Fiber optic testing products company in New York [Archive]

Konrad

09-09-2010, 06:39 AM

Welcome to TBCS, jack

Vendors and suppliers of fiber-optic parts and cables will often carry tools and test equipment for linesman and technician field work. Expensive stuff. More serious "lab grade" stuff is very specialized and far more expensive. If you're working for a fiber comm company or studying to become a fiber tech then your worksite or school campus will provide (or suggest) the basic tools you need.

If you're just trying to test the quality of your fiber broadband or TV connection and need a "one-shot" tool then you'd be better off calling your ISP to send a technician instead. Not an ideal solution, but probably your only one unless you have some serious money to burn. You could hire your own fiber tech (with his own tools and parts), but he can't do much good (outside of your home) because he's not going to be authorized to access signals upline from (or even touch) the provider's service boxes.

If you're planning on splicing or rerouting your service around your home then hiring the competent fiber tech is a wise investment. Fiber runs are much more complicated than mere electrical wiring, assuming you want it done right. Not saying an average guy can't do it right, just saying the average guy probably wouldn't want to make the serious investment in knowledge and equipment needed for the job.

If you're planning on doing some kind of (illegal) fiber-tap for free service, I can tell you right now it will not work because each subscription is sent downline with unique modulation; you'll either get garbage or you'll "steal" (and degrade) somebody else's signal - and you can be certain that they'll complain to their fiber provider until a tech is sent to inspect and fix things (and he'll reverse and report any changes you've made).

You might be able to rent appropriate test equipment ... but I doubt it. (You usually can't rent similarly high-priced and precision-calibrated things like oscilloscopes either, and if you owned one you certainly wouldn't want any fool with money plugging it into things at random ... now, I'm not saying you're a fool, of course, but the example is still valid.)

Try shopping through online suppliers like Proskit (http://www.proskit.com/) if you just want little fiber tools, but don't always expect fantastic quality. You can always google (http://www.google.ca/#num=100&hl=en&safe=off&q=fiber+optic+testing+products+new+york&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=a783e9d612281f8e) around.

To be blunt, if you don't already know exactly what types and brands of test equipment you're looking for (and who sells it) then you probably shouldn't be buying it anyways.