for January when you will be reporting back on that basement job. :laughing:


Basement job will be a good one. I quoted off the drawings as new construction with no panel upgrades. Turns out there is demo to be done and a panel change (extra $). This is Phase 1. Family wants to live in the basement while they gut the main floor. My kind of job. Nice and warm in the winter. You can relate  .

I will still report my hours to wire the basement  .


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## jeffmoss26

I've never known any cable guys who could fish a piece of conduit...fishing costs extra!


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## Ty Wrapp

jeffmoss26 said:


> I've never known any cable guys who could fish a piece of conduit...fishing costs extra!


When I remodeled my first house back in 1983, coax cable was not easily available so I fished pull strings down to the outlet locations and then across the attic. Cable installer shows up, ties the coax to the strings and pulls in the wire. He then proceeds to charge me for the fish job, stating that he gets paid an extra $5.00 per outlet for fishing the wires. We had a "come to Jesus" meeting...I did not pay the extra $5.00.


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## macmikeman

Tv and Telephone installation crews sometimes come to dwellings I have finished wiring , and they tell the homeowner that I was supposed to install a mast for them. I love getting on the phone with them , because it always goes like this: me- '' Get your lazy ****** ass to work and get that extension ladder down off of your truck and get up there and eyebolt your ***** wire and get hooked up to my customer's house. So far that has worked every single time.


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