Running fiber to the top of the cell tower? Be careful.

I knew this was a dangerous job but the part that really bothered me is the lack of safety and big companies trying to keep their hands clean when someone dies.

Watch Cell Tower Deaths on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.

Please be extra careful and rushing to meet a deadline is never worth risking your life.

How to Test an HDMI Cable?

Recently we had a contractor customer ask us, "What do you have for testing HDMI cables?" I then asked if he was making his own and if so I have a tester in mind but he had a couple of concerns. The first was that the end user provided the cable and wanted to make sure the cable worked properly since if there was a problem the customer may point the finger to him and not the cable. Second being that the cable was going to be pulled through a conduit and he wanted to make sure that the connectors were not damaged during the pull.

We recommended the Greenlee Data Shark HDMI Cable Tester.



The Greenlee DataShark HDMI cable tester can test for proper continuity before installation. Also a great diagnostic tool for checking cables already installed. The 1 piece design splits into 2 pieces a transmitter and receiver. The 9 LED readout is easy and very fast to read.

The contractor checked it out and for the price, it was well worth putting another tester into his collection.



"By Mercy Salinas"

Easy way to clean ST, SC fiber connectors and adapters

One of the most over looked part of a fiber optic network installation is the cleaning. I know it's one of the smallest parts of the overall install, it's inexpensive and not sexy but what do the facts say about fiber optic cleaning.

• Proper cleaning saves money – by eliminating service calls caused by dirty connectors
• Clean connectors maximize the performance of the network and reduce repair cost
• Proper cleaning extends the life of connects and reduces replacement costs
• Dirty connectors cause a major percentage of fiber optic network failures
• Prevention is simple – Clean Connectors!
• Cleaning Saves Time and Money!

For keeping your connectors and adapters clean you have several options available and you might be asking yourself what's my best option? That question seems to be an installer preference but one of those preferences that network professionals commonly use is the AFL one click cleaner.



The AFL one click cleaner is designed to be extremely easy to use for connectors, patch jumpers and adapters. Simply push the cleaner until a click is heard. Your push sends a fiber optic grade cleaning tape into action ensuring your fiber optic end face is effectively and gently cleaned. Excellent choice for field technicians and small enough to fit in your shirt pocket.

Questions? Contact Mercy Salinas at 888-797-3697 extension 232.

"By Mercy Salinas"

Running fiber to the antenna (FTTA)? Need help?

Contractors are realizing that fiber optic fed architectures are rapidly becoming the new norm for new tower builds and retrofits. This fiber solution is viewed by the industry as the best solution to support current demand, save energy and leave a smaller footprint.

Why now? This transition from traditional coax cables to fiber has been pushed by radio cell sizes becoming smaller due to increasing data rates, higher transmission frequencies and increased volume of data. In the figure below notice how the GSM system is at a lower frequency and new systems operate at a higher frequency.

With new systems like 4G the propagation losses increases with the square of the frequency, meaning that smaller radio cells are needed for equivalent network coverage. Number of antennas and base stations now increase.

Now that more and more antennas are being installed the traditional coaxial cable system has its limitations. These cables are limited to less than fifty meters and are very prone to losses that can hurt cell phone coverage. With a FTTA installation the electronics are taken from the base and are located at a remote radio head (RRH) by the antenna then is linked to the base using fiber cable. Your typical data rates are one Gigabit per second base to remote radio head.

Network operators also view FTTA as an excellent way to reduce capital and operating expenditures.

* Less or no additional space required for installation
* Less power provision and lower power amplification required
* Lower acquisition cost
* Simple system install
* Up to 40% less power consumption
* Lower rental cost of telecom and antenna cost

The most common way to install your fiber optic cable is to home run the cable. Many installations will use a pre-terminated solution saving on installation time and labor.


Next to the RRH Corning has a product called a remote radio distribution terminal that allows you to keep not only the signal but also the power organized in a clean weatherproof rated environment.

At the base your traditional 19 inch rack mountable enclosure can be used to hold your fiber cable.

If your looking for durability you might also consider a environmental distribution center as a demarcation point.


Now that you have a better understanding of the need for FTTA and what materials are used don't forget to recycle that old coaxial cable.

Please comment if you have any questions or you may contact Mercy Salinas at 888-797-3697 extension 232.

"By Mercy Salinas"

Fiber Optic Cable Cleaver Tool Overview

The CT-10A fiber optic cleaver provides high quality cleaving at an economical price. Designed for cleaving single fiber only, this cleaver is best suited for the installation of field installable connectors and mechanical splices. The rugged yet scaled-down design offer cleave quality approaching that of more expensive high precision cleavers. The long-life, 16-position fat diamond blade is easily replaced by the end user and performs cleaving operation in one single step. An optional scrap collector can be purchased separately.





• Dedicated for single fiber cleaving
• User replaceable flat diamond blade
• Simple and single-step operation
• Blade life up to 64,000 cleaves
• Compact and light weight
• Detachable fiber scrap collector FC-03 available as option


Applicable Fiber: Conventional silica optical fiber
Fiber Count: Single fiber
Coating Diameter: 250µm to 900µm
Cladding Diameter: 125µm
Cleave Length:
6 to 20 mm (with AD-10 & coating = 250µm)
8 to 20mm (with AD-10 & coating > 250µm)
10mm (with FH-50/60 fiber holders)
Cleave Angle: Capability Typically 0.5˚
Dimensions: (W x D x H) 71mm x 88mm x 48mm (2.8" x 3.5" x 1.9")
Weight: 220g (0.48 lbs)


For more information on termination fiber optic cable and connectors you may contact Mercy Salinas at 888-797-3697 extension 232 or comment below! 


"Author: Mercy Salinas"