 Killa200Premium
join:2005-12-02
Southeast TN
 ·Charter
| reply to Rhaas
Re: Fiber installation----good place to start? said by Rhaas:said by MatrixHDV:What do you use for a closure??
Coyote Pup So of the better enclosures that we have put out in the field. We tried quite a few at first, and tbh I like how these bolt closed as compared to the pressure rings from others. We also have a single coyote runt out in the field at our aerial hand off to another provider, being used as a combo splice tray holder and 6 count SC / APC patch bay for quick changeover in case of breaks on either of our ends. |
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 RhaasPremium
join:2005-12-19
Bernie, MO | reply to MatrixHDV
said by MatrixHDV:What do you use for a closure??
Preformed/Coyote Pup
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I survived Hale-Bopp! |
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1 recommendation | reply to lutful
said by lutful:and a combo [OTDR/power meter/visual fault locator] tool. Device already exists and has for many years now. |
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lutful... of ideasPremium
join:2005-06-16
Ottawa, ON Reviews:
 ·TekSavvy DSL
| reply to Chele
said by Chele:I really thought fiber was black magic! ... And I mean even with the more complicated method of polishing the fiber ends ... Curiously I had to paint bare fiber with black magic marker in 1989 and way too many cleaving/polishing/inspecting/ferruling ... because the fibers kept getting "bent" during my OTDR research. 
»era.library.ualberta.ca/public/v···ad3fde11
Because of this thread, I am motivated to develop a combo [fusion splicer/cleaver] and a combo [OTDR/power meter/visual fault locator] tool. The tools will be compact, rechargeable, and wifi enabled ... display and control will be via smartphone app to reduce cost.
I will do some preliminary designs and hope start first kickstarter project in early 2014. Welcome your suggestions via PM. |
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| reply to Rhaas
said by Rhaas:I *HATE* *HATE* midsplices on live direct buried cable. We have an old direct buried cable that we've had to do midsplices in the trench several times. What do you use for a closure?? |
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 InssomniakThe GlitchPremium
join:2005-04-06
Cayuga, ON
kudos:1 | reply to Rhaas
Sc I always remembered with "square connector". |
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RhaasPremium
join:2005-12-19
Bernie, MO | reply to MatrixHDV
said by MatrixHDV:Now that’s not to say it takes a very gentle touch when handling fibers and more so when there are workers in the count, but with a little forethought it is a task that can be done with causing a service interruption.
I *HATE* *HATE* midsplices on live direct buried cable. We have an old direct buried cable that we've had to do midsplices in the trench several times. We did 4 about two weeks ago. The cable was buried in the late 80's and has a single buffer tube that is about 1/4 - 3/8" diameter so our midsplice tools wont work on it. We've been using a sewing stitch cutter to split the tube. We did the first three mid's without issue. The 4'th we snagged the several fibers and broke them while trying to split the buffer. Of course at that point it was quicker to just cut the cable and go.
I'd rather do 100 midsplices on a cable in duct or handhole than mess with buried midsplices.
I've always used the following:
ST - Stab & Twist
SC - Stab & Click
LC - Little Click
FC - Ferule Coupler
Other little tips:
Blue Connectors = Straight Polish
Green Connectors = APC - Angle Polish
Yellow Patch Cable = Single Mode
Orange Patch Cable = Multi Mode
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I survived Hale-Bopp! |
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| reply to Chele
BTW if you haven't already discovered it there is a simple mnemonic for identifying the modern connectors.
ST = Stick and twist.
SC = Stick and click.
LC = Little click. |
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| reply to Chele
said by Chele:I have been reading and researching through YouTube, it is not as a big a task as I had originally made it out to be. And I mean even with the more complicated method of polishing the fiber ends, fusion splicers are pure gravy! Having started in the world of Biconic connectors with all the polishing and the epoxy I can attest to how far advanced and simplified fiber splicing and terminating is now-a-days, with polishing you still need a touch of labor, but with fusion it has become quite simple.
Now that’s not to say it takes a very gentle touch when handling fibers and more so when there are workers in the count, but with a little forethought it is a task that can be done with causing a service interruption. |
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Chele
join:2003-07-23
kudos:1 | reply to Chele
I really thought fiber was black magic! I had never been involved with it. We are about 97% sure to get this project, at this point we are just waiting for the board of directors to fund this project along with other parts. I have been reading and researching through YouTube, it is not as a big a task as I had originally made it out to be. And I mean even with the more complicated method of polishing the fiber ends, fusion splicers are pure gravy! By no means do I want to minimize it, but I thought it was much, much, more difficult and expensive than what I am finding. It would be great to find, or create, something like this forum. A place where you can get neutral info without much in the way of egos or fanboys!
It would be great to get info on all aspects, including quoting the jobs.
Thanks to all for participating in this thread. |
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| reply to Chele
Power meter is probably the highest. What I would like to see is a wifi/cell based light source and power meter. That way, instead of having to go back and forth in the middle of a cable, I can plug the light source in at one end, the meter at the other and be able to control both from my cell somewhere in the middle! |
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| reply to TomS_
said by TomS_:Tool wise, definitely get yourself a VFL. I think he got one. 
»Re: Fiber installation----good place to start? |
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 TomS_Git-r-donePremium,MVM
join:2002-07-19
London, UK
kudos:5
3 edits | reply to Chele
Tool wise, definitely get yourself a VFL. It'll save you a lot of time if youre trying to troubleshoot a fibre thats not passing any light. If the fibre is broken, the VFL will light it up like a christmas tree. For example: 
Yeah, that fibre got a bit messed up, and dropped a 100G circuit. I also recommend an OTDR if you are planning on doing longer runs that might include multiple splices or connections. An OTDR will help you identify if someone forgot to plug in a patch lead or splice two fibres together half way along the run by pointing out the end of the fibre is no where near as far away as you expect it to be. It'll also identify points of high loss that you might want to look at for bad splices or dirty connections. And naturally, cleaning tools to help with the above. I dont have my "bag of optical tricks" (as I like to call it), I left it at a site where Ive been working lately otherwise Id take a photo, but in it I have: * A combination OTDR, power meter, light source, VFL ( much like this one) * A digital fibre scope for visually inspecting connector ends, and also inside sockets (also acts as a power meter with an attachment, this one) * Separate VFL ( this one) * Cleaning pens for SC, LC, and MTP connectors and sockets, and a Cletop style cleaner * A bag with a couple of patch leads with various connector combinations, spare caps, and attenuators In order of most to least used would be: * Power meter function * VFL * Light source function * OTDR function * Scope These tools are not cheap, but will save you countless hours troubleshooting, and help you appear professional.  The story behind that fibre above: circuit dropped after some maintenance. Attend site and see that fault light is flashing on the line card of the transmission kit. Measure light with light meter, no light. Trace fibre back and realise its been pinched in the fibre manager. Attach VFL and it lights up because one fibre is broken. Replace with new patch lead, job done in 5 minutes.  |
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 IntraLinkPremium,MVM
join:2002-08-14
Uath Valley | reply to Chele
Harbor Bay | 
Pelican Bay |
I sold my WISP in April and am building out a fiber to the home in two neighborhoods now.
I partnered with a company that rolls out fiber for some of the large telcos, so I don't know much about it yet, but it's been fun learning.
Here are my two neighborhood designs I have going on. One already has conduit and the other has some green HOA space that I'm using instead of ROW.
I'll have one box behind the HOA sign that I'll put in some Dell 6x24F switches and a CloudCore Mikrotik routing active ethernet to the home.
Any comments? |
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LLigetfa
join:2006-05-15
Fort Frances, ON
kudos:1 | reply to MatrixHDV
said by MatrixHDV:The most dangerous enemy to the OSP if lefty and righty, because once they put their fingers into it, what theoretically shouldn't happen, does.
Before I bought the fuser, I had one tech using those unicams on loose tube without fan-out kits. This on additional bundles of fibre added to the same panel that was fusion spliced. He re-used the same number scheme so that the panel has 2 or 3 #1 fibers now.
The same tech rented a fuser at one time when a series of cross-connects resulted in excessive db loss. He didn't re-enter the splice trays and didn't have heat shrinks so he just cleaved off the connectors and used ducktape over the fusion splices.
I have techs that don't understand the need for slack and proper cable guides. Rat's nest tangle that I can't get enough slack on to pull a failed switch out the front of a rack. I have to bring it forward just enough to remove the mounting ears so that I can then take it out from the back.
One tech didn't like my use of D-rings so he installed 1" panduit and ty-wrapped all the fiber jumpers tight and crammed them into the panduit.
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Strange as it seems, no amount of learning can cure stupidity, and formal education positively fortifies it. -- Stephen Vizinczey |
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| reply to LLigetfa
said by LLigetfa:I could post a lot of pics on how not to do it. Too many cooks spoil the soup and our cable plant looks like noodle soup. The most dangerous enemy to the OSP if lefty and righty, because once they put their fingers into it, what theoretically shouldn't happen, does.
Then there are back office engineers who will comment "my system is showing those fibers as spare, are you sure there is traffic on them" the response being "damm right." |
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LLigetfa
join:2006-05-15
Fort Frances, ON
kudos:1 | reply to MatrixHDV
said by MatrixHDV:Thats some nice clean work you have there.
I could post a lot of pics on how not to do it. Too many cooks spoil the soup and our cable plant looks like noodle soup.
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Strange as it seems, no amount of learning can cure stupidity, and formal education positively fortifies it. -- Stephen Vizinczey |
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LLigetfa
join:2006-05-15
Fort Frances, ON
kudos:1 | reply to John Galt
said by John Galt:I enjoy reading the fiber posts, especially if pics are included. 
Ja, we're a bunch of pervs.
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Strange as it seems, no amount of learning can cure stupidity, and formal education positively fortifies it. -- Stephen Vizinczey |
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| reply to Rhaas
Thats some nice clean work you have there. |
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RhaasPremium
join:2005-12-19
Bernie, MO
3 recommendations | reply to John Galt
Building side done, now we just have to do a mid-splice out at the hand hole. This is a tower along a 50mi+ route we just constructed. Not sure when we will get to it though as we still have a couple of splices on the main run to complete.
This site should look familiar:
»Towersite buildout
»Towersite buildout part 2
»Towersite buildout part 3
Plans are to use this site to do FTTB/H on a small scale.
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I survived Hale-Bopp! |
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 John GaltForward, MarchPremium
join:2004-09-30
Happy Camp
kudos:5 | reply to Chele
I enjoy reading the fiber posts, especially if pics are included.
I think that the discussion is relevant for WISPs. |
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RhaasPremium
join:2005-12-19
Bernie, MO | reply to Chele
I prefer the preterm 12 count blunt pigtails for doing patch bays: 
All we do is loose tube although I wish we'd go to ribbon as we have a couple of 288ct cables out there and they will bring the suck if they get cut.. Different bay: 
this is as good of a place as any to discuss doing fiber though. --
I survived Hale-Bopp! |
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Reviews:
·Charter
| reply to Chele
My entire department is certified through the FOA. We can do any type of termination and have a unicam kit but we rarely touch it. Fusion splicing to pigtails is the way to go, and quicker when doing a few dozen strands. I trained on a Fujikura 40s but use a 60s daily. It is an excellent unit with USA support and service.
Unicams might get you off the ground but I would fusion splice and never look back. We buy mostly from Fiber Instrument Sales. I've never ordered anything that wasn't in stock or less than 1 day out.
At any rate...good luck! |
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| reply to Killa200
We always use fan out kits in all of our enclosures, and our largest jobs are only 24 count in most cases. The trick is icky clean (or similar) and then baby powder. The strands will slide right through every time! |
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Killa200Premium
join:2005-12-02
Southeast TN Reviews:
·Charter
| reply to LLigetfa
said by LLigetfa:The textbook way to do it is to use a fan-out but trying to thread all the fibers into it is a PITA.
I've dealt with a fan out once or twice, and that is the conclusion I walked away with as well. I'd much rather use a tray and break it out, or burn on ends where feasible. |
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LLigetfa
join:2006-05-15
Fort Frances, ON
kudos:1 | reply to Killa200
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Killa200Premium
join:2005-12-02
Southeast TN Reviews:
·Charter
| reply to LLigetfa
said by LLigetfa:Most of my fibre is loose tube and would be very flimsy not to splice into a tray. I do loose tube with it as well, but only in the rare circumstance, and it is usually accompanied with some type of wrap to as close to the connector as I can get. Generally if I am doing 6 or more terminations at a location, I use a whip with a breakout in whatever quantity and connector I need. Less than that I burn on individual pigtails. |
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LLigetfa
join:2006-05-15
Fort Frances, ON
kudos:1 | reply to Killa200
Most of my fibre is loose tube and would be very flimsy not to splice into a tray.
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Strange as it seems, no amount of learning can cure stupidity, and formal education positively fortifies it. -- Stephen Vizinczey |
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Chele
join:2003-07-23
kudos:1 | reply to Killa200
Well, it's good to know we can post here fiber related questions.
Killa200
Those are really nice connectors, they are very reasonably priced units--the only drawback is that it seems you have to buy 100 at a time:( |
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Killa200Premium
join:2005-12-02
Southeast TN Reviews:
·Charter
| reply to prairiesky
Never dealt with the field installable connector ends, but I have dealt with these since we do have a splicer: »www.fiberinstrumentsales.com/lan···onnector |
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