by Greg | May 9, 2014 | Splicing
This is an update on a post we made a few years ago for a 144 count fiber color identification chart. Since then we have noticed thousands of searches from people looking for fiber optic color codes for 288 and 432 count fiber, both ribbon and string separated, 24 fiber tubed cables. So here you go. First up is the identification chart for a 288 fiber, 24 tube, fiber cable. This could be used with ribbon or cables that use string for identifiers. Download the pdf file here: 288 Fiber Color Code Chart Next up is a color chart for a 432 cable (Typically ribbon fiber) Download the pdf file here: 432 Fiber Color Code...
by Greg | Mar 12, 2013 | Splicing
Prepping OPGW requires a few things that normal fiber optic cables don’t require. One special requirement when prepping OPGW ends into a Stainless Steel 28″ Coyote closure, or any COYOTE® splice case for OPGW, is to add a Green Sealant Kit (Cat. No. 8003411) to the cable before wrapping the tape. This procedure ensures that the closure is air tight. Without using the green sealant kit air and more importantly water can travel freely through the OPGW strands. Once water enters a closure the “life” expectancy of that location will be reduced below the 50 years it’s expected to preform. From the operators perspective it’s highly unacceptable to have any location be susceptible to future failures, especially failures that could have been prevented by doing it right in the beginning. The photo collection below depicts how the green sealant kit should be installed. First, unwrap the OPGW strands and find the middle strand. Once you identify the middle strand wrap the sealant around the strand as show in the picture above. Then re-wrap the strands while continually weaving the sealant into the strands through out the entire process. It is important to note that bending the strands at anytime during this process is not advisable. Any bends will take away the natural form that the steel and aluminum wraps have and make it nearly impossible to re-wrap the cable. You should end up with something similar to the picture above. The sealant should be evenly spread across all strands and is not bulky. If the sealant is bulky (too much) the cable will not fit into the cable...
by Greg | Dec 29, 2012 | Splicing
The principle of fiber optic splicing is to melt, or join, two optical fibers together end-to-end using heat created with a machine called a Fusion Splicer. Your objective while splicing is to obtain a splice with an estimated loss of no more than 0.01db loss displayed by the machine as well as a physical visible check verifying correct core alignment. A 0.00db loss (odd buck) on the lid is not always a good splice. Follow these simple steps to make a 144ct fiber splice locations go as easy as apple pie. This process only works if the fibers have been properly cleaned with DeGel and that it has been fully neutralized with alcohol. What are the things to keep in mind when splicing fiber optic cables? Dirt is the enemy. Keep it clean! If you want a stress free day behind the screen the first thing you want to do is clean all equipment and tools to be used in the process of splicing the fiber. This starts with your work surface be it a table or counter top. Clean all foreign debris from the surface using a small amount of **alcohol and paper towel. Second item up is the fusion machine. It should be clean from the last time you put it in the box. Clean off the top of the fusion splicer before opening wind cover. DO NOT use canned air! Clean v-grooves and objective lenses with a clean soft swap made for the task. DO NOT use a regular Q-tip! If large debris like dust, pigment from fiber or dirt can be seen in the v-groove...
by Greg | May 25, 2012 | Splicing
A leading service provider of fiber optic splicing and testing for the utility industry OLC Fiber, Inc., a Denver fiber optic splicing contractor, has been a key enabler of optical solutions since 1997. Fiber Optic Splicing – Whether your fiber splicing project is around the corner, around the country, premise or OSP we’re interested in talking with you in order to see how our participation might bring value to your project. Connectivity – Terminating fiber optics comes in many flavors, so working with an experienced team is extremely important to being capable to adapt to any kind of environment the situation presents. Whatever your fiber project, 12ct fiber running into a control building , a fan-out in a traffic cabinet, 1000m down a mine shaft, local convergence points (LCP) or a multiple entry application with thousands of terminations we’ll make sure everything comes together as planned. infoBit – According to the FTTH Council fiber to the home networks now pass more than 16 percent of the homes on the continent, with more than five million households now receiving Internet, telephone and/or cable television services on direct fiber connections. OTDR / Optical Loss / ORL – These three account for the majority of fiber tests that are performed on a fiber network. An OTDR measures loss over distance in graphical form, optical loss measures the total loss of a span and the ORL measures the amount of back reflection received on a fiber. infoBit – The first U.S. communities to install regional smart grids were Austin, Texas and Boulder, Colorado. – Wavelengths Magazine Emergency Restoration – Is your network the victim of a fiber seeking backhoe?...
by Greg | May 10, 2011 | Splicing
Fiber strands and cables are manufactured with a standard color coding. This allows for easy, effective management and identification of strands. An example; a loose buffer tube cable with 144 strands would have 12 tubes colored as indicated in the image below. Within each buffer tube would be 12 fiber strands using the same color scheme. Therefore, strand number 61 would be in the white buffer tube, blue fiber. Download the Fiber Color Identification Chart UPDATE: 05/10/2014 We have added two more fiber color charts for a 288 and 432 count cables. They are both in pdf format and can be downloaded and...
by Greg | Jan 6, 2011 | Splicing
Ever wonder how a fiber optic strand is actually spliced together? The demonstration shows a single mode fiber being fused by a Fujikura 40S setup in Auto...
