There is a small revolution taking place......when I started installing data cables back in the late 80's, coax and then cat3/4....eventually cat5 and above in the 90's there weren't many data cabling companies around that knew about 'structured wiring' it was a term from the US, and involved the use of the 4 pair UTP cable for use as either a phone or data point to link up to the mainframe using dumb terminals. Centralised computing and centralised telephony.
The skills required were quite similar to those of an electrical engineer, and in-fact that is exactly what I trained as back then, and my brother used to say to me ' well a cable is a cable, so a sparks is the perfect person to install this' .
These days when we have nearly got to double figures in Cat cabling number terms and there is a greater need to understand just how to treat these cables, and indeed it is a bit of a science.
But I notice that there are many installers out there now......so it must still be as easy as pie to install and make a living at.
Lets look at the difference between apples and say......apples.
Contractor A
Has pulled cables in, so can pull any cable in
Has terminated cat5e so can terminate any cable
Will make the cables immaculately tidy in the comms room.
Has a 4 twinkly light tester, so can test cables and say ' there good to go'
Has been doing the same for years
Will take your money and you will be lucky to find him again
Contractor B
Has pulled many types of cable in, and knows the difference between strain relief/pulling loads of a data cable compared to other copper cables, and has been on many courses, and has the certification of each vendor to show this
Has terminated many types of cable including fusion splicing fibres as well as copper and will make a tidy job using cable sock to mitigate against alien cross talk between close proximity pairs
Has a fibre fusion splicer within calibration - usually £4k and above
Has a tester that can test and certify all types of copper up to and including Cat6A, and above as systems are ratified up 2000Mhz - usually £10k and above
Has also been installing data systems for years, and has test results, and database of warranty certificates
Will make sure that you are receiving ' value engineering' by sending engineers on regular training courses
Has engineers with CSCS card, Asbestos certificates, Ipaf, Pasma cards, are first aiders, and carry all PPE equipment.
I sometimes get asked to drop our prices, as the end client has been given a cheaper quote........wonder which apple the other quote came from?
So I say to you....not apples are the same my friends!
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