Discount-Low-Voltage.com Blog

Hawaii and the Pacific get a Fiber optic cable upgrade

2012-01-27T16:10:00.000-08:00

Recently at the PTC 12 Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, a big announcement was made regarding a fiber optic switch called FiberConnect 320X. This switch has the capability to remotely reconfigure its fiber network in seconds, adding further protection in the event of fiber breaks or repeater/transponder failures.

CALIENT Technologies a global leader in photonic switching technology and will be working hand and hand with Southern Cross Cable Network to apply this upgrade to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii and the west coast of America. The network has 28,900 km of submarine and 1,600 km of terrestrial fiber optic cables, operated in a figure 8 configuration.

“In a network like Southern Cross Cable Networks, each fiber on the network is carrying approximately 40 DWDM wavelengths, so every minute wasted during an outage could cost thousand of dollars,” said Atiq Raza, Chairman & CEO of CALIENT. “Our FiberConnect 320X has proven itself at three of the Tier 1 carriers here in the U.S. I believe Southern Cross will be very pleased with the CALIENT solution.”

So surf's up to the new incoming wave of fiber optic switch technology! For the full article click the link below.

http://eon.businesswire.com/news/eon/20120116005048/en/trans-Pacific-networks/fiber-optic-networks/photonic-switches

Our favorites from CES2012

2012-01-13T09:52:00.000-08:00

So its another CES show and with so many cool new gadgets here's a look at a couple of our favorites.

First lets look at the new D-Link DIR-857 router.

This is the first home router on the market you'll soon be able to purchase that comes equipped with USB 3.0. On top of that, the router's included USB port now supports D-Link's SharePort cloud technology. The router is part of D-Link's cloud services strategy.

SharePort has always been a unique feature of D-Link USB-equipped routers that enables the router to support any USB device as though it were connected to a network computer directly. Over time this technology has evolved from allowing only one computer to access the connected USB device at a time, to multiple access, and now, the ability to share data via the Internet.

D-Link says that the true dual-band HD Media Router 3000 combines the three-stream standard (which caps at 450Mbps) on each of its two bands (2.4GHz and 5GHz) with D-Link's HD Fuel technology to prioritize bandwidth and deliver high data rates over long distances, enough for multiple uninterrupted 1080p HD video streaming as well as online gaming and other Internet applications.

Today the company demoed how HD Fuel technology works and showed that the router was able to "sense" when a user switched from streaming regular video to streaming HD video from a service such as YouTube. The router could automatically prioritize the traffic for the particular stream, making the video play back smoothly even when there was heavy downloading going on within the same Internet connection. This feature can be turned on or off via the router's Web interface and is especially valuable to those who do a lot of streaming, such as Netflix subscribers.

Apart from the USB 3.0 port that supports any USB device, such as an external hard drive or printer, the router also has an SD card slot for those who want to quickly share data across a network or even the Internet. The router also comes with a few mobile apps for iOS- and Android-based devices that enable users to share media on the go.

In addition to that, it's also a true Gigabit router with four Gigabit LAN ports and one Gigabit WAN port that supports 2Gbps bidirectional routing. The best news about the DIR-857 is that you won't have to wait very long for it. D-Link says the router is slated to be available for purchase later this month with an estimated price of around $170.

Wow! All that for your home network, let me guess what your next purchase is going to be. For more details check out the D-link site and read the full article at CNET

http://amplifi.dlink.com/products/DIR-857

http://www.cnet.com/8301-33372_1-57354380/d-link-flagship-dir-857-router-gets-usb-3.0-cloud-service/#ixzz1jMew3sKy

Our second favorite comes from one of our YouTube friends AVForumsTV. Here's their product video interview on the new LG Smart TV with Google.

So you now know whats on our purchase list for 2012. We look forward to another CES show next year. Did you go to the show? Whats on you list?

Virtual Tour - SignalTek 33-974 Cable Tester from Ideal Industries

2012-01-09T10:21:00.000-08:00

Features and Benefits of the SignalTek Cable Tester:

- Gigabit Performance Testing - Know the true performance of the Network

- Easy to read Pass/Fail performance reports that can be Stored and Printed for documentation

- Performs Gigabit Ethernet link establishment in 10 seconds

- Brilliant high-resolution color display visible in any lighting condition

- Maximum coverage with a full 2 year warranty

- Data Monitoring to detect intermittent network problems

- Easy to order from Discount-Low-Voltage.com

- More...

2) Video: How Low Voltage Cat5e Cable is Made

3) Video: How To Make Ethernet Cat5e/Cat6 Cables

4) Industrial Bulk Cat5e Cable Solution for Mobile MRI Machine

5) Video: AFL HiLite Fiber Optic Visual Fault Locator

Signamax KJMT-8600 Keystone Jack 4 pair Termination Tool

2012-01-06T14:41:00.000-08:00

Today Jeaneth Mora from Signmax shows us a cool tool that cuts and terminates all 4 pairs at the same time. Here's a video with Jeaneth showing us how this new tool works.

Thanks Jeaneth for the excellent presentation. So lets check out the features of this tool one last time.

*Simultaneous termination of eight twisted-pair conductors along with conductor excess trimming

*Comfortable plastic handle grips

*Lightweight and compact, fits most tool pouches' compartments

*Replaceable die

*Tool and die are bright-colored - easy to find when left behind

*When not used, the tool may be stowed by using the integrated lock

Simultaneous termination of all eight twisted-pair cable conductors along with trimming of conductor excess saves installation time, provides reliable termination in confined areas, while ensuring precise and consistent termination of all pairs due to the calibrated die drive mechanism. With a quality brand like Signamax you know your going to print out excellent test results.

Questions? Leave a post!

Rack Mount Sliding Keyboard Tray Video

2011-12-27T10:06:00.000-08:00

Features and Benefits of the Rackmount Sliding Keyboard Shelf:

- Made in the USA

- Durable black powder coated finish

- Mouse pad tray slides out left or right

- Can mount monitor on top, without the need of another shelf

- Uses only 2U (3.5") of rack space

- Includes mounting hardware

- Easy to order from Discount-Low-Voltage.com

- More...

2) Video: Bulk Cat5e 25 Pair Outdoor Cable

3) Video: DirecTV RG6 Cable for D2 Advantage Technology

4) Video: Magnepull Wire Fishing Tool

5) Video: Corning TKT-UNICAM Fiber Tool Kit

Bulk Cat5e 25 Pair Indoor/Outdoor Cable Video

2011-12-07T11:35:00.000-08:00

Features and Benefits of the Superior Essex Cat5e 25 Pair Cable:

- Made in the USA

- Allows installation at -20°C temperatures

- Small outside diameter

- Capable of 1000BASE-T

- Black, CM rated, non-haolgen, OSP grade jacket material

- Vibrant insulation colors

- Compliant to ANSI/TIA-568-C.2 for CAT 5e

- Easy to order from Discount-Low-Voltage.com

- More...

2) Video: Bulk Cat5e 500 FT Pull Pack

3) Video: Industrial Cat5e Cable Solution for Mobile MRI Machine

4) Picture: 25 Pair Color Code Chart

5) Video/Pictures: How To Terminate Dynacom Cat5e/Cat6 Kwik Jacks

DirecTV RG6 Cable for D2 Advantage Technology

2011-12-02T10:52:00.000-08:00

About a week ago I received a phone call from one of our good contractor customers who has a large upcoming project for a international hotel chain. He needed an RG6 coaxial cable for new DirecTV technology called D2 advantage. We looked into this new technology a bit more so we can get a better feel for the appropriate cable.

After researching it a bit more, D2 technology reduces the cost of installation of the DBS service in apartments, hotels and large muti-unit dwellings. D2 uses a centralized signal distribution system that delivers DirecTV service to each tenant without the need of attaching a Dish to each tenant. All the resident needs is a set top box! So far, D2 technology has been tested in Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles and Boise. Everything appears to be working excellent with a larger roll out next year.

Wow! Sounds kinda cool that tenants in all these types of buildings can now get DirecTV, and my personal favorite, NFL Ticket.

Let's see what Mike Olson, V.P. of MDU sales for DirecTV had to say. "DirecTV D2 advantage's lower installation cost, and it's ability to be used across the entire portfolio of MDU properties, fundamentally changes the game in the MDU market and has opened up a huge opportunity for us. The equipment is unobtrusive, easy to install and we require no investment by the property owner. And by lowering our cost on equipment and installation, we're able to enter this market with a business model that makes sense and will be profitable. It also provides a much needed solution for the undeserved, small MDU property market."

With this new technology delivered to the tenant what DirecTV programming will they have access to? Apparently quite a bit:

* More than 160 full time HD channels
* DirecTV Whole-Home DVR services
* DirecTV Cinemaplus
* DirecTV MediaShare (View your photos and videos on the TV)
* International services

If your a property owner reading this right now, your probably asking yourself how to apply for this new technology, especially since property owners are entitled to a cash bonus by DirecTV for a limited time.

* Owners of these types of building should provide their individual details including name, tax ID number.

* Provide details about the property such as the location number of units and the who's in charge of the property (owner or manager)

* Then you should check out the "Owner right of entry" to accept the terms with DirecTV. Here's a link to DirecTV for more information http://www.directvforapartments.com/

After investing our time, we now have a better understanding of what our RG6 Coaxial cable is delivering. Keep in mind there are also other things you need to know during installation in order to deliver a proper signal to these new set top boxes.

If your a new cable installer, you need to be certified and you should be able to:

* Identify all of the components of the D2 Advantage distribution system

* Understand the differences between the D2 Advantage distribution system and standard satellite distribution system

* Explain the importance of using high frequency components

* Read system design specifications for D2 Advantage technology

* Properly install D2 Advantage distribution for both satellite and off-air reception

* Balance the system to ensure proper operation

* Effectively troubleshoot D2 Advantage systems

If your interested in taking a certified course, check out SBCA National Standards & Testing Program at www.sbctest.com

Finally, back to the RG6 coaxial cable. After a long conversation with a DirecTV engineer and the instillation contractor, we narrowed down a cable that would fit the need for proper delivery for D2.

You can order online along with other types of coaxial cables, Cat5e, Fiber optic and much more. If you have a Hotel or Apartment coax cable installation project coming up, contact us for project pricing at 888-797-3697.

Product Video - Magnepull Wire Fishing Tool

2011-11-28T09:15:00.000-08:00

Features and Benefits of the Magnepull:

- Made in the USA

- Reduces cable fishing time by 70%

- Developed for commercial and residential applications

- Can be used horizontally and vertically allowing easy control of your wires to the outlet

- Pulls easily and effectively through insulated or non-insulated walls and under carpet

- Allows for installation in confined spaces

- In stock now!

- Easy to order from Discount-Low-Voltage.com

- More...

2) Video: How to Install Drywall Rings

3) Video: 500 ft Bulk Cat5e Cable

4) Video: Greenlee UT2 Ultra Tugger 2 Cable Puller

5) Video: HDPE Corrugated Innerduct

Phone Interview with Signamax on SFP Interface Modules

2011-11-25T06:24:00.000-08:00

Recently Signamax introduce the 065-73FX series of Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) fiber modules that support Fast Ethernet, SONET OC-3, or SDH STM-1 over fiber cable. Multimode models support transmission distances of up to 5 kilometers; singlemode models can support transmission distances of up to 110 kilometers. These modules adhere to the IEEE 802.3u standard for Fast Ethernet over multimode fiber at 1310 nm (multimode and singlemode 20 and 40 km span models) and 1550 nm (80 and 110 km span singlemode models). These new SFP modules are a cost-effective method of providing changeable Fast Ethernet / OC-3 / STM-1 multimode interfaces to switches and media converters designed for these applications that are equipped with a standard 100Base or SONET OC-3/SDH STM-1 SFP receptacle.

Sounds good, but I want to know more. We called Ron Thompson, the Director of System Development and Training at Signamax to tell us more about the product. Lets see what he had to say.

It's nice to know we now have an interchangeable SFP product that will also be cost effective! Don't forget Government and Military installations can contact Ron for a system design.

Contact Ron Thompson:
Phone - (800) 446-2377 ex-223
Email - rthompson@signamax.com

http://www.signamax.com/

Corning Fiber Optic Tool Kit Video

2011-11-15T13:27:00.000-08:00

The Corning TKT-UNICAM-PFC fiber tool kit is the star of this weeks Product Video Blog.

This TKT-UNICAM-PFC high performance fiber connector tool kit works with Corning UNICAM fiber connectors, including:

- Corning UNICAM ST Connectors

- Corning UNICAM SC Connectors

- Corning UNICAM LC Connectors

Watch the Video!

Features and Benefits of the Corning TKT-UNICAM-PFC:

- Terminates single-mode and multimode fibers

- Visual feedback signal, termination confirmation

- Superior cleave performance with the UniCam Connector Flat Cleaver

- Convenient carrying case, minimizes setup and teardown time

- Great for field termination

- In stock now!

- Easy to order from Discount-Low-Voltage.com

- More...

2) Video: How to Terminate Corning SC UNICAM Connectors

3) Video: How to Terminate Corning LC UNICAM Connectors

4) How It's Made: Fiber Optic Cable

5) Video: Interlock Armored Fiber Optic Cable

Another Standard Called 568C?

2011-11-11T09:12:00.000-08:00

This recent standard defines requirements for twisted-pair and fiber optic cabling. It lays down the design, installation, and maintenance best practices as described in BICSI's Telecommunications Distribution Methods Manual. The manual covers over 300 pages of information, but lets take a quick look at some key features of the new standard.

ANST/TIA-568-C.0

Generic Telecommunications Cabling for Customer Premises

Generic terminology has been introduced to describe cabling segments and connection points
Category 6A has been added as a recognized media
Optical fiber link test requirements were moved to this document
Optical fiber link performance requirements were moved to this document
The installation bend radius requirement for UTP and F/UTP cables has changed to "4x cable o.d." and the patch cord bend radius requirement has changed to "1x cable o.d." to accommodate larger diameter cables
Stewardship text has been added recognizing the need to support sustainable environments and conserve fossil fuels

ANSI/TIA-568-C.1

Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard

Category 6A has been added as a recognized media
850nm laser-optimized 50/125µm optical fiber is recommended if multimode optical fiber is used for backbone cabling
Category 5, 150 Ohm STP, and 50 Ohm and 75 Ohm coaxial cabling have been removed from the list of recognized media

ANSI/TIA-568-C.2

Balanced Twisted Pair Telecommunication Cabling Components Standard

Category 5e cabling is recommended for support of 100 MHz applications
Category 5 channel performance values have been preserved in an informative annex
Balanced twisted-pair channel and permanent performance requirements were moved to this document
Performance equations for individual transmission parameters are listed in a single table for all categories
Coupling attenuation has been introduced as a parameter that is under study for characterizing radiated peak power generated by common mode currents for screened cables
One laboratory test method has been defined for all categories of connecting hardware

ANSI/TIA-568-C.3

Optical Fiber Cabling Components Standard

ISO nomenclature for optical fiber cable type (i.e. OM1, OM2, OM3, OS1, and OS2) has been added to transmission performance tables
Recommended connector strain relief, housing, and adapter color coding has been added to support installations when color is used to identify fiber type
Minimum OFL bandwidth for 62.5/125 mm optical fiber cable has been increased from 160 MHz·km at 850 nm to 200 MHz·km at 850 nm.

When might you see this standard? An example would be when a specific customer premise standard that outlines terminology does not exist. Then the 568 C.0 is only to be used.

A copy of the standard can be purchased from IHS at (www.global.ihs.com).

6 of Apple's Greatest Mistakes

2011-10-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

This is not an Apple-bashing piece. It is also not an attempt to cut an American icon down to size at a time when we're remembering the magnificent contributions of its fallen founder. This is about how failure makes us better.

I've lost count of the number of times I've heard, seen, or read comparisons of Steve Jobs to Thomas Edison since early yesterday evening. Jobs did not invent anything - not the personal computer, not the MP3 player, not the tablet. But besides that fact, there are certain other stark similarities. One: Jobs, like Edison, was a fierce competitor who sought to control not only the delivery channel for his products, but the market surrounding those products. Two: Like the finest scientist, Jobs studied his failures and Apple's very carefully, and unlike Microsoft, built his next success upon the smoking ruins of his failures.

Readers will likely remind me that certain of the "mistakes" on this list came to fruition during the period between 1985 and 1996 when Jobs was not part of Apple. He still learned from these failures, although he was not responsible for them. No doubt he studied Apple the way a falcon studies a desert highway. NeXT is not on this list because it is not an Apple mistake. Nor, in many ways, was it a mistake at all; the NeXT computer was a marketing failure, but in hindsight, it's obvious now that its purpose was as a lifeboat for good ideas, in which case it was a success.

6. Macintosh Performa (1992 - 1997)

At a time when independent computer stores in the U.S. were dying, the principal sales channel for mass market computers was the big-box retail outlet. To make a dent in this channel, a manufacturer had to let the store call most of the shots. First, they wanted a clear brand distinction between "home" and "business" PCs. Never mind whether there was any real difference in the products, just as long as the branding was distinct. Second, they dictated the price points. Stores classified their customers according to how much cash they were likely to part with. Third, they had a hand in marketing. High-end retail brands were the foundations of electronics stores; they were there to make the stores look good.

The Performa product line was the antithesis of what we have come to know as the Apple philosophy. Its marketing premise, conceived under CEO John Sculley and perpetuated under his successor, Michael Spindler, was that if you used a Macintosh at work, then certainly you'd want your own Mac at home. That fact implied that Macintosh was not one thing - one concept with a few simple variations - but rather a brand stamped onto a product, like Plymouth or Hotpoint. But also, to Performa's own detriment, it demonstrated that the difference between a premium business computer and a "value" home computer boiled down to replacing the aluminum cover with cheap plastic. Performa chassis were literally stripped down versions of Mac business models with cheaper plastic bolted on, the cost savings alone justifying Performa's entire existence.

Although Performa did indeed contribute to an overall rebound in Mac market share, it did so at the expense of consumers' belief in Apple as anything more than a logo. It did not endear Macintosh to the general public; worse, as the Windows 95 era dawned, it contributed to the notion that whatever innovation Mac had planned left the company with Steve Jobs.

5. Apple IIgs (1986)

There was never a particularly bad Apple II computer, and in retrospect, the IIgs was not bad at all at being an Apple II. The problem with this machine is that it tried to be something else at the same time: a kind of Macintosh-ish color system that used a mouse and did things like a Mac, with a switch that let it go back to behaving like a 6502-based AppleII.

The Apple II software base had more titles than any other platform for most of its existence (the Commodore 64 would later claim that prize, but few great C64 programs were applications). Many third-party developers had created point-and-click layers for models IIe and IIc that let users launch programs from Finder-style windows. But that wasn't the same as making applications respond to mouse input. Backward compatibility mandated that most apps defaulted to the II's classic 40-column graphics mode, which was too slow for mouse pointers. As long as 80-column full-color text-and-graphics required new hardware anyway, Apple gambled that users would accept that capability in a new computer that embraced the old computer without extending it.

Existing Apple II users did accept it, but not in large numbers. Although the IIgs lived up to Apple's standards for quality, it could not attract new users who had not made up their minds... because that market did not exist. Apple loyalists who wanted graphical computing purchased Macs, even though they were sacrificing color to do so. The rest needed the device that ran their applications (DOS machines) or their games (C64). The lesson learned here was that you cannot migrate your customer base from one platform to another by creating a third one in-between and leveraging it like a pontoon bridge.

4. Macintosh (1984)

No, not the Mac as a whole, not Mac as a platform. The first Macintosh, the 128K edition, warts and all.

Completely new devices that successfully revolutionize a market cannot be half-baked, like the Edsel or New Coke. They must do everything that a customer can reasonably imagine can be done with it, and not halfway. Not in the future, not "coming soon." The iPhone is the permanent, lasting record of Steve Jobs having learned the lesson of Macintosh #1.

Besides MacPaint and MacWrite, Mac #1 arrived on the market with only the promise of new software, and nothing remotely resembling the developer tools necessary to remedy that little problem. It was a new paradigm, a new way to work, assuming your definition of "work" was printing "Happy Birthday" banners for your kids or defacing a black-and-white scan of the Mona Lisa. Other reviewers noted its word processor could save a document no more than 10 pages long to its single-sided floppy drive. For me, it was 4.

For those of us whose memories of the Altair 8800 were still fairly fresh, we clearly understood the promise and potential of this machine. We just knew how difficult it would be for consumers to buy into it. Prior to the airing of the classic Super Bowl ad, the clearest sign that Apple hadn't figured out a solution to Macintosh's missing software was in a 1983 multi-page print ad. Instead of pictures of the software to come, it showed some of the leaders of the software industry in red Macintosh polo shirts, including Lotus Development's Mitch Kapor and Microsoft's Bill Gates. Their faces represented the promise that software would some day surely come.

Up until yesterday, some of the most faithful Apple devotees I've ever known tell me they hold Steve Jobs personally responsible for withdrawing hardware expandability - the crown-jewel function of the Apple II - from the original Macintosh.

Folks don't plunk down $2,495 for "some day" promises. Not until the Macintosh Plus in 1986 would the platform appear to the market as complete, and by that time Mac was already fending off competition in the 68000 CPU space from the Commodore Amiga and Atari ST.

3. Apple III (1980)

In 1980, the success of a computer platform still depended on hundreds of independent boutique retailers all over the country, and a support network of thousands of self-employed consultants, educators, contributing editors, and users' group leaders. But even at this early period in computing history, Tandy Corporation had already been demonstrating, through the Radio Shack TRS-80, that a brand and a platform were not synonymous. Tandy kept releasing new machines with the same brand (Color Computer, Model 100, Model 2000) but without the same software base. Apple promised not to make that same mistake.

It was 80-column text that separated the TRS-80 from the Apple II; sure, the II had color, but you didn't always need to type a document in color. You didn't see an Apple II in a business without an 80-column card installed. But many companies besides Apple produced 80-column cards, the most successful of which being (if you can believe this) Microsoft. To own the market in business computers and fend off a rumored invasion by IBM, Apple needed an 80-column machine.

The fact that the Apple III ran on an upgraded version of the II's 6502 processor appeared, at first, to indicate that it would extend the existing platform. It didn't exactly. To run Apple III native software, you needed Apple's new operating system - which the company literally (not a joke) called SOS. You could run in Apple II mode, but since Apple word processors of the day expected 80-column cards, they didn't always take well to the Apple III's 80-column mode, which was often incompatible. What's more, due to a certain relentless Apple executive's insistence that Apple products should never need a fan, the Apple III circuit boards would overheat and the chips would pop out of their sockets (something I witnessed personally twice). The lesson learned here: No Apple produc t should ever hit the street until it's been battle-tested under extreme conditions.

2. Lisa (1983)

I've talked about the lesson of never releasing a platform without the software to back it up. I've also alluded to the fact that people don't plunk down four-digit investments (or, in Lisa's case, five) for prototypes. Those lessons would be learned a year later; there was a simpler one that came first.

We had been reading about the promise of graphical computing in magazines like Creative Computing and Byte as early as 1976. By "we," I mean those of us enthusiasts who had memorized the "memory maps," as they were then called, of all the computers on the open market. So we were ready for the ideas that Xerox had put forth and let languish to be championed by Apple. That Apple would be the first to step up to the plate was no surprise.

But Lisa was too much of a stretch, even for smart folks. It was certainly graphical, and there was this mouse, but it was not yet intuitive like Macintosh. You had this desktop, where there was this source of "paper." You tore off that paper, and it showed up blank. Then you did stuff to the paper, which required invoking a function by way of an application. You didn't just launch LisaDraw or LisaWrite and get to work.

I was present in the room on the day Lisa was unveiled to six computer conferences nationwide. In fact, I actually unboxed the unit and plugged it in. After a while, I turned it on. There was no manual. There was a system disk, but the process of loading it wasn't anything like a Disk II unit. So I guessed wrong several times. Spectators, who eventually numbered a few hundred or so, shouted out suggestions. After an hour or so, they started placing bets on the guesses they made for how these programs were supposed to work. This lasted into the night.

As amazing as it sounds in retrospect, whereas Steve Jobs would introduce the Mac and subsequent products to the world, the Apple III and the Lisa were delivered in wooden crates (like the one for the "leg lamp" in the movie "A Christmas Story") to computer conferences to be unboxed by...well, by me and folks like me. At least the Lisa didn't blow up on me. But the lesson here for Apple was obvious: Buyers are skeptical by nature. You can't unveil a product to a room full of buyers and it to sell itself. People need to be shown.

1. HyperCard

Today we rarely think of Apple as a software company. But in 1987, Apple developer Bill Atkinson led the production of a world changing piece of software that did indeed change the world, but not for Apple. Because the company (again, not under Jobs' direction at this time) failed to recognize the full potential of HyperCard, it made a critical design decision that handicapped it. During its waning years, a completely independent developer recreated the HyperCard model without the handicap. And you're using it now.

HyperCard was kind of like a database, kind of not. It utilized a forms-based model, which Apple started out calling "cards," but which came to be called "pages." Pages were designed using graphical tools, including a variety of input gadgets like text boxes, drop-down lists, and sliders. These controls could be bound to elements of data, and interacting with that data triggered events which could be responded to with little scripts of code. Pages were linked to one another by way of something called "hyperlinks."

It was the world in Apple's hands, and without Jobs, Apple let it slip through. I was an early tester of HyperCard, so I remember the design decision. Groups of cards that worked together were called "stacks." There was talk about whether stacks should be made more interoperable - namely, by way of a naming convention where resources in stacks could address resources in other stacks, creating a type of interleaving or web-like structure. Evidently the fear was that an Apple competitor would take advantage of such a convention to leverage its own database platform, so the prospect went unexplored.

Three years later, a HyperCard veteran in the UK came up with a kind of naming convention for networked resources. It was a design concept so obvious that a physicist could produce it in his spare time. The lesson learned here - one which Steve Jobs would never let Apple forget after his comeback - was this: Never underestimate your own potential.

Special Thanks to Scott M. Fullton, III with ReadWrite Enterprise.

You can read the full article here

The 10 Most Bizarre and Annoying Causes of Fiber Cuts

2011-10-03T14:05:00.000-07:00

When asked to name one of the great things about our network, I have to say it’s our fiber footprint. With over 57,000 miles of intercity and 27,000 miles of metro fiber, our footprint is a grand design of both buried and aerial paths. It makes us unique, but with that also comes one of the worst things about our network, and that is the different types of damage we see to our fiber plant. From errant excavators to crazed squirrels, there are so many different ways to wreak havoc on our network, it boggles the imagination!
While I was watching Letterman’s “Top Ten” reasons the government cannot agree on resolving the debt ceiling crisis, I started thinking. Over the years I have seen fiber cuts that range from frustrating to downright bizarre. And just when I think I’ve seen it all, I am rudely reminded that anything can happen, and typically does. So allow me to present my top ten most annoying and bizarre causes of fiber cuts (with real photos from my team):

1. The biggest pain and the most common cause of fiber cuts come from construction companies and excavators that don’t call before they dig! One time we had an outage in California where the excavation company had dug a trench and found a steel pipe about 4 feet underground. Now, you would think that they would have called someone and tried to make sure they weren’t cutting into something dangerous like gas or oil, but no. They jumped down in the trench with a saw and cut through the pipe and into our fiber! What a group of Einsteins!

2. While we can try to reason with humans and publicize our underground cable, there is nothing we can do about our next biggest pain in the rear, and that’s squirrels! Of all the animals in the whole world, almost all of our animal damage comes from this furry little nut eater. Squirrel chews account for a whopping 17% of our damages so far this year! But let me add that it is down from 28% just last year and it continues to decrease since we added cable guards to our plant. Honestly, I don’t understand what the big attraction is or why they feel compelled to gnaw through cables. Our guys in the field have given this some thought and jokingly suspect the cable manufacturers of using peanut oil in the sheathing. If you have any new ideas on how we can combat these wayward rodents, I’d love to hear from you. We are always looking for ways to improve.

3. Our next biggest offender would have to be Mother Nature and her extreme weather conditions. I could fill 10 pages with stories from the hurricanes, mud slides and ice storms we’ve had to deal with. One incident that sticks out in my mind was during mud slides in Utah a few years back. We were trying to repair a cable across a ravine that was literally over a quarter of a mile wide and filled with raging water. Every piece of equipment and truck we had was stuck in mud up to the axels. We launched a couple of Sea-doos and a boat to try and pull the cable across the ravine to make the repairs, but no luck. We finally had to shoot the cable across with a line gun. We got the job done and luckily no one was hurt. But it was pretty scary.

4. Speaking of big trucks, vehicle damage is another one we have to contend with. From people running into telephone poles to truckers underestimating the height of their rigs – it’s all part of the problem. One time in Pennsylvania a trucker got lost and accidently turned down a residential street. His rig got tangled up in a mess of overhead phone cables. But that didn’t stop him! He kept pushing forward until his rig was tied up like a Christmas present. He was dragging a 20 foot section of broken telephone pole down the street before he stopped to see what was impeding his progress. Future DOT Instructor??

5. Putting phone cables and electrical cables on the same pole can be convenient, but it can sometimes cause an outage by default. Such was the case in Boise, Idaho when strong winds during a dust storm blew down one telephone pole. The stress on the cable pulled down a second pole, then a third, until 19 poles were lying on the ground. But that’s not what caused the outage. Our cable was down, but still intact, until one of the poles sent an arc of electricity that started a grass fire which melted the fiber. Our guys repaired the cable while airplanes flew overhead dumping fire retardant to battle the blazes. Incoming!

6. One of the dumbest reasons I can think of for an outage is downright vandalism. It doesn’t happen all that often, but it certainly happens more often than it should. People sometimes cut the fiber thinking it has value and can be sold in pieces. Or they vandalize it in other ways. We can attribute about 7% of our annual outages to people using our fiber cable for gun practice. More often than not, it happens in the rough parts of town. Making the repairs usually requires that we dispatch a couple of body guards with our techs, just to keep everyone out of harm’s way. By the way – it’s not copper!

7. Everything I’ve mentioned so far can be considered all in a day’s work. But every now and then I hear about something so out of the norm that I just want to say “What? Are you kidding me??” Such was the case with a recent outage in California. A small airplane was attempting to land at the Burbank International Airport and overshot the runway and crashed in a residential area. It clipped the poles that our aerial fiber was attached to, causing everything to come down. No one was killed. But I wouldn’t want to fly with that guy!

8. And earlier this year, there was an ice storm in Chalfont, Pennsylvania that brought down some tree limbs. The limbs fell onto the PECO Electric utility primary power which crossed into the communications space. The cable caught on fire in multiple places while suspended in the air and surrounded by ice covered limbs. Fire and ice!

9. You never know what to expect during natural disasters. I would go up against a squirrel any day rather than encounter some of the other creatures that are unearthed during a hurricane. Alligators, snakes and sharks are all creatures you don’t ever want to encounter on a fiber cut. But sometimes it happens. For example, during the cleanup efforts after hurricane Katrina, one of our field managers was about 2 miles inland when he spotted a three foot long shark in one of the trenches beside our fiber. That is probably the craziest animal encounter we’ve had in the field to date!

10. Lastly, never under estimate a Southern gentleman with a backhoe and a shotgun. Remember how I feel about vandalism? Well I’ve saved the best for last. There was a landowner whose property stretched across the border between Georgia and Florida. He was mad at Florida DOT because he didn’t get enough money when they purchased the right-of-way to widen the highway that cut through his property. Level 3 had fiber in the right-of-way, so he was mad at us too. One day he decided on revenge, so he jumped onto his backhoe and drove across the state line from Georgia to Florida, right up to the edge of the ROW and dug a 2 foot wide by 10 foot long trench. He then got down in the hole and cut the fiber and the ducts. Then he moved 15 feet south and dug a second trench until he found more fiber and ducts and cut them in a second location.When our field techs got on the scene, Mr. Landowner was waiting on them with his 12 gauge shotgun! He refused to let anyone repair the fiber on threat of death! When law enforcement arrived, Mr. Landowner had moved back over to the Georgia side and claimed he had no idea how the damage had been done. He was out of their jurisdiction. There were no witnesses, and all the law enforcement could do was talk to him and try to get him to confess. At least we were able to repair the damage. But during the conversation with the law, Mr. Landowner spewed anger and said he was going to come back tomorrow and cut the fiber again. Well, that was admission of intent to commit a crime and the rules of jurisdiction didn’t apply anymore. Ha! He was arrested and we were able to see frontline justice after all.

During all of this, natural disasters, impossible odds, wild animals and angry landowners, I am thankful that I have a team of experienced professionals who are willing to get down into the trenches, make the necessary repairs and restore service fast. No matter what they encounter, this team can handle it.

This article was written by Fred Lawler from Level3 Communications. Thanks for the great article Fred!
To see original article visit http://blog.level3.com/2011/08/04/the-10-most-bizarre-and-annoying-causes-of-fiber-cuts/

Fast Fiber Optic Cable Installation Pre-Terminated Contractor Testimonial

2011-09-12T00:48:00.000-07:00

Pre-terminated fiber optic cable assemblies cut installation time and cost drastically. Many people unfamiliar with fiber optic cable and termination believe it to be very complex, fragile and expensive. Pre-terminated fiber optic cable offers a fast, simple and reliable solution that also installs in half the time of traditional field terminated systems.

Traditional premise fiber optic cables, hardware, fusion splicing and connection in the field have remained more or less the same over time. Trying to hurry the installation process using these old methods carries a risk that quality and reliability can suffer. As a result, the final deployment can be more costly and slower, and can significantly affect the production environment. Generally speaking, it all becomes more complex and costly than is strictly necessary.

Brian Miller from Miller communications has made purchases for this cable from Discount-Low-Voltage.com and he was nice enough to give us a phone interview about his experience after his installation. Let's see what he had to say:

Fiber cable preterminated is available in a single-mode, 50µm, or 62.5 µm, and loose tube outside plant or flame retardant indoor/outdoor cable carrying from six to 144 fibers and just about any other fiber you can think of.

This solution will require slightly more time in the design phase spent in determining and measuring appropriate lengths, spacing and technical requirements. Long term expansion and growth can be easily planned during this time. Time spent early in the design phase results in reduced time spent in the field installation phase.

You can order this cable in any length, with any connectors and any fiber type your application calls out for. Order online or call us at 888-797-3697

Special thanks to Brian Miller from Miller communications. If your looking for phone system and communications work in the pacific northwest call him at 503-244-9714.

How To Splice Fiber Optic Cable - Mechanical Splice

2011-09-09T04:50:00.000-07:00

Instructions for splicing fiber optic cable with the AFL CS004162 mechanical splice kit. Watch quick overview video at bottom of post.

1.0 GENERAL
1.01 These instructions describe the operation of the SpliceConnect™ Universal Mechanical Splicing Tool. Please be sure to read these instructions carefully before proceeding.

WARNING: Always wear eye protection when handling optical fibers. Dispose of any cut or cleaved ends properly. Do not touch the wedge with bare hands.

1.02 The SpliceConnect™ CS004162 Universal Mechanical Splicing Tool Kit Contains:
• Mechanical Splicing Tool
• Instruction Manual
• Fiber Holder (900µm)
• Fiber Holder (250µm)
• Instructions Video (CD)
• Carrying Case

1.03 Tools and materials required:
• CT-30A Universal Cleaver (recommended)
• Fiber Prep Fluid
• Marking Pen
• Fiber Stripper
• Lint-free Cloth Wipes

2.0 INSTALLATION
2.01 Identify components of the kit. (see Figure 1)

2.02 Securely set the mechanical splice into the tool with the “F” logo upside down and on the left side. (see Figure 2)

2.03 Push the Red lever fully to engage the wedge into the splice. (see Figure 3)

2.04 Avoid damage to the fibers by making sure the fiber holder grooves and stripper are free of dust. (see Figure 4)

2.05 For 250µm: Mark 35mm from the end of the fiber. Strip the fiber to the mark. Clean the bare fiber. (see Figure 5)

For 900µm: Mark 35mm from the end of the fiber. Strip the fiber to the mark by removing 7mm at one time. Clean the bare fiber. (see Figure 5)

2.06 For 250µm: Place end of the fiber coating at the 10mm mark on the cleaver and cleave the bare fiber. The result is 10mm of bare fiber remaining after cleave. (see Figure 6)

For 900µm: Place end of the fiber coating at the 15mm mark on the cleaver and cleave the bare fiber. The result is 15mm of bare fiber remaining after cleave. (see Figure 6)

2.07 For 250µm: Set the fiber onto the holder with a protrusion of 25mm (10mm of bare fiber and 15mm of buffer coating). Gripping the front portion of the holder, slide the clamp downwards to lock the fiber. (see Figure 7)

For 900µm: Set the fiber onto the holder with a protrusion of 25mm (15mm of bare fiber and 10mm of buffer coating). (see Figure 7)

2.08 Set the fiber holder in the tool in line with the arrows on the rail. The fiber end should coincide with the tip of the fiber guide. (see Figures 8 and 9)

2.09 Slide the fiber holder forward until it is secured by the fiber holder lock. (see Figures 10 and 11)

2.10 Repeat steps 2.05 through 2.09 for the opposite fiber.

2.11 Insert opposite side of holder and fiber should bend on the side of the inserted holder. (see Figures 12 and 13)

(Except for 250µm to 900µm, the fiber on the opposite side of the inserted fiber holder should bend. (see Figure 14)

2.12 Press down the fiber bend and the opposite side should form a bend. (see Figures 15 and 16)

2.13 Balance the fiber bends on both sides. If the fiber bends cannot be balanced, restart the process with a new mechanical splice. (see Figures 17 and 18)

2.14 When the fiber bends on both sides are balanced, push the yellow lever to disengage the wedge. Fiber splice is completed. (see Figure 19)

2.15 For 250µm: Release the fibers from the fiber holder by sliding the clamps towards the splice side. Make sure the fiber does not get caught by any part of the splice tool. Remove the splice gently. (see Figures 20 and 21)

For 900µm: Release the fibers from fiber holders by opening the fiber holder covers. Make sure the fiber does not get caught by any part of the splice tool. Remove the splice gently. (see Figures 22 and 23)

2.16 Slide the fiber holder backwards and remove it from the lock. Do not keep the fiber holders locked in the tool. (see Figures 24 and 25)

Watch the mechanical splice video overview

Order all the fiber splice parts online at Discount-Low-Voltage.com:
AF-CS004162 mechanical splice connector kit
AF-CS004154 mechanical fiber splices
AF-CT-30 fiber cleaver
ID-45-350 fiber optic cable stripper
AF-FPF1 fiber optic cleaning solution

500ft Bulk Cat5e Cable - Bravo Paks

2011-09-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

The 500ft Bulk Cat5e Bravo Pak is the star of this weeks Product Video Blog.

This 500ft bulk cat5e cable works great with:
- The Kwik Jack System
- Dynacom Cat5e 110 Patch Panels
- RJ45 Modular Plugs

Watch the Video!

Features and Benefits of the 500ft Bulk Cat5e Bravo Pak Cable:

- Short 500ft length for small jobs

- Less Waste

- Easy to pull, never kinks

- UL Listed and RoHS Compliant

- Great for making custom length ethernet patch cords

- In stock now!

- Easy to order from Discount-Low-Voltage.com

- More...

2) How to Terminate Cat6e/Cat6 Jacks Using the Kwik Tool

3) Crazy Data Center Wiring Pictures

4) How It's Made: Low Voltage Cable - Cat5e, Cat6, Cat3, OSP

5) UL Requires New Holographic Labels for Data/Communications Cabling

July/August 2011 Sweepstakes Winners!!!

2011-09-02T06:57:00.000-07:00

Prizes up for Grabs:
1st Place - 32" LCD Flat Screen TV + Wall Mount Bracket (combined value of $366)
2nd Place - $50 Discount-Low-Voltage.com Gift Card
3rd Place - $25 Discount-Low-Voltage.com Gift Card

The 1st Place Winner is...

Mike Cosman (Cosmo19), from Sharon MA

The 2nd Place Winner is...

Sloan Venables (sloansterling), from Reno NV

The 3rd Place Winner is...

Cheryl Lovell (BlueRooster), from San Luis Obispo CA

Thanks to all who participated. We appreciate all the great feedback you gave us. Make sure to keep an eye out for future Sweepstakes and Giveaways from Discount-Low-Voltage.com. Click here to "Like" us on Facebook. You'll be the first to hear about new giveaways, coupon codes, and more.

How to Make a Telephone Cable - DIY Video

2011-08-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

To get started, let's make sure you have the necessary tools:

You'll Need:
RJ11/RJ45 Crimp Tool
Bulk Cat3/Cat5e Cable
RJ11 6P6C Modular Plugs
Electricians Scissors
RJ11/RJ45 Cable Tester

Now that we have all the right tools, let's make some telephone cables.

Step 1) Strip off about 1-2 inches of the cable jacket, being careful not to cut the individual strands of cable

Step 2) Separate all 4 pairs of cable

Step 3) Cut off the brown pair, and line up the cables using the USOC wiring diagram. We will be using conductors 2-7, since this is an RJ11 6P mod plug.

Step 4) Cut the cables as straight as possible, leaving around 1/4" of cables

Step 5) Insert the cable into the modular plug. Keep constant pressure on the cable, to assure the pairs do not come out of order. Make sure to press the cable all the way to the front of the mod plug.

Step 6) Insert the assembly into the 6P slot on your crimp tool, keeping pressure on the cable. By pushing slightly on the cable towards your tool, you will reduce the risk of the cables backing out slightly. Squeeze the tool all the way, remove the plug and repeat the same steps on the other side.

Watch the video: How to Make a Telephone Cable Using USOC Wiring

2) Video: How It's Made - Bulk Cat6, Cat5e, Cat3, and OSP Cable

3) Crazy Data Center Wiring Pictures

4) UL Warning: Counterfeit Cat6 Communications Cable on the Market

5) UL Requires New Holographic Labels for Low Voltage Communications Cable

8 Outlet Rack Mount Power Strip Video

2011-08-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

The MinuteMan UPS Rack Mount Power Strip is the star of this weeks Product Video Blog.

First, some information on the MinuteMan MMPD815HV:
This 8 outlet rack mount power strip is ideal for data and communications equipment, typically installed on data racks and server cabinets. The 8 outlet power strip provides power to 8 pieces of equipment, and comes standard with a long 15ft power cord. This power strip is UL listed and works with any data/communications products you need to install.
Tight on space? This 8 outlet power strip can also be installed using the 0RU rack brackets.

This rack mount power strip works great with:
- 2 Post 7ft Data Racks
- Wall Mount Server Cabinets
- Wall Mount Swing Racks

Watch the Video!

Features and Benefits of the MinuteMan MMPD815HV:

- Unit can be mounted vertically or horizontally

- Longer 15-foot cord is standard

- More Outlets for your Dollar than the Competition

- High Standards - Unit is Listed with higher UL 60950-1 standards

- Rack mount and 0U Brackets Included

- Great Limited Warranty

- Easy to order from Discount-Low-Voltage.com

- More...

2) Instant Rack! Mount it Anywhere

3) Crazy Data Center Wiring Pictures

4) Video: 4 Post Data Rack Installation

5) Video: 19" Hinged Wall Mount Brackets

Contractor Testimonial: Cat3, Cat5e, and Cat6 KWIK System

2011-08-22T16:38:00.000-07:00

We've been bragging about how good the KWIK System is and how much time and cost of labor can be saved at the job-site, but don't take it from us, take it from a contractor himself!

Doug Lynn from All Cal Communications has been doing low voltage installation work since 1989, and has worked with a wide spectrum of cables. In addition, he regularly works with and installs Panasonic phone systems. Let's see what he had to say about the Kwik Tool and Kwik Jacks:

So what else makes the Kwik System so cool besides saving time and cost on labor?

- The same cutting head is used for the Cat3, Cat5e and Cat6 keystone jacks. The cutting head is good for at least 1000 terminations, and an additional cutting head is included free of charge.

- Excellent cable test/certification results, so printed reports for your customers are a breeze. No additional labor in troubleshooting is accrued.

- Count on quality! Ever go back to a job-site to troubleshoot a keystone jack that was working when you left? Not with the KWIK jack, once it's done, it's done.

- 25 year TIA/EIA smart link performance warranty is an excellent offering for Hospitals, Military, Government and fortune 500 companies.

- The "High Density" design allows for a wide selection of applications; such as: modular furniture face plates, decora wall plates, and high density keystone patch panels. Saves valuable space.

- No split pairs! No split pair design saves time when lacing the wires onto the keystone jack.

- Color coded for 568B and 568A. Cat3 is colored for USOC wiring. Great for the new guy or home DIYer who always forgets the color code.

- UL and RoHS listed.

- 10 different colors available (Almond, Black, Blue, Gray, Green, Ivory, Orange, Red, Yellow, White).

All that and you get to work with a company that has been offering solutions for over 10 years. Sounds to me like you have a win win : )

Order all the Kwik Tool and Kwik Jacks online at Discount-Low-Voltage.com/The-Kwik-Jack-System

Or by phone (888) 797-3697

Is There Signal Loss Using Coax Cable TV Splitters?

2011-08-16T09:24:00.000-07:00

So your installing a structured wiring system with coax cable and your wondering how much signal loss you'll get using coax splitters. If you have a handful of coaxial cable splitters, what's the best way to reduce your signal loss? Should you use multiple 2-way splitters, or a single 8-way splitter? Our good buddy Ron Kipper from Ideal Industries gives an excellent explanation of how much signal loss you can expect.

On a personal note, as a video gamer I had a constant problem with my internet signal dropping in the middle of a match on XBOX live. This is very irritating and a problem that shouldn't be happening. After a technician troubleshooted the problem, he replaced a 4 way splitter with a 2 way that was on the external part of the house. No problem ever since! Wish I viewed this video before.

For weekly videos, check out the Discount Low Voltage YouTube Channel and for more of Ron, check out his channel at Ron Kipper Data Comm YouTube Channel.

We hope you learned something. If you did, leave a comment for us below. Or ask us your questions in the comments box. Want to see something else? Suggest it below!

Related Posts:
How to Fish Wires Through a Wall or Ceiling
How to Crimp RG6 F-Connectors
How to Make an Ethernet Cat5e/Cat6 Cable
How It's Made: Low Voltage Cable

Everfocus EN720P19 High-Def CCTV Monitor Video

2011-08-10T05:23:00.000-07:00

The Everfocus EN720P19 Monitor is the star of this weeks Product Video Blog.

First, some information on this 19" LCD CCTV monitor:
The Everfocus EN720P19 is a high resolution, 19" display monitor for CCTV systems. It features 720P resolution, with HDMI, BNC, VGA, S-Video, RCA inputs. Great for setting up security camera systems with 4 cameras, all the way up to 16 cameras. You can view all the cameras on the screen at the same time, or display 1 camera full screen for close up viewing. This high resolution monitor works best with the HD DVR's we offer. High definition video has taken over the cable world, and is starting to make a big entrance into CCTV.

Watch the Video!

Features and Benefits of the EN720P19 CCTV Monitor:
- High Definition 720P Display
- HDMI, BNC, VGA, S-Video, RCA inputs
- Wide screen 16:9 aspect ratio
- 3D comb filter with de-interlace & noise reduction
- 500+ lines of resolution
- Easy to order from Discount-Low-Voltage.com
- More...

HD High Definition CCTV Security Surveillance DVR by EverFocus

2011-08-08T15:11:00.000-07:00

As we continue to move away from standard definition to HD High-Definition from our Televisions to our phones, the security industry has also begun integrating HD into surveillance applications. We got a chance to speak with Annie Wu from Everfocus about these new HD DVR's and what's so great about them. Take a look:

Capture scenes with stunning HD clarity and get uncompressed full motion MEGAPIXEL DIGITAL video over standard coaxial cable. Attach familiar BNC connectors on the HD CCTV cameras and HD DVR, then display live and recorded images in astounding detail on the HDMI main monitor screen. Get HD 1080p with 6 times the resolution of traditional cameras to deliver the ability to zoom with clarity.

If your looking to upgrade your old analog system, Everfocus has two great DVR options for you. A hybrid solution gives you the flexibility of installing a handful of HD cameras to cover certain areas, while using the rest of the ports for traditional analog cameras. A full HD DVR solution is also offered to cover all your camera locations in High Definition.

Excellent choice for upgrading your current CCTV location because you can use your existing coax cable versus an IP camera solution that requires new cabling and networking. Get Superior 2-Megapixel/1080i and 1-Megapixel/720p quality over existing coaxial cable! HD CCTV provides unmatched clarity and Vivid Detail even while zooming in on live and playback. Call a Discount-Low-Voltage.com sales professional today to get your custom HD CCTV solution started. It's easier than you might think.

(888) 797-3697

Related Posts:
How to View Security System DVR with Your Cell Phone - iPhone - Blackberry
Ideal SecuriTEST Pro CCTV Security Camera Tester
DVR Frames Per Second Comparison Video
CCTV Glossary of Common Terms and Definitions
Everfocus EN220 Security Camera Monitor Test Kit

How To Terminate Cat6A Keystone Jacks - Video and Pictures

2011-08-05T11:18:00.000-07:00

Cat6a keystone jacks and cat6a cabling are not much different than regular cat6 products, but do require a little extra attention to detail. The individual pairs in cat6a cable are twisted much tighter, and need to remain that way all the way up to the termination point. If the pairs are untwisted, you may not get your cable to pass the certification tester. In today's blog, we'll take you step-by-step through the process of terminating cat6a keystone jacks, using cat6a cabling. To get started, let's make sure you have the necessary tools:

You'll Need:
Cat6a Keystone Jacks
Cat6a Bulk Cable
Punch Down Tool
110 Blade for Punch Tool
Electricians Scissors
Keystone Jack Palm Puck (optional)

Now that we have all the right tools, let's terminate some cat6a jacks.

Step 1) Strip off about 2-3 inches of the cable jacket

Step 2) Pull the 4 pairs of cable back, and remove the center divider (spline)

Step 3) Each Cat6a jack has the 568a and 568b wiring diagram chart on it. We will be using the most commonly used, 568b wiring diagram.

Step 4) Lace up all 4 pairs of cable on the cat6a jack, remembering to follow the 568b diagram

Step 5) Punch down wires onto keystone jack using the punch down tool and 110 blade. Make sure the side that says "Cut" on the 110 blade is pointing towards the outside of the cat6a jack.

Step 6) Put the dust cap cover on the cat6a jack and your done! It can now be inserted into wall plates, surface mount boxes or keystone patch panels.

Watch the video: How to Terminate Cat6A Keystone Jacks

Fiber Optic Visual Fault Finder - AFL HiLite Product Video

2011-08-03T07:25:00.000-07:00

The AFL HiLite fiber optic visual fault finder is the star of this weeks Product Video Blog.

First, some information on visual fault finders:
Fault finders are designed to troubleshoot faults on fiber optic cables by sending a red laser beam through the fiber optic cable. Light generated by these units will escape from sharp bends and breaks in jacketed or bare fibers, as well as poorly mated connectors. They can identify faults in fiber optic jumper cables, distribution frames, patch panels, and splice trays. In addition, they can also be used to aid installation of AFL FAST fiber optic connectors.

Watch the Video!

Features and Benefits of the AFL HiLite:
- Compact, lightweight size
- Visible red laser source, 650 nm
- Easily locate faults in fiber optic cable, fiber jumpers, and more
- Includes 2.5mm adapter for popular SC and ST fiber optic connectors
- High power, 1 mW
- Universal connector interface for quick connection
- Easy to order from Discount-Low-Voltage.com

Industrial Cat5e Bulk Cable Solution for Mobile MRI Machines

2011-08-01T08:38:00.000-07:00

Rick Dressel from Alliance HealthCare Services came to us looking for a solution to connect his mobile MRI machine to the clients Hospital. Alliance Imaging provides mobile MRI, PET/CT and CT, in addition to state-of-the-art dedicated breast MRI systems.

Rick had problems with previous cabling he was using. He started with a traditional solid conductor Cat5e PVC indoor cable. Unfortunately, over time he had to constantly replace these cables due to the repeated exposure to UV rays and harsh weather elements. In addition, the cable jacket was being torn up from repeated contact with the ground.

His next cable selection was a Cat5e solid direct burial cable. Although this cable is meant to stand up to the elements, it is gel filled, making working with this cable a hassle. The drag on different surfaces also eventually ate through the jacket.

We made the recommendation of using Datamax Extreme Cat5e Cable. This Quabbin 5730R cat5e cable has a polyurethane jacket, aluminum shield, and drain wire for superior harsh environment conditions. This cable uses a stranded conductor design, providing the flexibility Rick needed. Having sold this cable to production studios, we knew the DataMax Extreme cat5e cable would withstand the constant abuse. After having this cable installed on Rick's mobile MRI, here's what he had to say:

"Mr. Mercy Salinas, thank you for your expert knowledge in finding the perfect cat-5 cable, for our application. The Quabbin 5730R is exceeding far beyond expectations. I believe this cable will last in a outdoor environment for years. Any company using cat-5 in a outdoors environment, should try this cable. Thank you again for all of your help." - Rick Dressel

32" LCD Flat Screen TV Giveaway Details - July/August 2011

2011-07-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

Hannspree 32" LCD Flat Screen TV Giveaway

Giveaway Ended August 31st, 2011

Experience high definition in a whole new way. FREE! This Discount-Low-Voltage.com giveaway features a 32" LCD flat screen TV from Hannspree. Plus, were throwing in the LCD wall-mount bracket for free as well. This 32" HDTV features a sleek black design, High definition 720p display format, 2 HDMI ports, and much more. How can I get this awesome TV in my hands you ask? Easy. Watch this video or check out the instructions below.

How To Enter:
Giveaway Ended August 31st, 2011
1) To earn an entry into the giveaway, simply visit http://www.resellerratings.com/store/survey/Discount_Low_Voltage and write a review of your experience at Discount-Low-Voltage.com between July 1st 2011 and August 31st 2011.

That's it.

Never bought anything at Discount-Low-Voltage.com before? Well get over there and make a purchase. Any size order gets you into the giveaway. What if I already wrote a review of Discount-Low-Voltage.com on ResellerRatings? Simple, go back to your review and update it with something new.

Make a purchase. Write a review. Win a rad LCD TV.

For full contest rules, visit 32" TV Giveaway Rules and Regulations

Things to Remember:
- The review must be written between July 1st and August 31st, 2011
- Were also giving away a $50 and $25 Discount-Low-Voltage.com Gift Card
- You MUST use a valid email address!

32" LCD TV Giveaway Rules

2011-07-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

Official Giveaway Rules:

1. Prizes:
1st Place - The first place winner will receive one Hanspree 32" Flat Screen 720p TV (valued at $299) and one LCD Wall-Mount Bracket (valued at $67.65).
2nd Place - The second place winner will receive one $50 Discount-Low-Voltage.com Gift Card.
3rd Place - The third place winner will receive one $25 Discount-Low-Voltage.com Gift Card.

Note: By entering, you are also eligible for the iPad2 Giveaway ResellerRatings.com is promoting. Discount-Low-Voltage.com is in no way affiliated with the Reseller Ratings iPad2 giveaway.

2. Drawing Date: September 4th, 2011 - Three winners will be chosen at random from all of the contest entries received during July 1st to August 31st. The contest will run from 12:01AM on July 1st until 11:59PM on August 31st. Only one ResellerRatings.com user account is permitted per person. Registering multiple user accounts will disqualify all of your entries.

3. Notification: The drawing date will be September 4th. Winners will be notified by email within 2 calendar days of being selected. You must respond to our email to provide your mailing address, and if you fail to respond or to provide us with a valid mailing address within 7 business days, you will forfeit the prize. Discount-Low-Voltage.com will make only one attempt to contact the winner via email message, and Discount-Low-Voltage.com is not responsible for any kind of communications failure which prevents that email message from reaching the winner. If any prize notification or any prize is undeliverable, the prize will be awarded to an alternate winner from the pool of all eligible entries. Prizes won by minors will be awarded in name of parent or guardian. Winners assume all liability for any damages caused or claimed to be caused by participation in the promotion or by the acceptance and/or use of any prize and release Discount-Low-Voltage.com from any such liability. Acceptance of any prize constitutes permission (except where prohibited by law) to use the winner's name, city, state, likeness and/or voice for purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity without additional compensation or notice.
* Remember, the email you sign up with will be used to notify the winners. Please use an email address you check regularly.

4. How to Enter: To earn an entry into the giveaway, simply visit http://www.resellerratings.com/store/survey/Discount_Low_Voltage and write a review of your experience at Discount-Low-Voltage.com. Your completed, active review, consisting of a completed survey form and a text review of at least 25 characters, will earn a giveaway entry. All reviews must comply with our terms of service and any review that fails to do so will not be eligible to earn a contest entry. You must activate your ResellerRatings account by clicking on the verification link emailed to you, otherwise you will be ineligible for this contest. Any review submitted to ResellerRatings with an invalid or missing order number is subject to deletion and will not earn a contest entry.
* You MUST provide a valid order number to be eligible.

5. Conditions: Discount-Low-Voltage.com is not responsible for telephone, network, electronic or computer failures of any kind, or for entries that are stolen, misdirected, incomplete, garbled, delayed by computer transmissions, lost, late, damaged, or ineligible.

6. Eligibility: The sweepstakes is only open to legal residents of the 50 United States and Canada. Odds of winning are determined by the total number of entries received. Employees and consultants of Discount-Low-Voltage.com, its sponsor(s), its advertisers, and their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, and members of the immediate families of any of the foregoing are not eligible. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply. Void where prohibited.

7. Delivery: The 32" LCD TV prize will be shipped to the giveaway winner within 1 week following the date that Discount-Low-Voltage.com receives winner's shipping address. Discount-Low-Voltage.com is not responsible for manufacturing or shipping delays. The Gift Card prizes will be emailed to the winner no later than 7 days after the contest ends.

8. Terms: Entrants agree to abide by these Official Rules and by the decisions of Discount-Low-Voltage.com, whose decisions are final. Failure to comply with these rules may result in disqualification from this sweepstakes promotion. Discount-Low-Voltage.com reserves the right to permanently disqualify from any sweepstakes promotion any person it believes has intentionally violated these rules. Discount-Low-Voltage.com will ship the prize to the winner via UPS Ground, and Discount-Low-Voltage.com is not responsible for any failures by UPS to successfully deliver the prize, or any failure of the winner to successfully accept the shipment. Only one prize mailing will be attempted per winner.

* Discount-Low-Voltage.com is in no way affiliated with HANNspree. HANNspree is not a sponsor of Discount-Low-Voltage.com or of this giveaway.

Discount-Low-Voltage.com Now McAfee Secure

2011-04-20T16:10:00.000-07:00

Discount-Low-Voltage.com is now McAfee SECURE!

What this means for you:
Improved online security through daily scans of Discount-Low-Voltage.com

What your protected against:
Identity theft, viruses, spyware and other online threats

What is costs you:
Nothing! We value your protection and will do everything possible to make sure your information stays safe.

How to Verify:
Just follow this link here - Verify Discount-Low-Voltage.com

Related Posts:
Discount-Low-Voltage.com Adds Google Voice
Discount-Low-Voltage.com Adds Live Chat
Discount-Low-Voltage.com Videos Go High Def!

Google Ultra High Speed Fiber Project Kansas City, KS

2011-03-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

Google ultra high speed gigabit ethernet fiber optic project awarded to Kansas City, KS

Google Kansas City Fiber Project

Google announces their ultra high speed fiber optic project will take place in Kansas City, KS. "In selecting a city, our goal was to find a location where we could build efficiently, make an impact on the community and develop relationships with local government and community organizations. We’ve found this in Kansas City. We’ll be working closely with local organizations including the Kauffman Foundation, KCNext and the University of Kansas Medical Center to help develop the gigabit applications of the future."

They say the project could start bringing ultra high speed internet service by 2012. This would deliver 100 times faster internet speeds than most Americans have today. People will be able to stream videos and music downloads much faster, businesses can perform video conferencing without delay and schools can bring online interaction to the classrooms. Google says, "We’ve heard from some communities that they’re disappointed not to have been selected for our initial build. So just to reiterate what I've said many times in interviews: we're so thrilled by the interest we've generated—today is the start, not the end the project. And over the coming months, we'll be talking to other interested cities about the possibility of us bringing ultra high-speed broadband to their communities."

You can read the full article at the Official Google Blog: Ultra High-speed broadband is coming to Kansas City, Kansas

Related Posts:
10 Gigabit Ethernet Technology Overview
Stock Trades to Exploit Speed of Light
How It's Made: Fiber Optic Cable
Pulling Fiber Optic Cable
How To Install Fiber Optic Fan Out Kit

Stock trades to exploit speed of light, says researcher

2011-03-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

Interesting article on fiber optics and stock exchange trading written by Jason Palmer, Science and technology reporter, BBC News, Dallas

Optimal high-frequency trading locations (blue) exist for pairs

of major financial exchanges (red)

Financial institutions may soon change what they trade or where they do their trading because of the speed of light.

"High-frequency trading" carried out by computers often depends on differing prices of a financial instrument in two geographically-separated markets.

Exactly how far the signals have to go can make a difference in such trades.

Alexander Wissner-Gross told the American Physical Society meeting that financial institutions are looking at ways to exploit the light-speed trick.

Dr Wissner-Gross, of Harvard University, said that the latencies - essentially, the time delay for a signal to wing its way from one global financial centre to another - advantaged some locations for some trades and different locations for others.

There is a vast market for ever-faster fibre-optic cables to try to physically "get there faster" but Dr Wissner-Gross said that the purely technological approach to gaining an advantage was reaching a limit.

Trades now travel at nearly 90% of the ultimate speed limit set by physics, the speed of light in the cables.
Competitive advantage

His first solution, published in 2010, considered the various latencies in global fibre-optic links and mapped out where the optimal points for financial transactions to originate - midway between two major financial hubs to maximise the chance of "buying low" in one place and "selling high" in another.

That of course resulted in a number of ideal locations in all corners of the globe, including the oceans. But wholesale relocation of operations does not immediately appeal to many firms.

"I'm now working... with real companies on real deployments that don't require you deploy a floating data centre in the middle of the ocean; we say, 'OK, you have your existing infrastructure, that's not moving - now, given your location, which stocks in various locations are you best positioned to trade?'"

"If you don't have the budget to put new data centres in the middle of the ocean you can, for example, use existing data centres that are an approximation to the optimal location in the ocean - say, Nova Scotia for New York to London," Dr Wissner-Gross told BBC News.

Because there is a clear, physical advantage to the approach, Dr Wissner-Gross said that the first firm to try to exploit the effect will be at significant competitive advantage - until more firms follow suit.

That means that out-of-the-way places - at high latitudes or mid-ocean island chains - could in time turn into global financial centres.

"It's instructive to start to think about latency correlations as a new sort of resource," he explained.

"If you're positioned between two major financial hubs, you may be far out of the way, rather far from population centres, maybe economically poor, but because of your unique position, that could be a natural resource."

Original article can be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12827752 " target="_blank"> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12827752

Corning Aerial Self Supporting Fiber Optic Cable

2011-03-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

Aerial fiber optic cable is a great solution for installations where direct burial is not available. This fiber optic cable has a built in steel messenger, used to connect the fiber from building to building, or pole to pole. Let's take a look at what this fiber cable looks like:

Go to Aerial Fiber Optic Cable at Discount-Low-Voltage.com to order, or get the full product specifications.

Related Posts:

Corning Armored Direct Burial Fiber Optic Cable (Video)
Interlocking Armor Fiber Optic Cable (Video)
Interlocking Armored Fiber Cable or Non Armored Fiber Cable with Innerduct?
How It's Made: Fiber Optic Cable (Video)
What's the Difference Between Loose Tube Fiber and Tight Buffer Fiber Cable
Pulling Fiber Optic Cable - Planning Your Installation
How To Articles - Over 20 Articles

Corning Armored Direct Burial Fiber Optic Cable Video

2011-03-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

Check out this new video of Corning's armored direct burial fiber optic cable:

For all the specs, visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com/FiberOpticCable

Related Posts:
How to Install Fiber Optic Fan Out Kit
Difference Between Loose Tube and Tight Buffer Fiber Cable
Interlock Armor Fiber Cable or Non-Armored Fiber Installed in Innerduct?
How It;s Made: Fiber Optic Cable (Video)
How To Build a Cheap Wall Mount Fiber Box (Video)
Interlocking Armored Fiber Optic Cable (Video)

Interlock Armored Fiber Optic Cable Video

2011-03-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

UL Requires New Holographic Labels for Communications Cable

2011-02-16T16:29:00.000-08:00

To further enhance the integrity of the UL Mark, UL is introducing a holographic label requirement for a wide variety of cable categories. The new UL Marks include the use of secure golden holographic label material and color shifting inks to prevent unauthorized label reproduction.

This type of label has been proven an effective tool in deterring counterfeit products from entering the marketplace. Effective October 1, 2010 manufacturers will be required to apply holographic UL Marks for the products noted below. Although the holographic label is new, the remaining engineering marking information provided on the cable tags or reels and the methods for applying these markings remain unchanged.

• Communications Cable (DUZX/DUZX7)

• Communications Cable Veriﬁed to UL Performance Category Program (DUZX)

• Data Transmission Cable Veriﬁed in Accordance With National or International Speciﬁcations (DVBI)

• Community Antenna Television Cable (DVCS)

• Data Processing Cable (EMRB)

• Non-Power-Limited Fire-Alarm Cable (HNHT)

• Power-Limited Fire-Alarm Cable (HNIR / HNIR7)

• Instrumentation Tray Cable (NYTT)

• Network Powered Broadband Communications Cable (PWIP)

• Optical Fiber Cable (QAYK/QAYK7)

• Power Limited Circuit Cable (QPTZ)

Code authorities have already begun to see cables with the new holographic labels during their inspections, and will see an increasing number of cables with these markings in the future. You can expect to see the UL symbol on the product and the new holographic UL Listing Mark on the attached tag, the reel, or the smallest unit container in which the cable is packaged. The UL symbol will still appear on the surface print of the cable, and can be either the complete UL in a circle, or the letters “UL” in parenthesis “(UL)”. Surface printing of the UL Certiﬁcation Mark on the wire insulation or jacketed material is only permissible when the accompanying reel or smallest unit container is also provided with the UL holographic Listing Mark. Although manufacturers cannot add non-holographic labels to cable after October 1, 2010, it may take a while for cable with the non-holographic Listing Marks to be cleared from the supply chain.

An example of the UL holographic label on Cat5e Bulk Communications Cable offered at Discount-Low-Voltage.com

Interlock Armored Fiber Optic Cable or Non-Armored Fiber With Innerduct?

2011-02-10T12:08:00.000-08:00

Fiber Optic Cable Installation:
Fiber optic cable is a great investment to any infrastructure, providing superior performance at much longer distances than traditional copper networks. When installing fiber optic cable, there's many factors to take into consideration. One of the most important, is how to protect your investment. Two of the most common routes to take are installing an innerduct, or buying fiber that has a layer of protection built in. Both have their pro's and con's, so lets take a look at each.

Fiber Optic Cable Installed in Innerduct:
Innerduct is a corrugated tube that surrounds your fiber optic cable giving it protection and acts as a pathway for the fiber to be pulled through. Innerduct comes in HDPE for outdoor use, PVC for indoor use and PLENUM for indoor use in plenum air spaces. Although innerduct is a great way to protect your fiber, it requires an extra step. This can result in higher labor costs, materials costs and possible additional equipment and freight fees. Long lengths of innerduct require very large wooden spools to be put on, which can be costly to ship and work with. Once the innerduct is installed, you proceed as usual: run your fiber optic cable, terminate and test it. Wouldn't it be easier if you could just run fiber and remove the innerduct step altogether? You can... keep reading.

Interlock Armored Fiber Optic Cable:
Interlock armored fiber cable is a great alternative to installing innerduct. Interlocking Armored Riser Cables are standard cables placed inside a spirally-wrapped aluminum interlocking armor for ruggedness and superior crush resistance. Designed for use in riser and general purpose environments for intrabuilding backbone and horizontal installations, these multifiber cables use individually jacketed TBII® Buffered Fibers enabling easy, consistent stripping and facilitating termination. This core is protected by a flexible, spiral-wrapped, aluminum interlocking armor that offers over seven times the crush protection compared to unarmored cables and easy one-step installation. With a flame-retardant outer jacket, this cable is particularly useful for heavy traffic or more challenging mechanical exposure conditions and applications requiring extra rugged cables. Interlocking armored fiber does have it's downfalls though. Future additions: when installing innerduct, you can reuse the cabling pathway to replace the fiber, or add additional fibers if you have extra space. This is a great way to maximize your investment. Without that innerduct installed, you will be starting the process all over again from the beginning. Pricing is also a concern. Interlock armored fiber is typically 3 times as expensive as regular non-armored fiber.

Tips:
- Always install the correct fiber and innerduct based on your buildings fire safety codes
- Future proof your installation if possible. Install a larger innerduct than needed or buy an interlocking armored fiber with additional strands of fiber.
- Pre Terminated Fiber Cable: Can cut fiber installation by 75%. This is a great option for beginners or long time fiber installers. Pre terminated fiber is custom made to your exact specs, comes with a pulling eye for easy installation and includes test results.

Related Articles:
Pulling Fiber Optic Cable
How It's Made: Fiber Optic Cable
How To Install Fiber Optic Fan Out Kit for Loose Tube Fiber
Difference Between: Loose Tube Fiber and Tight Buffered Fiber
How To Terminate Fiber Optic Cable Using AFL FAST Connectors

How To Find Underground Wires & Valves Using Greenlee 521A

2010-08-05T17:16:00.000-07:00

Contents:
1) Headset
2) Ground Stake
3) Transmitter
4) Receiver
5) Carrying Case
6) Black Lead
7) Red Lead
8) Selector Knob
9) ON/OFF Switch
10) Battery Cover

Batteries (included)
• Transmitter: Qty 8 - "D" batteries
• Receiver: Qty 1 - 9v alkaline battery

Note: The transmitter produces high voltage. Turn the transmitter off before handling the output leads. Disconnect all wires from the controller when fault locating. Turn the selector knob to the BATTERY TEST position. The meter should read between 8 and 10.

Before starting, you must ensure the transmitter is set up properly.

IMPORTANT: To ensure that the 521A transmitter is producing optimum signal, connect the red and black leads together and turn the unit on. Turn the selector knob to position #5. The meter needle should rise to at least a 10 reading.

1. With the transmitter off, connect the red lead to the wire to be located and the black lead to a good earth ground with the stake provided. (Refer to Figure 1). If the clock is indoors, the earth ground stake MUST be grounded at the point where the wires exit the building. It might require running a length of wire to the
outside. Do not use a common ground inside (i.e., electrical or water pipe).

2. Now turn the transmitter on and start rotating the selector knob clockwise.
Once you leave the BATTERY TEST position and go to #1, the meter needle will fall off to near zero. As you increase the output, the needle will rise slightly with each advancement. Stop when the meter reads between 4 and 8. The transmitter is now set for maximum efficiency for this job. If a reading of 4 is not obtainable, you may not have enough of a ground fault to locate the wire.

Soil condition can also affect the efficiency of the unit. Moisture is a good conductor, so the wetter the soil, the better. In dry or sandy conditions you may experience signal loss. Add some water near the ground stake to improve results.

3. Plug the headset into the receiver if desired, turn it on and point the antenna or probe end at the transmitter. A pulsing tone should be heard through the headset and an indication should register on the receiver meter.

Operation

Locating Wire Path
With the probe pointed toward the ground, walk completely around the transmitter location. An absence of tone or null will be detected directly over the path of the wire. Movement to either side will cause the volume of tone signal intensity to increase. Follow the null to determine the wire path. (Refer to Figure 2.)

Finding Wire Breaks and Nicks
When attempting to find breaks and nicks, you should decrease the sensitivity of the receiver when pointing it off to either side of the null. You will be able to notice the change in signal intensity immediately. Do not allow the meter to peg or go above 10. This will greatly help in the fault locating process.
Note: The wire must have a path to ground to be successfully located. These paths exist in a great majority of all direct buried wires due to insulation imperfections, nicks, and bad splices. If not, create one by grounding the remote end.
• The end of a cut or broken wire can be located by following the path until the null disappears and gives way to a hot spot. Beyond the hot spot, no null can be detected. Back up until the null is detected, and this will be the approximate end of the broken wire. (Refer to Figure 3.)
• Larger nicks in the wire can be located in almost the same way as locating opens. Follow the null and strong signal along the sides of the wire until the signal becomes very weak along the sides of the null. This will occur within a relatively short distance. The transmitted signal bleeds to ground at the nick and then wants to return to the ground stake along the outside of the wire itself. The majority of signals will stop at the nick indicated by the low receiver reading just beyond the nick. (Refer to Figure 4.)
• To more accurately define the location of an open or larger nick (ground fault), position the receiver tip on the ground near the point where the last strong signal was detected along the side of the path. The receiver tip should be pointing at the ground and be approximately 6 inches to either side from the null. Because you are so much closer to the path, the sensitivity knob must be adjusted down until the meter reads just below 10.

While maintaining the 6-inch distance from the null, move the receiver down the line, paying close attention to the meter reading. Once you pass the open or nick, the meter will fall off rapidly.

Determining Depth of Wire
To determine the depth of the wire, first mark the ground directly over the path. Turn the receiver sideways to the path, and tip it 45 degrees. Move the receiver away from the path, maintaining the 45-degree tip until a null is detected. Mark this spot. The depth is the distance between the two marks. (Refer to Figure 5.)

Two-Step Solenoid Valve Locating Process
Solenoid valves can easily be located provided all the wires leading to them are intact and the solenoid itself is still good.
Step 1. Start at the clock. Connect the red transmitter lead to the station wire leading to the subject valve, and connect the black lead to earth ground. Turn the transmitter on, adjust the output to the highest level, assemble the receiver, locate the path, and start tracing the wire following the null. The null will be present until you pass over a solenoid valve, and then the signal will become extremely strong. Mark this spot. Check around this hot spot for a null leaving the area. If the null continues, follow it and mark any additional hot spots. (Refer to Figure 6.) If only one hot spot or valve is located, it will be the valve in question.
Step 2. If more than one hot spot is found, mark them and return to the transmitter and turn it off. Lift the black lead from the ground stake and connect it to the common wire. Turn the transmitter on, set the selector knob to the highest reading, and return to the first hot spot with the receiver. Touch the tip of the receiver antenna to the ground in the center of the first hot spot and set the sensitivity knob to read near mid-scale. Now go to the second spot and without touching the sensitivity knob, check the strength of the signal at each hot spot and determine which, out of all of them, is the strongest signal. This is the valve for the station wire you are connected to.

Greenlee 521A Maintenance

Battery Replacement
1. Turn the unit off.
2. Remove the battery cover.
3. Replace the batteries (observe polarity).
4. Replace the battery cover.

Cleaning
Periodically wipe with a damp cloth and mild detergent; do not use abrasives or solvents.

Apple iPod Touch Giveaway Details - August/September 2010

2010-07-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

Apple iPod Touch Giveaway

Contest Ended: Results posted on our website at Discount-Low-Voltage.com/iPodGiveaway

Some people call it the mini iPad. Others call it the iPhone that can't call people. I call it FREE! That's right, were giving away a free iPod Touch to one lucky winner. With Wi Fi capability, this thing can do it all. Send and receive emails, surf the web, download apps, play games, watch movies and, oh yeah, play music. Apple hit the ball out of the park with this one. The new iPod Touch features an 8GB hard drive, good for 1,750 songs. More of a movie buff? Well you can store up to 10 hours of video on the iPod. Okay okay, enough of the filler. So how do I win this thing? Easy

How To Enter:
1) To earn an entry into the giveaway, simply visit http://www.resellerratings.com/survey.pl?seller_id=25720 and write a review of your experience at Discount-Low-Voltage.com between August 1st 2010 and September 30th 2010.

That's it.

Never bought anything at Discount-Low-Voltage.com before? Well get over there and make a purchase. Any size order gets you into the giveaway. What if I already wrote a review of Discount-Low-Voltage.com on ResellerRatings? Simple, go back to your review and update it with something new.

Make a purchase. Write a review. Win an iPod Touch.

For full contest rules, visit iPod Giveaway Rules and Regulations

Things to Remember:
- The review must be written between August 1st and September 30th
- Were also giving away a $50 and $25 Discount-Low-Voltage.com Gift Card

iPod Touch Giveaway 2010 - Discount-Low-Voltage.com

iPod Touch Gaming

iPod Touch YouTube Videos

iPod Touch Giveaway Rules

2010-07-30T13:45:00.000-07:00

Official Giveaway Rules:

1. Prizes:
1st Place - The first place winner will receive one Apple iPod Touch 8GB Wi-Fi (valued at $199 at store.apple.com as of 7/13/2010).
2nd Place - The second place winner will receive one $50 Discount-Low-Voltage.com Gift Card.
3rd Place - The third place winner will receive one $25 Discount-Low-Voltage.com Gift Card.

2. Drawing Date: October 4th, 2010 - Three winners will be chosen at random from all of the contest entries received during August 1st to September 30th. The contest will run from 12:01AM on August 1st until 11:59PM on September 30th. Only one ResellerRatings.com user account is permitted per person. Registering multiple user accounts will disqualify all of your entries.

3. Notification: The drawing date will be October 4th. Winners will be notified by email within 2 calendar days of being selected. You must respond to our email to provide your mailing address, and if you fail to respond or to provide us with a valid mailing address within 7 business days, you will forfeit the prize. Discount-Low-Voltage.com will make only one attempt to contact the winner via email message, and Discount-Low-Voltage.com is not responsible for any kind of communications failure which prevents that email message from reaching the winner. If any prize notification or any prize is undeliverable, the prize will be awarded to an alternate winner from the pool of all eligible entries. Prizes won by minors will be awarded in name of parent or guardian. All taxes on prizes, including income taxes, and any incidental expenses associated with collection of a prize are the responsibility of the winner. Winners assume all liability for any damages caused or claimed to be caused by participation in the promotion or by the acceptance and/or use of any prize and release Discount-Low-Voltage.com from any such liability. Acceptance of any prize constitutes permission (except where prohibited by law) to use the winner's name, city, state, likeness and/or voice for purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity without additional compensation or notice.
* Remember, the email you sign up with will be used to notify the winners. Please use an email address you check regularly.

4. How to Enter: To earn an entry into the giveaway, simply visit http://www.resellerratings.com/survey.pl?seller_id=25720 and write a review of your experience at Discount-Low-Voltage.com. Your completed, active review, consisting of a completed survey form and a text review of at least 25 characters, will earn a giveaway entry. All reviews must comply with our terms of service and any review that fails to do so will not be eligible to earn a contest entry. You must activate your ResellerRatings account by clicking on the verification link emailed to you, otherwise you will be ineligible for this contest. Any review submitted to ResellerRatings with an invalid or missing order number is subject to deletion and will not earn a contest entry.
* You MUST provide a valid order number in the form of DLV747-xxxx.

5. Conditions: Discount-Low-Voltage.com is not responsible for telephone, network, electronic or computer failures of any kind, or for entries that are stolen, misdirected, incomplete, garbled, delayed by computer transmissions, lost, late, damaged, or ineligible.

6. Eligibility: The sweepstakes is only open to legal residents of the 50 United States and Canada. Odds of winning are determined by the total number of entries received. Employees and consultants of Discount-Low-Voltage.com, its sponsor(s), its advertisers, and their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, and members of the immediate families of any of the foregoing are not eligible. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply. Void where prohibited.

7. Delivery: The Apple iPod Touch prize will be shipped to the giveaway winner within 1 week following the date that Discount-Low-Voltage.com receives winner's shipping address. Discount-Low-Voltage.com is not responsible for manufacturing or shipping delays. The Gift Card prizes will be emailed to the winner no later than 7 days after the contest ends.

8. Terms: Entrants agree to abide by these Official Rules and by the decisions of Discount-Low-Voltage.com, whose decisions are final. Failure to comply with these rules may result in disqualification from this sweepstakes promotion. Discount-Low-Voltage.com reserves the right to permanently disqualify from any sweepstakes promotion any person it believes has intentionally violated these rules. Discount-Low-Voltage.com will ship the prize to the winner via UPS, and Discount-Low-Voltage.com is not responsible for any failures by UPS to successfully deliver the prize, or any failure of the winner to successfully accept the shipment. Only one prize mailing will be attempted per winner.

* Discount-Low-Voltage.com is in no way affiliated with Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is not a sponsor of Discount-Low-Voltage.com or of this giveaway.

HDMI Mini vs HDMI Micro

2010-07-19T15:52:00.000-07:00

HDMI Mini vs HDMI Micro

So what's the difference between the HDMI mini connector and HDMI micro connector? Let's look at some of the specs.

HDMI Mini Connector:

- Type C HDMI
- 10.42 mm × 2.42 mm
- Defined in the HDMI 1.3 specification
- 19-pin configuration

HDMI Micro Connector:

- Type D HDMI
- 6.4mm x 2.8 mm
- Defined in the HDMI 1.4 specification
- 19-pin configuration

As you can see, they both employ the 19-pin configuration, but the Mini HDMI (Type C) is different because all positive signals of the differential pairs are swapped with their corresponding shield, the DDC/CEC Ground is assigned to pin 13 instead of pin 17, the CEC is assigned to pin 14 instead of pin 13, and the reserved pin is 17 instead of pin 14. The Micro (Type D) uses the same pin configuration as the standard HDMI (Type A).

Mini HDMI (Type C) to Standard HDMI (Type A) cables are generally used for connecting your HD camcorder to your HDTV.

Micro HDMI (Type D) to Standard HDMI (Type A) cables are used for connecting smart phones like the Motorola Droid X and Sprint HTC Evo to HDTVs.

Video shows the Motorola Droid X getting hooked up to an HDTV via the HDMI Micro cable:

How It's Made: Fiber Optic Cable

2010-06-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

Corning has been a leading manufacturer of fiber optic cables since the beginning. State of the art test equipment and highly trained professionals ensure top quality fiber optic products. Take a look at the process involved in making, testing, and the history of fiber optic cable.

For more information, visit Fiber Optic Cable

Related Fiber Posts:
Loose Tube vs Tight Buffer Fiber - What's the Difference?
10 Gigabit Ethernet Technology Overview
Glossary of Common Fiber Optic Terms
How To Make Fiber Optic Patch Cables... Kinda

TekGun Cable Labeler Cable Gun TG-100

2010-06-10T14:46:00.000-07:00

The TekGun cable labeler is an innovative new tool designed to save you time and money vs conventional cable labeling techniques. The TekGun cable labeler is ideal for use on low voltage cables. Correctly marking and reading your cables and wires is essential for cable management. Unreadable markings, smudges or tape that falls off can cost you valuable time on the job. The TekGun prints directly on the cable, is smudge proof and more...

Full TekGun Cable Labeler Video

TekGun Cable Labeler vs Sharpie Video

To order, visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com/TekGun

Related Posts:
Hellermann Tyton Swiftmark Automatic Label Printer
These technicians need to use the TekGun and better cable management practices
1" HDPE Innerduct
Surface Raceway Cable Management

What is Plenum Cable/Innerduct and When Do I Use it?

2010-06-07T08:58:00.000-07:00

What is Plenum?

According to the National Electric Code (NEC) a plenum is a "compartment or chamber to which one or more air ducts are connected and [which] forms part of the air distribution system." To qualify as a plenum, the space above an acoustic tile ceiling would have to extend above other rooms in the same building or be open to ducts connecting it to other parts of the building. The concern is that during a fire, if there is burning material in a plenum air space, smoke and fumes can travel through air ducts to the whole building. For this reason, there are codes to restrict the types of materials (such as wiring) that can be placed in the plenum.

It's quite common to have an acoustic tile ceiling without having a plenum. If your room-dividing walls extend above the dropped ceiling and seal off the space above, you do not have a plenum air space and so may not require plenum-rated wires. You can lift up an acoustical tile in your room and peek in to see if your room has a plenum.

What is the code?

According to the National Electric Code (NEC), in plenum air spaces you must use plenum rated cables, also called Communications Plenum Cable (CMP). Plenum cable is only required when cable is installed in a plenum air space. Materials kept below the ceiling — including speaker wire, computer cables, telephone cords, etc. — do not need to be plenum rated according to the NEC.

Remember that even though the National Electric Code may allow non- plenum cable, the final decision is up to your local Fire Marshall. Most cities adopt the national codes as their own without revision, but some cities modify or expand them and require plenum-rated cable in all situations. Regardless of the code or its interpretation, your Fire Marshall makes the final decision. We recommend that you contact your Fire Marshall if you have questions.
http://www.firemarshals.org/links/state-fire-marshals-websites/

Why is the regulation for plenum air spaces but not for inside the classroom?

It's dangerous to inhale fumes from any burning material. Communications cable is no more dangerous than any other plastic item you would find below the ceiling in a typical classroom — computers, carpet, power cords, etc. Therefore, requiring the use of plenum wires within the classroom itself would have little impact. The regulation covers the area where it's most critical.

How is plenum cable and innerduct different from CRM/PVC?

The Plenum rated coating on wire burns at a much higher temperature and emits fewer fumes.

What does plenum wire look like?

Identifying this cable just by looking at it is hard to tell. It is very similar in look and feel, so you'll want to check the print on the jacket for the letters "CMP"

Who sets the guidelines?

The National Electrical Code (NEC) is a set of guidelines recommending procedures to reduce the risk of fires, electric shock and other hazards associated with electrical installations. The code is advisory in nature, but most state and local building departments across the country use the NEC as the basis for their own electrical codes. Some local codes may be more restrictive, so please check with your local Fire Marshall if you're unsure.

Is compliance with the locally-adopted code mandatory?

Yes. City, county or state codes are mandatory and enforceable as law.

Make sure you and your contractor are on the same page. When life has been lost in a fire a lawsuit is not out of the question if plenum wire has not been installed when it should have been.

Glossary of Common Fiber Optic Terms: R - Z

2010-06-04T11:45:00.001-07:00

Common Fiber Terms A-E

Common Fiber Terms F-L

Common Fiber Terms M-P

Common Fiber Terms: R-Z

R:

Rack Panels
Framework or boxes to hold patch panels and other cable management devices.

Rayleigh Scattering
Scattering by refractive index fluctuations (inhomogeneities in material density or composition) that are small with respect to wavelength. Referred to as backscatter.

Receiver
A device which detects an optical signal, converts into an electronic form, then processes it further so it can be used by electronic equipment. From the standpoints of components, it can be viewed as a combination of detector and single processing electronics.

Receiver I.C.
Consists of photodiode which converts the signal to an electronic one which feeds into an amplifier bringing the signal back to a level.

Receiver Sensitivity (expressed in dBm)
This tells how much optical power the photo-detector must receive to achieve a specified base band performance, such as a specified bit-error rate of signal-to-noise ratio.

Reflection
The abrupt change in direction of a light beam at an interface between two dissimilar media so that the light beam returns into the media from which it originated.

Refraction
The bending of a beam of light at an interface between two dissimilar media or in a medium whose refractive index is a continuous function of position (graded index medium).

Repeater (fiber optic)
A device which detects a weak signal in a fiber optic communication system, amplifies it, cleans it up, and retransmits it in optical form. Also known as a regenerator.

Return Loss
Expressed in negative value (-dB), this refers to the amount of back reflection. The lower the dB value, the better the connector and polish finish on the connector ferrule.

RF (Radio Frequency)
The frequency spectrum from 15kHz to 100GHz.

RFI (Radio Frequency Interference)
Electromagnetic radiation in the radio frequency spectrum fiom 15kHz to 100GHz. The best shielding material against RFI is copper and aluminum alloys. The term "EMI" should not be used in place of RFI since shielding materials for the entire electromagnetic frequency spectrum are not available.

Riser
Pathways for indoor cables that pass between floors. It is normally a vertical shaft or space. Also a fire-code rating for indoor cable.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

S:

Scattering
A property of glass that causes light to deflect from the fiber and contributes to optical attenuation.

Scribe Tool
Also called a cutting tool or breaking tool, consisting of cutting blade usually made from tungsten carbide or a diamond. Application is to break/scribe fiber @90? without lips or hackles or angular irregularities.

Selco Lenses
Segments of optical fibers specially designed to function as lenses.

Semi-Graded Index
An optical fiber with refractive index profile intermediate between step-index and graded index. Strictly speaking, this might be considered a type of graded-index fiber with refractive index profile somewhat steeper than normal.

Signal-to-Noise Ratio
The ratio of the power of the signal to that of background noise, usually measured in decibels. This is a common measure of the quality of analog electronics or transmission systems.

Simplex Cable
A single cable structure with a single fiber.

Singlemode
One type of low-loss optical waveguide with a very small Core (2-9 microns). It requires a laser source for input signals becauuse of the very small entrance aperture. The core diameter of a single-mode is designed to accept a one mode(wavelength) from the light source .

Skew Rate
A ray somethimes refered to as a dominant ray, that never intersects the axis of fiber while being internally reflected (in contrast with a meridional ray).

Splice
A permanent junction between two optical-fiber ends.

Splice Housing (Fiber Optics)
A housing designed to protect a splice in an optical fiber from damage by the environment, such as from the application of stress on the fiber. It also can seal the splice fiom environmental agents such as water which could cause it to deteriorate.

Star Coupler (fiber optics)
A coupler in which many fibers are brought together to a single optical element in which their signals are mixed. The mixed signals are then transmitted back through all the fibers. The name comes from the geometric arrangement

Step-Index
An optical fiber in which there is a discontinuous (step-function) change in refractive index at the boundary between fiber core and cladding. Such fibers have a large numerical aperture (light accepting angle), and are simple to connect. but have lower bandwidth than other types of optical fibers.

Stripper
Mechanical tool used to remove buffer coatings from fibers.

STTL
Standard TTL (see TTL)

Swage
To displace metal by pressure.

Switch (fiber optics)
A device for rerouting signals from one optical fiber into others.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

T:

Tap (fiber optic)
A coupler in which part of the light carried by one fiber is split off and inserted into another fiber, essentially the same as a Tee coupler.

Tee Coupler (fiber optic)
A fiber optic coupler in which three fiber ends are joined together, and a signal transmitted from one fiber is split between the other two. A conceptual drawing looks like the letter T, which accounts for the name.

Telecommunications Closet (TC)
An enclosed space for housing telecommunications equipment, cable terminations, and cross-connects. The closet is the recognized cross-connect between the backbone and horizontal cabling.

Termination tools
Tools used in preparing optical fibers for spliciug and/or installation of connectors.

Tight Buffered Cable
a protective coating extruded tightly over fiber for mechanical and environmental protection. The coating material is either nylon or PVC. This buffering offers excellent physical and flexing properties, but higher micro-bending sensitivity.

Time-Division multiplexing
A digital technique for combining two or more signals into a single stream of data by interleaving bits from each signal. Bit one might be from signal one, bit two from signal two, etc.

Total Internal Reflection
The total reflection that occurs when light strikes an interface at angles of incidence greater than the critical angle.

Transmitter (fiber optics)
A light source (LED or diode laser) which is combined with electronic circuitry to drive it. A transmitter operates directly from the signal generated by other electronic equipment to produce the drive current needed for LED or diode laser.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

W:

Wavelength-Division Multiplexing
Combination of two or more signals so they can be transmitted over a common optical path, usually over a single fiber; by a technique in which the signals are generated by light sources having different wavelengths. For example, one signal might be transmitted at 850 nanometers and a second at 1300 nanometers.

WDM
Wave Division Multiplexing. Multiplexing is done by combining different wavelengths over one optical fiber simultaneously. Each wavelength is capable of carrying a certain amount of information.

White Light
A mixture of colors of visible light that appears white to the eye. In theory, a mixture of three colors is sufficient to product white light.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Z:

Zero-Dispersion Wavelength
Wavelength at which the chromatic dispersion of an optical fiber is zero. Occurs when waveguide dispersion cancels out material dispersion.

Glossary of Common Fiber Optic Terms: M - P

2010-06-04T11:37:00.001-07:00

Common Fiber Terms A-E

Common Fiber Terms F-L

Common Fiber Terms: M-P

M:

Macrobending
In an optical fiber, all macro deviations of the axis from a straight line.

Material Dispersion
The dispersion associated with a non-monochromatic light source due to the wavelength dependence of the refractive index of a material or of the light velocity in this material.

Mating Sleeve
A mechanical media termination device designed to align and join fiber optic connectors of the same type. Often referred to as a coupling, bulkhead, or interconnect sleeve.

Mechanical Splicing
Joining two fibers together by permanent or temporary mechanical means (vs. fusion splicing or connectors)

Megahertz (MHz)
A unit of frequency that is equal to one million cycles per second.

Meridional Ray
A ray that passes through the axis of a fiber while being internally reflected (in contrast with a skew ray) and is confined to a single plane.

Microbending Loss
In an optical fiber, loss caused by sharp curvatures involving local axial displacements of a few micrometers and spatial wavelengths of a few millimeters. Such bends may result from fiber coating, cabling, packaging, installation, etc.

Micron
A unit of length equal to one-millionth (10 E-6) of a meter (same as a micrometer).

Modal Dispersion
Pulse spreading due to multiple light rays traveling different distances and speeds through an optical fiber.

Mode
A stable condition of oscillation in a laser. A laser can operate in one mode (singlemode) or in many modes (multimode). The theoretical underpinnings are extremely complex; the main practical implications are in beam quality.

Mode Changing
In a optical fiber, the exchange of power among modes.

Mode Conditioning Patchcord
a duplex multimode cord that has a small length of singlemode fiber at the start of the transmission leg. The basic principle behind the cord is that you launch your laser into the small section of single mode fiber. The other end of the singlemode fiber is coupled to multimode section of the cable with the core offset from the center of the multimode fiber. The laser light thus misses the "dip" and this new launch condition more closely mimics a standard LED launch. The bonus is that you still retain the speed advantages of using a laser.

Mode Filter
A device to remove high order modes to simulate equilibrium mode distribution in a short length of optical fiber.

Mode Scrambler
A device for inducing mode coupling in an optical fiber.

Modulation
Coding of information onto the carrier frequency. This includes amplitude, frequency, or phase modulation techniques.

Monomode
See Singlemode

Multifiber Cable
In general usage, a fiber optic cable which containsmany fibers which transmit signals independently and are housed in separate substructures within the cable or otherwise isolated from one another. This term is usually not applied to bundles of fibers which together transmit single signal.

Multimode
An optical waveguide with a relatively much larger core (commonly 50 to 62.5 micron) than the singlemode waveguide core (2 to 9 microns) and which permits approximately 1000 modes to propagate through the core compared to only one mode through a singlemode fiber.

Multiplexer
A device which combines two or more separate signals for transmission through a single fiber. Optical multiplexers combine signals at different wavelengths. Electronic multiplexers combine signals electronically before being converted into optical form.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

N:

Nanometer
One-Billionth of a meter (10 E-9) (same as a millimicrometer).

Non-Silica Glasses
A glass in which the primary constituent is a material other than silica (silicon dioxide). The term is sometimes applied to mean non-oxide glasses, those which do not contain oxide compounds. In fiber optics, some of these materials are used for fibers transmitting mid-infrared wavelengths.

Numerical Aperture
NA The numerical aperture of an optical fiber defines a characteristic of the fiber in terms of it's acceptance of light. The "degree of openess", "light gathering ability" and "acceptance cone" are all terms describing this characteristic.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

O:

OFNP
Optical Fiber, Non-conductive, Plenum rated.

OFNR
Optical Fiber, Non-conductive, Riser rated.

OM1 Fiber Classification (FDDI)
OM1 is legacy (FDDI) grade fiber originally designed for use with LEDs and tend to be 62.5/125 types. OFL Bandwidth (LED) 850/1300nm (MHz.km) is 200 / 500.

OM2 Fiber Classification (50/125)
OM2 fibers enable maintenance and extension to existing 50/125 cabling. OFL Bandwidth (LED) 850/1300nm (MHz.km) is 500 / 500

OM3 Fiber Classification (10Gb/s)
OM3 fibers can support 10 Gb/s over 300 meters and are recommended for all new network builds for link distances up to 300 meters. OFL Bandwidth (LED) 850/1300nm (MHz.km) is 1500 / 500, and Effective Laser Launch Bandwidth at 850nm is 2000 mhz.km.

Optical Attenuation Meter (Attenuator)
Device which measures the loss or Attenuation of an optical fiber, fiber optic cable, or a fiber optic system. Measurements generally are made in decibels.

Optical Break
The breaking of an optical fiber in such a way which predictably produces flattened surfaces that are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the fiber. Sometimes referred to as a mirror-like surface across the entire end surface.

Optical Return Loss (ORL)
a reflection that travels down the fiber back to the source. In high speed systems this is undesirable because it can interfere with the transmission. Also referred to as “back reflection”.

Optical Time Domain Refectometer (OTDR)
A method for characterizing a fiber via an optical pulse transmitted through the fiber. The resulting backscatter and reflections are measured as a function of time. The OTDR is useful in measuring attenuation, in distance and identification of defects and other losses.

Output Power (LED)
Radiant power expressed in watts.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

P:

Patch Panel
Flat strip of material with adapters for interconnections. Generally 6, 8, or 12 per panel. See Rack Panels

Patchcord
A length of cable with connectors at both ends. Also known as jumpers.

PE
Abbreviation used to denote polyethylene. A type of plastic material used for outside plant cable jackets.

Photodiode
A diode designed to produce photocurrent by absorbing light. Photodiodes are used for the detection of optical power and for the conversion of optical power into electrical power.

Pigtail
A short length of optical fiber with one connector on one end and no connector on the other end.

Pin Photodiode
A semiconductor diode light detector in which a region of intrinsic silicon separates the p and n materials. It offers particularly fast response and is often used in optic systems.

Plastic Clad SiIica (PCS)
A step index optical fiber in which a silica core is covered by a transparent plastic cladding of lower refractive index that of the core. The plastic cladding is usually a soft material, although hard-clad versions have recently been introduced. Offers good radiation resistance.

Plastic Fibers
Optical fibers in which both core and cladding are made of plastic material. Typically their transmission is much poorer than that of glass fibers, and their lowest losses are in the visible region.

Plenum
An air-handling space such as that found above drop-ceiling tiles or in raised floors. Also, a fire code rating for indoor cable.

Polarization-Maintaining Fiber
A singlemode optical fiber which maintains the polarization of the light which entered it, normally by including some birefringence within the fiber itself. Normal singlemode fibers, and all other types, allow polarization to be scrambled in light transmitted through them.

Polishing
A step in the connectorization process that creates a flat even surface on the ferrule face. Quality is measured in terms of back reflection reduction. Also referred to as “finish”

Polyethylene (PE)
A type of plastic material used for outside plant cable jackets.

Polyvinyl-chloride (PVC)
A type of plastic material used for cable jacketing. Typically used in flame-retardant cables.

Pulse Dispersion (pulse spreading)
The separation or spreading of the input characteristics of the optical signal that appears along the length of the optical fiber and limits the useful transmission bandwidth of the fiber. Expressed in time and distance a nanoseconds per kilometer. Three basic mechanisms for dispersion are the material effect, the waveguide effect, and the multimode effect.

Pulse Suppressor
A launching fiber used to take up the unmeasurable beginning (dead zone) of an OTDR.

PVC
Abbreviation used to denote polyvinyl-chloride. A type of plastic material used for cable jacketing. Typically used in flame-retardant cables.

PVDF
Abbreviation used to denote polyvinyldiflouride. A type of material used for cable jacketing. Often used in plenum-rated cables.

Common Fiber Terms R-Z

Glossary of Common Fiber Optic Terms: F - L

2010-06-04T11:29:00.001-07:00

Common Fiber Terms A-E

Common Fiber Terms: F-L

F:

Fan-out
A multi-fiber cable constructed in a tight buffered tube design. At a termination point, cable fibers must be separated from the cable to their separate connection positions.

Ferrule
A component of fiber optic connections that holds a fiber in place and aids in it's alignment. It is the protruding portion of the connector, made of Ceramic, Stainless Steel, or Polymer, and is polished during the connection process to form a smooth finish.

Fiber Buffer
Material used to protect an optical fiber or cable from physical damage. providing mechanical isolation or protection. Fabrication techniques include both tight jacket, or loose tube buffering, as well as multiple buffer layers.

Fiber Optic Cable
A sub-assembly made up of several optical fibers incorporated into an assembly of organic materials arranged for providing the necessary tensile strength, external protection, and handling properties comparable to those of equivalent diameter coaxial cables.

Fiber Optics
The technique of conveying light or images through a particular configuration of glass or plastic fibers. Fiber optics can be categorized roughly into three groups: incoherent, coherent and specialties.

   1. Incoherent fiber optics will transmit light|like a pipe will water|but not an image.
   2. Coherent fiber optics can transmit an image through the perfectly aligned small (12 micron) clad optical fibers (image carrying).
   3. Specialty fiber optics combines some aspects of a and b.

Fiber Sensor
A sensing device in which the active sensing element is in an optical fiber or an element attached directly to an optical fiber. The quantity being measured changes the optical properties of the fiber in way that can be detected and measured. For example, pressure changes induced in a fiber by acoustics can change the amount of light transmitted by a fiber.

Field Installable (fiberoptics)
Nominally, a fiber optic splice or cable is field installable if it can be mounted by technicians working in the field without a lab-full of equipment at hand. Different manufacturers define the term differently.

Finish
Refers to the polish results on the end of the ferrule. Better the Finish, the less the back reflectance.

Frequency-Division Multiplexing
The combination of two or more signals at different frequencies so they can be transmitted as one signal. This can be done electronically, or it can be done optically by using two or more light sources of different wavelengths. The optical version is better known as wavelength division multiplexing.

Fresnel Relflection
Reflection losses that are incurred at the input and output faces of the fiber and are due to the difference in refractive index between the core glass and the immersion medium.

FTTH
“Fiber to the Home" FTTH is where fiber will be brought directly to the side of your home to support your cable TV, telephone service and internet needs. It looks much like the utility box that you currently have on the side of your home, only with fiber jumpers inside.

Furcation Tubing
A protective tubing used to protect exposed fiber. Commonly used in terminating multi-fiber cable or “fan out” situations.

Fusion splicer
A high precision piece of equipment that allows the user to 'melt' or fuse the ends of two optical fibers together to create one continous fiber. There is typically very low loss at this junction. Alignment of fibers can be by manual or automatic manipulation. The fusing takes place by electrical discharge between two electrodes.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

G:

Gigahertz (GHz)
A unit of frequency that is equal to one billion cycles per second.

Graded Index Fiber
An optical fiber in which the refractive index changes gradually between the core and cladding, in a way designed to refract light so it stays in the fiber core. Such fibers have lower dispersion and hence broader bandwidth than step-index fibers.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

H:

Hard-Clad Silica Fluid
A liquid with refractive index that matches that of the core or cladding of an optical fiber. It is used in coupling light into or out of optical fibers and can help in suppressing reflections at glass surfaces.

Hybrid Cable
A fiber optic cable containing two or more different types of fiber, such as 62.5um multimode and singlemode.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I:

Index Matching Gel
A gel material with an index of refraction close to that of glass that reduces reflections caused by refractive-index differences.

Index of refraction
The ratio of light velocity in a vacuum to its velocity in a given transmission medium.

Infrared
Those wavelengths that extend beyond 770 nanometers. Infrared is used extensively in the transmission of light through optical waveguides. These light wavelengths are invisible and harmful to the naked eye.

Insertion Loss
Total optical power loss caused by insertion of an optical component such as a connector, splice, or coupler into a previously continuous path.

Interconnect Sleeve
A mechanical media termination device designed to align and join fiber optic connectors, designed to be mounted on a panel. Often referred to as a coupling, bulkhead, or mating sleeve.

Interferometer Test
A test used to determine the quality of the ferrule surface using three measurements.

   1. The angle of the cut or radius on the end of a connector which determines actual back reflection values or characteristics.
   2. The undercut or protrusion of the fiber. This is measured against the ferrule end face determining how well the physical contact will be.
   3. The position of the fiber in relation to cut or curve, called the apex.

Intrinsic Joint Loss
Loss caused by fiber parameter (e.g.: core dimensions, profile parameter) mismatches when two non identical fibers are joined.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

J:

Jumper
A length of cable with connectors at both ends. Also known as patchcords.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

K:

Kevlar
Strands of aramid yarn used to provide strain relief in cable assemblies.

Kilometer (km)
One thousand meters, or approximately 3281 feet. The kilometer is a standard unit of length measurement in fiber optics. Conversion is 1 ft. = 0.3048
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

L:

LAN
A Local Area Network. A network which does not utilize outside telco company lines.

Large-Core Fiber
An optical fiber with a comparatively large core, usually a step-index type. Usually, 400 micrometers or more (see Step Index).

Laser
An acronym for Light Amplification by the Stimluated Emission of Radiation, applied to a wide range of devices which produce light by that principle. Compared other light sources, laser light covers a narrow range of wavelengths. tends to be coherent, and is emitted in a directional beam.

Launch Fiber
A fiber used in conjunction with a source to excite the modes of another fiber in a particular way. Launching fibers are most often used in test systems to improve the precision of measurements. See “Pulse Suppressor”

LED (Light-Emitting Diode)
A semiconductor device in which light is produced when current carriers combine at a p-n junction. The emission is spontaneous and there are no feedback mirrors, unlike diode lasers. Output is lower in power than from diode lasers, reflecting the use lower operating currents. Generally LEDs are less expensive than diode lasers, and can operate at shorter wavelengths without the rapid degradation that occurs with visible-wavelength diodes.

Loose Buffer Cable
Loose buffered designs Consist of a loose tube surrounding a coated fiber. It also includes a Kevlar? braid as the strength member for improved flexibility.

LSTTL (Low Power Schottky TTL)
Utilizes a diode-clamped transistor to lower power requirememts.

Common Fiber Terms M-P

Common Fiber Terms R-Z

Glossary of Common Fiber Optic Terms: A - E

2010-06-04T11:19:00.000-07:00

Common Fiber Terms: A-E

A:

A.T.C. (Automatic Threshold Control)
Electric control circuit which regulates the input current to an LED to prevent it from being overdriven.

Absorption Losses
Losses caused by impurities principally transition metals and neighboring elements (Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni), and also by water as well as intrinsic material absorption.

Acceptance Angle
Any angle measured from the longitudinal center line up to the maximum acceptance angle of an incident ray that will be accepted by the waveguide. The maximum acceptance angle is dependent on the indices of refraction of the two mediums.

Adapter
A mechanical media termination device designed to align and join fiber optic connectors. Often referred to as a coupling, bulkhead, or interconnect sleeve.

Angle on Incidence
The angle between an incident ray and the normal to a reflecting surface.

Aramid Yarn
Fibers, yellow, that provide cable tensile strength, support, and additional protection of the optical fiber bundles. KevlarÒ is a particular brand of aramid yarn. Often refered to as central strength member.

Armor
Protective material in cable made of corrugated steel.

ATM
A method of data multiplexing that can provide large, instantaneous bandwidths for busy traffic while permitting slow traffic to use that bandwidth between bursts. Very short, fixed-length packets or cells are used to transmit information. Its basic cell is 53 bytes long.

Attenuation
a measure of the decrease in energy transmission (loss of light) expressed in dB/Km. When in optical wave guides it is primarily due to absorption losses and scattering losses.

Avalanche photodiode (APD)
A type of semiconductor detector operated at high voltages. When incident light generates photoelectron from the material, the high voltage across the device accelerates the electron enough to cause avalanche of other electrons, effectively amplifying the signal. An avalanche photodiode could be seen as similar to a solid state photo-multiplier.

Axial Ray
A ray passing through the axis of the optical waveguide without any internal reflection.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

B:

Back Reflection
An undesirable characteristic in singlemode fiber transmission. Reflectance of light pulse back towards the transmitted source. Also referred to as Optical Return Loss (ORL).

Backscattering
See “Back Reflection”

Bandwidth
The capacity of an optical fiber to transmit information expressed in bits of information transmitted in a specific time period for a specific length of optical wave guide. (Usually expressed in megabits/sec./km.) Bandwidth is limited by pulse spreading or broadening due to dispersion, so that adjacent pulses overlap and cannot be distinguished. (see Pulse Dispersion)

Beamsplitter
A device which divides a beam of light passing through it into separate beams going in two different directions. Some types affect polarization of the beam, while others do not. Various splitting ratios are possible. (eg., 90-10, 70-30, 50-50, etc.)

Bend Radius
Maximum bend allowed before physical damage is incurred. Generally expressed for two conditions, loaded (under tensile load) or unloaded.

Bit
An electrical light pulse whose presence or absence indicates data. The capacity of the optical waveguide to transmit information through the waveguide without error is expressed in bits per second per unit length.

Bragg Gratings, Fiber
Fiber that is treated to back reflect a particular wavelength, called the Bragg Wavelenth. See technical notes: Fiber Bragg Gratings

Buffer
Material used to protect an optical fiber or cable from physical damage and providing mechanical isolation or protection. Fabrication techniques include both tight jacket, or loose tube buffering, as well as multiple buffer layers.

Bulkhead Attenuator
A mechanical media termination device designed to align and join fiber optic connectors, designed to be mounted on a panel, and that contains an attenuation device.

Bulkhead Connector
A mechanical media termination device designed to align and join fiber optic connectors, designed to be mounted on a panel. Often referred to as a coupling, bulkhead, interconnect or mating sleeve.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

C:

Card-Edge Connector
Designed for printed circuit boards for blind mating of connectors.

Central Member
The center component of a cable used to provide strength. Commonly referred to as “Central Strength Member”

Chromatic Dispersion
Spreading of a light pulse caused by the difference in refractive indices at different wavelengths.

Cladding
A low refractive index, glass or plastic that surrounds the core of a fiber. Optical cladding promotes total internal reflection for the propagation of light in a fiber.

Collimation
A process in which a divergent or convergent beam of radiation is converted into a beam with the minimum divergence as possible, preferably parallel.

Composite Cable
A cable containing both fiber and copper conductors.

Connector
A junction which allows users to connect / disconnect cables or devices.

Core
The light conducting portion of a fiber, defined by its high refraction index. The core is the center of a fiber, surrounded by concentric cladding of lower refractive index.

Core Eccentricity
A measure of the displacement of the center of the core relative to the cladding center.

Core Ellipticity (non-circularity
A measure of the departure of the core from roundness.

Coupler (fiber optic)
A coupler is a device which joins together three or more fiber ends, for example, splitting the signal from one fiber so it can be transmitted to two or more other fibers. Directional , star, and tee couplers are the most common varieties.

Coupling Loss
The power loss suffered when coupling light from one optical device to another.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

D:

Dark Current
The output current that a photodiode emits in the absence of light.

Data Link (fiber optic)
A fiber optic signal transmission system which carries information in digital or (sometimes) analog form. Usually this term refers to short-distance communications, spanning distances of less than a kilometer.

Data Rate
The maximum number of bits of information that can be transmitted per second, as in a data transmission link. Typically expressed as megabits per second (Mbps)

dBm
Decibels relative to one milliwatt. A positive number indicates the power is above one milliwatt; a negative number indicates the power is below. This unit has become common in fiber optic communication systems because the power of light sources used with optical fibers is on the order of one milliwatt.

Decibel
The standard unit used to express the ratio of two power 1evels. It is used in communications to express either a gain or loss in power between the input and output devices.

Demultiplexer
A device which separates two or more signals that have been multiplexed together for transmission through a single fiber. (See multiplexer.)

Detector
A transducer that provides an electrical output signal in response to an incident optical signal. The current is dependent on the amount of light received and the type of device.

Detector-Amplifier
A device in which an optical detector is packaged together with electronic amplification circuitry.

Dielectric
Non-metallic, and therefore, non-conductive. Glass fibers are considered dielectric. A dielectric cable contains no metallic components.

Diode Adapter Receptacle
Designed to house LED or PlN/APD diodes in a receptacle which allows the mating plug to position the fiber for an optimum coupling efficiency.

Directional Coupler (fiber optics)
A fiber coupler is directional if it preferentially transmits light in one direction.

Dispersion
Spread of the signal delay in an optical waveguide. It consists of various components: modal dispersion, material dispersion, and waveguide dispersion. As a result of its dispersion, an optical waveguide acts as a low-pass filter for the transmitted signals.

Divergence
The spreading out of a laser beam with Distance, measured as an angle.

Doppler Shift
A change in the wavelength of light caused by the motion of an object emitting (or reflecting) the light. Motion toward the observer causes a shift toward shorter wavelengths, while motion away causes a shift toward longer wavelegths.

Driver I.C
An amplifier in an integrated circuit used to increase signal current to the LED for greater transmission distance.

Duplex Cable (fiber optics)
A cable which contains two optical fibers in a single cable structure. Light is not coupled between the two fibers: typically one is used to transmit signals in one direction and the other used to transmit in the opposite direction.

Duplex Connector (Fiber optics)
A connector which simultaneously makes two connections, joining one pair of optical fibers with another.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

E:

E.C.L. (Emitted-Coupled Logic)
Method of data transmission which uses negative logic. -0.8V is "1" and -1.6V is "0".

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI)
The frequency spectrum of electromagnetic radiation extending from subsonic frequency to X-rays. This term should not be used instead of the term "RFI" (see RFI) (Shielding materials for the entire EMI spectrum are not readily available.)

EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse)
An extremely strong short lived magnetic field resulting from a nuclear explosion could cause a damaging magnetic field at a distance of 1500-3000 miles.

End Finish
Quality of the surface of an optical fiber's end, commonly described as mirror, mist, hackle, chipped, cracked or specified by final grit size in polishing. (1um, .3um, etc.). See “Polish”

End Separation Loss
The optical power loss of a fiber and source, detector or another fiber (see Frensel Reflection).

Extinction ratio
a performance standard measurement of polarization maintaining (PM) fiber. The measurement of light entering and exiting a fiber indicates how well the fiber maintains polarization.

Extrinsic joint Loss
Loss caused by imperfect alignment of fibers in a connector or splice. Contributors include angular misalignment, lateral offset, end separation and end finish. Generally synonymous with Insertion loss.

Common Fiber Terms F-L

Common Fiber Terms M-P

Common Fiber Terms R-Z

Vector Video Standards Chart

2010-06-03T14:51:00.000-07:00

Vector Video Standards Chart (click to enlarge)

Discount-Low-Voltage.com Press Release 5/24/10

2010-05-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

Other Press Releases:
Discount-Low-Voltage.com Press Release 5/7/10
Discount-Low-Voltage.com Press Release 4/30/10
Discount-Low-Voltage.com Press Release 4/12/10
Discount-Low-Voltage.com Press Release 3/17/10
Discount-Low-Voltage.com Press Release 3/12/10

Visit the Press Room for a complete list of Press Releases from Discount Low Voltatge

How To View Security System DVR with Your Cell Phone - iPhone - Blackberry

2010-05-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

In today's economy, theft is a rising concern for homeowners/business owners. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, there were an estimated 6.6 million (6,588,873) larceny-thefts nationwide in 2008. The loss to victims was nearly $6.1 billion. That's a $925 loss on average. Newer technology is helping us pave the way for a safer future, and cell phone's have played a crucial role. With advancements in DVR technology, it is now possible to view your security system remotely. Everfocus has introduced 2 new DVRs that support mobile viewing, the Paragon264 and ECOR264 series. Here's how you set up your DVR for mobile viewing:

1) The DVR must be accessible from the internet via the same process usually employed for DVR remote viewing:

a. the DVR IP configuration must be consistent with the local network

b. the router in the system must be configured to forward any traffic for the HTTP port used by the DVR to the IP address of the DVR. Please refer to the DVR User Guide for setting up the DVR network configuration.

2) In the Configuration Menu Network Setting Screen, the new option in the LAN setup "Enable Mobile Viewing" must be checked.

To view, launch the web browser on the mobile device or PC and enter the URL in the form:

http://ZZZ.ZZZ.ZZZ.ZZZ:PPPP/m/live.htm
or
http://dvrddnsname.everfocusddns.com/m/live.htm

where ZZZ.ZZZ.ZZZ.ZZZ is the IP address of the DVR

PPPP is the HTTP port used by the DVR

dvrddnsname is the DDNS name registered with the Everfocusddns.com server

You will be prompted for the login ID and password to access the DVR. Please remember that the ID is case sensitive and the password is numeric.

After entering the ID/Password, choose "OK" or "Log In" and you will see the live view screen. Click on a camera button to select that camera.

Everfocus H.264 DVR's are compatible with many different types of cell phones for remote viewing

Current Mobile Device Verified Compatibility *** (updated 8/3/10) ***

Apple iPhone on Safari
Apple iPhoneGS on Safari
Apple iPod Touch on Safari

T-Mobile/HTC Wing on Opera 10/Windows Mobil
T-Mobile/HTC MDA on Opera 10/Windows Mobil
T-Mobile/HTC HD2 on Opera 10/Windows Mobil
T-Mobile/HTC myTouch on Opera 10/Windows Mobil
T-Mobile/Google G1 on Included Browser

Motorola Droid on Included Browser
Motorola Droid X on Included Browser

Blackberry Bold on Included Browser
Blackberry Curve on Included Browser
Blackberry Tour on Included Browser
Blackberry 8220 on Included Browser
Blackberry 8300 on Included Browser
Blackberry 9000 on Included Browser

Samsung Jack on Opera Mobile 10/Windows Mobile 6.5

(Note: This may not be the complete list. This is just the ones we have verified that will work. If you have an older model DVR, you might be required to Upgrade Your Firmware for cell phone viewing on certain models.)

Related Posts:
Press Release - H.264 Compression Technology
Security Camera System Frames Per Second Comparison Video
How To Create a Low Budget CCTV System
Ideal SecuriTest Pro CCTV Camera Tester

10 Gigabit Ethernet Technology Overview

2010-05-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

10 Gigabit Ethernet Technology Overview

Executive Summary
From its origin more than 25 years ago, Ethernet has evolved to meet the increasing demands of packet-based networks. Due to its proven low implementation cost, reliability, and relative simplicity of installation and maintenance, Ethernet’s popularity has grown to the point that nearly all traffic on the Internet originates or terminates with an Ethernet connection. Further, as the demand for ever-faster network speeds has increased, Ethernet has been adapted to handle these higher speeds, as well as the surges in volume demand that accompany them. The IEEE 802.3ae* 2002 (10 Gigabit Ethernet standard) is different in some respects from earlier Ethernet standards in that it will only function over optical fiber, and only operates in fullduplex mode (collision-detection protocols are unnecessary). Ethernet can now progress to 10 gigabits per second while retaining its critical Ethernet properties, such as the packet format, and the current capabilities are easily transferable to the new standard.

The 10 Gigabit Ethernet Standard
The 10 Gigabit Ethernet standard extends the IEEE 802.3ae* standard protocols to a wire speed of 10 Gbps and expands the Ethernet application space to include WAN-compatible links. The 10 Gigabit Ethernet standard provides a significant increase in bandwidth while maintaining maximum compatibility with the installed base of 802.3 standard interfaces, protects previous investment in research and development, and retains the existing principles of network operation and management.

Under the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, Ethernet is fundamentally a Layer 1 and 2 protocol. 10 Gigabit Ethernet retains key Ethernet architecture, including the Media Access Control (MAC) protocol, the Ethernet frame format, and the minimum and maximum frame size. Just as Gigabit Ethernet, both 1000BASE-X and 1000BASE-T, followed the standard Ethernet model, 10 Gigabit Ethernet continues the evolution of Ethernet in speed and distance, while retaining the same Ethernet architecture used in other Ethernet specifications, except for one key ingredient. Since 10 Gigabit Ethernet is a full-duplex only technology, it does not need the carrier-sensing multiple-access with collision detection (CSMA/CD) protocol used in other Ethernet technologies. In every other respect, 10 Gigabit Ethernet matches the original Ethernet model. At the physical layer (Layer 1), an Ethernet physical layer device (PHY) connects the optical or copper media to the MAC layer through a connectivity technology (Figure 1). Ethernet architecture further divides the physical layer into three sublayers: Physical Medium Dependent (PMD), Physical Medium Attachment (PMA), and Physical Coding Sublayer (PCS). PMDs provide the physical connection and signaling to the medium; optical transceivers, for example, are PMDs. The PCS consists of coding (e.g., 64B/66B) and a serializer or multiplexor. The IEEE 802.3ae* standard defines two PHY types: the LAN PHY and the WAN PHY. They provide the same functionality, except the WAN PHY has an extended feature set in the PCS that enables connectivity with SONET STS-192c/SHD VC-4-64c networks.

10 Gigabit Ethernet in the Marketplace
Ethernet technology is currently the most deployed technology for high-performance LAN environments. Enterprises around the world have invested cabling, equipment, processes, and training in Ethernet. In addition, the ubiquity of Ethernet keeps its costs low, and with each deployment of next-generation Ethernet technology, deployment costs have trended downward. In networks today, the increase in worldwide network traffic is driving service providers, enterprise network managers and architects to look to faster network technologies to solve increased bandwidth demands. 10 Gigabit Ethernet has ten times the performance over Gigabit Ethernet today. With the addition of 10 Gigabit Ethernet to the Ethernet technology family, a LAN now can reach further distances and support even more bandwidth hungry applications. 10 Gigabit Ethernet also meets several criteria for efficient and effective high-speed network performance, which makes it a natural choice for expanding, extending, and upgrading existing Ethernet networks: A customer’s existing Ethernet infrastructure is easily interoperable with 10 Gigabit Ethernet. The new technology provides lower cost of ownership including both acquisition and support costs versus current alternative technologies. Using processes, protocols, and management tools already deployed in the management infrastructure, 10 Gigabit Ethernet draws on familiar management tools and a common skills base. Flexibility in network design with server, switch, and router connections. Multiple vendor sourcing of standards-based products provides proven interoperability. As 10 Gigabit Ethernet enters the market and equipment vendors deliver 10 Gigabit Ethernet network devices, the next step for enterprise and service provider networks is the combination of multi-gigabit bandwidth with intelligent services, which leads to scaled, intelligent, multi-gigabit networks with backbone and server connections ranging up to 10 Gbps. Convergence of voice and data networks running over Ethernet becomes a very real option. And, as TCP/IP incorporates enhanced services and features, such as packetized voice and video, the underlying Ethernet can also carry these services without modification. The 10 Gigabit Ethernet standard not only increases the speed of Ethernet to 10 Gbps, but also extends its interconnectivity and its operating distance up to 40 km. Like Gigabit Ethernet, the 10 Gigabit Ethernet standard (IEEE 802.3ae*) supports both singlemode and multimode fiber mediums. However, in 10 Gigabit, the distance for single-mode (SM) fiber has expanded from 5 km in Gigabit Ethernet to 40 km in 10 Gigabit Ethernet. The advantage of reaching new distances gives companies who manage their own LAN environments the option to extend their data center to a more cost-effective location up to 40 km away from their campuses. This also allows them to support multiple campus locations within the 40 km distance. As we have seen with previous versions of Ethernet, the cost for 10 Gbps communications has the potential to drop significantly with the development of 10 Gigabit Ethernet-based technologies. Compared to 10 Gbps telecommunications lasers, the 10 Gigabit Ethernet technology, as defined in the IEEE 802.3ae*, will be capable of using lower cost, non-cooled optics, and vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL), which can lower PMD device costs. In addition, an aggressive merchant chip market that provides highly integrated silicon solutions supports the industry.

Applications for 10 Gigabit Ethernet
Vendors and users generally agree that Ethernet is inexpensive, well understood, widely deployed and backwards compatible in today’s LAN networks. Today, a packet can leave a server on a short-haul optic Gigabit Ethernet port, move cross-country via a DWDM (dense-wave division multiplexing) network, and find its way down to a PC attached to a Gigabit copper port, all without any re-framing or protocol conversion. Ethernet is literally everywhere, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet maintains this seamless migration in functionality for any application in which Ethernet can be applied.

10 Gigabit Ethernet as a Fabric Interconnect
Fabric interconnects, whether they are for server area networks or storage area networks, have traditionally been the domain of dedicated, often proprietary, networks with relatively small user bases when compared to Ethernet. These server area networks include InfiniBand*, Servernet*, Myranet*, Wulfkit* and Quadrics* technologies, and offer excellent bandwidth and latency performance for very short-haul (generally less than 20 m) networks. However, with the exception of InfiniBand, these are proprietary networks that can be difficult to deploy and maintain due to the small number of experienced IT professionals familiar with the technology. The small volumes also result in higher costs for server adapters and switches. And, as with any proprietary solution, they are not interoperable with other technologies without the appropriate routers and switches.

In storage area networks, the lack of standards and a slew of interoperability problems plagued the early Fibre Channel deployments. However, these technologies also suffer similar problems as those seen by proprietary server area networks in that they are considered difficult to deploy due to lack of a skilled IT pool, are relatively expensive at the adapter and switch port, are still not directly interoperable with other network technologies without expensive routers or switching devices, and generally focus on short-haul deployments. 10 Gigabit Ethernet is in a position to replace these proprietary technologies as a next-generation interconnect for both server and storage-area networks for several reasons: 10 Gigabit Ethernet Offers the Necessary Bandwidth. In fact, InfiniBand and Fibre Channel will also begin mass deployments of 10 Gigabit technologies, indicating a convergence on 10 Gigabit throughput.

Cost-Saving Server Consolidation. 10 Gigabit Ethernet grants a single server the bandwidth needed to replace several servers that were doing different jobs. Centralization of management is also a major benefit of server consolidation. With a single powerful server, IT managers can monitor, manage, and tune servers and application resources from a single console, which saves time and maximizes IT resources. According to IDC, companies realize a seven-to-one savings in management when processes and servers are consolidated.† † IDC, Worldwide Server Consolidation Forecast, September 2002 Planned Growth of 10 Gigabit Network Features. For the first time ever, Ethernet can be a low-latency network due to RDMA (Remote Direct Memory Access) support, which is critical in the server-to-server communication typically associated with clustering and server area networks. In addition, the expected universal deployment of TOE (TCP/IP Offload Engine) technology in 10 Gigabit Ethernet adapters may make it extremely efficient on host systems with expected CPU utilization well below anything seen on today’s systems deploying Gigabit Ethernet. Due to the wide adoption rate of Ethernet, TOE technology will become extremely cost efficient compared to the lower volume, niche alternatives.

10 Gigabit Ethernet in Local Area Networks
Ethernet technology is already the most deployed technology for high-performance LAN environments. With the extension of 10 Gigabit Ethernet into the family of Ethernet technologies, LANs can provide better support the rising number of bandwidthhungry applications and reach greater distances. Similar to Gigabit Ethernet technology, the 10 Gigabit standard supports both single-mode and multimode fiber media. With links up to 40 km, 10 Gigabit Ethernet allows companies that manage their own LAN environments the ability to strategically choose the location of their data center and server farms – up to 40 km away from their campuses. This enables them to support multiple campus locations within that 40 km range (Figure 2). Within data centers, switch-to-switch

Figure 2: 10 Gigabit Ethernet use in expanded LAN environments.

Figure 3: Example of 10 Gigabit Ethernet use in a MAN.

applications, as well as switch-to-server applications, can be deployed over a more cost-effective, short-haul, multi-mode fiber medium to create 10 Gigabit Ethernet backbones that support the continuous growth of bandwidth-hungry applications. With 10 Gigabit backbones, companies can easily support Gigabit Ethernet connectivity in workstations and desktops with reduced network congestion, enabling greater implementation of bandwidth-intensive applications, such as streaming video, medical imaging, centralized applications, and high-end graphics. 10 Gigabit Ethernet also improves network latency, due to the speed of the link and over-provisioning bandwidth, to compensate for the bursty nature of data in enterprise applications. The bandwidth that 10 Gigabit backbones provide also enables the next generation of network applications. It can help make telemedicine, telecommuting, distance learning and interactive, digital videoconferencing everyday realities instead of remote future possibilities. And the fun stuff too, like HDTV, videoon-demand, or extreme Internet gaming. 10 Gigabit Ethernet enables enterprises to reduce network congestion, increase use of bandwidth-intensive applications, and make more strategic decisions about the location of their key networking assets by extending their LAN up to 40 km.

10 Gigabit Ethernet in Metropolitan and Storage Applications
Gigabit Ethernet is already being deployed as a backbone technology for dark fiber metropolitan networks. With appropriate 10 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, optical transceivers and singlemode fiber, network and Internet service providers will be able to build links reaching 40 km or more (Figure 3), encircling metropolitan areas with city-wide networks. 10 Gigabit Ethernet now enables cost-effective, high-speed infrastructure for both network attached storage (NAS) and storage area networks (SAN). Prior to the introduction of 10 Gigabit Ethernet, some industry observers maintained that Ethernet lacked sufficient horsepower to get the job done. 10 Gigabit Ethernet can now offer equivalent or superior data carrying capacity at latencies similar to many other storage networking technologies, including Fiber Channel, Ultra160 or 320 SCSI, ATM OC-3, OC-12, and OC-192, and HIPPI (High-Performance Parallel Interface). Gigabit Ethernet storage servers, tape libraries, and compute servers are already available; 10 Gigabit Ethernet end-point devices will soon appear on the market as well.

There are numerous applications for Gigabit Ethernet today, such as back-up and database mining. Some of the applications that will take advantage of 10 Gigabit Ethernet are:
- Business continuance/disaster recovery
- Remote back-up
- Storage on demand
- Streaming media

10 Gigabit Ethernet in Wide Area Networks

10 Gigabit Ethernet enables ISPs and NSPs to create very high speed links at a very low cost from co-located, carrier-class switches and routers to the optical equipment directly attached to the SONET/SDH cloud. 10 Gigabit Ethernet, with the WAN PHY, also allows the construction of WANs that connect geographically

dispersed LANs between campuses or points of presence (POPs) over existing SONET/SDH/TDM networks. 10 Gigabit Ethernet links between a service provider’s switch and a DWDM device or LTE (line termination equipment) might in fact be very short – less than 300 meters.

Using Fiber in 10 Gigabit Ethernet
The Physical-Media-Dependent Devices (PMDs) The IEEE 802.3ae* standard provides a physical layer that
supports specific link distances for fiber-optic media. To meet the distance objectives, four PMDs (physical-media-dependent devices) were selected (Table A). The task force selected:
- A 1310 nanometer serial PMD to support single-mode fiber a maximum distance of 10 km
- A 1550 nanometer serial PMD to support single-mode fiber a maximum distance of 40 km
- An 850 nanometer serial PMD to support multimode fiber a maximum distance of 300 meters
- A 1310 nanometer wide-wave division multiplexing (WWDM) PMD to support a maximum distance of 10 km on single-mode fiber, as well as a maximum distance of 300 meters on multimode fiber

Table A: PMDs that have been selected to meet the 803.2ae* standard’s distance objectives.

Table B: The multimode optical fiber options, as defined in the IEEE 802.3ae* standard.

Fiber
There are two types of optical fiber, multimode and singlemode fiber, that are currently used in data networking and telecommunications applications. The 10 Gigabit Ethernet technology, as defined in the IEEE 802.3ae* standard, supports both optical fiber types. However, the distances supported vary based on the type of fiber and wavelength (nm) is implemented in the application. In single-mode fiber applications, the IEEE 802.3ae standard supports 10 km with 1310 nm optical transmissions and 40 km with 1550 nm optical transmissions.
With multimode optical fiber, the distances are not as easily defined due to the variety of fiber types and the way each type is defined. Multimode fiber is commonly defined by the core and cladding diameters. For example, fiber with a core of 62.5 microns and a cladding diameter of 125 microns is referred to as 62.5/125micron fiber. The acceptance of multimode fiber in networks today dates back to the inclusion of 62.5/125 micron fiber into the Fiber Distribution Data Interface (FDDI) standard in the 1980s. The other portion that influences distance capabilities in multimode fiber is the fiber information carrying capacity (measured in MHz-km), which determines the distance and bit rate at which a system can operate (i.e., 1 Gbps or 10 Gbps). The distance a signal can run greatly decreases as transmission speed increases (Table B). When implementing multimode fiber for 10 Gigabit Ethernet applications, understanding the distance capabilities is a critical piece to the 10 Gigabit Ethernet solutions.

The Future of 10 Gigabit Ethernet:
Will There be Copper?
IEEE 802.3* has recently formed two new study groups to investigate 10 Gigabit Ethernet over copper cabling. The 10GBASE-CX4 study group is developing a standard for transmitting and receiving XAUI signals via a 4-pair twinax cable, commonly referred to as a 4x InfiniBand cable. The goal of the study group is to provide a standard for a low-cost inter-rack and rack-to-rack solution. It is expected to take about one year to develop a standard. The 10GBASE-T study group is developing a standard for the transmission and reception of 10 Gigabit Ethernet via a Category 5 or better unshielded twisted pair (UTP) copper cable up to 100 m. This effort is expected to take much longer than the 10GBASE-CX4 effort and current estimates are that the effort will complete sometime in late 2005 or early 2006.

Conclusion
Ethernet has withstood the test of time to become the most widely adopted networking technology in the world. With the rising dependency on networks and the increasing number of bandwidth-intensive applications, service providers seek higher capacity networking solutions that simplify and reduce the total cost of network connectivity, thus permitting profitable service differentiation, while maintaining very high levels of reliability. The
10 Gigabit Ethernet IEEE 802.3ae* 10 Gigabit Ethernet standard is proving to be a solid solution to network challenges. 10 Gigabit Ethernet is the natural evolution of the well-established IEEE 802.3* standard in speed and distance. In addition to increasing the line speed for enterprise networks, it extends Ethernet’s proven value set and economics to metropolitan and wide area networks by providing
- Potentially lowest total cost-of-ownership (infrastructure/operational/human capital)
- Straight-forward migration to higher performance levels
- Proven multi-vendor and installed-base interoperability (Plug and Play)
- Familiar network management feature set

An Ethernet-optimized infrastructure is taking place in the metropolitan area and many metropolitan areas are currently the focus of intense network development intending to deliver optical Ethernet services. 10 Gigabit Ethernet is on the roadmap of most switch, router and metropolitan optical system vendors to enable:

- Cost-effective, Gigabit-level connections between customer access gear and service provider POPs in native Ethernet format.
- Simple, high-speed, low-cost access to the metropolitan optical infrastructure.
- Metropolitan-based campus interconnection over dark fiber, targeting distances of 10 to 40 km.
- End-to-end optical networks with common management systems.

Glossary
Definitions
802.3ae – The IEEE standard for 10 Gigabit Ethernet
802.3ab – The IEEE standard for UTP Gigabit Ethernet (1000BASE-T)
802.3z – The IEEE standard for Gigabit Ethernet (1000BASE-X)
CoS – Class of Service
CWDM – Coarse-Wavelength Division Multiplexing
DWDM – Dense-Wavelength Division Multiplexing
Gbps – Gigabits per second or billion bits per second
IEEE – Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
IP – Internet Protocol
ISO – International Standards Organization
LAN – Local Area Network
MAC – Media Access Control
MAN – Metropolitan Area Network
Mbps – Megabits per second or million bits per second
MMF – Multimode Fiber
OC–X – Optical Carrier Level
PCS – Physical Coding Sublayer
PHY – Physical layer device
PMA – Physical Medium Attachment
PMD – Physical Medium Dependent
POP – Points of Presence
QoS – Quality of Service
RMON – Remote Monitoring
SDH – Synchronous Digital Hierarchy
SMF – Single-mode Fiber
SNMP – Simple Network Management Protocol
SONET – Synchronous Optical Network
Tbps – Terabits per second or trillion bits per second
TCP/IP – Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
TDM – Time Division Multiplexing
WAN – Wide Area Network
WDM – Wavelength Division Multiplexing
WIS – WAN Interface Sublayer
WWDM – Wide-Wavelength Division Multiplexing

Terms
Cladding – The material surrounding the core of an optical fiber. The cladding has a lower refractive index (faster speed) that is used to keep the light in the core. The cladding and core make up an optical waveguide.
Core – The central region of an optical fiber through which light is transmitted. It has a higher refractive index (slower speed) than the surrounding cladding.
Dense-Wave Division Multiplexing – Wavelengths are closely spaced, allowing more channels to be sent through one fiber. Currently, systems using 100 GHz spacing are deployed in the WAN environment. Overall wavelength range is typically between 1530 nm to 1560 nm. The minimum and maximum wavelengths are restricted by the wavelength dependent gain profile of optical amplifiers.
Media Access Control – The media access control sublayer provides a logical connection between the MAC clients of itself and its peer station. Its main responsibility is to initialize, control, and manage the connection with the peer station. The MAC layer of the 10 Gigabit protocol uses the same Ethernet address and frame formats as other speeds, and will operate in full-duplex mode. It will support a data rate of 10 Gbps using a pacing mechanism for rate adaptation when connected to a WAN-friendly PHY.
OC-192 – A speed of SONET interconnect with a payload rate of 9.584640 Gbps, primarily used in WAN environments.
Physical Coding Sublayer – Part of the PHY, the PCS sublayer is responsible for encoding the data stream from the MAC layer for transmission by the PHY layer and decoding the data stream received from the PHY layer for the MAC layer.
PHY – The physical layer device, a circuit block that includes a PMD (physical media dependent), a PMA (physical media attachment), and a PCS (physical coding sublayer).
PMD – Part of the PHY, the physical-media-dependent sublayer is responsible for signal transmission. The typical PMD functionality includes amplifier, modulation, and wave shaping. Different PMD devices may support different media.
WWDM – A technique used to effectively transmit several wavelengths (i.e., colors of light) from several laser sources through one fiber. Each laser source would be calibrated to send a unique optical wavelength (which are separated at the receiving end of the fiber).

Appendix A – Standards Activities
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) was founded to foster the development of standards in all fields of science and technology within the organization’s scope. A key principle throughout the standards process is consensus among the participants. The IEEE-SA (Standards Association) and its Standards Board oversee the process of standards formation through two committees. The New Standards Committee (NesCom) ensures that proposed standards fall within the IEEE’s scope, that they are assigned to the correct technical committees, and that the makeup of working groups, etc., fairly represents all interested parties. It also
examines Project Authorization Requests (PAR) and recommends to the IEEE-SA Standards Board whether to approve them. The second committee, the Standards Review Committee (RevCom), examines proposed new and revised standards, ensures that such proposals represent a consensus among the IEEE Sponsor balloting group members, and recommends standards to the Standards Board.

For further information on the IEEE standards process or the 10 Gigabit Ethernet technology, visit the following Web sites:
IEEE
IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee
IEEE 802.3 CSMA/CD (ETHERNET)
IEEE P802.3ae 10Gb/s Ethernet Task Force
http://standards.ieee.org/resources/glance.html
10 Gigabit Ethernet Alliance (10GEA)
www.10gea.org

This article was written by Intel Corporation
To see the original PDF, visit http://www.intel.com/network/connectivity/resources/doc_library/white_papers/pro10gbe_lr_sa_wp.pdf

Discount-Low-Voltage.com Press Release 5/7/10

2010-05-07T13:44:00.000-07:00

Pre Terminated Fiber Optic Cable

Related Posts:
Discount-Low-Voltage.com Press Release 4/30/10
Discount-Low-Voltage.com Press Release 3/17/10
Discount-Low-Voltage.com Press Release 3/12/10

Discount-Low-Voltage.com Press Release 4/30/10

2010-05-06T09:23:00.000-07:00

How To Create a Low Budget CCTV Security Camera System: GoArticles.com

2010-05-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

This article is published at GoArticles.com
Click the link below for How To Create a Low Budget CCTV Security Camera System: GoArticles.com

Items Talked About:
Security Camera - Color Mini Dome Camera
Digital Video Recorder (DVR) - ECOR 4 Channel DVR
Monitor - CCTV Monitor
Security Camera Cable - Security Camera Cable
Power Supply - Single Camera Power Supply

How To Terminate Unicam LC Fiber Connectors Video

2010-04-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

Corning UniCam LC Connectors are a great solution for any fiber installer. Their ease of use make them ideal for beginners and professionals alike. Besides Pre-Terminated fiber optic cable, these connectors are the next easiest solution. Traditional fiber connectors required a multitude of tools and what seemed like an endless amount of steps required to finish just 1 strand of fiber. The UniCam connectors require only 2 minutes per strand, saving you in overall labor costs. Let's take a look at the video: How To Terminate Corning UniCam LC Fiber Connectors

Check out the other labor saving fiber optic connectors we offer by AFL Telecommunications: FAST Fiber Optic Connectors

The FAST fiber connectors from AFL Telecommunications are similar to the UniCam connectors, but actually require fewer steps. Available in ST, SC and LC models, with options for 62.5/125, 50/125, Singlemode, or 10G Laser Optimized 50/125 fibers. To order any of these products, click the links above or visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com/Fiber

Other How To Videos for Corning Connectors:
How To Terminate Unicam ST Fiber Connectors
How To Terminate Unicam SC Fiber Connectors

Related Fiber Optic Posts:
How To Build an Inexpensive Wall Mount Fiber Box
What's the Difference Between Loose Tube Fiber and Tight Buffer Fiber
FAST Fiber Connector FAQ

How To Install Fiber Optic Fan Out Kit

Greenlee GL-UT2 Ultra Tugger 2 Cable Puller Video

2010-04-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

Let's take a look at what the Ultra Tugger Cable Puller from Greenlee has to offer. Enjoy

GL-UT2 Ultra Tugger Cable Puller

For more details, contact us at (888) 797-3697 or visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com/Info

Ideal SecuriTEST PRO CCTV Security Tester Video

2010-04-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

New product offered at Discount-Low-Voltage.com
The SecuriTEST Pro by Ideal Industries is a great security camera test monitor. It can do things most testers only dream about. Let's take a look at what that is. Enjoy

Ideal SecuriTEST Pro Video

For full product features, description and user manuals, visit the SecuriTEST Pro webpage.

Related CCTV Posts:
Everfocus CCTV Test Monitor Kit
DVR Frames Per Second Comparison Video
CCTV Glossary of Common Terms and Definitions
Smoke Detector Spy Security Camera

Discount-Low-Voltage.com Press Release 4/12/10

2010-04-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

Other Press Releases:
Discount-Low-Voltage.com Press Release 5/24/10
Discount-Low-Voltage.com Press Release 5/7/10
Discount-Low-Voltage.com Press Release 4/30/10
Discount-Low-Voltage.com Press Release 3/17/10
Discount-Low-Voltage.com Press Release 3/12/10

Visit the Press Room for a complete list of Press Releases from Discount Low Voltatge

How To Make Fiber Optic Patch Cables... Kinda

2010-04-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

Times are tough these days, which is why many people are looking to save a few dollars any way they can. A couple weeks ago we made a video showing you How To Build an Inexpensive Wall Mount Fiber Box. We've already had quite a few customers thank us for that cost saving solution. Today, let's talk about making your own fiber optic patch cables.

Seems like just about everyone in the low voltage industry has made their own ethernet cat5e/cat6 cables at least once in their life (me included). And I'm sure you have too. So your thinking, those are really easy and only take a few minutes, why don't I just start making my own fiber cables. Unfortunately, were not comparing apples to apples here. Making your own fiber cables CAN be an easy process, but it's not very economical. I'm talking about the FAST fiber connectors from AFL Telecommunications. Although these connectors require only a couple minutes per strand to complete, they are much pricier than regular connectors and still require a couple expensive tools. It wouldn't make sense to buy these unless you already had the tools and did fiber terminations regularly. Even then, the cost of the connectors make this an expensive way to make fiber jumpers. If this is still something your interested in, watch the video below.

The other option for making fiber cables would be epoxy fiber connectors. These connectors have been around for quite a while now and are fairly inexpensive. The problem with these connectors is the amount of time involved in terminating them. In addition, you still need all the tools and testing equipment to get the job done. Well, I though you were going to show us how to make fiber jumpers? That's where the "kinda" comes in. Watch the video below for a brief explanation on making fiber cables, but when it comes down to it, buying pre-made fiber cables is the way to go. You can order them in any length you need, with any type of fiber, and any type of connector. If you need more than 2 strands of fiber, or plan on using them for a long distance, I would recommend Pre-Terminated Fiber Optic Cable. Pre Terminated fiber assemblies are just like the fiber jumpers, but can be pulled long distances and are much more durable. To order any of the products talked about in this article, simply click the links above or visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com.

How To Make Fiber Patch Cords... Kinda

We hope you enjoyed the video. To follow the Discount-Low-Voltage.com Blog, simply click the "Follow" link on the right hand side of the page.

Want more to see more Fiber Friday articles? Check out the others here:
April 2, 2010 - How To Terminate Unicam SC Fiber Connectors
March 26, 2010 - How To Terminate Unicam ST Fiber Connectors
March 12, 2010 - How To Install Fiber Optic Fan Out Kit
February 12, 2010 - Loose Tuber Fiber Vs. Tight Buffer Fiber
February 5, 2010 - FAST Fiber Connector FAQ

New Videos - Bulk Cat5e Cable at Discount-Low-Voltage.com

2010-04-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

Check out the new product videos we did on Bulk Cat5e cable and Cat5e Shielded cable. The cat5e cable comes in 1,000ft pull boxes and features the Reelex cone inside. These Reelex boxes reduce tangles while pulling cable, which increases your productivity. The shielded cat5e cable comes on a durable wooden spool. For more information on both products, click the links above or visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com.

Bulk Cat5e Cable Video

Bulk Cat5e Shielded Cable

Copper Hits 20-Month High on Signs Economy Will Help Demand

2010-04-06T09:57:00.000-07:00

Copper prices are at their highest levels since August 2008 after signs the economy is turning around. A government report shows US employers added the most jobs in three years, adding to the positive outlook for raw-materials demand. Copper is currently at $3.60, after a $0.07 increase in the first few hours after markets re-open from the holiday on Monday.

- Employment in the U.S. rose by 162,000 jobs last month, the most since March 2007
- Copper has surged 82% in the past 12 months as the economic recovery raised demand from builders and manufacturers
- Copper gained 8.2% in March, the biggest monthly increase since July
- The construction industry is the biggest user of copper. We could see some dramatic price increases once new home sales are on the rise again

1 month ago, copper price was at $3.39

2 months ago, copper price was at $2.86

6 months ago, copper price was at $2.76

1 year ago, copper price was at $1.90

5 years ago, copper price was at $1.58

How To Terminate Unicam SC Fiber Connectors

2010-04-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

Corning UniCam SC Connectors are a great solution for any fiber installer. Their ease of use make them ideal for beginners and professionals alike. Besides Pre-Terminated fiber optic cable, these connectors are the next easiest solution. Traditional fiber connectors required a multitude of tools and what seemed like an endless amount of steps required to finish just 1 strand of fiber. The UniCam connectors require only 2 minutes per strand, saving you in overall labor costs. Let's take a look at the video: How To Terminate Corning UniCam SC Fiber Connectors

Check out the other labor saving fiber optic connectors we offer by AFL Telecommunications: FAST Fiber Optic Connectors

The FAST fiber connectors from AFL Telecommunications are similar to the UniCam connectors, but actually require fewer steps. Available in ST, SC and LC models, with options for 62.5/125, 50/125, Singlemode, or 10G Laser Optimized 50/125 fibers. To order any of these products, click the links above or visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com/Fiber

Related Fiber Optic Posts:
How To Build an Inexpensive Wall Mount Fiber Box
FAST Fiber Connector FAQ
How To Install Fiber Optic Fan Out Kit
What's the Difference Between Loose Tube Fiber and Tight Buffer Fiber

Belden 1532A Direct Burial RG6 Coax Cable Video

2010-03-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

As always, we've been busy making product videos for you. Today's video features a direct burial RG6 cable by Belden. This RG6 coax cable is used primarily for CATV installations, and is perfect if you have a satellite dish in your backyard, or anywhere not attached to the house. You can order this cable in 250ft, 500ft, 750ft or 1,000ft. To order, click the link above or visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com

Belden Part # 1532A

How To Terminate Unicam ST Fiber Connectors

2010-03-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

Corning UniCam ST Connectors are a great solution for any fiber installer. Their ease of use make them ideal for beginners and professionals alike. Besides Pre-Terminated fiber optic cable, these connectors are the next easiest solution. Traditional fiber connectors required a multitude of tools and what seemed like an endless amount of steps required to finish just 1 strand of fiber. The UniCam connectors require only 2 minutes per strand, saving you in overall labor costs. Let's take a look at the video: How To Terminate Corning UniCam ST Fiber Connectors

Check out the other labor saving fiber optic connectors we offer by AFL Telecommunications: FAST Fiber Optic Connectors

The FAST fiber connectors from AFL Telecommunications are similar to the UniCam connectors, but actually require fewer steps. Available in ST, SC and LC models, with options for 62.5/125, 50/125, Singlemode, or 10G Laser Optimized 50/125 fibers. To order any of these products, click the links above or visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com/Fiber

Related Fiber Optic Posts:
How To Build an Inexpensive Wall Mount Fiber Box
What's the Difference Between Loose Tube Fiber and Tight Buffer Fiber
FAST Fiber Connector FAQ
How To Install Fiber Optic Fan Out Kit

100 Pair Cat3 Telephone Cable Video

2010-03-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

Here's our 100 pair category 3 telephone cable for indoor use. This cable is cut per foot, so you can order any length between 1 and 1,000 feet. We also have it available with a plenum rated jacket, for use in air handling spaces in accordance with Fire & Safety Code. Smaller pair counts are available online, as low as 4 pairs. If you need more than 100 pair cable, please contact us for a quote.

To order, click the link above or visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com

Related Posts:
How 100 Pair Low Voltage Cable is Made
25 Pair Cat3 Telephone Cable Video
25 Pair Color Code Chart
100 Pair PE22 Aerial Telephone Cable

How To Crimp RG6 F-Connectors - Instructional Video

2010-03-24T11:46:00.001-07:00

Let's take a look at how to use crimp on F-connectors for RG6 coax cable.

To order, visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com/CoaxConnectors

Other "How To" Blog Posts:
How To Punch Down Cat5e/Cat6 Data Keystone Jacks
How To Build a Wall Mount Fiber Box on a Budget
How To Make an Ethernet Cat5e/Cat6 Patch Cord
Pulling Fiber Optic Cable
How To Terminate Cat6a Shielded Keystone Jacks

100 Pair Aerial Telephone Cable Video

2010-03-23T10:24:00.000-07:00

100 Pair Aerial/Duct Category 3 Telephone Cable for Outdoor Use

Let's take a look at what the 100 pair aerial telephone cable looks like. As you can see, this is a very thick and strong cable, with an outside diameter of 0.88". The 24AWG durable black jacket us UV and weather resistant. Underneath the jacket is a corrugated 0.008" aluminum tape and plastic coating for superior protection.

Features:
- USA Made
- General Cable part # 7527161
- 100 Pair
- 24 AWG (American Wire Gauge)
- PE22 Rated for Aerial/Duct
- UV Resistant Jacket
- Corrugated Aluminum Tape

Note: We recommend using a PE89 cable for direct burial use. The PE89 features a water blocking gel for supreme protection against the elements.

To order, click the link above, or visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com

How To Build a Cheap Wall Mount Fiber Box

2010-03-19T13:56:00.000-07:00

So your installing fiber optic cable and don't want to spend $80+ on a wall mount fiber box enclosure. Let's say all you have is 6 strands of fiber your working with, or even less, maybe a 4 strand fiber. Or maybe it's going inside a closet where it wont be seen. No matter what the case, we have the perfect solution. A 6-port surface mount box. These are generally used for voice and data installations, but double perfectly as a wall mount fiber box at a fraction of the cost. Typically, savings will be between $75-$95, depending on the box. Let's take a look at what you need for a typical 6 strand fiber install. If your only using 4 strands, just change the quantity on the ST couplers and F-Connector inserts to 4. We still recommend using a 6 port box due to the size and cable distribution posts to wrap the fiber around.

What You Need:
Qty 1 - 6 Port Surface Box
Qty 6 - ST Coupler
Qty 6 - F-Connector Insert

Assembly is quick and only requires about 5-10 minutes. In this video, Mercy shows you what this all looks like. Enjoy

To order, simply click the links above, or visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com

Still have questions? Give us a call at (888) 797-3697

Want to make your fiber optic cable install even easier? Check out our Pre-Terminated Fiber Optic Cable Assemblies. These assemblies come ready to pull, in any length, with whatever connectors you need. Saves you from having to buy all those expensive fiber tools and comes with test results.

We hope this article on How To Build a Cheap Wall Mount Fiber Box helped you save some money. Were always interested in hearing about your ideas. If you have any tips or tricks on cost saving ideas, leave a comment below, we'd love to hear about them.

CCTV Test Monitor Kit Video - Everfocus EN220

2010-03-18T14:47:00.000-07:00

The Everfocus EN220 cctv test monitor kit is ideal for focusing and adjusting cctv security cameras. This 5.6" LCD monitor is portable and includes a neck strap for hands free use. In today's video, Mercy shows you what to expect when you order the EN220. Enjoy

For full product details, or to order, visit the CCTV Monitor Test Kit page.

Ever used the Everfocus EN220? We're always interested in hearing about your experience with our products. Leave us a comment below or email me and tell me how it went. Maybe we'll put your testimonial on the website. Or better yet, send us some pictures of an awsome install you just finished. We always like putting together "Customer Installations" blogs. Send all pictures to k.atkins@discount-low-voltage.com. Your feedback is always appreciated.

Related Posts:
Featured Product - Everfocus EN220 CCTV Monitor Kit
Smoke Detector Spy Camera Video
CCTV Glossary of Common Terms and Definitions
DVR Frames Per Second (FPS) Comparison Video

Discount-Low-Voltage.com Press Release 3/17/10

2010-03-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

New "Discount-Low-Voltage.com" Youtube Channel Spreads Product Knowledge, and Awareness For Industry Members.

Discount-Low-Voltage.com Press Release 3/12/2010

2010-03-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

3/12/2010 Low End Communications Cable Safety Hazard

Wall Mount Swing Out Data Rack Video

2010-03-16T12:22:00.000-07:00

In today's product demo video, we take a look at what the 2ft wall mount swing rack looks like fully assembled. Then we'll take you to the job site of a customer installing one. These swing out racks are manufactured by Damac products right here in California. For full product details, visit Wall Mount Swing Racks

St. Patrick's Day Sale - 15% Off

2010-03-15T17:54:00.000-07:00

How to Install Fiber Optic Fan out Kit

2010-03-12T08:42:00.000-08:00

This week, Mercy demonstrates how to install a fan out kit on fiber optic cable. Enjoy

Some other post you might be interested in:
What's the Difference between Loose Tube and Tight Buffer Fiber?
Instructions on Pulling Fiber Optic Cable
Video - How To Terminate Fiber Optic Cable Using AFL FAST Connectors
Video - Armored Fiber Optic Cable Video
Video - 6 Strand Tight Buffer