The big change in how we handle fiber splices now

I was cleaning out my work van last week and found an old fiber splice case from a job I did maybe three years ago. It was huge, like a small lunchbox, and needed a ton of slack and a big enclosure. The ones we use now, like the Corning OptiTap, are about the size of a deck of cards. The real shift happened in the last 18 months as more companies pushed fiber to the home. The old way took me an hour just for the housing and seal. Now, with the new push-on connectors and smaller cases, I can do a clean, weatherproof splice in under 20 minutes if I have a good cleave. It's all about speed now without losing quality. Has anyone else had to totally change their kit and routine for this, or are some areas still using the old bulky gear?

2 comments

2 Comments

iris4411mo ago

Found a box of those old gel-filled monsters in our storage unit last month and just laughed. We used to have to carry a whole separate bag just for the splice trays and heat shrink. Now my main kit has a little sleeve of those push-on field connectors and a handful of the small dome cases. The time saved on a ladder just sealing the thing is crazy. My boss fought the change for a while, said the old way was more solid, but even he can't argue with getting three drops done before lunch now.

ross.jason1mo ago

Remember when we had to carry those huge crimp tools for coax connectors? My foreman insisted on the old hex crimp style long after compression fittings were standard. He'd go on about signal integrity while we're freezing on a roof trying to get a perfect crimp. Finally saw the light when a new guy did six perfect compression ends in the time it took him to fuss with one.