Removing old tele west cable point

[RushupEdge]

Hi all,

currently in the process of renovating my house. There’s an ancient tele west cable box point (pictured) on the wall that I want to get rid of.

Just wanted to check and see if anyone knew if this carried any voltage? I don’t want to get a shock trying to get it off the wall! Normally I would think not, but the fact the box is held on with two star bits makes me wonder

any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[Lucid]

The star bits are simply there to hinder Herbert messing around with the connection in some half-arsed DIY bodging way. The cable won't carry any voltage.

IIRC, Telewest was bought out by NTL, which in turn was merged with Virgin. Although your connection point has a Telewest logo on it, it probably now belongs to Virgin Media. I mention this because it may well still be connected to the VM network, so you need to be careful what you do with it.

Once you take the cover off you may find a splitter. It should be safe to remove that which would then leave you with the cable connection going out to the road. If it was me, I would sink a metal backbox, then put the cable tail in that, tape over the F-plug end, then finish off with a flat blanking plate. That, or pull the cable through the wall and tape up the end termination and leave it in the outside connection box if present.

 

[Wayners]

Nintendo security screws if memory serves. I carry a set to remove those old boxes when I need to remove wallpaper ect behind and only coax cable inside. Should be another box outside that you can disconnect. Safe to do.

Can't remember if its the 3.8mm or 4.5mm but they come as a set anyway

 

[mattylad]

std torx bits.

 

[Wayners]

std torx bits.

Nope. Needs a hollow ened bit to fit over what looks like a star shape jelly mould. Nintendo security screws as I said. Here is a set https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-5mm-Se...-/311835349156?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292

 

[yorkspark]

They are called torx security screws not nintendo, nintendo just happen to use them

google torx security bits to get a set of ends suitable

 

[Wayners]

Nope. Around me you need these

 

[RushupEdge]

The star bits are simply there to hinder Herbert messing around with the connection in some half-arsed DIY bodging way. The cable won't carry any voltage.

IIRC, Telewest was bought out by NTL, which in turn was merged with Virgin. Although your connection point has a Telewest logo on it, it probably now belongs to Virgin Media. I mention this because it may well still be connected to the VM network, so you need to be careful what you do with it.

Once you take the cover off you may find a splitter. It should be safe to remove that which would then leave you with the cable connection going out to the road. If it was me, I would sink a metal backbox, then put the cable tail in that, tape over the F-plug end, then finish off with a flat blanking plate. That, or pull the cable through the wall and tape up the end termination and leave it in the outside connection box if present.

the internal box is at the back of the house, and it looks like there’s a black cable which runs along the side of the house and into the back (connecting into this). I haven’t seen another box outside but I’ll take a look.

I was planning on just cutting the cable and leaving it stuck to the external wall for now. Then just filling the hole in the external wall with some silicon and making good the plaster.

would leaving the cable tacked to the external wall be ok? You mentioned being careful with it - does this mean it’s vm’s property?

Nope. Around me you need these View attachment 220910

Thanks - will try and find a set!

 

[Sureitsoff?]

they are standard torx screws but a flat bladed screwdriver wide enough to go in to opposing slots will sometimes be enough to loosen the screws AMHIKT

 

[Wayners]

Torx is easy to get from screwfix or toolstation but like I said. Won't fit.. Unless they did use them around your area. Screws are like this

Just smash it then it will have normal screws holding on the wall.

It may or not be connected in road box as they were removing the connection for those not having account. It's just a coax cable so you don't want to short out the centre with the outer so cut carefully vs just chopping as that may short it if live. Do you know what coax (TV) is like? It's the same.. Cut inner longer than outer so no way to short and tape up I guess. Tuck away.. You will have cable disc access hole at edge of property boundary but none of this is yours to touch..

 

[Lucid]

the internal box is at the back of the house, and it looks like there’s a black cable which runs along the side of the house and into the back (connecting into this). I haven’t seen another box outside but I’ll take a look.

I was planning on just cutting the cable and leaving it stuck to the external wall for now. Then just filling the hole in the external wall with some silicon and making good the plaster.

would leaving the cable tacked to the external wall be ok? You mentioned being careful with it - does this mean it’s vm’s property?

Strictly speaking, yeah, it's all their property.


In reality they're unlikely to cause a fuss about an old Telewest internal wall box and some triple-shielded coax, particularly if you've never signed a contract with Telewest / NTL / Virgin Media at that property.


Think of it more as an insurance clause; a legal mechanism to claim back the costs of fixing the problems if someone was stupid enough to do something to the cable to knock out their neighbours Virgin service. That makes sense when you consider that a cable system physically connects adjacent properties together.


Personally I would be tempted to disconnect the extension cable at the main riser box, then remove the stuff clipped around the house to that TW box.

 

[mattylad]

Wayners, have you actually looked at the picture above?

It's clearly a socket yet you showed a picture of 2 bits that fit over a screw.
A Nintendo driver can also be the 3 blade/triangle bit too.

A torx will fit this one.

 

[Wayners]

@mattylad


It's not torx. It's a dome not a hollow. Convex not concave. Torx fits inside down in the screw but there is no down inside these. Here is another picture of mine below.
I asked on another forum and many came back convinced it was torx and I have 2 security sets with and torx with and without the centre pin hole.
I'm tempted to make a youtube video but don't want any trouble as it's a bit incriminating.

Here is another picture. Can you see its a dome sticking up. Op picture is the same..

You need a driver that fits over the dome (convex) also there are no sharp points around edges for torx. Some have said they got hold of done with long nose pliers and turned. I could not see how.
ATTACH=full]220947[/ATTACH

Honest. I have a set and removed a few.

 

[mattylad]

OK I give up!
your correct its not a torx, in the ops pic they look like they are concave.

Op, if you don't have a tool to open it just break the plastic, wire cutters at the side will chomp through it.
Heck a little pull and it may even fall off the wall.

 

[Wayners]

@mattylad
We were both cool about the chat and it's good to get information out in the wild. It's why I'm on forums but your right. It dose look like torx. Took some research to find it was Nintendo screws. Honestly. In the words of Victor Meldrew when you try getting them out. Guess they wanted to stop people. Yeah. Hammer is another good tool... Lol