Last week I helped a friend of mine who buries cable (RG11) for a subcontractor for Charter. I was AMAZED at how much cable is thrown away. Between running a new line to the house to replace the one someone just before him ran for temporary service and the amount left on the real that usually isn't quite enough for a new run. He throws it all in a dumpster at Charter and I assume they recycle it. Does anyone know exactly what they do with it and why it can't be spliced and reused? I know a new reel must cost $150-200. Thanks
Wasted Cable???
- Thread starter Drifter88
- Start date
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hbiss
EC, Westchester, New York NEC: 2014
- Location
- Hawthorne, New York NEC: 2014
- Occupation
- EC
First of all it doesn't cost that much when you buy it in the quantities they purchase. Second, you never want to splice, especially underground if you can help it. Third, there is extremely little copper. It's a little bit of aluminum and a lot of plastic so it has little scrap value. I don't know if it is even recycleable.
-Hal
-Hal
grich
Senior Member
- Location
- MP89.5, Mason City Subdivision
- Occupation
- Broadcast Engineer
Drifter88 said:
You bet they do.
Trying to splice short lengths of coax together isn't cost-effective in the long run. Making up the splices requires connectors and labor time...it's faster just to pull new cable.Also, the spliced cable will end up being less reliable, especially outdoors, aerial or buried.
grich
Senior Member
- Location
- MP89.5, Mason City Subdivision
- Occupation
- Broadcast Engineer
...Hal beat me...must type faster! You're right about the recycling...I took in a big pile of RG-6 and RG-59 last year, and didn't get much for it.
peter d
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
But it is recyclable nonetheless. If it contains copper, no matter how small the amount, it is recyclable.
ultramegabob
Senior Member
- Location
- Indiana
peter d said:
many plastics are recyclable also, you just cant seem to get anyone to pay you for it....
MAK
Senior Member
- Location
- Massachusetts-Boston
The company I work for throws out a lot of scrap coax. I have been trying to find someone that would take it but nobody will, not even for free.
grich
Senior Member
- Location
- MP89.5, Mason City Subdivision
- Occupation
- Broadcast Engineer
MAK said:
Send it to me...I'll see if Alter in Des Moines is still taking it.:grin:
while all the focus is on the scrap price,,
the splice is totally out of the question. Charter is my third largest customer preceeded by Comcast and Time Warner.
The last thing you want is a resistive addition to an already competitive market. Splices will decrease speed. there are tools for fiber pairs where you can see the splice through means of an OTDR. Imagine being able to see a splice or a crack in glass miles away!
similair test equpment is used to detect signal degredation on telecom wires and the such to make sure the customer is correct and the trouble is on the outside plant side and not the inside wire.
Also,, you would not want the public to know that "charter does not throw anything away, and your sevice will be sold to you with about 500 splices before it ever reaches your computer/television"
Talk about a NasDaq nightmare
the splice is totally out of the question. Charter is my third largest customer preceeded by Comcast and Time Warner.
The last thing you want is a resistive addition to an already competitive market. Splices will decrease speed. there are tools for fiber pairs where you can see the splice through means of an OTDR. Imagine being able to see a splice or a crack in glass miles away!
similair test equpment is used to detect signal degredation on telecom wires and the such to make sure the customer is correct and the trouble is on the outside plant side and not the inside wire.
Also,, you would not want the public to know that "charter does not throw anything away, and your sevice will be sold to you with about 500 splices before it ever reaches your computer/television"
Talk about a NasDaq nightmare
LarryFine
Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
- Location
- Henrico County, VA
- Occupation
- Electrical Contractor
That's Copperweld. It's copper-clad steel. Skin effect at RF's make solid copper a waste.lvz2fsh said:
hbiss
EC, Westchester, New York NEC: 2014
- Location
- Hawthorne, New York NEC: 2014
- Occupation
- EC
That's Copperweld. It's copper-clad steel.
Meaning that it's steel wire with a thin plating of copper. I doubt it has any value even with copper fetching better than $2 a pound for uncleaned wire.
Most of our scrap goes to China. I bet they would take coax scrap if somebody was willing to collect it but I don't think it would be cost effective.
-Hal
Meaning that it's steel wire with a thin plating of copper. I doubt it has any value even with copper fetching better than $2 a pound for uncleaned wire.
Most of our scrap goes to China. I bet they would take coax scrap if somebody was willing to collect it but I don't think it would be cost effective.
-Hal
- Status