Barbara E. Thompson
According to Datacom Technologies (Everett, WA), its newly introduced LANcat Vx Category 5 cable tester and talk set is the first local area network (LAN) cable tester with built-in two-way voice communications and a 20-second cable certification test. The tester can be used to certify and troubleshoot installed twisted-pair, coaxial and fiber-optic cables. An optional plug-in module, fibercat, converts the LANcat Vx handset into an optical power meter to measure optical power and cable loss in fiber-optic cables.
The LinkTalk talk set provides two-way, half-duplex voice communications over 4-, 6-, or 8-conductor twisted-pair cable, and it can also automatically locate a wire pair for voice communication, even if the cable has been miswired. The test system includes two handsets, each with a built-in microphone, volume control, and detachable earphone.
"The LANcat Vx talk capability provides convenience for cable installers during the testing of network cable," says Jim Bordyn, Datacom`s director of marketing. "Two-way radios--the traditional way to communicate between operators at each end of the cable--are cumbersome and cannot be used inside multistory buildings that have a lot of structural steel. LinkTalk operates hands-free in all work environments."
The tester performs all of the tests required by Telecommunications Systems Bulletin-67 of the Telecommunications Industry Association, including wiremap, length, attenuation, bidirectional near-end crosstalk, and attenuation-to-crosstalk ratio.
The LANcat Vx is available from authorized distributors for $4395 (U.S. list), and the fibercat option is $695 (U.S. list).