Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!mailrus!ames!oliveb!pyramid!prls!philabs!aecom!glen From: glen@aecom.YU.EDU (Glen M. Marianko) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.lans Subject: Need Fiber Attenuation Tester/Fiber Connectorization Keywords: Fiber Attenuation Test Equipment Portable Connectorization Message-ID: <1820@aecom.YU.EDU> Date: 31 May 88 18:54:51 GMT Organization: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY Lines: 30 We're installing a fiber optic ethernet backbone here and I'm looking for some good fiber optic test equipment for my toolkit at low (1-2k) cost. That certainly rules out OTDRs leaving attenuation testers. Anyone have any recommendations on testers. I would like to do testing at both 850nm and 1300nm. Most companies sell either separate units or units with plug-in modules for both frequencies. Some (notably Phillips) sell a dual nm receiver, but still need separate light sources. Finally, is attenuation testing alone a good enough test for a fiber optic cable? For example, ethernet link A to B is down - pop off the fiber and attenuation test it. Or, I just connectorized a jumper cable, was it done properly using an attenuation test? ** Important aside: anyone have information on do-it-yourself, cheap fiber connectorization? I have no experience with this: can you just buy duplex fiber, SMA 906 or ST connectors, chop the fiber ends, polish it as best as possible with fine sand paper/wheel and connectorize it for short patch-cord use? What kind of extra losses can I expect due to such non-scientific connectorization? Any company sell a do-it-yourself kit. (Someone is probably going to want to flame me for this Q, but I need to know if it is possible/feasible.) -- Glen Marianko glen@aecom.yu.edu