sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring Amp Epoxy Fiber Connectors - do I need a new kit?

I've had an old 3M Hotmelt kit for dogs years. It's served me well, but a new job requires all 10-gig fiber and I can't find ANY documentation to say that Hotmelts are good for 10-gigs. Seems like they would be, since it's the bare fiber itself that's at the end of each connector that you hand polish, but if 3M won't stand behind that claim, I'm gonna have to use Amp #5504932-5 SC epoxy connectors that ARE spec'd at 10-gigs.

Now, I've looked at pix of the Amp #503746-7 "Pro Installer Kit" and I think I have everything BUT the epoxy. And the Epoxy Curing Oven that's not part of the kit. If I could just get the individually missing tools, etc., I wouldn't have to part with $1100 for yet ANOTHER set of tools to lie around for months.

Have any of you used both kits? Could you weigh in on this and tell me what the difference is both in terminating, and in the tools/parts needed? Thanks!!

We terminate all fiber and the connections don't make the fiber, the polished end that sticks out of the connector makes the fiber.

ONLY if you are using connectors that don't have the bare fiber stick out the end are rated for whatever they are rated for as the transmitting medium between the end of the fiber and the end of the connector is the determining factor.

When you think about how the connector to fiber connection is made, the epoxy or glue should NOT even be a factor if the termination is done properly.

You have to be careful with splices, however. The medium between the two fibers would cause the rating of the splice to vary.

Rcaman

Thanks, Rcaman - that's just what I thought. But for some reason, 3M won't make the 10Gig claim even if it's spec'd with 10G fiber! Go figure.

3M, like all big companies, is only concerned with liability. If the installer messes up and the epoxy oozes out of the end and partially obscures the fiber end, then you have a compromised connection and it will not rate at the appropriate speed.

3M is probably trying to reformulate their epoxy to be less likely to be able to ooze and therefore compromise the connection.

Rcaman