Answer to an old question: "ALPHA" Box on a utility pole
Bill
2' metal box, with "ALPHA" marked on it, on my utility pole, and even
posted a picture in an effort to try to figure out what it was. I also
mentioned it had a circuit breaker in a box underneath it (and I wanted
to know what the darn thing was for). I now understand these boxes
exist across the nation and I now have the answer in case you may have
one in your locality:
The boxes are 120v to 90v transformers owned my Comcast. Each one can
support approximately 10 customers (that each have an approximately
12"x5"x2" silver metal box attached to the Comcast line). A Comcast
technician explained to me that purpose is that the Comcast technicians
do not need to be licensed to work with 90v as they would if they worked
with 120v equipment. The circuit breaker is for the transformer box, of
course, and the extra meter is so that Comcast can be billed for the
electricity that their transformer uses.
And that's the rest of that story...good day!
Bill
BTW, Comcast's strategy (of going to 90v) appears to me to be an
interesting example of what I call "angle shooting". I don't know
enough to say whether it is in the spirit of the law or not. Isn't 90v
equipment just about as potentially harmful to life and property as 120v
equipment?
BTW2, I asked a Comcast technician (I had 3 out last week) why they just
threw my cable-splitter on the ground under my house when they installed
my service. He said that's just the way they install them. I said, "What
about *craftsmanship*, I said if I installed it I would have mounted it
somwhere...". That word is very powerful. Before I contract people to
work on my home I may talk to them about craftsmanship--that way I may
be able to get things finished to my level of expectation rather than,
in some cases, the minimum level that gets the contractor out the door.
I only mention this to help empower anyone else who may prefer more
control over the way his or her work is performed by a contractor. It
seems that if the contractor agrees to perform at a certain level of
craftsmanship then the customer is empowered compared to if the
contractor merely agrees to get the job "done". I haven't actually
tried this technique yet, but it occurred to me after my conversation
with the technician about the cable-splitter.
Bill
Mike Marlow
>
> BTW2, I asked a Comcast technician (I had 3 out last week) why they
> just threw my cable-splitter on the ground under my house when they
> installed my service. He said that's just the way they install them.
> I said, "What about *craftsmanship*, I said if I installed it I would
> have mounted it somwhere...". That word is very powerful. Before I
> contract people to work on my home I may talk to them about
> craftsmanship--that way I may be able to get things finished to my
> level of expectation rather than, in some cases, the minimum level
> that gets the contractor out the door. I only mention this to help
> empower anyone else who may prefer more control over the way his or
> her work is performed by a contractor. It seems that if the
> contractor agrees to perform at a certain level of craftsmanship then
> the customer is empowered compared to if the contractor merely agrees
> to get the job "done". I haven't actually tried this technique yet,
> but it occurred to me after my conversation with the technician about
> the cable-splitter.
> Bill
It's not a bad thought Bill, but good luck, in a sense. It's common to find
contracts that use language like "in a workmanlike manner", but the problem
is... that has no real definition. Real slipshod work can be held to the
scrutiny of a phrase like that, but it's just so vague that it does not
really offer any protection.
--
-Mike-
mmarlo...@windstream.net
Josepi
Most of the contractors here will come out, discuss the plan for an hour,
measure up, promise to get back to you in a few days with a quote and never
contact you again.
I discussed this with a local building supply store manager and he told me
this.
Three local electricians at the counter talking.
"I have to run over to the Miller's house to quote wiring it"
"I have already given them a quote from my company"
"I did too!", pipes in the third.
"Oh well, I'm not likely to be the cheapest so I guess I'll skip that one"
The other thing that happens is before a job starts, or in themiddle of the
job, a larger home builder calls and they magically disapear. The larger
builder has lots more jobs coming (hope, hope) and guess who gets dumped in
the heap.
Quality? There is no guarantee except to never pay more than 50% before th
job is complete. Hold it back!!! Anytime I have paid 90% or 100% the
contractor suddenly starts whining about how big the job was or that he has
other things to do and the quality goes down the toilet, 5 min after the
cheque is handed to them...no cashed. This has happened with some large
chain store installations here and I am currently involved in a legal action
with one right now. (yup 90% paid)
On another note:
Hydro One (formerly Ontario Hydro) has a protective metering standard
voltage of 70 volts. It is felt that 70 volts would not likely be as likely
to kill, or even harm badly, a person in a contact type accident. The
metering standard is all 120v equipment but they go to great lengths to
break this standard with many protection and metering pieces of equipment.
Another advantage is that the phase to phase voltage (shifted 30 degress) is
120v and that can be useful in this same field.
Of course for flash faults the transformers to do this voltage level shift
have such low capacity that faults would be limited to a few hundred amperes
and a safe level (won't melt you wrench in your face) This would be the case
of your Comcast scenario also.
"Bill" <Bi...@NOSPAM.net> wrote in message
news:i0jut...@news4.newsguy.com...
ne...@jecarter.us
[snip]
>
>BTW, Comcast's strategy (of going to 90v) appears to me to be an
>interesting example of what I call "angle shooting". I don't know
>enough to say whether it is in the spirit of the law or not. Isn't 90v
>equipment just about as potentially harmful to life and property as 120v
>equipment?
>
>BTW2, I asked a Comcast technician (I had 3 out last week) why they just
>threw my cable-splitter on the ground under my house when they installed
>my service. He said that's just the way they install them. I said, "What
>about *craftsmanship*, I said if I installed it I would have mounted it
>somwhere...". That word is very powerful. Before I contract people to
>work on my home I may talk to them about craftsmanship--that way I may
>be able to get things finished to my level of expectation rather than,
>in some cases, the minimum level that gets the contractor out the door.
> I only mention this to help empower anyone else who may prefer more
>control over the way his or her work is performed by a contractor. It
>seems that if the contractor agrees to perform at a certain level of
>craftsmanship then the customer is empowered compared to if the
>contractor merely agrees to get the job "done". I haven't actually
>tried this technique yet, but it occurred to me after my conversation
>with the technician about the cable-splitter.
>
>Bill
>
>
I take anything a Comcast technician says with a large block of salt.
The overhead cable from the distribution box to our previous house was
20+ years old and did not provide adequate signal. The Cable tech put
in an amplifier instead of replacing the cable. That works for a
while, but eventually the cable will be too lossy to work, even with
amplifiers. The problem was solved shortly after we moved from that
house - a limb fell on the cable line and took it down - the tech
couldn't be bothered to get a tree trimming crew out either.
Remember the ads with "Comcastic" in them? It almost sounded like the
real description: "Comcraptic".
Since having some tress taken down (now the sky is visible in the
right place), I'm seriously looking at satellite TV (dish/directv) as
an alternative.
The cable service here is underground, but even with an amplifier the
signal has deteriorated to at best semi-decent. There are lots of
audio/video glitches - the server farm providing digital cable service
just doesn't have the capacity to handle the number of subscribers
they are trying to serve.
John
Swingman
> I couldn't locate the thread, but last fall, I described a 3' by 2' by
> 2' metal box, with "ALPHA" marked on it, on my utility pole, and even
> posted a picture in an effort to try to figure out what it was. I also
> mentioned it had a circuit breaker in a box underneath it (and I wanted
> to know what the darn thing was for). I now understand these boxes exist
> across the nation and I now have the answer in case you may have one in
> your locality:
What I said:
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.woodworking/msg/bbf1bcd9b50b88a2
:)
--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 4/15/2010
KarlC@ (the obvious)
Swingman
> I take anything a Comcast technician says with a large block of salt.
In this case he was correct ... ALPHA provided those boxes across the
country for years.
keit...@gmail.com
Few utilities do any PM on trees, either.
> Remember the ads with "Comcastic" in them? It almost sounded like the
> real description: "Comcraptic".
Yeah, Comcast is crap, at least until you experience any others. I
had Adlephia, which after their run in with the feds was bought by
Comcast. They were alright, at least in my experience. Great TV and
Internet connections and decent service, at least as long as I had
them. I then moved and went to TW, which other than being a PITA who
didn't think much of service, was alright too.
> Since having some tress taken down (now the sky is visible in the
> right place), I'm seriously looking at satellite TV (dish/directv) as
> an alternative.
Don't! We moved again and now have no cable service so use Dish.
What crap! The thing is constantly freezing, skipping, and out-of-
sync and occasionally it's out totally for the local thunderboomer.
The set-top-box sucks too. It'll hang, requiring a five-minute power
cycle (think: crappy PC and WinBlows).
> The cable service here is underground, but even with an amplifier the
> signal has deteriorated to at best semi-decent. There are lots of
> audio/video glitches - the server farm providing digital cable service
> just doesn't have the capacity to handle the number of subscribers
> they are trying to serve.
Server farm? ...and you're thinking of going to satellite? I hope
you don't like local TV, either. We did get CBS, NBC, and Fox (no
ABC), but each is another $3/mo and none are "local". Two are from
NYC and the other SF, all a lot further than 1000 miles from being
"local".
Larry Blanchard
> BTW2, I asked a Comcast technician (I had 3 out last week) why they just
> threw my cable-splitter on the ground under my house when they installed
> my service. He said that's just the way they install them.
OTOH, I had a Comcast tech out to the house a while back to install an
Internet connection and he replaced our wall mounted box for the TV
service. Said the one we had was getting old and it'd probably give
trouble in next few years. He didn't have any copies of the installation
manual I was supposed to get for the Internet connection, so he described
the process for me and removed the cost of the "installation kit" from
our bill.
I don't know if he was a special case or if that's normal service in our
area, but at least I can state that not all Comcast service is bad.
--
Intelligence is an experiment that failed - G. B. Shaw
Swingman
> OTOH, I had a Comcast tech out to the house a while back to install an
> Internet connection and he replaced our wall mounted box for the TV
> service. Said the one we had was getting old and it'd probably give
> trouble in next few years. He didn't have any copies of the installation
> manual I was supposed to get for the Internet connection, so he described
> the process for me and removed the cost of the "installation kit" from
> our bill.
>
> I don't know if he was a special case or if that's normal service in our
> area, but at least I can state that not all Comcast service is bad.
I switched over from Comcast to ATT uVerse a few years back and at first
it was a startling upgrade in on-site customer service ... the past year
or so it appears that ATT may have been hiring ex Comcast field guys, or
reading from Comcast's "how to screw the customer" playbook.
Upscale
>I switched over from Comcast to ATT uVerse a few years back and at first
>it was a startling upgrade in on-site customer service ... the past year
>or so it appears that ATT may have been hiring ex Comcast field guys, or
>reading from Comcast's "how to screw the customer" playbook.
It's funny how customer service importance has grown over the years.
Fifteen years ago, all that was available in high speed Internet was
Rogers. Didn't worry about customer service much (even though it was
sub par) because they were the only game in town.
Then competition came by in the way of DSL Internet over the phone by
my current ISP Teksavvy. Tried them and the customer service was
great. I'm ashamed to admit, three years ago, I got lured away by
another competitor for about two days due to a much lower price. Two
days of hell and I went back to Teksavvy with my head hung low
apologizing all over the place.
Now at 56 years of age, it's not quantity or price that's important to
me near as much, it's quality and customer service that I pay for and
would pay even more for if necessary. Guess criteria changes over
time.
Lee Michaels
"Swingman" wrote
>
> I switched over from Comcast to ATT uVerse a few years back and at first
> it was a startling upgrade in on-site customer service ... the past year
> or so it appears that ATT may have been hiring ex Comcast field guys, or
> reading from Comcast's "how to screw the customer" playbook.
>
there is a "how to screw the customer" playbook, they would screw that up
from time to time and actually give good service occasionally.
But if you hire total fuckups, give them litle supervision and have a
company that just doesn't care, then the customer screwing is assured and
consistent This is the Comcast philosophy.
Leon
"Lee Michaels" <leemichaels*nadaspam*@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:4c2e273c$0$24447$c3e...@news.astraweb.com...
>
> But if you hire total fuckups, give them litle supervision and have a
> company that just doesn't care, then the customer screwing is assured and
> consistent This is the Comcast philosophy.
>
>
>
Heck I thought you were about to say that this is the US government
philosophy.
Bill
> On 7/2/2010 12:55 AM, Bill wrote:
>> I couldn't locate the thread, but last fall, I described a 3' by 2' by
>> 2' metal box, with "ALPHA" marked on it, on my utility pole, and even
>> posted a picture in an effort to try to figure out what it was. I also
>> mentioned it had a circuit breaker in a box underneath it (and I wanted
>> to know what the darn thing was for). I now understand these boxes exist
>> across the nation and I now have the answer in case you may have one in
>> your locality:
>
> What I said:
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/rec.woodworking/msg/bbf1bcd9b50b88a2
>
> :)
Swingman: Yes, you made a good call--and I remembered that (but I
couldn't find it). I was able to add a few more details or I would not
have bothered posting.
As far as Comcast workers, they are not all equal. Some seem really on
the ball, and some try to baffle you with BS. The people that work the
phones evidently work from a script. Someone wrote, "Comcast is great
until you have problems." I think that's a pretty fair statement.
Bill
Bill
> As far as Comcast workers, they are not all equal. Some seem really on
> the ball, and some try to baffle you with BS. The people that work the
> phones evidently work from a script. Someone wrote, "Comcast is great
> until you have problems." I think that's a pretty fair statement.
>
> Bill
>
FWIW, My Comcast service is back down. I was told it would probably be
back up in 4 to 8 hours and it wasn't. Was I surprised it wasn't, ha!
I drove the 10 miles to get to this connection so no one would think I
was being unsociable!
Bill
Lobby Dosser
news:i1119...@news6.newsguy.com...
I doubt anyone will think less of you, even if you decide to take a weekend
off now and then. Just don't make a habit of it. ;-)
Bill
>> FWIW, My Comcast service is back down. I was told it would probably be
>> back up in 4 to 8 hours and it wasn't. Was I surprised it wasn't, ha!
>> I drove the 10 miles to get to this connection so no one would think I
>> was being unsociable!
>>
>> Bill
>
>
> I doubt anyone will think less of you, even if you decide to take a
> weekend off now and then. Just don't make a habit of it. ;-)
Thanks. I always feel negligent when I'm not able to be around to read
and reply to answers after I post questions.
Josepi
"Bill" <Bi...@NOSPAM.net> wrote in message
news:i11aq...@news3.newsguy.com...
Thanks. I always feel negligent when I'm not able to be around to read
and reply to answers after I post questions.
--
Have your accounts been removed by other's complaints?
Do you like to force your opinions on others?
Do you need to use multiple names due to shame and fear?
Better rates for those requiring anonymity to survive!
******** easynews.com, trolling made easy **********
Terroreign
utility company and recently had stray AC current issues on our system.
One of the first things I noticed was this "Alpha Box" on a utility pole
near our system. Now that I have an idea what it is and the voltages
associated with it, I will be able to troubleshoot my problem more
efficiently.
Also thanks for the heads up on the craftsmanship.
--
John McCoy
news:b7cb2$55163191$cf3aab60$32...@news.flashnewsgroups.com:
>> Bill wrote:
>> The boxes are 120v to 90v transformers owned my Comcast.
>> interesting example of what I call "angle shooting". I don't know
>> enough to say whether it is in the spirit of the law or not. Isn't
>> 90v equipment just about as potentially harmful to life and property
>> as 120v equipment?
> for a utility company and recently had stray AC current issues on our
> system. One of the first things I noticed was this "Alpha Box" on a
> utility pole near our system. Now that I have an idea what it is and
> the voltages associated with it, I will be able to troubleshoot my
> problem more efficiently.
batteries inside the box, and an inverter.
It outputs either 63V or 87V. For reasons I don't know,
those are the standard voltages for cable distribution amps.
John
DerbyDad03
> Terroreign <caedfaa9ed1216d60e...@example.com> wrote in
> news:b7cb2$55163191$cf3aab60$32...@news.flashnewsgroups.com:
>
> >> Bill wrote:
>
> >> The boxes are 120v to 90v transformers owned my Comcast.
>
> >> BTW, Comcast's strategy (of going to 90v) appears to me to be an
> >> interesting example of what I call "angle shooting". I don't know
> >> enough to say whether it is in the spirit of the law or not. Isn't
> >> 90v equipment just about as potentially harmful to life and property
> >> as 120v equipment?
>
> > Bill, thanks for your follow up in finding out what this was. I work
> > for a utility company and recently had stray AC current issues on our
> > system. One of the first things I noticed was this "Alpha Box" on a
> > utility pole near our system. Now that I have an idea what it is and
> > the voltages associated with it, I will be able to troubleshoot my
> > problem more efficiently.
>
> It's actually a UPS, not just a transformer. There'll be
> batteries inside the box, and an inverter.
Terroreign
>
> Terroreign <caedfaa9ed1216d60e...@example.com> wrote in
> news:b7cb2$55163191$cf3aab60$32...@news.flashnewsgroups.com:
> batteries inside the box, and an inverter.
> It outputs either 63V or 87V. For reasons I don't know,
> those are the standard voltages for cable distribution amps.
> John
--
John McCoy
799f22...@googlegroups.com:
> It's actually a 5 year old thread.
information he might find helpful, given his line of work.
John
Belinda Moore
For the past three months, end of August to December 2016 comcast's
transformer box is making a loud squell sound that is unbearable at night. It
seems that the system trips and short circuits all night as you try to sleep.
I have asked the power company to remove the box. I don't even have comcast
anymore, so I feel I'm being intruded upon. If I have to get a lawyer to have
this noise stopped outside my home I will. I am sleep deprived and comcast is
only concerned with their boxes. No wonder they are losing customers.
--
for full context, visit http://www.homeownershub.com/woodworking/answer-to-an-old-question-alpha-box-on-a-utility-pole-507331-.htm
DerbyDad03
> replying to Bill, Belinda Moore wrote:
> For the past three months, end of August to December 2016 comcast's
> transformer box is making a loud squell sound that is unbearable at night. It
> seems that the system trips and short circuits all night as you try to sleep.
> I have asked the power company to remove the box. I don't even have comcast
> anymore, so I feel I'm being intruded upon. If I have to get a lawyer to have
> this noise stopped outside my home I will. I am sleep deprived and comcast is
> only concerned with their boxes. No wonder they are losing customers.
>
Comcast.
When they replaced the utility poles in my neighborhood, each entity
moved their own equipment & wires from the old poles to the new ones,
starting at the top. Power first, then phone, then cable.
drgary911
Contractors are why I came up with the saying "If I want something 'screwed
up', I'll do it myself for free." Screwed up being everything from completely
f'd up to done wrong to just done the easy way (eg. No Craftsmanship).
--
for full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/woodworking/answer-to-an-old-question-alpha-box-on-a-utility-pole-507331-.htm
DerbyDad03
> replying to Josepi, drgary911 wrote:
> Contractors are why I came up with the saying "If I want something 'screwed
> up', I'll do it myself for free." Screwed up being everything from completely
> f'd up to done wrong to just done the easy way (eg. No Craftsmanship).
>
Dantheman
> groups
Great story