AT&T project Lightspeed

One think for sure, I'm now getting plenty of attention. A phone call yesterday and then again this morning to see how the U-Verse is working. In both recent conversations, I did state is was up and running but also emphasized the drop problem and that it has been reported by techs 3 times that it needs to be changed out.

I'm getting the feeling that AT&T doesn't want any bad reports of their U-Verse service getting around.

I got a new "ticket" # from the support person but it seem to be different than the one from the other day. The new one is PL1FJT08. Is this a support # they issue? The one from the other day was F24270379. Is this the actual service ticket the techs/linemen use?

Here's the scoop the way I see it.

The test I mentioned is the "stress" test. You disconnect the signal and just test the "bare" wire....starting at the NI and looking toward the feed or aerial cable. You want to test the drop first, then the aerial, each section on its own, not all connected up. You get a better stress reading on smaller "sections" or pieces of the circuit. In other words, if you look at the circuit as a whole you will not get as accurate a test.

If you lineman is just now, after all this trouble and all these reports, changing your drop pair well then I don't know what to say. Drop trouble, especially a long wire-out such as yours is the FIRST place I and I bet Gary would've looked. The Blue/Blue-white pair is always number 1.....Orange/Orange-white is always number 2. So you use blue first then switch to orange if you have trouble. But it is of course a very tempoary fix 'cause the orange pair goes the same distance under the same jacket as the blue pair. In other words, if the jacket is bad (lightning, squirrels, tree rubs, pinches), well then of course the orange pair is gonna soon be bad as well.

If I was satisfied that the drop was PERFECT then I would look at the copper wire distance. They say it will travel up to 11,000ft to sell it to you (at least in Ohio) but I never had it run that far with any reliability. To much depends on number of times the wire is spliced, cable gauge changes, humidity, plus what else is running in the binder group with your line. Also, no "bridge-tap" allowed...that is no side legs. Your cable pair can only run dircetly to your working terminal, which SHOULD be in front of your house. To make more lines avalible in more places they used to run the aerial cable all over the place...me and Gary would call those extra locations "multiples".

I know this is not much help...sure wish I could do more. Used to love this stuff. Just not in the snow and cold!

john

Pete that ticket with the pl prefix is for the outside guy,like John or myself. I'll bet the other one is for the inside u verse tech. John, some of the new test equiptment is really something,they will tell you if you have 3rd legs and how far away.The trick is figuring out what your reading. The days of fixing a line with a butt set and snips are gone.
TDR tester

Well you know that one time you do something wrong and someone catches you- well one guy who retired quite awhile ago was called the magical mystical meatcutter from Mchenry. You only tease the guy's you like----

jbear wrote: I am always amazed by how phone guys are the same all over...so you guys called them hacks "butchers" just like we did. john

Then more than now as you know we were all family,and every family has the "crazy" uncle or aunt. We have a tentive contract as of tonight,so Pete's line might just get fixed.
Some highlights John,the most important 1st-   * Lump Sum Option protected throughout the life of the Agreement.
    * GATT rate protected through March 31, 2012, then begin transition to the PPA.
Health Care:

    * Preventative and Disease Detection paid at 100% (no co-pay or co-insurance)
    * Bi-weekly contribution: $16.15 Individual/$34.62 Family (paid on a pre-tax basis)
    * Deductible - $350 Individual/$700 Family
    * Zero Co-pays
    * Co-insurance – 90%/10% (Network) 60/40% (Out of Network)
    * Out of Pocket Maximum - $1,000/$3,000

This will be the last contract I'll ever sit thru

C'mon Pete...what is happening on this?

john

If they do it in March or April you will have to come down here....in the summer...I'll come visit your river.

john

What I would do Pete is see how it works 1st. It's raining out nice now,lets see if it makes it thru Sunday. If it does, make the call to her and butter her up, tell her what a great job they did. If it does not make it,you know what to do. You know that old saying- you catch more flies with sugar than vinegar. Hope it works out for you,I'm still jealous.

So far not one problem with the portal faulting out!!!

Well it's been over 10 days and I haven't noticed a single blinking LED on the bottom of my portal which would be indicating it was making copper fault corrections with it's counterpart at the Vrad. So, for now, it looks like the rebuild/cleanup of my drop as well as the aerial working terminal is working! BTW, it has been moist and raining the last week so that's a "thumbs up" plus for the guys who may had done a decent careful job!! More time will tell.

Gary and John,
How common is it to bring in AT&T repair personal in from other areas? The guy who I feel finally (after the multiple reports from the other linemen/techs) again confirmed the sad old 6 pole drop to my working terminal was out of the Evanston shop. Are there "specialists" brought in from other areas or are they just sending in the good guys? (BTW, it would have been a MAJOR pleasure seeing both you guys showing up in the same truck!!!! - of course we know that wouldn't be possible!!)

Once again, I'll state that AT&T, has really bent over backwards to keep me happy with the U-Verse service. Even though it only took several calls from me to AT&T "support". My only frustration was getting the "support" person to understand what the hell I was talking about. The one who was able to pull up the 15 faults while I was on the phone with her seemed to be on top of what was going on! My being educated with the details from both of you really helped!!! She also had access to all the tech reports. A big compliment for AT&T support!! Good training and well educated personnel. - and no, I never once talked to India!!!!!!

I'm however pissed with the "sales" people who told me my lines had been "conditioned" BS!! Because of you guys, I knew the correct questions to ask the "sales" people and still got the BS from them!!. Sales people? BS!! Conditioned!! Two kids - yes, I saw them looking at my old terminal on the pole with all the rotten green studs!!! Then, installation day came and the inside tech needs to bring in a lineman to "twiddle" the old copper!!!! 6 poles worth!!!

What happened to your other co-worker Kurt (88 nautique) Kurt, your last post was back in April 09 Where are you? You were the one who convinced me to go with the fiber!! Kurt, still with AT&T?

Hi Pete, J Bear & Gary,
I'm still around. Still working for AT&T. My boat is still winterized and parked in the garage. I got involved in a music project that kept me tied up all summer so I haven't had time to do any boating. I've been following your story Pete. I still get the emails from posts that I have chatted in and I'm glad you finally got your problem resolved, or so it seems. I haven't really been on the site much, but now that my music project is over, I'll be back. Looks like Keith has made some changes I'll have to get used to.
I'm jealous though. I work there and I can't even get DSL at my house, let alone U-Verse. I have to have Direct T.V. and Wild Blue satalite internet. My house looks like an F.A.A. radio site with the dishes I have mounted on it.
Anyway, I'll be back on here more. Thanks for asking about me. Hope everybody is all good.
Kurt

8122pbrainard wrote: Well it's been over 10 days and I haven't noticed a single blinking LED on the bottom of my portal which would be indicating it was making copper fault corrections with it's counterpart at the Vrad. So, for now, it looks like the rebuild/cleanup of my drop as well as the aerial working terminal is working! BTW, it has been moist and raining the last week so that's a "thumbs up" plus for the guys who may had done a decent careful job!! More time will tell. Gary and John, How common is it to bring in AT&T repair personal in from other areas? The guy who I feel finally (after the multiple reports from the other linemen/techs) again confirmed the sad old 6 pole drop to my working terminal was out of the Evanston shop. Are there "specialists" brought in from other areas or are they just sending in the good guys? (BTW, it would have been a MAJOR pleasure seeing both you guys showing up in the same truck!!!! - of course we know that wouldn't be possible!!)

Hmmmm...drop and distance...just like I thought. Still can't believe it took your hometown guys so long...glad I could "call it" and help you out with some tips of what to ask about. Just wish I could've pulled up in front of your house with Gary. I used to get all the "go-backs" in my area. All the jobs other guys had been on and still weren't working. Until after I was there that is! I might have been slow (for sure) but I most always left 'em fixed. Gary too I bet.


Very cool to hear from you Kurt. Not very cool that your boat is still "winterized"...

john

Gary S wrote: If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, then baffle them with BS. John it seems the new way of doing things. The new way seems to spend more time trying to get out of work than actually doing the job. Got some ot today, a 300 pr splice taken out by a county mowing crew, and not reported

The "new way"...not where I worked...thats the way most of the guys always worked it. At least the guys of my generation or newer...the old guys that taught us were not that way.

"Not reported"...used to love when the gas company or the road crews would hit your cable then cover it up and say "we weren't here" and all ya hadta do was look at the ground or the pavement to see that SOMEONE was there!

Man me and you would've had fun...just like me and my partner the moe-man did.

john

No doubt about that. Just cannot stop change...no matter if we feel it is good or bad. But I had my run..it was a good long one and I left on top, as the "lead Tech" in my area and with over a year and a half extra pay. I love talking about this stuff..like Pete's problem but I think you know I have never looked back and been one of those guys that said that I wished I had not left. There is life outside the Bell System!

john

Night-night..

john