Old cable guy memories hit different after a chat in Cleveland

Ran into a retired installer at a coffee shop in Cleveland last Thursday, he was telling me about running coax back in the 80s when everything was just one line and no ground blocks. He said we have it easy now with toner probes and pre-labeled drops, but hearing him talk made me realize how much I take the little stuff for granted. Any of you older heads wish we still did some things the old way, or is all this new gear really better?

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williamt441mo ago

Remember pulling pairs of 22 gauge through old crawlspaces with just a fish tape and a prayer, no idea if it was gonna come out the other end until you heard the scrape on the floor above. That old timer's story about no ground blocks hits close to home, we used to bond everything to the cold water pipe and call it a day if it didn't hum. But honestly, I don't miss the guesswork, pre-labeled drops and toner probes save me hours every week, I can actually leave a job knowing the line is clean instead of hoping. Still, there was something real about fixing a line with just a crimper and a knife, you felt every connection in your hands. Now it's all push-ons and test screens, efficient but kinda soulless. You ever find yourself slowing down on a simple install just to actually touch the copper again?

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