[Asterisk-Users] Not Woodpeckers

[Steve Underwood]

Jose Quinteiro wrote:

> I live at sea level, and have never seen a woodpecker going at any 
> telco equipment, but have a 60Hz hum on my POTS line through my Adtran 
> 750.
>
> It goes away if I pick up the telephone I have cross-connected on the 
> same line.  Could it be the same problem (i.e., tip-ring imbalance?)
>
> Thanks,
> Jose.

A lot of underground cables get problems with water leakage. These can 
be a pain, even when the telco is prepared to act. I have a problem that 
my line degrades after typhoons. A day or two later when the telco guy 
arrives to investigate the water has subsided, and the line tests out OK 
:-\ In my case I hear no hum, but the connection between storms and line 
quality makes it obvious water is at work somewhere.

Large underground cables (the ones with thousands of pairs) are 
pressurised to drive any water leakage out.

Regards,
Steve