The September 11th Technical Sessions were hosted at the Cox Communications facility in Ft. Walton Beach, FL. There were four concurrent sessions presented on three different topics; Isolating Ingress on the Cable Plant, Drop Connection & Cable Splicing, and Pre-equalization on the CMTS. Overall a total of 14 training hours were accomplished, attendance numbers were high for these sessions as 52 technicians from two different cable systems (Cox & WOW) rotated through each session as they gained valuable knowledge on multiple topics which can be applied to directly to their work in the field.
Isolating Ingress on the Cable Plant presented by: Al Silva (JDSU)
Al Silva presented on the topic of isolating multiple types of ingress on the cable plant to a group of Installation and Maintenance technicians from WOW & Cox Communications during 1 of 4 technical sessions he conducted at the Emerald Coast Chapter event on Sept. 11th. He covered multiple types of plant ingress, which can be a source of repeat issues for customers. Among the topics discussed were downstream ingress, upstream ingress, ingress caused, and ingress generated by LTE sources (4G cellular).
left to right: Todd Oranje (Cox), Bill Jazzo (Corning).
Drop Connection & Cable Splicing presented by: Bill Jazzo (Corning)
Bill Jazzo demonstrated the appropriate method for installing the Corning Gilbert connector on a drop cable. Bill instructed four sessions of drop connection and cable splicing to the technicians. He also inspected there tools and advised them as to whether the tools were properly calibrated or if stripping blades on prep tools were in need of replacement. Ensuring proper tools are used is the key to proper drop connection and cable splicing. Many truck rolls can be avoided by simply ensuring that the connections are made correctly using the appropriate tools, which have been well calibrated. Proper torque on connections also ensures that future issues do not interrupt a customer's service.
Bill Jazzo demonstrated the appropriate method for installing the Corning Gilbert connector on a drop cable. Bill instructed four sessions of drop connection and cable splicing to the technicians. He also inspected there tools and advised them as to whether the tools were properly calibrated or if stripping blades on prep tools were in need of replacement. Ensuring proper tools are used is the key to proper drop connection and cable splicing. Many truck rolls can be avoided by simply ensuring that the connections are made correctly using the appropriate tools, which have been well calibrated. Proper torque on connections also ensures that future issues do not interrupt a customer's service.
Pre-Equalization (CMTS) presented by: John Downey (Cicso Systems Inc.)
Mike Dulay sat in as moderator for John Downey's WebEx presentation to the group on the topic of pre-equalization at the CMTS. A better understanding of how pre-equalization works helps technicians to quickly identify the source of service interruptions for cable modems as they communicate to the CMTS in the MTC. John was eager to answer questions for participants and provide insight into this very helpful functions of the CMTS which minimizes service disruptions and can provide useful information on issues that may soon cause service interruptions for high-speed internet customers.
Mike Dulay sat in as moderator for John Downey's WebEx presentation to the group on the topic of pre-equalization at the CMTS. A better understanding of how pre-equalization works helps technicians to quickly identify the source of service interruptions for cable modems as they communicate to the CMTS in the MTC. John was eager to answer questions for participants and provide insight into this very helpful functions of the CMTS which minimizes service disruptions and can provide useful information on issues that may soon cause service interruptions for high-speed internet customers.
Lunch was catered in from Moe's Southwestern Grill and consisted of a delicious fajita bar, cookies, and southern style sweet & un-sweet tea! The tech's really enjoyed this time getting to know one another and cable tech camaraderie was in the air. This event was not only a learning opportunity but also a great time for cable technicians to share experiences.
