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New FOA Benefit For CFOTs - A Searchable Database of Installers, Contractors and Consultants

The FOA is compiling a database of CFOTs who do installation, contracting or consulting. Our goal is to have it as a searchable database for everyone needing a contractor, many of which call us at the FOA for advice.

The database lists CFOTs according to their areas of expertise and locations where they will do installs, plus a short description of their organization, work experience, etc. The database can be searched by any parameter so the user can get a close match to their needs for fiber optic expertise.

If you are a CFOT who wants to be listed, go to the FOA Installer Database and register now. As soon as the database is ready, we'll announce it to the world of end users.

 

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FTTH Council Show in Vegas

Eric Pearson and Jim Hayes attended the FTTH Council show in Las Vegas, where The FOA had a booth.

As usual, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that FTTH/FTTP work is going ahead at a good pace, with about 1 million US homes connected in the last year. Japan is way ahead of the US with about 3 times that many. Even South Korea is a challenger.
US companies are certainly aiming lots of new products at the FTTH market. Wall-mounted enclosures, pedestals for PON devices, drop cables, etc. were everywhere ­ perhaps a record number of "better mousetraps" were introduced at this show. Sessions we attended were well-presented by knowledgeable people.

But are the telephone companies promoting the installations or just doing more field trials? Discussions with vendors gave mostly guarded responses. It was hard to get a handle on component sales, technical directions or future possibilities. The fact that 1 million new homes were connected last year is very encouraging.

In four days at the show, attendee traffic was very light. Mostly we saw vendors, not unusual at trade shows these days, and we saw only a few companies that were likely customers for these products. We saw one person from Verizon, although a group was rumored to have attended. Nobody we asked saw anyone from SBC or BellSouth. A few municipalities were represented.

We did use that show to introduce the FOA to participants, many of whom were not aware that we've been around for ten years and have certified over 16,000 CFOTs. We also talked up the idea of an FOA FTTH certification which was well received by most people we talked to. We gave out FOA/NECA installation standards, which was appreciated by all.

 

While we were not overwhelmed by the show, it gave us some good ideas to pursue. We plan to get out and interview some FTTH installers and users to see what they think - and see if they think it's worth it!

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How Good is FTTH?

Read a user report from a Verizon customer in Keller, TX at http://www.i4u.com/article4365.html

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Third edition of The Fiber Optic Technicians Manual Now Available!   About 15% bigger, with new or updated material on most chapter subjects, including more "hands-on information, but the price remains the same, $54.95. ISBN No. 1401896995   FOTM Lab Manual is available from Delmar (ISBN:1418028754, Price: $19.95) with tons of hands on exercises.   An Instructor's Guide to the FOTM is also available from Delmar. (ISBN: 1401897002, Price: $33.95 ) For information on the Lab Manual or Instructors Guide, contact Delmar directly at 1-800-347-7707 for further information.   Remember the CFOT Test now uses the new edition, along with the new NECA/FOA-301 Installation Standard.

Another good book: Eric Pearson's Successful Fiber Optic Installation - a cookbook for fiber optics!

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This Month's Job Openings:

 

Agiltron

Contact: jingzhao@agiltron.com, www.agiltron.com

Agiltron has several position openings: (1)fiberoptic component test technician/operator, (2) fiberoptic product engineer, and (3) precision
mechanical tool engineer.

 

Metrologist

Contact: "Mark E. Furber" <mfurber@furber.com>
If there is an experienced optical metrologist (interferometry, etc.) looking for a new job, please contact me.

 

Connector Termination

Contact: <tmccarthy@telecast-fiber.com>tmccarthy@telecast-fiber.com.

Telecast Fiber Systems, Inc., located in Worcester, MA, is seeking to hire a part time fiber connector termination person. 
Experience is a must. If you know of anyone interested in part time, flexible hours, please ask them to forward their resume to : <mailto:tmccarthy@telecast-fiber.com>tmccarthy@telecast-fiber.com.

See previous newsletter issues for earlier job listings.

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Links To Useful Manufacturer's Websites

 

Calculate Loss Budgets, Conduit Fill Online

Corning offers two online calculators on their website, where you can calculate loss budgets or conduit fill using your own data. Very convenient. See http://www.corningcablesystems.com/web/privnet/privnet.nsf/ehtml/descalc and remember to count the connectors on the ends of the cable plant!

 

Stripping Fiber Optic Cable.

Berk-Tek has several ap notes on stripping cables on their website as PDF files. The list of all Berk-Tek ap notes is at http://www.berktek.com/berktekweb/technical/dccc.asp.

 

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New PowerPoint Presentation In Spanish

A new PowerPoint presentation in Spanish for instructors and anyone else interested has been posted on the FOA website for free downloading. It is an explanation of fiber optics in Spanish, created by Francisco Castro Cabrera of Mexico City, who is starting up our new FOA chapter in Mexico. It is complementary to our PowerPoint introduction to fiber optics in English. Here is more information on the presentation in Spanish.

 

 

 

 

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"We've been waiting for this" department: 3M Introduces Hot Melt LC Connector

The LC connector has become the de facto standard for high speed fiber optic links, but until now, installers were limited to adhesive (epoxy or anaerobic) or prepolished/splice versions. 3M is now offering a Hot Melt version of the LC, which of course, offers all the advantages of a Hot Melt connector (fast termination, high performance and the "second chance" where you can reheat it and try polishing again if you just pull the fiber back a couple of mm before the adhesive cools and sets.) More information is available from 3M website (www.3Mhotmelt.com/introducing) or 800-426-8688.

PS: note how much this duplex version - actually 2 coupled simplex connectors - looks like the FOA proposal for a standard connector!

 

 

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FOA CFOT Renewals Get Free Copy of NECA/FOA Installation Standard

Every CFOT will now receive a free copy of NECA 301-2004, Installing And Testing Fiber Optic Cables, produced by The FOA in cooperation with NECA (The National Electrical Contractors Association). This is an important reference document for defining the installation and testing of fiber optic cable plants in a "neat and workmanlike manner."

The FOA feels this is such an important document that we are giving a free copy (normally priced at $15) to every active CFOT when they renew their active status.

The FOA has also sent free copies to all FOA-Approved schools. The new FOA CFOT exam to be used after August, 2005, will include questions from the standard. Schools should be including information from the standard in their classes already.

 

 

 

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Tech Puzzler

What happens when you mate a FDDI-grade 62.5/125 fiber to a Laser Optimized 50/125 fiber?

 

Answer below

 

 

 

 

New Tech Topics

Does Glass "Flow"? Is it really a liquid?

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) on General Topics and Testing

Fiber Or Copper? Making decisions, overview and LANs

What Happens When You Mate Mismatched MM Fibers?

 

New PowerPoint Presentation Introduces Fiber Optics - in English or Spanish!

The FOA has created a short PowerPoint presentation that introduces you to fiber optics and talks about job opportunities in the field. It was intended for instructors to introdcue studnets to the field, but it's a good introduction for anyone. It's about 3 meg file so it takes a while to download and you need PowerPoint to view it. See http://www.thefoa.org/ppt/

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FOA Website Expands To Support Fiber Optic Educators

Instructors' Home Page And New Online Train-The-Trainer Program
The FOA has always focused on creating better educational opportunities in fiber optics - it's our charter: we're a non-profit educational organization. We've done two things recently to expand that commitment - both here on the FOA website.

We have over 120 schools and hundreds of instructors teaching at those organizations, and we'll notify them about these new web pages, but we invite any instructor interested in fiber optics to dig in and use these pages too.

First, we've created a home page for instructors where we'll cover topics just for them, like our TTT program and resources just for instructors. It's at http://www.thefoa.org/instructors/index.html

Secondly, we've put our TTT seminar online, in both PPT and PDF format at http://www.thefoa.org/instructors/index.html

 

Our online TTT program is the beginning of qualifying for the FOA CFOS/I Instructor Certification. Soon we'll have the program set up for instructors to register to begin qualifying for the certification.

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FOA Certification Top Choice

The FOA CFOT and CFOS programs continue to gain momentum in fiber optics. Over 15,000 CFOTs have been certified by over 120 schools as the FOA completed its 10th year. Since our founding in July, 1995, we have dedicated ourselves to promoting fiber optics and professionalism in fiber optics personnel, focusing on education and certification. We are continuing to add new schools and more CFOTs as users of fiber optics learn that a CFOT is the indication of a professional, well-trained fiber optic technician. Now with FTTH (fiber to the home) finally taking off, demand for CFOTs is rising and schools are responding by expanding programs rapidly.

The FOA now has approved programs at 125+ organizations, welcoming new additions like the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Corning Cable Systems for their installation training programs and NASA's Goldstone Tracking Station. The complete list of FOA-Approved schools is at http://www.thefoa.org/foa_aprv.htm.

Your Name, CFOT - It pays to advertise!

The FOA encourages CFOTs to use the logo on their business cards, letterhead, truck or van, etc. and provides logo files on this site for that purpose. But we are also asked about how to use the CFOT or CFOS certifications. Easy, you can refer to yourself as "Your Name, CFOT" or "Your Name, CFOS/T" for example.

Feel free to use the logo and designations to promote your achievements and professionalism!

Remember To Renew Your Certification !

Remember to renew your FOA certification. All current CFOTs have a ID Card with their certification data and we keep a database of current CFOTs to answer inquiries regarding your qualifications if needed. If you forgot to renew, use the online application form or the FOA online store to renew NOW!

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 your certification, 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.

To Contact The FOA:

 

The Fiber Optic Association

1119 S Mission Road, # 355

Fallbrook, CA 92028

 

Office Hours 10AM-5 PM Pacific Time

Telephone: 760-451-3655

Fax: 781-207-2421

info@thefoa.org
info@thefoa.org

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Officers and Board of Directors Jim Hayes, President, Treasurer Eric Pearson, Director of Certification Tom Collins, Gateway Comm. College Bill Graham Karen Hayes   FOA Staff: Jim Hayes, newsletter, website editor Karen Hayes, Administration Administration: The FOA is managed under contract by: VDV Works LLC 1119 S Mission Road, # 355 Fallbrook, CA 92028 Telephone: 760-451-3655 Fax: 781-207-2421 email: info@vdvworks.com

FOA Board of Advisors Elias Awad, Clerk, Director of Education Tony Beam Dave Chaney F. Douglas Elliot, Past President William H. Graham Jim Hayes, President, Treasurer John Highhouse, Past President Danny S. Lyall Eric Y. Loytty Bob Mason Eric Pearson Paul Rosenberg, Past President Dan Silver Richard James Smith Dominick Tamone Tom Collins Van Ewert Elias Awad

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(C)1999-2005, The Fiber Optic Association, Inc.

Tech Puzzler: The larger core of the 62.5 micron fiber is bigger than the core of the 50 micron fiber so you will see an excess loss of 2-4 dB in this direction. In the opposite direction, the loss will be minimal going from a small core to a large core.