belangers
New member
Belling out is not a term used for phasing, "ringing" the phases is the term used for phasing that I have been familiar with for 20 plus years and I think there is a big misinterperatation here between the two terms.
"Belling Out" is procedure that's done to a high voltage lead cable. This is the term that's used to shape and move the lead sheath of a PILC medium or high voltage cable away from the outside of the shielded or non shielded/"belted insulation" of a specific type of cable. Belted cables have no shield over each individual phase in a 3/C belted PILC cable. For those of you who know nothing about PILC electrical cables, they are Paper In Lead Cables used for medium and high voltage electrical distribution, some being a single shielded conductor, others a 3 conductor cable with 3 phases under one lead sheath. These 3 phase or 3/C cables need to be prepared with care and the terminology you guys are using for "Belling Out" has been confused with that of a normal electricians duties for "ringing phases".
Belling out is the task of taking a hammer or mallet and striking a "Belling Out Tool", which is a wooden wedge shaped tool.. This is used to push the lead sheath away from the outer protective layers of the paper in lead cable so the paper isn't cut slightly and give the insulation a blemish that is responsible for the slow discharge of a phase to ground over many years or shorter, depending on the depth of the score in the insulation. The confusion between the two terminologies is that a bell and battery was used for generations to "ring out" the cables, not for "belling out". There were two methods used for phasing years ago, and one was to use a phone's handset and battery to speak to another splicer or cableman through the cable using the center conductor as the path for one polarity and the sheath as the return. Same thing was done with the bell and battery, however, other forms of communication such as 2 way radios were needed to identify which phase the "ringing" would be taking place upon. Electricians did the same using the neutral as a return for both methods, however, the phone was quickly linked to death when electricians started to do stupid things, such as not test for the cable of wire's presence of being energized, then, of course would easily become injured or killed while placing these phones against their heads while the wire was live or had become ;live during the procedure, which did happen on occasion over the years.
The belling out tool or stick that I am speaking of looks like a wooden wedge that is slim on one end and wider on the other end without an even taper like a normal wedge, the stick has a long straight edge that has a rapid rise inn width at one point for strength on the other end so it could be struck with a hammer or mallet. These sticks could be misconstrued as Phasing Sticks, which are used in a separate part of the lead work procedure, however, these tools really have nothing to do with the newer "live phasing sticks" that are used by linemen and cable splicers to measure voltages across the phases that allow us to determine correct phasing electrically before close transitioning two separate circuits as one. These phase sticks are only used to safely separate/isolate the oil impregnated insulated conductors from one another so they could be insulated with varnished cambric during splicing, or simply to separate them so they could be worked on, phased out, or even phased live within a manhole, separating them so they do not arc across each other or to a worker inside of a manhole (extremely crazy to do and a thing of the past that was done when there was no other method or place to literally hot phase conductors before closing the circuits or tying them together. This of course is NOT allowed to be done anymore due to the incredible danger it poses to workers due to the close proximity of many megawatts of energy that each phase is capable of, the voltages at hand, and the distances between the live cables and the workers.)
To make this long story short, belling out is basically done to flare the lead on a high voltage lead sheathed cable, not ringing or phasing whatsoever.
"ringing" is what you guys are speaking about and the procedures are obviously being completely confused due to the items that were once used to perform phase identification using the Bell & Battery.
Who I am: I am an expert in my field , now a Master High Voltage Cableman and owner/partner of operation of one of the most prestigious high voltage cable installation companies in CT, USA., and, the responsible license holder of operations for the company for years.. Prior to my management for the corporation, I served as an apprentice, and served many years as a licensed "journeyman cable splicer" as well, a 20 year IBEW member of good standing.
"Belling Out" is procedure that's done to a high voltage lead cable. This is the term that's used to shape and move the lead sheath of a PILC medium or high voltage cable away from the outside of the shielded or non shielded/"belted insulation" of a specific type of cable. Belted cables have no shield over each individual phase in a 3/C belted PILC cable. For those of you who know nothing about PILC electrical cables, they are Paper In Lead Cables used for medium and high voltage electrical distribution, some being a single shielded conductor, others a 3 conductor cable with 3 phases under one lead sheath. These 3 phase or 3/C cables need to be prepared with care and the terminology you guys are using for "Belling Out" has been confused with that of a normal electricians duties for "ringing phases".
Belling out is the task of taking a hammer or mallet and striking a "Belling Out Tool", which is a wooden wedge shaped tool.. This is used to push the lead sheath away from the outer protective layers of the paper in lead cable so the paper isn't cut slightly and give the insulation a blemish that is responsible for the slow discharge of a phase to ground over many years or shorter, depending on the depth of the score in the insulation. The confusion between the two terminologies is that a bell and battery was used for generations to "ring out" the cables, not for "belling out". There were two methods used for phasing years ago, and one was to use a phone's handset and battery to speak to another splicer or cableman through the cable using the center conductor as the path for one polarity and the sheath as the return. Same thing was done with the bell and battery, however, other forms of communication such as 2 way radios were needed to identify which phase the "ringing" would be taking place upon. Electricians did the same using the neutral as a return for both methods, however, the phone was quickly linked to death when electricians started to do stupid things, such as not test for the cable of wire's presence of being energized, then, of course would easily become injured or killed while placing these phones against their heads while the wire was live or had become ;live during the procedure, which did happen on occasion over the years.
The belling out tool or stick that I am speaking of looks like a wooden wedge that is slim on one end and wider on the other end without an even taper like a normal wedge, the stick has a long straight edge that has a rapid rise inn width at one point for strength on the other end so it could be struck with a hammer or mallet. These sticks could be misconstrued as Phasing Sticks, which are used in a separate part of the lead work procedure, however, these tools really have nothing to do with the newer "live phasing sticks" that are used by linemen and cable splicers to measure voltages across the phases that allow us to determine correct phasing electrically before close transitioning two separate circuits as one. These phase sticks are only used to safely separate/isolate the oil impregnated insulated conductors from one another so they could be insulated with varnished cambric during splicing, or simply to separate them so they could be worked on, phased out, or even phased live within a manhole, separating them so they do not arc across each other or to a worker inside of a manhole (extremely crazy to do and a thing of the past that was done when there was no other method or place to literally hot phase conductors before closing the circuits or tying them together. This of course is NOT allowed to be done anymore due to the incredible danger it poses to workers due to the close proximity of many megawatts of energy that each phase is capable of, the voltages at hand, and the distances between the live cables and the workers.)
To make this long story short, belling out is basically done to flare the lead on a high voltage lead sheathed cable, not ringing or phasing whatsoever.
"ringing" is what you guys are speaking about and the procedures are obviously being completely confused due to the items that were once used to perform phase identification using the Bell & Battery.
Who I am: I am an expert in my field , now a Master High Voltage Cableman and owner/partner of operation of one of the most prestigious high voltage cable installation companies in CT, USA., and, the responsible license holder of operations for the company for years.. Prior to my management for the corporation, I served as an apprentice, and served many years as a licensed "journeyman cable splicer" as well, a 20 year IBEW member of good standing.
