Hot take: Pre-terminated fiber beats field terminations for speed

I compared doing field terminations on a 48-strand run versus using pre-terminated pigtails on a job last Tuesday over near Troy. The pre-terminated setup took me 3 hours less and tested cleaner on the OTDR with no signal loss issues. Field terminations just have too many variables with epoxy and polishing that can go wrong in the field. I had to redo 4 connectors on the field side because of dirty cleaves. Has anyone else noticed fewer callbacks with pre-terminated gear on big residential builds?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_anthony1mo ago

I get what you're saying about splicing still taking time, but on those big residential jobs up near Troy where you're crawling through tight attics all day, every minute of connector handling you save matters since the margin for error is way bigger than in a clean shop. Your crew needs to be pretty sharp to make field terminations worth it on that scale, don't you think?

ryanh561mo ago

Theres a small mixup there with the tech. Pre-terminated pigtails are a thing but most people talking about pre-terminated runs mean factory terminated cassettes or patch cords, not pigtails. Pigtails still need splicing so youre not really saving the full 3 hours compared to field terminations unless you count the prep. Big residential builds are a different animal too since you usually have more slack and reruns are easier, field terminations make more sense there if your crew has good training.

the_james23d ago

@the_anthony I hear you on the tight attic work making every minute count. But honestly, is this really a huge deal for most crews? In my experience, a few bad cleaves on a 48-strand run aren't the end of the world, and the cost of pre-terminated gear adds up fast. Maybe I'm just not seeing the big picture, but it feels like a lot of fuss over saving a couple hours on a Tuesday.