Using Underground Tracer Wire to Locate Buried Cable

Underground tracer wire is designed to locate the underground pipes after they are buried, which are required by many building codes for the gas and sewer lines into buildings. When first introduced, it needed to do little more than find buried water, gas, or sewer lines. Today, locating has become more complex as telecommunications cables joint utility lines in the underground environment. Fortunately, today’s underground fiber optic cable locator relies on the same basic technology found in their early counterparts – injecting an electrical signal onto the cable being located.

Underground Cable Locator

Underground cable locator is a commonly uesd underground fiber optic cable locator, which consists of two parts – a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter puts an electrical signal onto the cable or pipe being traced, while the receiver picks up the signal, allowing the locator operator to trace the signal’s patch and follow the cable being located.

underground fiber optic cable locator

How to Use Underground Fiber Optic Cable Locator

Installing a tracer wire creates a safer work environment for excavators or homeowners in the future. Make sure to leave several inches of tracer wire above ground for future use. See the details on how to install underground tracer wire:

Holder the tracer wire at the start of the pipe near the street and fasten it to the pipe by wrapping it with electrical tape.

Roll up the tracer wire along the pipe, taping it to the pipe every 5 feet.
Run the wire up the pipe to the point where it exits above finished grade. Cut the wire so there is 6 to 12 inches of wire above the ground.
Fasten the wire close to the end of the pipe to ensure it is visible for future use.

Tracing buried cables is a relatively simple procedure that comes in handy in outside-plant environments, where you need to know the location of a cable before the backbone rips up earth near the buried cable. Locators can also find the problem-stricken telecommunications cables. What sets these tools apart from their inside-plant counterparts is that they need to be able to differentiate the target cable from other nearby cables and underground utilities and provide an estimate of depth.

Conclusion

Since locating underground fiber optic cable has taken on increasing significance in recent years as more and more fiber cable has been buried underground, many fiber optic cable manufacturers have begun providing these products. FS provides customers the good quality products with low price. Any question about testing cables, please contact us via sales@fs.com.

Related Articles:
Anatomy of Underground Cable Locator
Tight-Buffered Fiber Distribution Cable for Indoor and Outdoor Use

Essential Fiber Tools To Your Tool Bag

Here’s a list of fiber optic tools are essential to your tool bag when performing network admin duties.

Network Cable Crimper

Cable crimp tool is a tool designed to crimp or connect a connector to the end of a cable. For example, network cables and phone cables are created using a Network Cable Crimping Tool to connect the RJ-45 and RJ-11 connectors to the end of the cable. It can bend, cut, strip and crimp insulated

Wiring in a snap. For cable and phone installation specialists, a handy crimp tool can cut and strip electrical wiring in a few seconds. Most crimpers will be able to terminate both RJ-45 (8P8C) and RJ-11 styles of modular plug and may also feature a built-in wire cutter. Some ratchet and some don’t. When shopping mind:

Thick steel construction which extends for the entire length of both handles;
Several pounds of pull between the handles; a weak spring makes for a flimsy feel;
The “teeth” should be mounted on a floating hinge to ensure that pressure is applied evenly across all pins when crimping;
Should not rattle when shaken.

Cable Stripper

The fiber Fiber Stripper plays an important role in fiber optic cable splicing process. While you can make due with a cable cutter like knife or the scissors, a cable jacket stripper reduces crimping time and leaves a nice clean cut with a lower likelihood of nicking the inner wires. Only with a properly strip of the fiber cable jacket can make an undamaged exposed fiber which is also a must for successful splicing of two optical fibers. What to look for when shopping:

Sharp blade;
Ability to spin easily around a cable with one finger.

Punch Down Tool

Punch Down Tool, also called punchdown tool or Krone punch down tool, is a small hand tool used by telecommunication and network technicians. Most punch down tools are of the impact type, consisting of a handle, an internal spring mechanism, and a removable slotted blade. Impact tools or punch down tools are used to terminate individual wires on patch panels or 110/66 blocks. What to look for:

Adjustable spring tension;
Should include at least a 110-type blade (needed for Cat 5 patch panels).

Fiber Cable Slitter

Among all the types of fiber optic tools, the Cable Slitter is an efficient and indispensable tool for fiber optic cable termination, it is usually designed allows jacket or shield slitting on non-fiber optic configurations as well. They are always using for splicing wire, cutting harness ties, insulation materials, medium gauge wires and electrical tape or stripping fiber cable jacket. There are round cable slitters, armored cable slitters, longitudinal cable slitters and more cable slitter kits available. What to look for when shopping:

Blade Rotates 90º for Mid-Span Cutting;
Adjustable Blade Depths.

Cable Tester

Network Cable Tester is always being used to test LAN Datacom and Telecom cables. Network Cable Line Tester can find all problems associated with testing such faults as opens, shorts, cable integrity and it also find cable length of individual cables or distance to a fault, and its powerful and user-friendly features enable network installers to accurately check pin configurations of various voice and data communication cables.

If you’ve ever shopped for a LAN Cable Tester, you know that there are various types available. The one piece of gear in your tool kit you should absolutely not scrimp on is the cable tester. What to look for when shopping:

A reputable brand name;
Detachable termination component for remote wire mapping;
Tone generation capability;
Link speed detection;
Power over Ethernet detection.

Suggestions for modifications or additions are welcome, you may be need other cost-effective tools. The fiber optic tools mentioned above all you can have a wide selection at FiberStore Technology, especially it provides large discounts for a large quantity.