Drop wire & Drop fibre

Is there a document which gives the dimensions of the various types of drop wire and drop fibre(?) ideally with images?

I am guessing that not all are round.

Many thanks.

Cheers!

There are various different manufacturers of the current batch of fibre/copper hybrid cables.

Hi Clive

The hybrid cable to my house has a 6mm round fibre cable with 2.5mm round copper pair cable moulded alongside. The overall dimension as you would imagine is 6mm x 8.5mm.

If your interested in what needs to go through your wall, it is not this cable, it is a smaller diameter fibre only cable that is installed from the inside out through what seems to be called a 'straw' which is 8.2mm external and 6mm internal smooth bore conduit tube.

Andy

Hi Andy

Thanks for that info. I guess that your telephone/FTTC broadband came in via an overhead
drop wire.

Leads to a couple of questions. Where the outside fibre meets the inside fibre, is this where they connect the new 2.5 mm copper pair to your existing telephone wiring? Gel Crimps?

Is there any sign of steel strengthening wires within the hybrid fibre/copper cable? With normal drop wire, the steel wires, which are both stiff and sharp, have a light insulation so overall diameter is similar to the insulated copper conductors.

Cheers!

The inside and outside fibre meet in the CSP (customer splice point)

Where the copper meets the old lead in is dependent on a variety of things, but is often done in an above ground closure at the eaves.

May I ask Clive why you seem to be somewhat obsessively fretting over all these details ?

And as you know Openreach have had different policies over time with CSP-less direct cable installs too. As mine is direct cabled, sans CSP and the outer sheath is stripped and run to the ONT.

Maybe AM is writing a book on Openreach outside plant

Good question Zarjaz!

I have a inquisitive nature when it comes to technical matters. Based I guess on not wanting to be in the position of, "I wish I had known that!". As has been so often the case.

Cheers!

I’m just happy he hasn’t drifted into ‘ADSL Max - like’ obsession.

😂

Heck! My cover name has been exposed!

Cheers!

In reply to a post by Ancient_Mariner:

Heck! My cover name has been exposed!

Cheers!

As if ... but then the initials are the same!

I've had FTTP provided by Community Fibre. The drop fibre is pretty thick - looks round. I think it has a Kevlar spine.


CF have been pretty tough with their fibre on runs between OR's DP/sub-DP - it's pulled completely tight - unlike the copper wires which aren't.


Is this because fibre doesn't suffer from thermal expansion?

If I’m honest, it wasn’t ADSL Max’s moniker I was after ...

there was another prolific poster, William Grimley or similar, who was forever ‘fishing’ with thread titles like “Whoah ! Did see that ?” Then inviting people to view the three FEC’s that had appeared on his router stats ......

... but since I still cannot recall his actual username, I went with Max’s instead, and got the hoped for response anyway.

Don't know teh answer to the question but glass does expand however it is way less than copper:

Glass 0.67x10^-6/K
Copper 17x10^-6/K

So a ratio of about 1:25

In reply to a post by heathrow:

I've had FTTP provided by Community Fibre. The drop fibre is pretty thick - looks round. I think it has a Kevlar spine.


CF have been pretty tough with their fibre on runs between OR's DP/sub-DP - it's pulled completely tight - unlike the copper wires which aren't.


Is this because fibre doesn't suffer from thermal expansion?

The fibre itself is quite fragile, it certainly should have no tension on it. However outside plant fibre cables are usually extremely well protective of their contents, often with so called 'loose tube' or gel filled tubes encasing protecting the strands of fibre. Where the fibre is blown its encased in a series of micro-ducts that form an airtight end to end superhighway that packages of fibre called 'bundles' are blown down. BT actually invented (and for a long time held the exclusive patent) for blown fibre.

In reply to a post by Zarjaz:

I’m just happy he hasn’t drifted into ‘ADSL Max - like’ obsession.

Its coming up to 3 months since he last posted here, hope all is well with him.

Edit: You can all stop wondering, just seen him post the following on ISPreview "Sky can [censored] off for all I care"

Edited by deleted (Wed 17-Feb-21 16:26:03)

I've got a feeling I saw a post on the main news page in the last month from him asking for his ban to be lifted.

In reply to a post by ian72:

asking for his ban to be lifted.

Oh that explains it, I didn't know about the ban.

Here's the cover picture!
https://communities.theiet.org/discussions/viewtopic...

It's a pity that the wording on the plate is obscured.

Cheers!

Haha. I think the title of the thread there confirms any suspicions...despite the flattened gum on the lid of the box obscuring the ID and blushes of the owners.....😂