Big Boys Hobbies

Fear of digging in own yard...

Btw, Josh...
I worked as a surveyor for 7 years, but telecom was not something we generally dealt with as it is considered less permanent than other utilities. Gas, electric, water and sewer were our main concerns in surveys and engineering plans. However, it shouldnt be hard to determine whether your telecom service comes into the house via ground or the roof. Mine comes in via the roof to an outdoor junction box like this, the square box on the right. The one on the left with the dial is the electric. My cable TV also comes off the roof. If you can determine which utilities come from your roof, youll eliminate alot of uneccessary research and worry.
 

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Metal Pig said:
And if it makes you feel any better, there is really little damage you could do with a little hand trowel. When they say "call before you dig" it generally refers to larger tools, backhoes, etc.
Click to expand...

Agree with Metal Pig, odds of you puncturing something with a hand digger are pretty slim unless you're digging like Norman Bates or it was already compromised to the point it would require replacement anyway.
 
Metal Pig said:
Btw, Josh...
I worked as a surveyor for 7 years, but telecom was not something we generally dealt with as it is considered less permanent than other utilities. Gas, electric, water and sewer were our main concerns in surveys and engineering plans. However, it shouldnt be hard to determine whether your telecom service comes into the house via ground or the roof. Mine comes in via the roof to an outdoor junction box like this, the square box on the right. The one on the left with the dial is the electric. My cable TV also comes off the roof. If you can determine which utilities come from your roof, youll eliminate alot of uneccessary research and worry.
Click to expand...

Wow. Lots of people did this stuff. I'll just exit this thread and you guys can move along... :lol:

Josh
 
T-Man said:
Agree with Metal Pig, odds of you puncturing something with a hand digger are pretty slim unless you're digging like Norman Bates or it was already compromised to the point it would require replacement anyway.
Click to expand...


LoL! Let's go metal detecting down at the Bates Motel

You had to put that in my mind! :laughing:

Sir...er, MADAM....put the digging implement DOWN!

"Nyit! Nyit! Nyit! Nyit! Nyit!"
 

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Tom_in_CA said:
We need to start a separate forum topic section for "The psychologies involved in md'ing", haha
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Ha! Pychology 102: Metal Detecting Disorders

To answer some previous questions, for sure my electric is underground. My house is the oldest on the block, but it was built in 77.
 
BugOutBob said:
I need some advice! I've been metal detecting (mostly woods / fields) for actually close to 7 years now, but I'm scared to death to dig my own yard. My house was the first built in the area so I'm the epicenter for any line / cable / pipe you can imagine. I called out 811 to mark my backyard once, because I wanted to till up a garden. They asked if they could stop after the had the general area down they were so exasperated. My yard looked like a small race track until I finished that weekend. Even after all the marking I ended up hitting a cable line, which from what I can tell, wasn't active. I'm even scared to dig my front yard, I know I have a fiber cable running somewhere through there and the gods know what else.

I just want to be able to walk in my own yard and putter around to see what I can find. I found an excellent signal about 2 years ago and slowly started taking layer by layer, but Indiana clay got the best of me. I didn't want to push my luck.

Any suggestions? (Or commiserating?)
Click to expand...

Sure, stick with low sensitivity and don't dig more than six inches. There shouldn't be any cable or conduit at the 6-inch or shallower depth.

And frankly, if there is, then they didn't bury them properly, and it's not your problem. You should never be inhibited from putting a volley-ball stake in your yard. That's the depth you can detect.

Cheers,

Skippy
 
Skippy SH13 said:
Sure, stick with low sensitivity and don't dig more than six inches. There shouldn't be any cable or conduit at the 6-inch or shallower depth.

And frankly, if there is, then they didn't bury them properly, and it's not your problem. You should never be inhibited from putting a volley-ball stake in your yard. That's the depth you can detect.

Cheers,

Skippy
Click to expand...
True for cable. Most telecom and cable drops are buried at 6” or less.
 
I think my area has experienced problems with frost heave or other issues (maybe erosion of the topsoil), so that things that are supposed to be at depth x are actually at x - n. This has only been an issue when you are using backhoes in my experience working with a telephone company.

Maybe dig more like an archaeologist (just a little at a time). Not counting those areas where they dig the first x inches with shovels due to activity that would have destroyed major context long ago...

No I'm not an archaeologist, but I like reading.

-- Tom
 
amc rulz said:
True for cable. Most telecom and cable drops are buried at 6” or less.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but Telcom and Cable are responsible for everything that goes up to your house.

I've called the cable company out on their !!!!, more than once. I found a cable buried lightly, and had them come re-do it. Why? because it's not the cable company that dictates the burial depth... it's the cable manufacturer. Cable companies are allowed to do whatever they want (literally, it's in the code), they can lay it on the ground, just under it, etc... but when it comes to meeting specification, it's the cable manufacturer that requires it. 18" is the minimum for fiber, for example, regardless of whether or not the cable company wants to risk laying it shorter. I called and said, "I need this buried" they came out and re-ran line (because buried line is typically longer).

Also, know that virtually every cable/phone company has to service their work up to your house. Beyond the connection to the house, it's on you. If it's in your yard, that's not "in" your house...

I've hit them 3 times in the last 15 years digging for plants and stuff. once I fixed myself, the other two, like I said, I called them and they came and fixed it, no charge. Once they made this really big show about how lucky I was they were going to do it free of charge, because I was such a loyal customer... it was all a show, they couldn't have charged me, because it wasn't in my h ouse. When I pointed that out, it took the stuffing right out of the guy. I kind of felt bad for him, because he got called on his !!!!. LOL

But if you really really really want to dig it all. Just call the number and make them paint your yard. LOL It's free! :)

One other thing. A good pinpointer really prevents some of these cable massacres... and using iron audio helps too. If you're only getting a strong dime signal, and no others around it, it's unlikely you're going to hit a cable... they are made of metal.

Skippy
 
Skippy SH13 said:
Yeah, but Telcom and Cable are responsible for everything that goes up to your house.

I've called the cable company out on their !!!!, more than once. I found a cable buried lightly, and had them come re-do it. Why? because it's not the cable company that dictates the burial depth... it's the cable manufacturer. Cable companies are allowed to do whatever they want (literally, it's in the code), they can lay it on the ground, just under it, etc... but when it comes to meeting specification, it's the cable manufacturer that requires it. 18" is the minimum for fiber, for example, regardless of whether or not the cable company wants to risk laying it shorter. I called and said, "I need this buried" they came out and re-ran line (because buried line is typically longer).

Also, know that virtually every cable/phone company has to service their work up to your house. Beyond the connection to the house, it's on you. If it's in your yard, that's not "in" your house...

I've hit them 3 times in the last 15 years digging for plants and stuff. once I fixed myself, the other two, like I said, I called them and they came and fixed it, no charge. Once they made this really big show about how lucky I was they were going to do it free of charge, because I was such a loyal customer... it was all a show, they couldn't have charged me, because it wasn't in my h ouse. When I pointed that out, it took the stuffing right out of the guy. I kind of felt bad for him, because he got called on his !!!!. LOL

But if you really really really want to dig it all. Just call the number and make them paint your yard. LOL It's free! :)

One other thing. A good pinpointer really prevents some of these cable massacres... and using iron audio helps too. If you're only getting a strong dime signal, and no others around it, it's unlikely you're going to hit a cable... they are made of metal.

Skippy
Click to expand...
Just play it safe and call miss dig, free locating service. If you don’t call miss dig before you put a shovel in the ground and hit my cable between the road and the house, I bill you $100/hr labor to repair.

Edit:I may have billed. Depending on a few things. :cool3:
 
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amc rulz said:
Just play it safe and call miss dig, free locating service. If you don’t call miss dig before you put a shovel in the ground and hit my cable between the road and the house, I bill you $100/hr labor to repair ....
Click to expand...

Well ... naturally ... every time I get a beep in the park, well OF COURSE I call the 3 digit # that mandates "Call before you dig". :laughing:

But seriously now as a Telecom worker, you'll get a chuckle out of this true story: There was a newbie who went to his city hall park's dept. to ask if it was ok to metal detect in his city's parks (as if he needed their say-so). The gal at the desk was initially perplexed, and didn't understand his question. When he'd said "metal detector", she was thinking of the types at the airport that you walk through.

Finally, when the two of them understood each other, she looked through all her parks rules listings , and could find nothing that mentioned or addressed "metal detectors". So she tells the guy : "I don't see anything here about that, so I guess you're ok ".

The fellow said "Great ! And I'll be sure to cover all my holes". But the moment the gal heard the word "holes", she stopped him and asked him what he meant. He told her "I have to dig the coins, but don't worry, you won't even be able to tell I was there". And when she heard the word "dig", her radar went up even more. So she tells the guy : Wait here, I'll be right back". And she excused herself from the front desk, and went down the hallway behind her, poking her head in and out of her superior's doorways.

She returns to the front desk and tells the man "Sir, we're going to have to tell you no". The man objected and said "I thought you just said that was nothing about metal detectors. Why the sudden change ?". To which she presented him with a brochure that said "Call before you Dig", and had a 3 digit # on the cover. Along with a picture of a backhoe .

The man took one look at that, and realized that this was talking about construction companies who are going to be digging trenches, pipes, etc... So he laughed, handed the brochure back to the lady and said : "But mam, this is talking about people who are going to be digging 6 ft. deep ! I'm only going to be digging 6 inches, not 6 ft". The gal leafed through the brochure for a moment, and handed it back to him saying: "Sir, the instructions don't say how deep. It simply says any digging. Therefore we're still going to have to tell you no".

The poor guy left the park's dept. with his brochure, more confused than when he'd arrived :laughing:
 
Tom_in_CA said:
Well ... naturally ... every time I get a beep in the park, well OF COURSE I call the 3 digit # that mandates "Call before you dig". :laughing:

But seriously now as a Telecom worker, you'll get a chuckle out of this true story: There was a newbie who went to his city hall park's dept. to ask if it was ok to metal detect in his city's parks (as if he needed their say-so). The gal at the desk was initially perplexed, and didn't understand his question. When he'd said "metal detector", she was thinking of the types at the airport that you walk through.

Finally, when the two of them understood each other, she looked through all her parks rules listings , and could find nothing that mentioned or addressed "metal detectors". So she tells the guy : "I don't see anything here about that, so I guess you're ok ".

The fellow said "Great ! And I'll be sure to cover all my holes". But the moment the gal heard the word "holes", she stopped him and asked him what he meant. He told her "I have to dig the coins, but don't worry, you won't even be able to tell I was there". And when she heard the word "dig", her radar went up even more. So she tells the guy : Wait here, I'll be right back". And she excused herself from the front desk, and went down the hallway behind her, poking her head in and out of her superior's doorways.

She returns to the front desk and tells the man "Sir, we're going to have to tell you no". The man objected and said "I thought you just said that was nothing about metal detectors. Why the sudden change ?". To which she presented him with a brochure that said "Call before you Dig", and had a 3 digit # on the cover. Along with a picture of a backhoe .

The man took one look at that, and realized that this was talking about construction companies who are going to be digging trenches, pipes, etc... So he laughed, handed the brochure back to the lady and said : "But mam, this is talking about people who are going to be digging 6 ft. deep ! I'm only going to be digging 6 inches, not 6 ft". The gal leafed through the brochure for a moment, and handed it back to him saying: "Sir, the instructions don't say how deep. It simply says any digging. Therefore we're still going to have to tell you no".

The poor guy left the park's dept. with his brochure, more confused than when he'd arrived :laughing:
Click to expand...
:laughing: Thomas, if you’re in the park, you’re on your own. I have had park workers come up and say “we’ve buried lines here, be careful!”
 
amc rulz said:
...., be careful!”
Click to expand...

Sure. And there begins to be a time in life, where you have to "gather courage" to even step out your front door in the morning. A mack truck might hit you. A 747 might crash on your head. You might get mugged. At some point, we all have to decide: "do I want to go metal detecting or don't I ?". The world is never going to "coddle us" and "roll out red carpets" for us. So I've long since decided : Just go. :roll:
 
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