What is and What Size is your Fiber Optic Cable Buffer

Yes, there are two different sizes to your fiber optic cable buffer but before we do a comparison of the two sizes I want to talk about why there's two and what fiber cable construction type is associated with one or the other.

The first fiber cable construction I want to talk about is "Loose Tube". These cables are mostly installed in outdoor only installations. Such as direct burial, pole to pole and anywhere else where most if not all the cable is outdoors. This cable construction is more durable and offers a higher pulling tension. I recently talked with AFL and I wanted to know what the life expectancy is for this type of cable construction and they mentioned that it all depends on the environment but a good estimate is 30 years.

Let's take a look at a loose tube cable from our YouTube channel.   



Another easy way to tell if you have a loose tube fiber optic cable is to read the print on the cable jacket and many cables will have the letters LT on it letting you know it's a loose tube, this cable construction always has a 250um size buffer. I say always because I've been selling fiber since 1999 and I don't remember ever seeing a loose tube with a 900um size buffer. Just makes sense, with a smaller size you can get more strands in a smaller tube hence the 250um size.

So that leads us to the 900um size buffer. This size is commonly found with a distribution cable construction. This is most commonly installed in underground conduits for building to building installations and indoors for riser and plenum installations. It has a smaller diameter, more flexible, lighter and overall just more pleasant to work with. Let's get a look at a distribution cable.



Now that you have a better feel for what size buffer you have before even stripping the jacket let's get a look at what these two sizes look like to the naked eye.



That was a great comparison of the two sizes that are involved with your fiber optic cable. As you can tell after stripping the buffer off the cladding the cladding size is the same, the 125um size. If you're asking yourself what is under the 125um size you then have what's called the cladding and then your core. The core is where your signal is transmitted. For Multimode your core size will be either 62.5 or 50.0 and for singlemode, it'll be 9.0.

Questions please comment below and to order online visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com

Why the Information Technology Industry SUCKS!

Wow! I found this guy named Archie on YouTube and his view about the IT industry is a one I've heard from many different IT managers. Take a listen, this guy is a real character and I do love characters!

  

I think Archie is a real good guy and he just got involved in some unfortunate situations.

Comment below, thanks.

"by Mercy Salinas"

MTP fiber cable assembly to what kind of LC connectors?

Here we go again, changing things when a traditional LC connector worked just fine, or did it? Over the past couple of years the convenience of a small footprint by the LC connector has been evolving due to manufactures battling for your data center dollars. Let's quickly go over the different types of connectors.

1) LC Traditional Duplex - This has been the most popular LC duplex connector since the dawn of time. A simple yet effective design by tightly holding 2 individual strands of terminated LC simplex connectors. A small clip is used to hold the connectors together and also offers a press down tab to easily remove the connectors from the port. Can you remove the small clip? Sure, but it's a chore and you'll destroy it.

2)  LC AFOP Duplex - The AFOP LC duplex has almost everything in common as your LC traditional duplex but the connectors are easily removed and reattached. If your in a busy closet you might have to move single a strand around, especially in an emergency or maybe reverse the polarity. A small clip is used to hold the connectors together, also offers a press down tab to easily remove the connectors from the port and has openings on the sides to allow you to separate the connectors and put them back together.

3) LC Generic UNIBOOT - The LC connector portion of the UNIBOOT is similar to the LC traditional duplex connector, but the main difference is that you have 2 strands of fiber now in one jacket. Since your now saving space in your cable raceway you can add more cables in the same size raceway or save on cost by installing a smaller raceway. This is an excellent choice for high density applications.

4) LC SANWA UNIBOOT - This connector is named after the the manufacture SANWA and truthfully after playing with this connector vs. the generic UNIBOOT I can't tell the difference, until I grabbed an additional tool that cracks this connector open. After opening it you can reverse the polarity easily! Check the video out. I've also seen this connector specified on many Verizon projects.

5) LC UNIVERSAL - This connector is a proprietary connector. Accepts the traditional size LC connector but also accepts the "MINI LC" for small footprint mini SFP (mSFP) ports. I thought the LC connector was small enough already but space is money. Currently these "High Density MINI LC" connectors are commonly installed and designed to work with Brocade's FC8-64 high density 64 port blade.

You'll probably want to save this post somewhere, I wrote it so I have it saved. If you check the rest of this blog out it's hard to keep track of everything going on out there, I can't remember it all. Don't forget to follow me on GOOGLE PLUS thanks!

"By Mercy Salinas"

Information Technology Tip Tuesday - Best WiFi Sniffer

Check out one of my favorite WiFi sniffers so you can find out what and where your Wireless Access Points are located. Here's that link WiFi Sniffer

The above video shows off how cool Metageek products are.

Don't forget to comment! Thanks!

"By Mercy Salinas"

Information Technology Tip Tuesday - Smart Machines replacing humans

Gartner has a cool read on the future of smart machines replacing the middle class workforce and how CIOs should review policy to help avoid a increase in national unemployment.

Here's a link to the Smart Machines Replacing Humans article by Gartner.

This reminded me of that Twilight Zone episode called a thing about machines.



I hope you stay employed. Comment below, thanks!

GPON, what is it and why install it?

A Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) is a point-to-multipoint, fiber to the premises network architecture in which unpowered optical splitters are used to enable a single strand of fiber to serve multiple premises, typically 16 to 128. A PON consists of an optical line terminal at the service provider's central office and a number of optical fiber network units near end users. A PON reduces the amount of fiber and central office equipment required compared with point-to-point architectures. A passive optical network is a form of fiber-optic access network.

Downstream signals are broadcast to all premises sharing multiple fibers. Encryption can prevent eavesdropping.

Let's take a quick look at why you'd install GPON. This Tellabs Passive Optical LAN video using GPON technology at the Department of Energy Sandia Lab in New Mexico gives us a good feel for the benefits.



Looks like it's time to redesign the network again. Maybe for the last time.

"By Mercy Salinas"

DS3 734 coaxial cable for the central office? For who, for what?

I guess we can start by talking about how Digital Signal Level 3 comes out to 28 T-1 lines or about 43 to 45 Mbps upstream/downstream speeds, you can also handle 672 voice conversations simultaneously. You'll usually see a DS3 coax cable installed in the last mile of the long haul.

Where is this cable installed? Could be companies who host high traffic websites, government offices, schools or a location might have a DS3 on the back end just for a "as needed" basis.

DS3 interconnect coaxial cable should always be a 75ohm cable. A 50ohm can be used but you'll have lower performance and depending on the length of the cable run a signal might not even appear. Generic requirements for central office coax cable defines 734 and 735 as being the cables used for this application. If you're looking into a coax cable you probably should also look for the GR-139-CORE as a specification.

The 734 cable has a larger conductor compared to the 735 and that'll help you on those longer cable runs, plus the cost difference ain't a big deal so I would splurge for it. The 734 is used for interconnect up to 450 feet.

Let's take a look at a Commscope 734 plenum cable from our YouTube channel.

If you're just starting your research on DS3 hopefully this post helped out and don't forget to share this post!

"By Mercy Salinas"

Cisco Networking Antenna Tips - Information Technology

Here's a cool video on Cisco Networking Antennas.

I hope you learned something and thanks for following!

"By Mercy Salinas"

What is fiber to the home?

Over the past couple of years I've received calls regarding fiber optic cable to the home, what is it and can I install it? Here's a cool video to get your feet wet.

Before you know it, you'll have a single gang in-wall optical line terminal providing 10G and wireless to your living room. Unless your provider is Charter Communications.

"By Mercy Salinas"

Panduit RJ45 keystone jack module blockout device

I recently got a phone call regarding a needed solution for being PCI compliant at the information outlet end. Being PCI compliant is a must for many retailers who do credit card transactions and can't have any open ports unaccounted for, even anyone accessing the wifi has to have their own wireless key accounted for.

After doing some research it appears that the easiest way to lock out the RJ45 information outlet is by using a blockout device by Panduit. It's an easy, simple and secure way to control access at the outlet, especially in those very heavy public areas. Let's check it out from our YouTube channel.



There it is, easy right! I still get a good chuckle hearing about those kids and their crayons.

"By Mercy Salinas"  

How to wire a 66 block without a punchdown tool

If your looking into wiring a 66 block and you've never wired one before or maybe you have many moves and changes and your tired of re-punching the block, this might be an excellent option for you.

Looks really cool so I brought in a sample to check out.

We're considering stocking these so we asked our Facebook fans what they thought and here's what they said.

So it sounds like these blocks are designed with high speed transmissions in mind. So far the jury is still in session. Please, if you have any questions comment below and let us know if we should stock these. 

Thanks!

"By Mercy Salinas"

RGBHV cable with BNC connectors and RCA connectors

If your in the professional broadcasting industry RGBHV cables are a must have for many different kinds of high definition applications. If your broadcasting coaxial cabling infrastructure consist of high quality HD-SDI coax cables such as Belden 1694A or 1855A your probably going to make sure your RGBHV cable is also on the same level as the rest of your infrastructure.




These assemblies are available in many different lengths, assembled in America using an American made coaxial cable, (The parent company of Tappen is Southwire, they make kick-ass wire). If image quality is a top priority why cut corners.

"By Mercy Salinas"

Corning CamSplice mechanical splice tool overview and How To

I just want to talk about this tool by Corning as an easy and effective way to mechanically splice fiber optic cable.



Let's check out some of the features.

* No adhesive or epoxy required
* Reduces splice time with no curing needed
* Universal one part fits all fiber coatings
* No polishing required
* Reduces installation time
* Fiber alignment mechanism
* Self centers the fiber for low loss

Now let's figure out how to splice fiber optic cable.



It's a very simple process and I know you can do it. Just a quick tip, if your repairing a direct burial fiber it's recommended that you replace the cable at least 30 feet in each direction so you'll have to do as least 2 splices per strand of fiber.

"By Mercy Salinas"

   

Introduction to your MTP fiber optic cable polarity wiring

If your getting into MTP cables you need to know what type of polarity you need to configure these cables to, a good place to start is with the TIA-568-C.O standard. This standard provides guidance on serial transmission fiber polarity for fiber networks installing MTP optical connectivity. Each 12 strand MTP connector is divided into six 2 strand fiber optic serial circuits that require polarity management that can be achieved using one of a few methods.

I'm going to start you out with what so far seems to be the most popular polarity pinout, this would be the "Universal Polarity Management Method" and is used in many Corning fiber networks. It seems to be a little odd that this would be the most popular so far because the universal method is not included in the TIA standard but it does meets the "intent of the standard" that's according to Corning. Makes good sense that this would be most popular because Corning seems to be the biggest giant in the fiber optic cable market.

This system is mated key-up to key-down. This method supports simple concatenation of multiple trunks without effecting polarity. Accommodates all simplex/duplex connector types. The components related to your MTP connector will also allow for easy moves without polarity concerns used in other methods.

The next most common polarity pinout method I see is "Method B". This uses a single module type wired in a straight-through configuration and standard patch cords on each end. One thing that will stand out to you is how all the components in the system are key-up to key-up. This method will require more planning for your modules location. This method also does not accommodate angle polished single mode connectors. It's also a common method in Commscope fiber optic network infrastructures.

Now thinking about it, the next method is not far behind after looking at my sales history of MTP cables. Let's talk about "Method A". This uses a single type wired in a "Straight-Through" configuration and two different patch cords in a optical circuit. One cord is straight and the other is flipped. All components in the channel are mated key-up to key-down. Because the polarity is addressed in the patch cords the end user is responsible for managing the network.

The last method I'm going to brush on is "Method C". This uses a pair wise fiber flip in the trunk cable to correct for polarity. This will enable the use of the same module on both ends of the channel and standard patch cables. Because the polarity is managed in the trunk, extending links requires more planning to maintain polarity. The TIA standard does not mention text regarding the ability to migrate to parallel optics, but parallel optics capability can easily be achieved with a special patch cord to reverse the pair-wise fiber flips in the trunk.

Now that you have a better under standing of what polarity you might need I'll be waiting for your phone call when your ready to order these! 888-797-3697 ex. 232

"By Mercy Salinas"

Coax Cable or Fiber Optic Cable for your HD-SDI HDTV signal

We've been getting more involved with broadcasting lately and I've been bumping into the HD-SDI SMPTE 292M standard. I thought these two videos shed some good light on the matter, the coax video compares three of our most popular broadcasting coaxial cable and how far a HD-SDI signal can be carried over each cable. The second video is an overview of a broadcast deployable fiber cable for harsh environments such as laying on a football field sideline during a snowstorm, being stepped on, coiled and uncoiled and whatever else the broadcasting life throws at it.





I'm glad the Society of Motion Pictures and Television Engineers have been working so hard over the past few years on establishing these standards. I love high definition television, especially when watching the NFL.

Comment below! Thanks!

"By Mercy Salinas"

Fiber Optic Cable for a Wind Farm? What cable to use?

Recently we've been been moving fiber optic cables into the green energy market and in a previous post we got into it regarding Solar Power Towers . The long term view from the US department of Energy is a commitment to renewable energy, so not only will you see the expansion of these solar power towers but also wind farms.

Are wind farms a new thing? No, the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm development began in the early 80's. You figured a standardized fiber optic cable type by now would have been established but it doesn't appear that way. I looked into Corning, AFL and General Cable and I don't see any type of fiber optic cable designed for this specific application.

So what fiber cable is going to be a good fit for your wind farm application? I'm going to put money down on a tight buffered indoor/outdoor cable.



Why not! The majority of the cable is not exposed externally, cable runs from the top in the pole to the base then runs underground with other cables. The most commonly installed cable for cell tower applications is the indoor/outdoor tight buffered construction. Because it runs vertically you don't want a loose tube and since it has no aluminum, copper or any metal your don't have to worry about interference from the electrical cables from the wind farm.

The data rates look to be 10/100 so a 62.5 multimode cable will cover you up to around 2 kilometers, anything over that singlemode get's involved. I don't think the fiber cable should be a complicated part of this type of installation. Fiber cable from a cell tower, data center, home, wind farm all does the same thing by getting a signal from point A to B.

I'm going to work on getting my foot in the door at the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm since they're right down the street from me, I could be wrong and maybe it's a completely different cable. I'll work on verifying the cable that's being installed and if you work at a wind farm please comment! It'll be much appreciated.

"By Mercy Salinas"

Fiber optic cable assemblies for Stadium and Arenas

The standard of HD-SDI, 3G HD-SDI and so on has put more stress on broadcasting cables than ever and certain locations of these arenas are removing their coaxial cable system and replacing it with fiber optic cable to meet the high bandwidth demands and distance demands that these signals have to travel.

With so many different types of fiber cables what cable construction might best suit a particular location? Our permanent install snake is commonly used where a permanent fiber cable is needed.

These cables are assembled at your request so a singlemode or multimode, length, connector type, channel count is never a problem for your installations location.

If you have a different cable construction type your looking for we also have broadcast deployable, interlocking armored and other cables that can suit your cable location.

If you have any questions you may contact Mercy Salinas at 888-797-3697 extension 232.

Is Football here yet!

Thanks! 

"By Mercy Salinas"

Direct burial cable for security camera system wiring installation

For most camera wiring installations the pathway of your signal cable is indoors and a small part of that cable run may be exposed outdoors. That's why most cctv camera cables have a general purpose with a sunlight resistant rating to them. But what if you need to extend that cable to a pole far away and you need to bury the cable run?

You'll need a direct burial cable. Let's check out one of our most popular cables for this type of application.



It's important to install a quality cable for a few reasons.

The jacket construction will last for a very long time, the lifetime of a quality cable should last the lifetime of a few security cameras at the location.

Quality copper and a true copper center conductor will allow for a signal to travel a long distance. Since your looking for a direct burial cable your probably doing long cable runs. Low end cables are passing off copper clad aluminum as a bare copper conductor, it's very hard to see but you might find out the hard way. And you wonder why it was so cheap, next thing you know you have a poor signal and the camera image won't come up.

Just a quick tip, if your installing IR cameras at a long distance you probably should install a 24V camera and power supply. You don't want those IR's to turn on in the evening and lose your image signal.

"By Mercy Salinas"  

Fiber optic cable for the extreamly large solar power tower

We recently sold some fiber optic cable for something that I just heard about for the first time in my life, a solar power tower. Solar power seems to be a hot topic so I figured I'd look into how these towers work.

This tower project was in Tonopah Nevada and is know as the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project, it's designed to power up to 75,000 homes during peak electricity periods supplying 500,000 megawatt hours annually of clean, renewable electricity. A loan for $737 million from the Department of Energy was approved and private capital was raised for the company handling the project, Solar Reserve. Let's see what they have to say about the construction of their project.



So it was an amazing amount of work to build and cost a ton of money but how does it work? Let's see what the U.S. Department of Energy has to say.



This is cool stuff but where does the fiber come in? There are multiple buildings and this place is huge, it covers 1,600 acres so fiber optic cable could be anywhere. The fiber sold for this project was a singlemode 12 strand armored cable that ran from the warehouse to the communications building. Here's a better look at this fiber from our YouTube channel.



Shipping this fiber was interesting when it came to the address, I was told to just put 10 miles north of hwy 95 they can't miss it! Here's the view from an airplane above, you can't miss it from anywhere.

  

It's cool seeing solar continue to grow, I am a little bummed out that the fiber purchased from me was not involved in the cool part of this project. I have been looking into fiber optic cable for solar panels and wind turbine applications, looks like fiber is more involved in those types of solar applications.

Update 5/28/2013

I just got back from an excellent adventure in Las Vegas with the wife and something caught my eye in the middle of the desert, just south of Whiskey Pete's in Primm Nevada.

A large solar power project! This project is called the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System and is currently the largest solar plant under construction in the world!

Here's some construction footage from Bright Source.



What are we doing in the middle of the desert?

Apparently building solar power plants everywhere.

"By Mercy Salinas"

Difference between managed and unmanaged fiber optic media converter

If you finally figured out what fiber cable type you need for you application and your ready for media converters you might of pumped your brakes when you noticed the same converter being offered as "managed" or "unmanaged" and now your asking yourself, what's the difference?

A unmanaged media converter allows for simple communication with one another but does not provide monitoring, fault detection and setting up network configurations. The unmanaged option is a great choice for newbies and if you want a plug and play fiber network cable installation.



Managed media converters are more costly but do offer additional network monitoring, fault detection, remote configuration and more. After reviewing the managed Signamax media converters we stock, one thing I noticed was it mentions SNMP management. There is no mention of SNMP for our unmanaged fiber optic media converters. What the heck is SNMP?

SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is a standard for managing devices on IP networks. In common SNMP installations one or more administrative computers have the job of monitoring and managing a group of devices on a network. A software component called an agent will report information via SNMP to the manager.

A SNMP managed network consist of 3 key components.

* Managed device (Media Converter)
* Agent, software that runs on managed devices
* Network management systems (NSM) software that runs on the manager (Administrative computer)

So get the unmanaged if your a noob, get the mananged if your network has certain management demands.

"By Mercy Salinas"



     

Superior Essex Cat5e Shielded Aluminum vs. Copper Shield

I recently did a video on a Essex cable with a copper shield and not to long ago I did what I though was the same cable but with a aluminum shield, let's take the red pill and dig into these cables.

The cables compared are part of the Superior Essex BBDe series of OSP (Outside Plant) cables. More specifically the part number for the aluminum is 04-601-54 and the copper is 04-601-55.

Both of these cables are designed to provide extension of the LAN beyond the premise, core is filled with a PFM gel to prevent water ingress and won't drip down in vertical cable run installations. Applications for both these cables are the same, 10BASE-T through 1000BASE-T, ATM and token ring, WiMAX cell towers.

Let's go over what the features are for both cables.

* Cat5e transmission performance to 350mhz
* Shield provides EMI/RFI prtection
* UV sunlight resistant black jacket
* Dry water block between shield and core

Let's visually look at these cables from our YouTube channel.




So these cables are the same except the shield, what shield is the correct shield for your installation? Let's compare.

Part number 04-601-54 the aluminum shield has a electrically continuous polymer coated smooth aluminum tape, applied with an overlap. Essex specifies this cable to be installed in lashed aerial, underground conduit and "low risk" direct burial installation.

Part number 04-604-55 the copper shield has a electrically continuous corrugated copper clad armor, applied with an overlap shield and flooded with a flooded compound. Where to install this cable is the same but essex specifies this cable as "rodent proof".

Certain areas are more exposed to those cute rodents so if that's a big concern for you go with the copper shield. Actually after comparing pricing per foot there's not much of a price difference, might as well install the copper shield.

"By Mercy Salinas"

How to convert HD-SDI to HDMI?

Many HD broadcasting cameras are pushing out a HD-SDI signal that needs to be viewed using a HDMI connection on the other end. You'll need a HD-SDI to HDMI convertor, these converters are compliant with the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) standard of 292M and 296M. These standards support data rates up to 1.485 Gb/s.

Everfocus model number EHA-SRX is capable of receiving HD-SDI digital video signal up to 1920x1080 resolution over 75ohm coax cable. This converter will provide a complete solution for the transmission and display of both interlaced and progressive scan HD-SDI digital video. Yes Everfocus is a security camera manufacture but don't worry, this will work for your broadcasting cameras too!

Let's get a look at it from our YouTube Channel



Features:

* Accepts HD-SDI digital video at 720p/60, 1080i/60 and 1080p/30 formats/frame rates

* Processes HD-SDI standard SMPTE 292M and 296M at 1.4585 Gb/s data rate

* Provides standard HDMI output for HD TV monitor display

* Integrated cable equalizer for long distance video transmission without loss of quality

* Capable of receiving HD-CCTV digital video over 75ohm coax cable at distanced over 100 Meters

* High quality digital video and audio transmission with zero latency

Now let's dig into the cable transmission. The EHA-SRX allows a total signal attenuation of up to 43.56 dB along the cable between devices. The actual maximum cable length depends on the attenuation characteristic of the particular cable being used. So if you have a long coax run make sure you have a kick ass quality cable so you have a lower signal attenuation.

I feel like I nailed this blog post, reminded myself of Kirk Lazarus from Tropic Thunder "I don't read the scrip, the scrip reads me."

"By Mercy Salinas"

HD-SDI DVR is perfect for recoding HD brocasting TV Cameras!

I get a phone call from a local television studio looking for a solution to record four Panasonic HDX900 cameras. The catch was we need it to record a HD-SDI signal since that's what the camera output is.

We decided to install the Everfocus EPHD04. Records HD-SDI and real time 30fps.

 

Let's check out some of the features.

* Full HD recording and playback

* Independent HDMI main and VGA call multiplex view monitor outputs

* Two internal hard drives support up to 3TB each

* External HDD array option so you can record up to 18TB

* Control with the front panel, IR remote and optional joystick controller

* Multiple remote access: IE web access, Smart Phone and Tablet live view

* The smart search lets you quickly identify motion in areas of interest from recorded video

My customer was installing this for a Food TV show starring someone with the name of Giada De Laurentiis? I only know of Guy Fieri because people have mention to me "You remind me of that food network star, Guy Fieri."

This HD-SDI DVR worked out great for his TV show application. He did mention this was awesome because, then he talked about a ton of broadcasting lingo that I'm not familiar with but I'm glad it worked out for him. The one thing I do remember is how much he said this was a perfect application for reality TV shows. I think it'll be real cool if I can get that bounty hunter show to order one of these. I am the dog the bounty hunter!

Interested in what else this Bad Boy HD-SDI DVR can do? Check out the manual and data sheet.

Thanks!

"By Mercy Salinas"

Fiber optic cassette with pigtails for fusion splicing by Corning

Corning has these new Pigtail Cassettes that are sweet! Prepped with a 3 meter pigtail and have a 900um at the connector panel for added durability and colored 250um for ease of splicing. Let's get a closer look from our YouTube channel.



The field technician will love the elimination of individual splice trays or separate splice housings and you can also splice away from the rack where you have more room to work.


Let's check out the contents of the Corning pigtail cassette.



How are you going to prep your cassette?



Want to wall mount it? Fine.



Now your fiber termination installation is easier then ever. Let's just hope your fiber optic materials get delivered in time, those end users always want it yesterday.

"By Mercy Salinas"

Dressing your Cat5e, Cat6 data cabling so it looks sexy!

When you start your data cabling do it right from the beginning before it gets out of hand. Here's a couple of examples to avoid before you start pulling your hair out!

If your cabling gets this bad you better hope there's a building remodel before a network remodel. The cost of having network cabling reorganized when it gets this bad is so expensive you might as well upgrade your existing network.

There's a simple, easy and inexpensive tool to help you avoid the point of no return. A Cable Comb.



It's so easy to use, so save yourself the headache in the long run and keep this cool tool on hand in the telecom closet. Maybe lock it up, tools never end up where you left them.

"By Mercy Salinas"

Corning Freedm One tight buffered single mode fiber optic cable

The Freedm One cable construction is a flame-retardant, UV resistant, Indoor/Outdoor cable made for outdoor aerial, duct and direct burial applications. The Indoor/Outdoor rating also eliminates transmission fiber enclosures when entering the building, goodbye National Electric Code requirement!

The tight-buffered construction makes for easier termination in lower count fiber cable counts and you don't have the hassle of having to install fan-out kits compared to loose tube fiber, so annoying.

Let's take a look at the 6 strand from our YouTube Channel

Now let's look at the 12 strand.



Now the 24 strand!



As you can tell, regardless of the fiber optic strand count the construction is the same. If you need more than 24 strands for an outdoor application you might have to use a loose-tube cable then install fan out kits, that sucks.

"By Mercy Salinas"

Cable management ties for Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6A and Fiber Cable

Tightening cable ties on data cables too much will hurt the physical properties and performance.

You should be using the Caddy Mille-Tie.




This tie is most commonly used for bundling high-performance copper and fiber cables but is also used for innerduct in cable trays, surface raceways, service poles and in wall cabling. Don't squeeze your data pipe and do it right!

"By Mercy Salinas"

How to test multimode fiber optic cabling for db loss

Testing fiber optic cable can be intimidating if you've never done it before, but we've decided to open a fiber test kit and figure out how to measure db loss just for you.



Looks easy because it is. For more cool videos follow our YouTube Channel .

"By Mercy Salinas"

Installation of cable with aerial messenger wire to pole

It's a great day when you've finalized what kind of cable you need for your facility, but sometimes that's only half the battle. Over the past few years our customers facilities installations of figure 8 copper and fiber cable always bring up the question of pole mounting hardware, do you know how to do it and do you have it?

The most common piece of hardware to do this is by using a flat keeper plate.



Once your tensioning is complete, all your clamping and deadend hardware is tightened and adjusted to hold your messenger strand in place. Here's a couple of examples of your flat keeper plate at your pole.

Hopefully I've given you some good information to help you with your installation after you've purchased your figure 8 cable and hardware from Discount-Low-Voltage.com .

"By Mercy Salinas"

Everfocus IP camera EHN vandal proof serise overview

You know this camera means business as soon as you pick it up, the weight and strength of the metal housing is impressive and it can also handle the pounding of a ten pound sledge hammer.



The screws that keep the enclosure closed are a different pattern so your phillips, flat head or allen pattern won't open it. The cable glad has 3 openings for cable and you can easily attach your conduit and tighten it for a weatherproof solution, you can also unscrew the back knockout and run cable that way.

Another feature I'm really digging is the two way audio and the 3 to 9mm vari-focal lens should have a perfect monitor screen shot if your looking for a wide field of view. I just wanted to vouch for the construction of this camera for a IP weather rated outdoor solution. Check out how to network this camera and I'm sure it's something you can't handle.

"By Mercy Salinas"

2 strand zip fiber cable for 10 Gigabit Ethernet Speed

Your bulk two strand fiber cable is typically used for certain installation applications, but before we get to that let's check out our OM3 zip cord fiber video.




A two strand zip fiber is most common for installations from your telecom closet to your desk and since this cable is OM3 rated for 10 Gigabit Ethernet you just future-proofed your network!

"By Mercy Salinas"

Replacing your old CCTV system with HD Cameras? Good idea.

Replacing your old analog cameras with new digital HD cameras should be an easy installation, let's check out the High Definition CCTV Security System.

HD cctv is considered by many as a subset of megapixel and is defined by a specific resolution at specific frame rates with a specific aspect ratio. A camera with more than a million pixels is by definition a megapixel camera. The lowest resolution security camera with a megapixel number is 1.3 and provides 1280 by 1024 pixel resolution and is the 1080P camera.

The 720P HD camera provides images that are 1280 by 720 pixels giving you 921,600 pixels and is short of the 1 million mark, so your 720 high definition camera is not a megapixel camera but many people feel it's close enough so they call it a 1 megapixel camera. If your a installation contractor make sure your customer has a clear understanding of this. I've seen it cause issues with the end user after the installation has been completed.

Traditional analog cctv cameras providing 4CIF resolution offers resolution of 704 by 480 pixels (NTSC) or 704 by 576 (PAL) after the signal has been digitized in a DVR that corresponds to a maximum of 400,000 pixels.

When designing a CCTV system two types of coverage areas get talked about, a wide field view and a detailed specific view. In your wide field view 20 to 30 pixels are enough to represent one foot of a scene. For your detailed specific view of certain images such as cash, face identification, factory assemblies, the demand can rise to over 80 pixels per foot. Here's a cheat sheet I keep on hand just to remind me of what pixel count will fit my field of view best for my location.

Still reading? Good, because I have a about a 30 minute presentation from Everfocus regarding HD cctv. Everfocus is a camera manufacture and has been in business for many years providing solutions for commercial locations. Let see what they have to say.




Now that you know you can use your existing coax cable infrastructure your installation is already half way done! Are these HD cctv security cameras also the same as far as the construction? Yeah! Let's check out a couple from our YouTube Channel.




Here's a look at a HD pan tilt zoom camera.




Don't forget that you will need to also install a High Definition DVR for your new HD cameras. If you only need high definition at a couple of locations such as a cash register, hybrid digital video recorders are available to provide you more security at a more economical price.

Now that you have some knowledge about HD cctv are you ready for six times the resolution over traditional analog cameras. I knew it!

"By Mercy Salinas"
 

What type of cable should you use for your security cameras?

As you know security cameras are everywhere, have you ever wanted to know what kind of cable they use? The most common cable installed is a "Siamese Cable" that consist of a RG59 coax cable for the camera signal and a 18 gauge 2 conductor cable for the power. The jacket on the "Siamese Cable" covers both of these different cables now making it one cable and easier to pull and install.



When the 2 cables have to split at the security digital video recorder the RG59 cable gets terminated with a BNC male coax connector and the 18/2 cable attaches to a power supply. If you have multiple cameras that need power you might want to consider installing a master power supply to help keep your installation clean and organized.


It's cool how the master power supply has a fuse for each channel in case of a surge in power, you pop the fuse not your camera.

"By Mercy Salinas"

12 strand fiber optic cable by Corning Cable Systems

As you know Corning has a few different types of 12 strand fiber optic cables. Right now we're going to get to know Corning part number 012K8F-31130-29 much better.

This number is part of the FREEDM ONE design. It's flame retardant, UV resistant and the indoor/outdoor rating allows for aerial, duct and direct burial applications with no need for a transition splice when entering the building.

The tight-buffered construction facilitates easier termination for low fiber count applications in your local area network and eliminates the need for fan out kits. Color coded to the TIA-598 standard for easy identification.

The small diameter and bend radius of the cable also allows for easy installation in space constrained areas while the innovative water blocking technology is ideal for outside plant applications. The all dielectric cable construction requires no grounding or bonding and the jacket is rugged, durable and easy to strip.

Let's get a better look at this cable from our YouTube Channel



Now that you know Corning part number 012K8F-31130-29 is more than a 12 strand, tight buffered, riser rated, 62.5 multimode cable, I think your ready to pull that fiber.

"By Mercy Salinas"

AFL Fujikura 12S Fiber Optic Fusion Splicer

Finally! A new fusion splicer to brag about, over the past few years fusion splicers have come around but they've all had that boring, bulky and dull nothing to see here feeling to them. The new Fujikura 12S is, kinda sexy.

This new fusion splicer is now the smallest, lightest and most portable splicer in the world! The chassis features shock, dust and moister protection, excellent for those rugged fiber optic cable installations.

The two camera observation system provides for accurate fiber optic alignment and loss estimation calculations.

Weighing less than two pounds and a footprint of 6 inches by 5 inches this provides an awesome level of flexibility in the most demanding splicing environments. The big 4.5 inch monitor is scratch resistant and is viewable in direct sunlight! You can update the software via the internet and I really enjoyed the long battery life, you can get up to 100 splice cycles which include the application of the splice protection sleeve!

Sold in three different ways. You can purchase the 12S fusion splicer without a cleaver. Part number S015521 .

You can also purchase the 12S with a CT-10 cleaver. Part number S015530 .



If your looking for a cleaver that will also do ribbon fiber then you'll want part number S015522 and that includes the top dog cleaver, the CT-30.



All three part numbers include the transit case, screwdriver, battery pack, alcohol container and other items.

It's a real cool fusion splicer and the pricing is excellent. For more information on the 12S Fusion Splicer you can contact Mercy Salinas at 888-797-3697 extension 232. If you have a quick question you can also comment below. Thanks!

"By Mercy Salinas"

Going to climb a tower? Are you crazy!

Some of our tower installation contractors have let us know about some of their favorite tower climbing YouTube videos, so I though I'd pass them on to you. I don't know how these guys do it, I'll climb a ladder to hang Christmas lights and that's as high as I'm going.

Very cool stuff, you get a great workout and a good view. Please be careful.

"By Mercy Salinas"

SC Fiber Optic Cable Connector Overview

The SC (Subscriber Connector) style has numerous types of standards recognizing simplex and duplex connectors and adapters. Standards recognizing the SC are FDDI, Fibre Channel, broadband ISDN, ATM and Gigabit Ethernet.

As you can tell the SC fiber optic connector has a square style front face and is easily confused with it's smaller relative the LC connector. Let's take a look at some of the advantages of the SC connector.

• Available as a simplex connector that can be converted to a duplex connector using a clip.
• Recommended by a large number of standards.
• Offers pull-proof feature.
• Great packing density, design reduces the chance of the fiber face damage during connection.
• Keyed, low loss, pull and wiggle proof.
• Terminated using quick cure epoxy, cleave and crimp and hot melt. 

Typically what you'll find at a subscribers location is the bulk horizontal or backbone cable side ends it's run in the facilities telecommunications closet. Your SC connectors will then be managed in a fiber optic enclosure. Let's check out one of my favorites by Corning.


Then the information technology manager, will manage his end using fiber optic patch jumpers that plug into an adapter panel that sits in the fiber optic enclosure.

The SC interface is very commonly used when using media converters to convert copper to fiber, then fiber to copper. The big disadvantage of the SC interface is it does not feature an SFF (Small Form Factor) design.

The SFF design commonly uses the LC interface, so if you have an application where the backbone cable needs to be plugged directly into a switch the LC connector will be required. It's still recommended that you use a fiber enclosure, you could just get a fiber jumper with SC on one end and the LC on the other.

"By Mercy Salinas"

Pre-terminated fiber optic cable made just for you

So you're thinking of installing fiber, but not sure what's involved. In this article, we will take a look at common examples of fiber optic cable installation. From there, we can figure out what cable construction type you need and decided if a pre-terminated fiber option is best for you.

Before deciding the type of fiber optic cable you need, where are you installing it? Is it from your residence to a far away workshop on your property? Is it from a telecom closet and you need to go 10 floors up? Do you need to run it outdoors and vertically for a solar power tower?

For over 10 years, we've assembled thousands of pre-terminated fiber cables for aerial installations, underground, vertical, building to building and mining and more. There are many different cable construction types to select from that will suit your particular application. Let's go over a couple.

We'll start off with a very common installation: running fiber from a residence to another building on your property. Most of these types of installations don't have a need for high speed data transmission. People seem to want the convenience of the internet at a workstation available and nowadays having the internet in your workshop is as important as having an air compression wrench in your shop, both sure make life easier.

In order to get that cable where you need it to go your probably going to directly bury this cable. If that's the case you'll need a single armored burial cable.



There are other cables that are outdoor rated and by the information on their spec sheet it appears that they can be buried and people have done that to save a buck for a temporary solution. If your looking to provide a proper direct burial solution non-armored cables are not warrantied from the manufacture so you have to have that armor, plus it helps keeping those darn gophers from chewing through the cable.

Don't forget to research what the best Trench Method is for your location.

Now that you got your cable type selected how many strands are you going to need? Do you need multimode or singlemode? We'll get into that but let's talk about a couple more installation areas.

Wireless communications have been around for a while but with the advances in their electronics many new systems are now using fiber optics over the traditional coax cable system. Even old systems are being redone with fiber, especially in the broadcasting industry.

These types of installations have many vertical runs and are outdoors. We're going to want a tight buffered cable non-armored. A loose tube cable has the possibility of the glass inside sliding and the gel causing an issue in the long term. The gel in outdoor cables also has the chance of freezing, this will damage the glass. A non-armored also avoids electrical current from a possible lightning strike damaging your electronics on each end.

Here's a look at a popular cable from our YouTube Channel for these types of installations.




This cable is also very flexible and light, the weight for a thousand feet of 6 strand cable is only 19 pounds making it an excellent choice as you continue to carry it up that tower.

Now what about if your on a large commercial property and you need to get a signal to a nearby building? Trenching might not be an option due to a parking lot or maybe the property owner won't give you a go ahead for a trenching project. You'll have to consider a figure 8 cable, fiber with a messenger wire attached.



You'll also need to consider additional hardware to properly secure the messenger wire to your building.



Building to building fiber optic installations are common, if your installation requires numerous poles you might want to consider hiring a outside plant designer to specify the pole types and span lengths. You'd be surprised how much math and science is involved in that kind of installation according to my OSP reference design manual.

What about an indoor only fiber cable run? You can use an indoor/outdoor rated, same cable we demonstrated for your wireless tower run. Another nice thing about the indoor/outdoor rating on that cable is you won't have any issues violating the National Electric Code in case you do have to change your indoor run to also partially run outdoors.

If you do decide on installing an indoor/outdoor rated cable and you know for sure that your entire run is indoors, verify if you need a riser or plenum rated cable. Then you might want to consider a interlocking armored cable.


The interlocking armored design helps to prevent an accidental cut of your fiber cable and possible long term damage from your continuous living, breathing and moving facility. 

I've given you some examples of cable construction types for different types of installations. Now what about multimode or singlemode, what's best for you? That's a long story and we could go way down the rabbit hole on this one but I'll do my best to keep this simple for you, let's start with a good explanation from our friends at the fiber optic association.


Now you'll need 2 strands of fiber for a send an receive signal and what kind of signal are you looking for? 62.5 multimode will provide you with a 1 Gigabit Ethernet signal at around 750 feet and thus being a great fit for most facilities due to copper Cat5e reaching only 328 feet. If you have a run further then that you can get 100 mbps up to 2 kilometers on 62.5 multimode.

What if you have to get a 1G signal further than 750 feet or you need to supply a 10 Gigabit Ethernet signal? You may want to consider a 50 micron multimode cable but keep an eye out for the O-M number ratings. Just because you have a 50 micron cable it might not do what you need. For example a Corning OM3 50 micron cable will do 1G at around 1000 meters and 10G at around 300 meters, not long enough? Then consider a OM4 rated 50 micron cable, 1G at around 1100 meters and 10G at around 550 meters.

Singlemode fiber is awesome for getting your signal to go for miles and miles but the electronics are costly and is more commonly installed by utility and service provider companies that are working on a ethernet passive optical network. If you do have a need for a pre-terminated singlemode cable, no problem but your multimode cable is a much more commonly installed pre-terminated cable.   

I'm assuming by now you've selected your cable and are trying to figure out what type of connectors you need. If your installing a media converter to convert your fiber to a RJ45 then into your switch you'll need either a SC or ST connector, those are notorious for availability on media converters.




If your plugging directly into a switch your probably going to want a LC connector. Many switches have a SFP module that the LC connector get's plugged into. Please, reconsider plugging directly into your switch! You should be installing your pre-terminated fiber optic assembly into a wall or rack mount enclosure then use a fiber patch cord from that box to your switch. This small investment will protect your pre-made fiber connector cable end for the long haul. The cost to replace a damaged fiber jumper is much better than a whole new custom assembly or having a contractor come to your location to terminate a strand of fiber.

Here's an example of a small wall mountable enclosure.


So you should have a good feel for what type of cable construction is best for you, what mode you'll use and what connector type you'll be using. Right now your probably thinking about terminating fiber yourself instead of having it pre-terminated, let's figure out if that's a good option for you.

Fiber termination involves not only a learning curve but also a heavy investment into the proper tooling and test equipment to make a proper fiber connection at the location. The most costly part of field termination kit is going to be your cleaver. Some only cleave multimode and some do both multi and singlemode. Because of the demand of 10G networks over the past couple of years, singlemode has crept into the premise local area network so I always recommend a cleaver that will handle both.

Let's check out a cleaver that does it all, even ribbon fiber. The AFL CT-30.



I love tools and I could always use another but how often would all the knowledge and know how of fiber optic termination would you use? If you need a fiber optic cable solution once in a while then perhaps an investment of tools and test equipment is not a good idea. If your a contractor and your considering making the investment to expand your offering then I could see this being a good fit but what if you want to write up some orders and get a proven track record of sales before you make your around two thousand dollar investment? Pre-Terminated fiber is an excellent choice.

Discount Low Voltage has been providing custom fiber optic cable solutions for over 10 years. All we need is for you to tell us what type of cable construction type, mode type, connector type and length. All pre-terminated assemblies include one pulling eye so protecting those connectors when pulled through conduit is no issue and pulling eye on opposite end is also an option for you.



Test results for your custom cable is also included to assure you and your customer that you have a pull, plug and play cable. This is a great choice for your fiber cable once in a while need and for the contractor who wants a proven sales track record.

After ordering your pre-terminated fiber cable you still have work to do. Time to install that cable! Let me refer you to a previous post on pulling fiber optic cable. You'll find some great tips to help make your installation as easy as possible.

If and when you decide to make an investment into a field fiber optic termination tool kit we have a few different options for you.


When your ready, we got you covered. If you have any questions regarding Pre-Terminated Fiber Optic Cable contact us at 888-797-3697 or you can also comment below! Thanks!

"By Mercy Salinas"