terminating fiber help

D

dudemaar

Known around here
Aug 18, 2018
1,322
2,821
Canada
Just wondering if anyone has any advice for me on how i can re-terminate the other end of this cable?
IMG_0949.JPG

I have never done this but I have a opportunity to try and fix a friends connection for his camera network going in another building over 500 feet away. The fiber cable is yellow jacket and was pre made, but the guys who installed the switches failed to strain relief/conceal the cable/switch correctly and someone accidentally pulled both green and blue fibersout of those blue connectors. Any tips/instructions or tool recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
If just for one or two fibers, it would be cheaper and wiser to just buy a new premade cable. As the tools a fiber cleaver and fiber splicer machine and other tools if needed are not cheap or worth one-time use. Also depends on the where the break is. If nothing more, you would need a fiber cleaver and the proper connecting end(s). I would look up info/videos on splicing and then decide if it's worth it or not. It would be similar to this but twice since duplex or multi-mode fiber.
LC Fiber Optic Connector Termination - YouTube
 
  • Like
Reactions: Flintstone61, tech101 and dudemaar
I've never had to do it myself. If you are successful, please share your process and results.

The yellow jacket probably means you're dealing with single mode fiber, although the SFP transceiver probably has the fiber type printed on it or at least a model number you could look up to verify.

If the ends were simply pulled out, and the fiber itself is not damaged, you might get away with just sticking the fibers back into the LC connectors so look right, and hot glue around where the fiber enters the LC connectors to hold them in place. 500ft of single mode fiber is rather short compared to the typical rated range of the transceivers (2km+) so I would hope it would tolerate a fair amount of minor damage or sub-optimal alignment and still be able to link at 1 Gbps (hopefully they aren't trying 10 Gbps or higher lol).
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Flintstone61, tech101 and dudemaar
Wolf4Ever said:
If just for one or two fibers, it would be cheaper and wiser to just buy a new premade cable. As the tools a fiber cleaver and fiber splicer machine and other tools if needed are not cheap or worth one-time use. Also depends on the where the break is. If nothing more, you would need a fiber cleaver and the proper connecting end(s). I would look up info/videos on splicing and then decide if it's worth it or not. It would be similar to this but twice since duplex or multi-mode fiber.
LC Fiber Optic Connector Termination - YouTube
Click to expand...
Thanks for the video link. looks a little tricky, but I would be willing to spend the time to learn how and buy equipment. Always good to know how to splice fiber, since i am in the camera installation business anyway. can think of a few installs where fiber would have been better than a 500 ft run of cat6e. I would imagine 500 ft of pre made fiber cable wouldnt be cheap either, plus the labor of pulling it through the conduit. I seen this kit on amazon in canadian dollars, FiberShack - 9 IN 1 FTTH Fiber Optic Tool Kit - English Manual included., Meter Sockets - Amazon Canada . ?? would just need the proper blue end connectors.
 
 
  • Like
Reactions: tech101 and dudemaar
dudemaar said:
Thanks for the video link. looks a little tricky, but I would be willing to spend the time to learn how and buy equipment. Always good to know how to splice fiber, since i am in the camera installation business anyway. can think of a few installs where fiber would have been better than a 500 ft run of cat6e. I would imagine 500 ft of premade fiber cable wouldn't be cheap either, plus the labor of pulling it through the conduit. I seen this kit on amazon in canadian dollars, FiberShack - 9 IN 1 FTTH Fiber Optic Tool Kit - English Manual included., Meter Sockets - Amazon Canada . ?? would just need the proper blue end connectors.
Click to expand...
I don't know on the ends. I have never really messed with fiber only premade cables. Just now getting into it as I have 2gb full-duplex internet now. That kit looks to be a cleaver and a tester not a splicer there like 1k or so. So if you only need to do the ends it could work.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dudemaar and tech101
We use Corning cam lock ends. The terminating kit is about 2 grand. The connectors are about 16 dollars a pop. The tester is about 10 grand. We don’t splice, we just put ends or repull fiber if needed. I think the equipment to splice is crazy high, but it is all pretty expensive.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dudemaar and sebastiantombs
I remember "drawing" figure eights for hours polishing connectors. Things have changed for the better.
 
  • Like
  • Haha
Reactions: Old Timer and dudemaar
  • Like
Reactions: dudemaar and sebastiantombs
I’m in India right now and I had fiber broadband installed a few weeks ago and they turned up with a massive box of tricks when terminating the fiber in my house and even then they had a few attempts at it before getting a good termination or giving up
 
  • Like
Reactions: dudemaar and sebastiantombs
sebastiantombs said:
I remember "drawing" figure eights for hours polishing connectors. Things have changed for the better.
Click to expand...
i came into fiber when other folks were drawing figure 8's and that little microscope :) luckily, I started off with a fusion splicer and convinced the higher ups to go that route.
To the OP...go buy another patch cord. The fiber glass tip is probably defective or chipped or unusable. The fiber tools & material you need to put new ends on is not justified.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TonyR and sebastiantombs
Update. I have successfully terminated this fiber with the above equipment I link from Amazon. It wasn’t easy as it took me about 2 hrs . Getting the right setting on the stripper for getting the coating off the glass was a pita, kept breaking glass. Luckily had a big service loop. Also fiber line was 9/125 um so had to hot glue the 125 under the boot, quickly slip it on and also hot glue out side for strain relief. Was all a bit unorthodox, but managed to get it up an running. Thanks to you guys and your feedback. (Specially the hot glue suggestion)
583AF222-19FA-4440-B914-5F2CF4C72BE5.jpeg4D4F3187-52B5-4F7D-9EAB-C8360B1540B3.jpeg3054F17A-F831-40E0-BE03-708C4D12F8A0.jpeg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: sebastiantombs
congrats...now you can hire yourself out to the local telecomm guys :)

I'd like to make additional suggestions incase other's try to follow your path:
1.) I personally prefer 6 feet (arms wide open width) of bare fiber to play with after opening the cable up. I like to have room to move the connector waaaaaaaaay over there out of the way when done with it while working on other fiber ends or other things. Also, good to have 6' bare fiber coiled up in a fiber tray or some type of storage incase there is a need to re-terminate a single connector for reasons.
2.) while working with fiber, I use those standard plastic quick-clamps with rubber feet to hold down my fiber cable. I do not crank it down but just enough to hold it in place while working. Certainly do not want the cable to be flopping around.
3.) consider a bulk head connector aka fiber patch panel. You never want to touch the fiber ever again after terminating the ends. We like to use those 12"x12"x6" deep metal boxes but we do play with 6,12,24 strands of fiber in a work environment. For home use of 2 or 4 strands and 4'-6' of spare bare fiber could easily fit in a box like this:
2-fiber-86-type-terminal-box.jpg
(* ok...maybe that box is a little small for 6' of spare fiber...but you get the point *)
Your fiber is tie wrapped (or hose clamped) to the box so your fiber cable is 100% secured. Your bare fiber is tucked way inside the box. Your connecter to the bulkhead is now done. After you afix to the wall, the secured box should NEVER have a need to be touched ever again. Now you can use 3meter (longer...or shorter) patch cord to your hearts content. Oh oh....your squashed your patch cord? No problem....buy another one! Better than "ohoh...squashed your fiber cable? CYA!"
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: JNDATHP, sebastiantombs and dudemaar
2nd sidenote:
if you dabble with 'loose tube' fiber...never EVER make a circle from it. It's just thin but stout plastic. If it kinks, 50% change of breaking the glass fiber, 95% chance of fiber just simply not working due to the rigidity of the kink.
This is why I advise to open up the loose tube an inch or 2 past where you opened up the main cable itself and then have 6' of bare fiber to play with.
Tight buffered fiber is so much easier to work with and safer...though it takes up more volume in a fiber box.loose-tube-or-tight-buffered-cable.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: tangent
Once I got a temp job at a staffing place in Naperville IL. I sat in an assembly room with about 12 Asian women, making Fiber optic patch cables. and I think maybe the termination end pieces. Can't remember...I lasted about 3 days.
But I got really good at Polishing the ends until they passed!
I terminated fiber only a 4-5 times at Prime Communications.
I can't remember how to do it anymore LOL.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Old Timer
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom