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Spent $800 on a fiber optic cert kit, still use the cheap visual fault locator
Picked up that fancy OTDR kit from the vendor expo in Orlando last spring and it's just been sitting in the case. The power meter readings drift worse than my old Fluke and the auto-test mode takes forever to spit out results. Anyone else find that the cheaper visual fault locator plus a good splicer beats the all-in-one gear for most line work?
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the_rowan2mo ago
Man, I gotta disagree with you there. In my experience, that cheap VFL only tells you if light is coming out the end, it won't tell you squat about a bad splice or a bend that's eating your signal. I can't count how many times I'd have been chasing ghosts without the OTDR giving me that distance-to-fault readout. Yeah, the auto-test is slow and I'll admit the power meter on mine can be finicky, but for finding that one bad connection in a 300 foot run, it pays for itself every time. I keep the VFL in my pocket for quick checks, but the big kit earns its space in my truck when the job actually matters. Your mileage may vary, but I'd rather trust the numbers than my eyeballs.
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