Stopped fighting with fiber optic ends by changing my cleaning method

I kept having issues with dirty connectors messing up signal tests on the flight line. Switched to using those little pre-moistened wipes made for optics instead of regular cloths. They don't leave any fibers behind, so the inspection camera shows a perfect end every time. Did this on a recent GPS antenna run and the attenuation reading was spot on first try. My lead tech now makes sure we have a box of those wipes in every tool cart. It sounds silly, but it cuts out so much rework for something so simple.

3 comments

3 Comments

kai_perez51mo ago

Why is the simple stuff always the hardest?

anna4101mo ago

But wait, you really think the simple stuff is hard? I see it the opposite way. We make it hard ourselves by overthinking it. Like with the fiber ends, the fix was always just using the right wipe, but someone had to be stuck doing it wrong for months first. The simple answer is usually sitting right there, we just ignore it.

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the_matthew1mo ago

Spot on. We often miss easy fixes because they seem too plain. It's like we're taught to find the hard way.