ECN Electrical Forum - Discussion Forums for Electricians, Inspectors and Related Professionals
ECN Shout Chat
ShoutChat
Recent Posts
UL 508A SPACING
by ale348 - 03/29/24 01:09 AM
Increasing demand factors in residential
by tortuga - 03/28/24 05:57 PM
Portable generator question
by Steve Miller - 03/19/24 08:50 PM
Do we need grounding?
by NORCAL - 03/19/24 05:11 PM
240V only in a home and NEC?
by dsk - 03/19/24 06:33 AM
New in the Gallery:
This is a new one
This is a new one
by timmp, September 24
Few pics I found
Few pics I found
by timmp, August 15
Who's Online Now
1 members (ale348), 302 guests, and 14 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
#33759 01/27/04 07:37 PM
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 507
G
Member
Hbiss,

To follow up on the Cat 5 thread.
You said to stay away from jobs requiring certification. We have done two jobs now that required certification and both certified OK. Just beginners luck I suppose.

Can you explain what certification entails? Do you just skip jobs that require certification?

We don't seek out data/phone work but often pick it up when we are doing commercial electrical jobs. What type of training or certification would you recommend for a company that wants to expand into data/phone?

Thats probably plenty of questions for one post. Anyone else who is experienced with data/phone, feel free to jump in.

thanks,
GJ

#33760 01/27/04 07:38 PM
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 507
G
Member
Any good links to learn more about data/phone?

#33761 01/27/04 11:29 PM
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 886
H
Member
...We have done two jobs now that required certification
Who did the certification? Apparently it was done by someone else? Unusual. If so you are ahead of the game because you did not have to buy certification equipment that runs from $6 or $7,000 on up. Consider too that as soon as a new category cable is introduced that your equipment can't handle it becomes and expensive doorstop.

Among other tests, certification equipment will run a sweep test on the pairs to the highest frequency for the particular category, measure crosstalk (NEXT, etc) and combine a TDR function that will identify and set limits for things like dings and other damage. All this information is stored and usually downloaded to a PC that will generate and print out a run by run report of what it finds to be kept on file by the owner.

Basically then, certification is to make sure that the cabling will perform to it's rated speed (even though it would be rare that this would even be an issue) and to ensure that the owner got his money's worth out of you.

After everything is terminated the only test we run is with a Seimon STM-8. (About $275.00)This will test for continuity on all pairs, proper wiring of jacks and patch panel and test for split pairs. If a cable run passes these tests we know that when a computer is connected to it it will work. We have enough confidence in our work that that's all we care about.

...Just beginners luck I suppose.
Probably not. You probably were careful and did a good job, so pat yourself on the back!

As far as us avoiding jobs that have to be certified, it's only because:

1) We would have to provide the certification. (See what I said above about $$$ for equipment and obsolescence.)

2) I wish to avoid anal IT types who will nitpick everything and make your life miserable. They are the ones who usually insist on certification to begin with. (It's a great way to suck up to the boss.)

What type of training or certification would you recommend?
Check out BICSI www.bicsi.org

#33762 01/29/04 12:21 AM
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 507
G
Member
"...We have done two jobs now that required certification
Who did the certification? Apparently it was done by someone else? Unusual. "

Yes, we subcontracted the testing. These were jobs done for the State and the issue of testing was set in stone. (typical waste of taxpayers money). I was not at the jobsite when the testing was done so I really don't know much about what they did.

We have had other jobs where testing was in the spec. but when the customer is shown the cost difference between a certified system or a functional system they have always chosen the lower cost funtional system.

Like you we have an Ideal tester that checks continuity and miswires.


Link Copied to Clipboard
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5