Install question

Mine was in place for 7 years without any issues.

As long as the cable is rated for direct burial, or is installed inside of a conduit, it should be fine for several years, if not decades.

It was installed by the DishNet installer and I don't think it is direct burial rated but I guess it will be good until it's not. I'm thinking I should have requested it replaced so it would have been a completely NEW installation. Time will tell

Usually installers don't carry cable that's rated for direct burial as they aren't required to do a direct cable burial installation if they don't have to.  Getting direct burial would make the install cost more out of your pocket, mostly due to the extra labor and fact the cable costs so much more.

Well, I will look into new cable and conduit this spring. Now that it is in my "head" it will keep itich'n me until I replace it. 

Wish Alan was around, he would be able to tell you exactly what grade cable you would need.  I honestly like the conduit idea, but it's more time consuming to dig up and lay conduit then run the cable inside that.

Depending on type of ground and length of run really a pretty easy do-it-yourself job. Just far enough down to keep the mower from hitting it.

I've never had a problem with frost heave even at just a foot or so down especially with small 1/2" conduit.

it is only about a fifty foot run from poll to ground block at house and is an easy dig. I was the one that buried it during the install before. I will do it again this time with db cable AND conduit because next time I might be to OLD to do it

One thing I would like to add, if you ARE doing this your self, consider running two cables, it's much easier if one ever goes bad to swap the cables around, it would also give you room if you ever wanted another dish out in that location in the future.

Can rent trenching machine, I love those things! Probably not worth it for 50' run.