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Jim Hayes Elected FOA President
Jim Hayes, founder
and first President of The FOA has been elected again to the post
starting June 1, 2002. Since the beginning, Jim has been very
active in organizing and running The FOA. Originally trained as
an Astronomer and Physicist at Vanderbilt, University and Lick
Observatory, Jim has been involved in high tech businesses since
1968. He became aware of fiber optics in 1978 and founded Fotec,
the fiber optic test equipment company, in 1981. Jim has lofty
goals for the FOA in the next few years. Here's his comments:
The FOA has grown from a wild idea by a
bunch of fiber optic activists in 1995 to an organization that
is a major force in the fiber optics industry. To date, we have
certified over 8,500 members as CFOTs and have over 60 approved
schools adding CFOTs to that number rapidly. We've gotten involved
in industry standards and our latest, most ambitious program of
creating a trainer certification program.
As I reassume the Presidency of The FOA, I've developed a number
of goals for us the next year:
Set up online storefront for membership, renewals, certification
applications, logbooks, logo merchandise, The Fiber Optic Technicians
Manual and other books, etc.
Keep the FOA website (www.TheFOA.org) up to date, add technical
content, instructor's corner, online museum
Publish 3 newsletters in the next year and focus on an email newsletter
Add corporate memberships
Recruit more schools to offer certification
Roll out "Train-The-Trainer" program being developed
by John Highhouse and Tom Collins
Promote CFOS advanced certification programs, including getting
more schools to offer advanced courses and certification testing
Finish update of NECA/FOA fiber optic installation standard
Look to more FOA involvement with industry conventions, meetings,
standards and seminars.
I realize this is an ambitious program, but with the momentum
we have built up already, I feel it's doable. We do, of course,
need help and volunteers are always welcome. Contact me directly
at jeh@jimhayes.com if you
want to offer your assistance.
TTT and Instructor Certification Program
One thing schools tell us continually is that there are not enough
qualified instructors to teach fiber optic classes. The FOA has
been working on this problem and are now readying a instructor's
training program to alleviate the shortage.
The FOA is not a training organization itself. We have approved
schools that train technicians, installers and designers, offering
the FOA certifications. We have helped develop training programs
given by organizations under NSF grants and worked with schools
to set up programs.
Now FOA Board members John Highhouse of Lincoln Trail College
and Tom Collins of Northern Kentucky Technical College, both seasoned
teachers as well as fiber optics instructors, are preparing a
one week program to teach instructors how to teach fiber optics
for the CFOT exam. It will be one week of class covering curriculum
and how to teach it with laboratories. Instructors who complete
the two week program will be "CFOI's" - Certified Fiber
Optic Instructors.
This year, we will do a trial run July 22-26 at Northern Kentucky
Technical College in Highland Heights, KY (near Cincinnati) with
some experienced instructors, then in 2003 will offer the program
in several locations. If you are teaching fiber optics or want
to, this is a great opportunity. If you are currently teaching
fiber optics and are interested in being a "guinea pig,"
contact Jim Hayes at jeh@jimhayes.com.
Advanced Certification
What is the goal for a CFOT looking for advancement? Get your
CFOS certification. The FOA "Certified Fiber Optic Specialist"
program offers experienced technicians recognition for their accomplishments
in termination, splicing and testing. In all, there are three
specializations which can be taken separately.
Each Specialist certification requires a combination of experience
and knowledge. The experience can be verified from the CFOT logbook
or confirmation by employers or customers. Then there is an advanced
exam, proctored by one of our approved training schools, that
tests in-depth knowledge of each practice.
If you have your CFOT and want recognition of your professionalism,
contact the FOA office for an application or see the FOA website
(http://www.thefoa.org/adv-cert.htm).
Tech
Topics - More Website Updates
The FOA website, www.TheFOA.org, has had lots of useful information
added, now including "Tech Topics," a series of technical
papers on various topics of interest. The list of approved schools
is kept up to date and the jobs listings is available both in
new jobs and an archive of past postings, along with a list of
search firms working in fiber optics. Take a look often as news
items are also posted, for example, we'll announce our storefront
on the website first.
Want To Get FOA Email?
We have been asked if we could send the FOA newsletter by email
or post it on the website. We are looking into that and will definitely
get one started soon. When you renew, you will be asked if you
are interested in email newsletters and if so, you will be asked
to give your email address for us to use in a mailing list. If
you want to get started now, send an email to info@thefoa.org
with the subject "eMail List"
Note that The FOA never releases its mailing lists for any
use! Your data is always safe with us.
Logo Merchandise
We are going to offer a select number of logo items including
hats, t-shirts, jacket patches, etc. to be sold over our online
store in the near future. The items we offer are going to be determined
by the requests of our members, so let the FOA office know what
you would like.
Using The FOA Logo & Certifications
The FOA is often asked by members if they can use the FOA logo
on business cards, stationery or the side of their truck. Absolutely!
Members are encouraged to use the logo and their certifications
(CFOT or CFOS) to show their professional status.
We have placed high
resolution logos on the FOA website for you to download and
use. Those who have passed the CFOT exam can refer to themselves
as "CFOT" or "Certified Fiber Optic Technician"
and those with advanced certification are "CFOS/T, C or S"
or "Certified Fiber Optic Specialist, Testing, Connectorization
or Splicing."
FOA Identification Cards
In our March mailing for the annual meeting, we included an identification
card for each member. These cards were a "trial run"
that were missing some important data that we'll include in the
future when you renew, like CFOT or member number and an actual
expiration date.
It's your record of your membership and certifications and will
serve as a reminder of your renewal date. We left space on the
back for a passport-sized photo so you can sign it, add a photo
and laminate it.
FOA Online Store
We are working to set up an online storefront for membership,
renewals, certification applications, logbooks, logo merchandise,
The Fiber Optic Technicians Manual and other books, etc.
It will greatly simplify renewing your membership and allow you
to buy training materials, logo merchandise, etc. online with
a credit card. Watch the FOA website, www.TheFOA.org, for details.
Corporate Memberships
The FOA is finally going to accept corporate memberships. Companies
joining the FOA will be listed on our website, participate in
our newsletter mailings, and be able to offer memberships and
certifications to their employees. If your company is interested,
have them check the FOA website or contact the FOA office.
Tech Topics
Most GbE Networks Are VCSEL Based
Estimates say 80-90% of installed Gigabit Ethernet networks use
850 nm VCSEL transceivers (1000Base-SX). The remainder are based
on 1310 nm F-P lasers (1000Base-LX) which cost at least 50% more.
We have been told that 850 VCSEL transceivers are less expensive
than 1300 lasers already. 10 Gigabit Ethernet will also use these
same devices, but with the imminent availability of 1300 nm VCSELs,
at a much reduced price from current 1310 lasers, may shift interest
to the longer wavelength devices.
Pirelli Offers SM Fiber For 850 VCSEL
Use
We all know that fiber does not have infinite bandwidth. It sure
seemed so, fifteen years ago when telephone systems were running
405 Mb/s over SM fiber and LANs were 10 Mb/s over multimode. But
today, with telcos looking at 40 Gigabits/second and LANs moving
from 1 Gb/s to 10 Gb/s, fiber is being stressed to its limits
in some applications.
It's the LAN especially where technology is being pushed. A desire
to run high speed applications over legacy multimode fiber or
adopt new multimode fibers (so-called "laser grade"
fibers) to take advantage of cheap 850 nm VCSEL sources has kept
the LAN applications focused on multimode. But Pirelli has a different
idea - run cheap 850 nm VCSELs over singlemode fiber!
It's an interesting idea. Cheap lasers and cheap fiber (SM is
about 1/3 the cost of MM due to its simpler construction and higher
volume) offset the higher termination cost. You avoid the high
cost of 1310 nm laser transmitters too. The SM fiber even has
lower loss at 850 nm, about 2 dB/km, due to the lower levels of
dopants.
But we're not home free. At 850 nm, SM fiber supports two modes
or rays of transmission. Pirelli has optimized a SM fiber, called
FineLight', for DMD (differential modal delay) at 850 nm which
should increase the bandwidth, but the unknown is the effects
of modal noise. Modal noise is caused by the interaction of out
of phase modes which you can see in the speckle pattern of a 650
nm visual fault locator in a singlemode fiber. If the modal noise
is not a problem and VCSEL sources are well-aligned enough for
efficient coupling, this may be a dandy idea.
FOA Stuff- April, 2002
FOA Presentations At VDV Expo Enthusiastically Received
The FOA again co-sponsored the NECA Voice-Data-Video
Expo in Las Vegas in March, provided technical sessions for the
conference. Overall attendance at VDV 2002 was very strong, topping
2001s record crowds. Attendance at the technical sessions was
also strong and the presentations, focusing on fiber vs. copper
and estimating FO networks, were well received.
The FOA will again be a sponsor of VDV
for 2003, same time, March 10-12, 2003 and place, the Las
Vegas Hilton. We're already planning on some new fiber track seminars
that we think you will find enlightening. Plan now to join us.
New Job Postings On FOA Website
In spite of the slump in the fiber optic
industry, the FOA website has been a good source of jobs. We've
recently updated the site to make postings easier and more current.
Take a look at www.TheFOA.org and see how you like it.
Were also considering two other ideas: posting RFQs and
RFPs on fiber optic jobs for you to bid on and creating a email
list for news. If you like these ideas or have some of your own,
email us at info@thefoa.org with
your comments.
Want to write for the FOA Newsletter? Send
us articles, news, anything you think might be interesting
to the rest of the membership!