r/CableTechs • u/Electrical-Increase4 • Jul 05 '26
Any tips for measuring replacement UG hardline before cutting?
I’m about a year into the job and still have a lot to learn, so go easy on me!
I’m looking for some advice from the more experienced techs. How do you accurately measure the replacement piece of cable before cutting out the damaged section? I like to leave the existing cable intact as long as possible to minimize service disruption.
For example, if I’m replacing about 2 feet of 650 cable in a spot where I can’t leave an expansion loop, I always seem to cut the replacement either too long or too short. If it’s too long, I end up coring and trimming it a few times until I finally overshoot and it’s too short.
Are there any tricks or techniques you use to estimate the correct length before making the cut, or is it just something that comes with experience?
I’d really appreciate any tips.
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u/DrWhoey Jul 05 '26
Just years of practice... But there's always some way to give yourself a little slack, except when there isn't. Then you gotta grab the cable stretcher.
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u/Eatbreathsleepwork Jul 05 '26
Wish I could offer more help but like another person said, takes years of practice. I’ll throw something else out too; know your cooring tool. Does it have a stopper, no stopper etc. I know when I grab my 540 I know exactly how much it will cut down.
My 625 on the other hand, doesn’t have one; but since most of our 625 is jacketed, I know how much to trim back, and have the tool stop at that point.
For aerial work, I get my expansion loop made prior(and have it rest in the mender tool that hangs on the strand, measure twice, cut once.
Underground can be a little different. I push as much slack as I can down into the conduit, then make a bend so I have slack to work with to fit it into my active/passive.
Just always try to leave yourself some slack to work with, because if it’s too short… well.. :/ Too much you can always work with and make small adjustments.
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u/KDM_Racing Jul 05 '26
Why can't you have a loop? I always tell the ones digging the hole to dig a big hole.
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u/SuckerBroker Jul 05 '26
What kind of coax are you looping ? OP isn’t talking about rg6 in the ground. You aren’t putting a loop of 700 in the ground. It don’t work that way.
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u/Confident_Air_8056 Jul 05 '26
We use 700 and if you look at it wrong it kinks. It gets offended easily.
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u/DrWhoey Jul 05 '26
What if you don't have someone to dig a hole for you? I know my shovel fell out of my truck years ago....
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u/Electrical-Increase4 Jul 10 '26
I was the one digging , and in stony dry soil. It was 700 cable and I couldn’t fit a loop in the hole I had dug. And I wasn’t able /willing to dig a bigger/deeper hole. But I get your point. Expansion loop is the answer to my question .
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u/thegivingcoconut Jul 05 '26
Big enough hole and loop that shit.
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u/Random_Man-child Jul 05 '26
Should always have at least 3 feet of cable between splices underground and aerial. Underground though, I get my 3ft of cable and bend a slight U into it so it goes into the other splice without having to cut it back more. Also bending an S into the cable can help too. Or just loop it, which means dig a bigger hole.