LAN and Telecom Cabling No polish Fiber terminations?

> Alan Rench wrote:
>
>
>

>>I'm looking at the AMP LightCrimp Plus No Polish system. Anyone care to
>>share the Pro's and Con's? I like my AMP modular plug crimper. That is
>>why I
>>am looking at AMP. But any other suggestions are welcome. I have been
>>using
>>the Leviton ThreadLock system. My problem is I only have about 1 fiber
>>job a
>>year. And even then it is usually only 12 to 24 terminations. I have a
>>slow
>>start with my polishing technique which smoothes out by the end of the
>>job.
>>Then the next fiber job comes along and I'm back to square one. :-))

>
>
> Crimp-style connectors like AMP's LightCrimp and UniCam by Corning, as
> well as the clones (these guys OEM manufacture for everyone and their
> brother) are best suited for repair work, not the new installs. I know
> that this may not go too well with every installer you are talking to
> because on our side of the fence installation time is (almost always) all
> the matters. But the reality of the thing is: you are inserting two
> additional mechanical splices on every fiber, and that may be especially
> bad on singlemode cables. And also reliability and couple other issues
> below.
>
> Reliability of the crimp-style connectors also leaves to desire more. They
> are notorious for not allowing ANY touching after the install is done.
> With polished connectors (hot melts or regular epoxy or any other type of
> glue, does not matter) your fiber is glued into the ferrule to the point
> that, when pulling on the fiber, you will cut your fingers easier than
> separating the fiber from the ferrule. In crimp style connector it's a,
> well, crimped (or just rotated) plastic part that holds the whole thing
> together. Any light pull on the fiber may potentially separate the fiber
> from the connector, which destroys the link. Sometimes accidental pulls on
> fiber are unavoidable, especially if you are working in a densely
> populated shelf, and dressing your fibers in.

>
> Yield: it is possible on a nice day to produce 100% yield with epoxy
> polished connectors. It is impossible on a sizable crimp-style job NOT to
> waste quite a few connectors because the cleaving stage is so important,
> and you have no control over it, and by the time you realize something
> went wrong, it's to late to redo the connector. There have been some
> improvements made by Corning with introducing a base station with light
> injector that makes it possible to judge be the amount of light that
> escapes whether or not the cleave was done right, but you really have to
> train your eye before you can tell.

>
> Environment should also be considered when picking a particular type of
> connector: if you are forced to work during construction phase (should be
> avoided at all costs, but not always possible), the dust in the air may
> not allow you to do good polishing. In this case the crimp style
> connectors will do much better. If you have to work in a relatively clean
> environment, and the number of connectors if considerable, you better of
> doing polished style.
>
> Choose the style that suits the particular situation best and be prepared
> to work with both technologies.

>
> Good luck!
>

> Dmitri(Cabling-Design.com) wrote:
>

>> Alan Rench wrote:
>>
>>
>>

>>> I'm looking at the AMP LightCrimp Plus No Polish system. Anyone care to
>>> share the Pro's and Con's? I like my AMP modular plug crimper. That is
>>> why I
>>> am looking at AMP. But any other suggestions are welcome. I have been
>>> using
>>> the Leviton ThreadLock system. My problem is I only have about 1 fiber
>>> job a
>>> year. And even then it is usually only 12 to 24 terminations. I have a
>>> slow
>>> start with my polishing technique which smoothes out by the end of the
>>> job.
>>> Then the next fiber job comes along and I'm back to square one. :-))

>>
>>
>>
>> Crimp-style connectors like AMP's LightCrimp and UniCam by Corning, as
>> well as the clones (these guys OEM manufacture for everyone and their
>> brother) are best suited for repair work, not the new installs. I know
>> that this may not go too well with every installer you are talking to
>> because on our side of the fence installation time is (almost always) all
>> the matters. But the reality of the thing is: you are inserting two
>> additional mechanical splices on every fiber, and that may be especially
>> bad on singlemode cables. And also reliability and couple other issues
>> below.
>>
>> Reliability of the crimp-style connectors also leaves to desire more.
>> They
>> are notorious for not allowing ANY touching after the install is done.
>> With polished connectors (hot melts or regular epoxy or any other type of
>> glue, does not matter) your fiber is glued into the ferrule to the point
>> that, when pulling on the fiber, you will cut your fingers easier than
>> separating the fiber from the ferrule. In crimp style connector it's a,
>> well, crimped (or just rotated) plastic part that holds the whole thing
>> together. Any light pull on the fiber may potentially separate the fiber
>> from the connector, which destroys the link. Sometimes accidental
>> pulls on
>> fiber are unavoidable, especially if you are working in a densely
>> populated shelf, and dressing your fibers in.

>
>
> While the potential is there, I'm going to have to disagree with the
> reality. Of the couple thousand LightCrimps I've installed, not one
> that was properly inserted (yes there were a few that didn't get right
> the first time) not one has pulled out with "light pull". In fact, one
> of my tests was to hold the fiber about 6 inches back and let the
> connector dangle. Then I'd give the connector a little tug. Never a
> problem. In the dense shelf situation, I think that you are more likely
> to break the glass behind the boot than pull it out of a crimp
> connector. And that happens with any type of termination. As for
> single mode, I'd fusion splice pigtails if I didn't want to puck-n-polish.
>

>>
>> Yield: it is possible on a nice day to produce 100% yield with epoxy
>> polished connectors. It is impossible on a sizable crimp-style job NOT to
>> waste quite a few connectors because the cleaving stage is so important,
>> and you have no control over it, and by the time you realize something
>> went wrong, it's to late to redo the connector. There have been some
>> improvements made by Corning with introducing a base station with light
>> injector that makes it possible to judge be the amount of light that
>> escapes whether or not the cleave was done right, but you really have to
>> train your eye before you can tell.

>
>
> I would also say that yield is probably equal between the different
> styles especially if you are doing less than 100 terminations a year.
> Practice is critical.
>

>>
>> Environment should also be considered when picking a particular type of
>> connector: if you are forced to work during construction phase (should be
>> avoided at all costs, but not always possible), the dust in the air may
>> not allow you to do good polishing. In this case the crimp style
>> connectors will do much better. If you have to work in a relatively clean
>> environment, and the number of connectors if considerable, you better of
>> doing polished style.
>>
>> Choose the style that suits the particular situation best and be prepared
>> to work with both technologies.

>
>
> I agree completely with being ready to do both. I've been thinking
> about fiber to the desk situations, (which we have here) that it's got
> to be much easier to do installs with pre-polished connectors than
> lugging a hot melt kit all over a building!
>

>>
>> Good luck!
>>

> While the potential is there, I'm going to have to disagree with the
> reality. Of the couple thousand LightCrimps I've installed, not one
> that
> was properly inserted (yes there were a few that didn't get right the
> first
> time) not one has pulled out with "light pull". In fact, one
> of my tests
> was to hold the fiber about 6 inches back and let the connector dangle.
> Then I'd give the connector a little tug. Never a problem.

> In the
> dense
> shelf situation, I think that you are more likely to break the glass
> behind
> the boot than pull it out of a crimp connector. And that happens with
> any
> type of termination.

> As for single mode, I'd fusion splice pigtails if
> I didn't want to puck-n-polish.

> I agree completely with being ready to do both. I've been thinking
> about
> fiber to the desk situations, (which we have here) that it's got to be
> much
> easier to do installs with pre-polished connectors than lugging a hot
> melt
> kit all over a building!

> I'm looking at the AMP LightCrimp Plus No Polish system. Anyone care to
> share the Pro's and Con's? I like my AMP modular plug crimper. That is why

> am looking at AMP. But any other suggestions are welcome. I have been

> the Leviton ThreadLock system. My problem is I only have about 1 fiber job

> year. And even then it is usually only 12 to 24 terminations. I have a

> start with my polishing technique which smoothes out by the end of the

> Then the next fiber job comes along and I'm back to square one. :-))
>
>