Condux International recently introduced the Copper Python line of traceable duct rodders that the company says “provide a new level of functionality allowing contractors the ability to locate ducts and conduits through a traceable wire core.”

Copper Python is available in diameters of 1/4 , 5/16, and 7/16 inches. Lengths vary by diameter, and max out at 1500 feet. Footage marks are optional. The rod is compatible with Condux’s rodding accessories and attachments.

Like Condux’s other duct rods, the standard Python and the Mini-Cobra, Copper Python is equipped with a threaded fitting on each end along with a tapered head on the outward end. Condux offers a variety of end-fitting accessories to meet the needs of different applications and environments.

Locating fiber-optic cables underground has gotten difficult for contractors and their technicians, as all-dielectric cables have grown in popularity. These cables’ entirely metal-free construction renders traditional cable-locating tools ineffective. The copper strand within the Copper Python rodder solves that problem.

As The Fiber Optic Association explains in its Outside Plant Construction Guide, “Underground cables are pulled in conduit that is buried underground, usually 1-1.2 meters (3-4 feet) deep to reduce the likelihood of accidentally being dug up … The process usually begins by digging a trench to bury the conduit which is generally PVC plastic pipe, sometimes with pre-installed innerduct … with a pulling tape to facilitate the actual pulling process … If the conduit and cables are all-dielectric, as they usually are, a conductive marker tape should be buried above the conduit to assist in future cable location … Conductive tape to be detectable should be no more than 300mm (12 inches) below the surface.”

Using a tool like Copper Python for the cable pull eliminates the need to separately bury a tape close to the ground surface.

You can find more information on Copper Python and other rodder products from Condux International here.