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Does $21K sound like a good deal for cable to you?

S

StrangeRanger

Golden Member
I called Adelphia customer service to see about getting cable TV and net service today. My house was just built, well, I'm almost done, so there is no service at all there yet. The last house that has cable service is about 2 miles up the "road" (I live in backwoods VT). So I ask the gal on the phone how much to get service carried out to the house and she very matter-of-factly says "$21,000 give or take".
When I got done snarfing the coke out my nose, and took a moment to compose myself, I asked if she was serious or yankin' my chain. She was serious! For f'in cable service? She got a little pissy with me when I said that the foundation for my HOUSE was half of that. And she hung up on me when I asked what they'd pay me to do it myself.
Why/how in the world could it cost $21,000 to have two monkeys show up in a truck with some cable, a ditch witch and those funky orange vests for a couple hours work? Ga'damn! I gotta get me into the cable business!
j
ps: Anyone know anything about satelite net service, god help me if i have to go back to dial up and no, DSL is not an option.
 
Damn, 21K. I wouldnt go for satelite though, because satelite pings are super duper high. I guess if I was you I'd go back on that dial up connection, it's the best thing to do.
 
I think $21/month is a good deal for cable. $21K is kinda pricey.

OH, and you get a ditch witch, and start cutting a two mile long ditch for cable, see if you can do it in a "couple hours". Also, try getting all the neccesary permits to run the cavle those 2 miles underground. Also, learn how to use a ditch witch, and how to hook up cable TV lines.

It's TWO MILES of cable, smart guy.
 
DirecTV has two-way satellite internet. It's fast, but the latency sucks and you can't play games on it. That might be an option, both for TV and Internet access.
 
That price is really pretty reasonable. Your cable company has to think about return on investment. If they ran cable to you for free and we assume it cost them $21,000, and your cable bill averages $50 a month, it would take them 35 years to ever make a dime on your cable service.

The electric cooperative that I work for, charges $4 a foot for building an electric line over .5 mile long.


That means it would cost you about $31,680 for a 2 mile long electric line.
Of course electric lines are more expensive to build, but that kind of gives you perspective.

 


<< When I got done snarfing the coke out my nose, and took a moment to compose myself, I asked if she was serious or yankin' my chain. >>



That was funny. Don't ask me why but I am still laughing at that comment.

On the serious side, just look into satellite.
 
If that is 21k for life you would probably break even after 35 years


*Doh.. GISTechnician figured that out as well

Are they planning on building anymore houses near you?

Get a satelite dude
 
Your best bet probably is to wait a few years, unfortunately 🙁

The way every little inch of land is being developed, you'll have closer neighbors and the service will become more appealing to the cable provider soon.

CK
 
I would say for you to start sellling that coke instead of snorting it and in about a month you'll have enough to pay for that cable AND a couple honnies to break in that new house of yours 😎
 
Signal amplifiers will also be needed and the juice to power them.

Why not go out and by the 2 miles of cable and string it yourself. You will also need 2 miles of power cord to drive the amps.
Pay your neighbor $20 month for the privildege of tapping into one of his sets and you are on your way.

You can probably get the cable in bulk at $39.90 per 500 ft roll (Home Depot), figure 12000 feet = 24 rolls translates to $960 right there. Power cord in bulk @ $143.50 per 1000 ft roll (Home Depot) = 12 rolls translates to $3400.
Add in amplifiers (1/250 ft) 48 units @ estimated $4 unit = $250

You are up to $5K for just materials alone if you do it yourself.

Have fun.

Cable is overrated anyhow. Books are better for you and then try to negotiate a special rate at the local vid store.
 
OK, now you guys have got me thinking...I working for a pcb manufacturer/assembler. I can get all the cable and power amps for cost, i have a friend who owns an equipment rental company (oh, and notfred, i do know how to run a ditch witch very well and they are tit to run) for the ditch witch and any other large equipment i need, I can hook any wiring no problem...hmmm....I own almost all the land of that 2 mile stretch....a weekend project???
j
ps: CK..good one
 
dude im pretty sure you cant just start digging ditches along a road to your house. If you dont have permission from the county you could get in some deep doo doo.

just get a dish and live with dialup.
 
If you do decide to do this yourself. Be sure to contact your state Utility Protection Service so that they will locate any underground utility you might cut through. This should be free to you. This will take away your liability. Believe me you don't want to have to pay to have some fiber optic cable fixed you accidently cut through. Actually in some parts of the nation you can be jailed for digging up utilities with out a locate. But if you get your U.P.S. to locate it you are in the clear.

Also, if you go across anybody's land other than yours, you need to get permission on paper and file a signed/notorized easment with your county/city recorder. Verbal permission usually won't work. There have been too many lawsuits caused by people/utilities runing lines across people's property without permision or with verbal permission.
 
Why don't you try this: Call your state Public Service Commission and raise hell. People do it everyday. Most PSC's side with the consumer pretty heavily. Who knows, they might help you get the cost down.
 
Pull some schedule 40 PVC, preferably two pipes. Then you can string the cable and power in seperate tubes and you can retrofit later without having to dig again if you need to.
 
Guys, calm down. I was kidding about doing it myself. But just so you know, where I live, you would not have to worry about getting caught or hitting utility lines. I'm in the woods of VT.
j
 
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