Fence Post / Utility Pole Attachment - What is this?

[kramttocs]

Walking through the woods the other day and came across an old gate opening. This pipe (photo) was attached to one gate post. The top comes off and there are two capped off valve stems fixed to the top of the pipe in a hexagonal plug filling the pipe that prevents them from falling down. I have photos of that but forgot to email them to me. Dug underneath it out of curiosity and the two air tubes go into a hard black rubber tube and keep going down. Figure it was something on the pole and they just buried it with it but curious as to it's designed purpose if anyone knew.

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[wfw]

just a guess but a lot of underground telephone cable as air pressure on it.
this could be an air tap to check pressure on the cable. if this is a reused
telephone pole then this is a possibility. I might not be right though.

 

[Steve@Advance]

Probably connected to an underground phone cable.

They pressurize them, or flow dry nitrogen inside the insulation to dry out moisture, to stop the crackling.

Ever seen a nitrogen tank sitting beside a utility pole? That is what it is connected to.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I'm going to GUESS it could have been a post for a chain link fence. Looks like
there may be another pipe on other side.

All chain link post are cemented in. Is this one?

 

[willie in mn]

Steve
You & wfw each win a cigar.
Worked phone cables in Air Force many years ago.
More than you wanted to know. Don't know if this is still done with the advent of plastic cable. In the old days, cable sheath was lead, insulation was paper. If the paper got wet everything shorted out, line dead. Purpose of the air pressure is to keep moisture out in case of sheath failure. There is a flow alarm on the compressor at each end of a run. Epoxy blocks would be injected into the cable at regular intervals, during installation, usually every mile. The gizmo you found is a bypass around the block, normally kept open. In case of flow alarm, crew would work the line, taking pressure readings at each bypass. When a low pressure point was located, the bypass would be closed & dry nitrogen tank hooked up. Check pressure daily until pressure stabilizes, usually about a week. Then draw the pressure curve on graph paper, measure out the distance to low pressure point & dig it up. If lucky can find the leak by digging up a 15-20 foot trench, finding the leak in a 20 mile run on first try. If really lucky, there might be evidence of damage such as lightening strike, careless digging, new fence post etc.

Willie

 

[Steve@Advance]

Willie, never knew it was used for locating a leak.

Sounds like a frustrating job!

 

[kramttocs]

Thanks guys! Figured someone here would have
seen one of these in a past or present life.

 

[oldsarge]

I bet you were a GEEIA cable splicer!!!!

 

[Jim in MN]

So the classic April Fools joke about blowing out phone lines has a grain of truth to it?

 

[willie in mn]

Not GEEIA, just local base Comm Squad splicer/repairman, Eglin Fl. GEEIA was a traveling large project installation outfit. We were permanent based maintenance, small project operator.

Willie