FOA Worldwide - Istanbul Seminar OFS Unveils R&D on Fibers For 400 Gb/s Achieving Fiber Optic Speed Over Copper Lines US FTTH Connections Continue To Grow Update on Google FTTH Program Webinars of Interest FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide New Schools Tech Topics Q&A: Questions we've answered recently. Product News Worth Reading: Interesting things we've read.
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It's now CFOT® The FOA CFOT® (Certified Fiber Optic Technician) is now a registered trademark. With over 25,000 fiber optic techs holding CFOTs and the CFOT being recognized worldwide as the foremost certification in fiber optics, the FOA realized the value of the CFOT required trademark protection. Now it's official! Want to know more about fiber optics? Looking for specific information? Study for FOA certifications? Here's the largest technical reference on the web: The FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide. Free Self-Study Program on "Fiber U" FOA Home Page Contact the FOA |
| Renew your FOA certification online - plus get a discount coupon for the new FOA books and get an extra month free. Details here. |
FOA Using Social Networking Sites To Promote Fiber Optics As the FOA grows, it becomes more important to expand the links to our members and the world of fiber optics. The FOA is now adding Facebook and LinkedIn to its ways of communicating what’s going on in fiber optics. By now, everyone is familiar with Facebook which has 400 million users worldwide. LinkedIn is a similar service but aimed at working professionals that has 65 million members in 200 countries. Both Facebook and LinkedIn offer unique opportunites for The FOA and its members to communicate more effectively.  The FOA has created an official Facebook group for anyone interested in fiber optics. Here we will post news about the industry, links to useful online resources, special training opportunities, and allow discussions of fiber optic and cabling topics online. Anyone interested in fiber optics is welcome to join the FOA on Facebook. (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fiber-Optic-Association-Inc/110217452343711?ref=mf)  The FOA LinkedIn group is limited to FOA CFOTs (Certified Fiber Optic Technicians) and will be primarily oriented to connecting CFOTs with job opportunites and high-level technical discussions. If you are a FOA CFOT (and your're current - check your ID card), join us on LinkedIn. (http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=2925670&trk=anet_ug_grppro) FOA Worldwide - Istanbul Seminar Today, the FOA has members and approved schools in about 30 countries worldwide. We're adding new countries all the time because our educational and certification focus helps expand the ranks of trained, certified technicians who can design and build new state of the art communications systems. We recently visited our FOA-Approved school in Turkey, Domino Elektronik, who organized a seminar in Istanbul. Alper Pelik, Technical Manager of Domino, and his staff made arrangements for the seminar and invited members of the local technical community. About 50 attendees, representing local telecom, wireless, municipal, transportation and other organizations attended. FOA President Jim Hayes did several presentations on "What's New In Fiber Optics" and was kept busy between sessions answering questions. What concerns communications professionals in Turkey? About the same things as in the rest of the world: designing networks properly, testing and troubleshooting systems, choosing the right components and network architectures, fiber connections for wireless, FTTH, etc. They were expecially interested in the experiences of installers and users in the US on new technology like prefab cables for FTTH and premises cabling and, as usual, asked a number of questions regarding interpreting test results, especially from OTDRs!  
Domino Elektronik staff with Jim and Karen Hayes of the FOA. Alper
Pelik, Technical Manager of Domino, and Hazal Aysun Pelik, Business
Manager are at the right, Hasan Karaca, Trade and Planning Manager on
the left. Behind is Cavit Savranlar and beside Karen is Gulsum Yildiz, Customer Service. Istanbul is, just like every other city in the world today, concerned with modern communications and security, so the city has many kilometers of fiber connecting all the usual devices. However, as the designated "European City of Culture" for 2010, Istanbul is offering free WiFi in most public spaces, like this park in front of the famous Blue Mosque. Connecting all the WiFi access points is a big job, requiring a lot of fiber.  Another place we visited in Turkey was Troy, the legendary city famous for Helen of Troy and the Trojan horse. What do we find just outside the gates to Troy? A brand-new fiber optic cable, similar to fiber optic networks we saw throughout the country.   OFS Unveils R&D on Fibers For 400 Gb/s OFS, designer, manufacturer and supplier of leading edge fiber optic network products, has published ground breaking research on various designs for next-generation transmission fiber for coherent optical communications at OFC/ NFOEC 2010. Prototype OFS fibers with ultra-large effective area and reduced attenuation are featured in a live demonstration of 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) coherent transmission and in three post-deadline research papers on 200 and 400 Gbps as well as ultra-high spectral efficiency transmission. Read more. Achieving Fiber Optic Speed Over Copper Lines Every few weeks, it seems, there is another article like this one in MIT Technology Review, showing how old phone wires can transmit data as fast as fiber to the home. This scheme uses "bonding" two pairs, "vectoring" signals, then adding a third signal using the two pairs as a "phantom" third pair, totalling three signals and requires DSP everywhere to correct all the problems caused by the copper cables. The article implies the technique is costly but fails to address the power consumption of all those DSP circuits. And it can only work if the user already has two phone line pairs connected. Wouldn't it be easier to use fiber? US FTTH Connections Continue To Grow  According to a just released FTTH Council Report prepared by RVA, FTTH connections continue to grow in North America - 99% of which are in the US, but growth seems to be slowing, probably a consequence of the current economy. Much of the FTTH deployment in the US has been due to Verizon's $23 billion investment in FTTH, but the report noted that FTTH is now being deployed by more than 750 service providers across North America. Most of these service providers are small, independent telephone companies that are replacing their copper lines with end-to-end fiber to ensure their future competitiveness as broadband providers. Of the service providers not yet offering FTTH, a majority say they are likely to soon. You can download and read the entire report from the FTTH council website. http://www.ftthcouncil.org/sites/default/files/RVA.FTTH_.Apr10.040712Final.pdf Update on Google FTTH Program Remember Google's interest in building gigabit FTTH systems in several communities to showcase what can be done with "real broadband?" (FOA Newsletter 2/10) Well, 1100 communities are vying for the 2 or 3 prizes. Stay tuned to find out who wins! Webinars of Interest Broadcast Engineering Magazine - Fiber Optic Testing FOA President Jim Hayes presents an overview of fiber optic testing for all applications. Available on Demand. Sign up here. Multimode Fiber Trends from TIA's Fiber Optics LAN Section Ryan Chappell, Draka Communications, looks at the evolution of multimode fiber, examines its current usage and shares predictionson its future Available on-demand at: http://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/7182/play OSP Magazine Webinars OSP Magazine (OSP as in outside plant telco) is now offering a number of interesting webinars that cover fiber topics, including network design and specialized components. http://www.ospmag.com/events/web/ What Should A Fiber Optics or Cabling Tech Know and What Skills Do They Need? The FOA has been updating its lists of KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities) for fiber and cabling techs. The updated list is now on the website for your information and comments - as fiber and cabling KSAs evolve as new technologies develop. KSAs for fiber and cabling techs. It's Now A Lot Easier To Find A FOA-Approved Training Organization  Most phone calls we get regarding finding a FOA-Approved training organization want to know two things: what school is closest to me or what school offers the certifications I need. That can be difficult, since the FOA has almost 200 training organizations we have approved worldwide! We've been looking at ways to make it easier, and we think we've got a good solution. In fact we have two solutions. First we have added a sortable table of all the FOA-Approved schools. You can also use our FOA Google Map Application to find FOA-Approved schools. Here are links to the sortable table of all the FOA-Approved schools and FOA Google Map. New FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics available for only $24.95.  That's FOA President Jim Hayes, the guy behind the new book, reading a copy. Order from the FOA eStore or Amazon.com for only $24.95.  And The New FOA Reference Guide to Premises Cabling textbook is only $19.95 - Now available from the FOA eStore or Amazon.com "..very nice job. It's really important that the techs get usable info in a language they understand." FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide The FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide has become very popular - perhaps the most popular technical website ever, typically with over 30,000 users monthly! We continue updating materials regularly, keeping it as up to date as possible. We already updated the Premises Cabling sections in preparation for the next FOA Textbook and are now focused on outside plant applications (OSP.) We've already added a new page on chromatic dispersion (CD) and polarization-mode dispersion (PMD). Next we're working on cables for OSP applications and splicing. Find What You Want Using "Google Custom Search  There's so much information on the FOA Tech Topics and Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide
that even a well-organized Table of Contents isn't enough and when the
material is always changing, an index is impossible to maintain. So the
FOA is using the latest technology in search, Google Custom Search,
which will allow you to search just the FOA Tech Topics and Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide for any topic you want to find more about. Try it! Go to The FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide. Featured Schools: New Outside Plant Emergency Restoration Training Course The Light Brigade announces a new two-day technical training course for Outside Plant Emergency Restoration. This course, which is available only as a custom course, places heavy emphasis on fault location, troubleshooting, and test equipment. It culminates in a second day of hands-on practices that simulate actual field restorations for retrievable and non-retrievable slack scenarios. Whether the fiber cable network is above or below ground, inside or outside a building, the words “emergency restoration” strike fear in any network or outside plant manager. Network outages can cost ten of thousands of dollars every hour your system is offline. When (not if) a problem occurs, it is critical not only to have a recovery program in place, but to have staff that is trained to deal with the emergency in timely, cost-efficient manner. The Light Brigade - FOA Approved School #241 Find a listing of all the FOA-Approved schools here. Good Question! Tech Questions Worth Repeating Connector or "Connection" Loss? Q: Isn’t the loss in the standard for a connector pair and not a single connector? A: Yes, it is. All connector losses are for a mated pair. We've been trying for years to say "connection loss" instead of "connector loss" but most everybody still says "connector loss" and we fall back into that often ourselves. Here's what is in the FOA online reference guide at http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/basic/term.html : "Connector and Splice Loss The primary specification for connectors or splices is loss or the amount of light lost in the connection. When we say connector loss, we really mean "connection" loss - the loss of a mated pair of connectors, expressed in "dB." Thus, testing connectors requires mating them to reference connectors which must be high quality connectors themselves to not adversely affect the measured loss when mated to an unknown connector. This is an important point often not fully explained. In order to measure the loss of the connectors you must mate them to a similar, known good, connector. When a connector being tested is mated to several different connectors, it may have different losses, because those losses are dependent on the reference connector it is mated to." We were discussing this recently with another person who has a spec which calls for a loss for the mating adapter! We had to help him explain to the spec writer that each connector and the mating adapter contribute to the loss but one cannot apportion the loss to each component separately! Low Water Peak Fibers Q: One of the issues on which vendors try to differentiate themselves is "zero" and "reduced" water peak fiber. Is there anything in Fiber U or the FOA that addresses this? A: Low water peak fiber is done to allow coarse WDM. It's very expensive to do and not very worthwhile unless you want to do CWDM. See http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/testing/test/CD_PMD.html for details. OTDR Gainers Q: Why do we see a “gain” in some OTDR measurements? How can there be a gain? A: Gainers are caused by differences in the backscatter coefficient of the fibers being spliced. Not only does that cause gainers, but in the opposite direction it causes the loss to be shown as greater than it actually is and it affects the measurement accuracy of any loss measurement with an OTDR. We have a tutorial on OTDRs that covers what we call "gainers" on the FOA Online Reference Guide: http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/testing/OTDR/OTDR.html Troubleshooting a Short SM Network Q: We are trouble shooting a 10 gig network. So here is the gist! Single mode 10 gig network. The MDF is pint a at the main building of the school. The net work ends in an Identical switch 3222 ft at the student center from each switch, the connection is an LC UPC and an SC APC meets the distribution box and connects the 3162ft backbone. The problem is that after 2 years the users suddenly complained of masive problems with the net work. Users going down, or unable to access, etc. The IT manager isolated Masive collision activity as the problem. Sounded like dirty connectors so we went in and cleaned everthing and the problem seemed to go away. Except school was out and when everyone came back the problem still existed. We went back and found a kink in one of the jumpers showing a slight crack or fracture ( with a VFL) and replaced it. The system still exhibits the simptoms but to a far less degree and is manageable. Oh! and yes the laser modules were replaced. The bit errors are only in the outbound direction but not on the return path. ( MDF out) This is a redundent back up system and the problem is on both outbound paths. No issues on the return. I am going back with a new jumper and move everything over to a set of spares on the backbone. However I believe the problem points to this. Since the problem exists only on the outbound path of both lines there may be a problem with power distribusion to the laser module or voltage stability to the module. Dirty connectors only exasperated the problem. A: We've seen a number of instances of similar problems to this on short SM links. On short SM links like this, the problems are typically 1) Reflectance or 2) excess power at the receiver. Have you checked the power at the receiver? It may be overloading the receiver on such a short link and it may need an attenuator. You can test this by making a stressed-fiber attenuator near the receiver. Wrap 5-10 turns of a patchcord around a pencil and see if the transmission improves. That is typically 3-6 dB added loss with no reflectance. If that helps, find some non-reflective attenuators. Reflectance causes several problems. It can interfere with lasers causing distortion if it's close to the transmitter, as in a patchcord connecting to the system. But a more complex problem is now getting attention in international standards groups - multipath interference. This is caused by a large reflectance sending a substantial amount of light back up the fiber which is then re-reflected back to the other end and may repeat several times. Think of ghosts in OTDR traces. In the best case, it adds to the background noise (yep, optical noise) which can affect BER (digital) or S/N (analog). Worst case is the reflectance is high enough to distort pulses. We HIGHLY recommend APC connectors on short SM links or at least UPCs. And all terminations must be made by fusion splicing on pigtails (or the new fusion splice prepolished connectors from AFL or Corning.) Cleanliness is obviously very important but may not be enough! Update on this question: Sometimes you find really unusual problems. Power testing showed the receiver power was low, not high. After inspecting and cleaning all the connectors, special cleaning swabs were used to clean the laser module receptacles and the power was back at spec. Several the laser modules came from the manufacturer with dirt in them - even though they all had dust caps. As we often say, dust caps are called dust caps because they often contain lots of dust! Mizing APC and UPC connectors? Q: I'm doing hd sdi video using single mode upc connectors. Can I use upc on the fiber/rx and apc on the patch panel? A: You can use APCs for patching as long as both connectors are APC. So make the patch panel APC and use a hybrid patch cord, APC on the patch panel end and UPC on the equipment end. Since they are color-coded, the APCs are all green, you can keep the ends straight. Fiber Cleaning This is a topic we keep reminding everybody about, and here is why: From a contrator in the Middle East: Here some samples of the connectors for SM fiber already installed in the system we were testing.   As you can see, the dirt is large compared to the size of the fiber (dark gray), and the core (not visible here) is only 9/125 of the overall diameter of the fiber! See Product News below for links to vendors of fiber cleaning products. Measurement Uncertainty: Everyone testing fiber optics should understand that every measurement has some uncertainty - whether you are measuring loss, length, wavelength, power, etc. Knowing that uncertainty is very important to interpreting the measurement. It's worthwhile to read and understand the issue of measurement accuracy covered in this page of the FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide. Worth Reading: Fiber Optic Safety Poster We've had numerous requests to reprint our guidelines on safety when working with fiber optics, so we have created a "Safety Poster" for you to print and post in your classroom, worksite, etc. We suggest giving a copy to every student and installer.  FREE Web conference hosted by the TIA's Fiber Optics LAN Section!Multimode Fiber Trends Presented by Ryan Chappell, Draka Communications In this presentation, Chappell will look at the evolution of multimode fiber, examine its current usage and share predictions based on research by CRU, IEEE, Penwell, Cisco, IBM, Mathew Burroughs, and Alan Flatman. The Webconference is available on-demand at: http://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/7182/play To download a PDF copy of the presentation please visit our Website, www.fols.org. New Report : FTTH connections continue to grow in North America You can download and read the entire report from the FTTH council website. http://www.ftthcouncil.org/sites/default/files/RVA.FTTH_.Apr10.040712Final.pdf Testing FTTH JDSU shows how to test a PON with an OTDR: http://www.jdsu.com/other-literature/PON-OTDR_fop_an_ae.pdf Data Centers: Preparing for 40/100 Gb/s Data centers are probably the fastest growing application for fiber. Many are already using 10 Gb/s links and 40/100 Gb/s is in the planning stage. Read Corning's article on what this means for cabling. https://www1.vtrenz.net/imarkownerfiles/ownerassets/1139/LAN-1102-EN.pdf Fast Optical Switching We often quote science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke's "sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" to describe some of the developments in our field. Here's a good one: Molecules that allow lasers to switch fiber optic signals. Read it at MIT Tech Review: http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/24688/?nlid=2792&a=f The lost souls of telecommunications history If you like techie history, you will enjoy this one. Arstechnica JDSU Reference Guide to Fiber Optic Testing – Volume 2 Published  The second volume of the JDSU series on fiber optic testing has been published. Volume 1 focused on Basic Fiber testing and Volume 2 is geared toward fiber optic installers, project managers, telecom technicians and engineers who need to understand fiber networks. Volume 2 also covers Chromatic Dispersion, Polarization Mode Dispersion, Attenuation Profile and Fiber Link and Network Characterization. A 3rd volume, a glossary of fiber optic terms, is also available for download. This is a "MUST HAVE" for all fiber optic techs. Download your free copies here. We used this book as one of our references in creating a new page in the FOA Online Reference Guide on chromatic dispersion (CD) and polarization-mode dispersion (PMD). Top 10 Telecom Forecasts for 2010 Download the Forecast for Free! Information Gatekeepers Inc. (IGI) has just announced the availability of its forecasts for 2010. Every year, Clif Holliday, author of IGI’s Lightwave report series, prepares his view of the most significant events likely to underpin telecommunications for the coming year. While Clif likes to take a somewhat lighthearted approach to this forecast (its title is “Holliday’s Holiday Horoscope,”) his accuracy has been exceptional! He is one of the few New Year’s prognosticators who always precedes his new forecast with a review of the accuracy of last year’s forecast. This gives the reader a sense of how much creditability to put in the forecasts for the coming year. We are also offering you a similar opportunity to comment on the upcoming 2010 forecasts. Click here to download the Top 10 Telecom Forecasts for 2010 now. Careers in Fiber Optics: Brian Smith. A 1998 book on fiber optic jobs is a bit dated, but a free overview is on Google Books and worth a look at it online. 2009 sets new record for malware with 25 million new strains, 92% of emails are SPAM. (eChannelline) Managing the Wireless Data Deluge (Business Week) The surge in data usage on cell phone networks (AT&T has reported a 7000% increase - 70X - since the introduction of the iPhone) has created a giant market for fiber optics! http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2009/tc20091223_992099.htm Tellabs Joins Motorola, Verizon and SAIC is offering Passive Optical Lans ( POLs.) Passive Optical Lans (POLs), based on FTTH PON networks are getting more interest in enterprise networks. (Lightwave) New IGI Active Optical Cables Market Report Forecasts 48 Million Units by 2014 AOCs (electrical-fiber link-lectrical) cables are expected to grow fast as computer peripherals require higher bandwidth connections. (IGI) Dirt! As much as 70% of the problems associated with deploying fiber to the home result from something as simple as dirty connectors according to JDSU. Telephony Online. Tanks And Ships GB Ethernet and fiber Upgrades. GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms got a contract to supply a custom version of its Gigabit Ethernet switch to rumble around inside the US Army's Abrams tank. The US Navy recently awarded Boeing contract to upgrade and support the Gigabit Ethernet networks it is building on its guided missile destroyers. From Network World. Good Technical Websites American Polywater (http://www.polywater.com/) has one of the best technical website for cable installers. Here is a rundown on some new material on their site. Cable Installation using "Push" or "Push/Pull" Polywater's new Pull-Planner™ 3000 Software allows a "pushing force" variable in pulling tension calculations. Read a White Paper that quantifies the push contribution and compares calculation results to field experience. -- http://www.polywater.com/pushing.pdf Pulling Cable Through Water? Read a Product Spotlight on Polywater® + Silicone™, Polywater's new generation underground lubricant. Continued reduction of friction when pulling through water is only one of the unique features of this lubricant. -- http://www.polywater.com/NNNBSL.pdf Check out their website, especially “Videos,” “Engineer’s Corner” and “Calculators.” http://www.polywater.com/NNNBSL.pdf  " Heard on the Street" is a monthly online newsletter from Frank Bisbee of Communications Planning Corporation that covers the telecommunications and cabling businesses. Each month includes news from manufacturers, trade associations and professional societies like the FOA. You can read the current issue and back issues online.  JDSU has announced the See the Light webinar series, a four-part program designed for anyone involved in the installation, maintenance, and repair of fiber optic systems. It begins with fiber inspection and cleaning and then covers the basics of fiber testing. The webinar series then continues with the more advanced optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) and fiber local area network (LAN) testing challenges. More information on the series. IGI is offering a series of webinars on topics of interest to those in the communications industry. You can join them live ir download from the archives. IGI WEBINAR ARCHIVES UP AND RUNNING - VISIT TELECOMBRIEFINGS.COM TO DOWNLOAD! IGI, a major market research and technology reporting company (the "Active Optical Cables" below) is offering a a free one year subscription to one of our fiber optics newsletters to FOA members. All they have to do is to send IGI an e-mail stating which newsletter they would like to get. See http://www.igigroup.com/nl.html for a listing of IGI Newsletters. The new FOA reference website is now online. New sections have been added on fusion splicing and mechanical splicing. Check out the current Table of Contents. Coming soon to a network near you - 40 and 100 gigabit/sec Ethernet! The IEEE is already working on specs for 40 and 100 gigabit/sec Ethernet and have approved a number of new PMDs (that's standards-speak for Physical Medium Dependent - i.e. cabling). A summary of the proposals is on the updated list of network specs at http://www.thefoa.org/tech/Linkspec.htm.
Bend-Insensitive Fiber Becomes Corning's Standard 50/125 Fiber - But it means changes in the way you test with it! Corning announced that effective April 1, 2010, ClearCurve® multimode optical fiber will become its standard 50-micron multimode fiber product offering. "ClearCurve multimode fiber is the world’s first laser-optimized, high-bandwidth, multimode fiber to withstand tight bends at 7.5 mm radius with substantially less signal loss than traditional multimode fibers. ClearCurve multimode optical fiber was first introduced by Corning in Jan. 2009 and has been validated through broad customer acceptance of the product. Traditionally, when an optical cable experiences tight bends, some of the light can escape from the fiber core and part of the signal can be lost. Corning ClearCurve multimode fiber is designed to keep the light in the fiber core, even under tight bends, and better maintain the integrity of the optical fiber signal. “Corning’s 50-micron multimode fiber customers will now benefit from superior bend performance. This will result in faster and more efficient optical cable routing and installation, and significantly higher spare operating margin, at no additional cost,” said Martin J. Curran, senior vice president and general manager, Corning Optical Fiber. Corning ClearCurve multimode fiber meets or exceeds the OM2, OM3 and OM4 industry standards for high-bandwidth, laser-optimized multimode fiber. Corning will demonstrate the performance of ClearCurve multimode optical fiber from March 23-25, 2010, at OFC/NFOEC in San Diego. Detailed product specifications are available at www.corning.com/clearcurve." When You Test... Most standards call for a "mandrel wrap" mode conditioner on your launch cable. The Corning announcement made us wonder what happens with this bend-insensitive fiber if you wrap it around a standard mandrel - it should not act the same as regular 50/125 fiber. We contacted our friend the Marketing Manager for the product at Corning and he confirmed our suspicions. The difference in the bend sensitivity of the fiber requires a much smaller mandrel, only 6 mm in diameter, to have the same effect. This is detailed in Corning Application Engineering Note "Multimode Fiber Considerations for Test Jumpers, AEN 131, Revision 2" available from Corning. Another Fusion Splice-On Connector Seikoh Giken joins the companies offering prepolished connectors to fusion splice onto fibers for termination. They use OFS fusion splicing technology combined with Seikoh Giken connector design. This seems to be the new standard way to provide fast terminations with low loss. http://seikohgiken.net/enews/documents/LC.pdf Cable Organizers Nothing is more difficult than organizing lots of cables. Here's a simple solution: http://www.quicksnapusa.com/ For Sale: Used Fujikura FSM-50S Fusion Splicer
1] it is fourth generation [FSM-50s, current generation is fifth, FSM-60s] 2] it is the first generation with the ability to function faster than the splicing person [9 sec splice time, 35 second heating time] 3] it has low splice count [2346 arcs and 12 since last electrode replacement] 4] it is a profile alignment splicer so it compensates for differences in the fibers 5] Has a CT-20 cleaver with spare blade, battery pack, spare electrodes. $8900 plus shipping Eric R. Pearson, CFOS President Pearson Technologies Inc. 4671 Hickory Bend Drive Acworth, GA 30102 fiberguru@ptnowire.com 770-490-9991
Bend-Optimized Multimode Fiber by OFS Aimed at dense premises applications like data centers. More. Cell Phones Bring Down 10Gb/s Cat 6A Networks? According to this Tyco Electronics report, cell phones and walkie-talkies can cause enough interference in UTP cables to bring down network transmission. Wouldn't happen with fiber, but they're also selling shielded copper. Add OCC to the list of cable manufacturers offering "bend-tolerant" cables. Draka too.(Lightwave) AFL Introduces 3 new Noyes OTDRs(Lightwave).
They're still being used for high power laser delivery - up to 80.100W! Seikoh Giken has even introduced some new ones. Used Test Equipment – Buy or Sell http://www.testequipmentconnection.com/ Have you read the FOA Tech Topics on Cleaning? More links on cleaning: Cleantex Alco Pads New Report : FTTH connections continue to grow in North America You can download and read the entire report from the FTTH council website. http://www.ftthcouncil.org/sites/default/files/RVA.FTTH_.Apr10.040712Final.pdf Fiber-to-the-Home Council to Offer Professional Certification Program to Support Growing Need for FTTH Professionals The Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Council - a trade association of more than 200 companies and organizations dedicated to expanding the deployment of all-fiber, next-generation networks - has announced that it is developing the first-ever certification program aimed specifically at professionals who design, administer, and manage FTTH systems. This complements the FOA CFxT Certification aimed at installers of FTTx programs and should provide a service provider with complete assurance of personnel competence. More. Verizon To Complete FiOS System in 2010, Looks for 40% FiOS penetration This year Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) plans to complete the fiber-to-the-premises network it started in 2004, and it is focusing harder on customer penetration. “We’re averaging just under 30% [FiOS penetration] for the whole property,” Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg told investors recently. “My people think they can get to 34%. They’re not going to get paid very much if they don’t get to 40%. The question is how quickly we can get there.” (Connected Planet) Consumer Reports Says FTTH Providers Top-Rated FTTH systems, led by Verizon FiOS, get top ratings from users over other Internet connections. (Lightwave) David Chaffee's FTTH Prism Newsletter is Online (archives are at bottom of the linked page)
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What Is The FOA? Hear FOA President Jim Hayes tell the FOA Story in a 2-part interview by Sound & Video Contractor Contributing Editor Bennett Liles. It tells about the FOA history, goals and achievements. Part 1: http://svconline.com/podcasts/audio/fiber_optic_association_part1/index.html. Part 2 http://svconline.com/podcasts/audio/inside-fiber-optic-association2-0924/index.html. |
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Digging Safely (Read the FOA Tech Topic) There is a new toll-free "call before you dig" number: 811 See www.call811.com for more information National Fiber Optic Protection Summit: By the "811" group. March, 2008 in Vegas.
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Jobs Created As Part of Stimulus-Funded Projects The federal government is spending 7.2 billion dollars on the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program. This money is working it's way into the economy and hopefully will provide jobs. You can track recovery dollars and look for job opportunities on this website: www.recovery.gov Go to "opportinities" link then "jobs". You will see a section “find recovery jobs” – enter “fiber optic jobs California” or wherever you are and review what comes up. Inside Sales Application Engineer The Inside Sales Application Engineer will have some experience of technically supporting customers in the Defense, Telecommunication, Industrial and Medical markets. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 5+ years of relevant industry experience, extensive industry knowledge and an established contact base. We would consider less experience with the right candidate. The position is located at EM4’s headquarters in Bedford, MA. EM4, Inc., and its wholly owned subsidiary EM4 Defense, designs, develops and manufactures state-of-the-art, optoelectronic components for the Defense, Broadband and Industrial markets. We offer both Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) optoelectronic modules, subsystems and unique Optoelectronic Design and Manufacturing Services (ODMS). We are ITAR registered and US-based. Key Responsibilities Seek new opportunities promoting new technical concepts, applications and/or new product and services. Conduct general inquiries with potential customers to keep abreast of new developments and technology in the Defense and Industrial markets. Support in-coming calls for technical and application questions by interacting with engineering group. Write and maintain application notes for all products. Work with the Quality and Engineering groups regarding testing, written reports and communication of results to customers for RMA (Returned Material Authorized) devices. Work with Customer Support to provide quotes, follow-up of quotes and closing of sales. Represent the sales group in weekly meetings regarding production schedules, forecasting, quality control and custom projects. Work with IT to keep data sheets and other information updated on the company web page. Key Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business administration or related field plus a minimum of 5+ years related sales and/or engineering experience within the industry. Ability to communicate in an appropriate manner with contacts at all levels of individuals within the Company and Customers. Good organizational, time management and attention to detail skills. Motivated team player with a positive attitude who can work independently. Contact: Edward McCartin Sales Director EM4 Inc. 7 Oak Park Drive Bedford, MA 01730 781-275-7501 x 283 508-525-9534-Cell emccartin@em4inc.com Cable Techs - Cat 5 - 3/22 Retail Echelon is a small business that manages the installation and service of retail traffic counting systems. We are the providers for several companies and cover the US and Canada. We are also currently moving to handle sites in South America, Europe, and Asia. The systems consist of various sensor types installed at the entrances of retail sites. The sensors are connected via CAT5 to a data collector. The data collector is connected to either the network or POS. We are continuously seeking technicians across the country to handle our jobs. I was wanting to inquire about joining any job placement programs that you may have or partnering with your group to get work to graduates. Please note that these systems currently operate with CAT5. Allen D. Johnson Vice-President of Operations RETAIL ECHELON INSTALLATIONS GROUP INC. 3583 Blue Ridge Blvd. Blue Ridge VA 24064 Phone: 336.404.7562 Fax: 866.766.5720 adjohnson@retailechelon.com www.RETAILECHELON.com Splicing Contractor - 3/22 We are looking for a company that can splice a fiber optic cable onto a connector onsite. The cable carries both video and audio signals. Need a company in the Los Angeles area. Stan Jacobs sjpl@mac.com Network Maintenance - Fiber Optics - 3/22 Looking for Certified Fiber Optic Technicians for a 24/7 maintenance contract that we have. There are 48 regions spread across the United States. Can you provide me with any leads or companies that would be interested? Ryan Faulkner Intellys Corporation | Global Infrastructure Services Email: rfaulkner@intellys.com | Phone: 972.929.9000 ext 102 Toll Free: 877.468.3559 ext 102 | Cell: 972.741.3215 | Fax: 817.796.1208 LAN | WAN | DATA | Mobility | VOIP | Security Deploying Secure, Uninterrupted Airspace - Not Simply AP's. Strategic Sales - Egypt, 3/22 One of my clients, Alcatel-Lucent, is looking for a Strategic Sales Lead (Optical) for their MEA operations. The position will be based in Egypt with travel across the MEA region. Please send me your updated CV to hemant.h@snsconsultancy.com if you're interested and if not please recommend your friends / colleagues that might be interested. Hemant Harisree Delivery Team Leader SNS FZ LLC, Dubai, UAE (In Partnership with Networkers MSB, UK) Office: +971 44 291 342 Mobile: +971 50 174 0756 , +971 50 653 9299 hemant.h@snsconsultancy.com Sr. Business Development Leader (1-25) ADAPTIVE OPTICS ASSOCIATES Join Innovative Leaders in the Design, Development & Manufacturing of Electro-Optical Systems Northrop Grumman Adaptive Optics Associates Northrop Grumman Adaptive Optics Associates (AOA) designs, develops and manufactures a wide variety of standard and custom electro-optic and opto-mechanical products. Since its inception, AOA has steadily expanded its engineering and manufacturing capabilities to provide its customers with the highest quality products, systems and services. For more information on AOA, please visit: http://www.as.northropgrumman.com/businessventures/aoa/index.html Job Title: Sr. Business Development Leader Job Description: The role of Sr. Business Development Leader is to obtain new business opportunities by providing technical and engineering support to customers leveraging AOA’s processing capabilities and technical expertise. The Sr. Business Development Leader will engage customers with sound technical consultation and will define, support, close, monitor, and report on development-related and new business opportunities, programs, contracts and agreements. Through their technical leadership, the Sr. Business Development Leader will develop and grow the business relationship between AOA and our customers, increasing our revenue and profitability. The responsibilities include: establishing and leading a successful business development team; developing new business in Custom Electro- Optical (E-O) Systems Design and Mfg, and Customized Optical Measurement Solutions, focusing on industrial companies with significant U.S. domestic operations, defense contractors, and U.S. government agencies; creating marketing and sales goals, as well as developing and executing formal plans to reach these goals; training, and coordinating the activities of (to-be-hired) regional representatives. Basic Qualifications: Bachelors degree in Marketing or related field (engineering degree desired). Minimum 8 years combined technical and business development experience required. Minimum 2 years experience with electro-optical systems and/or optical systems design and manufacturing. Experience developing high-level marketing strategy and implementing Sales/Marketing performance tracking tools. Experience working with senior management to achieve results. Demonstrated ability identifying new business opportunities and securing profitable business relationships. Up to 50 percent travel necessary. Demonstrated written and oral presentation skills interfacing with customers. Assets (Preferred qualifications): Existing Rolodex of pertinent industrial companies, people, and key contacts and decision-makers. Experience marketing to government agencies and industrial companies. Experience marketing customized engineering design and/or manufacturing services. More about Northrop Grumman AOA: Northrop Grumman AOA benefits are among the most competitive in the industry. While salary is a major component of your compensation, you also receive a competitive benefits package including: 401K Medical, Dental and Life Insurance STD and LTD Vacation Purchased Vacation Program PTO (sick / personal time) Holiday Pay 9/80 Work Schedule Tuition Reimbursement Employee Referral Program Professional Development Opportunities Employee Incentive Plan An Equal Opportunity Employer, M/F/D/V Interested applicants should apply at: www.careers.northropgrumman.com Do listings in the FOA Newsletter Work? Here's feedback: "We did great! We have over 15 interviews next week." Thanks, David Swales, Jr.
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Your Name, CFOT - It pays to advertise! The FOA encourages CFOTs to use the logo on their business cards, letterhead, truck or van, etc. and provides logo files on this site for that purpose. But we are also asked about how to use the CFOT or CFOS certifications. Easy, you can refer to yourself as "Your Name, CFOT" or "Your Name, CFOS/T" for example. Feel free to use the logo and designations to promote your achievements and professionalism! |
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Remember To Renew Your Certification ! Remember
to renew your FOA certification. All current CFOTs have a ID Card with
their certification data and we keep a database of current CFOTs to
answer inquiries regarding your qualifications if needed. You must be a
current FOA member and CFOT to participate in our online
database of installers, contractors, technicians and consultants.
If you forgot to renew, use the online application
form to renew NOW! You can now renew your FOA certification online - and get an extra month free. Details here. |
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See http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/testing/OTDR/OTDR.html for more details. See the FOA Reference Guide for more info. (C)1999-20010, The Fiber Optic Association, Inc. |
JDSU offers a free download of
their Testing Guide from the Lightwave website. This is one great book
which explains some basic fiber technology, but the real value is the
last half which deals with OTDR testing. Not only does it give the
usual info, but it covers important topics like measurement
uncertainties and anomolies like ghosts and gainers.
FOA Logo Merchandise