August 1--
New Cleaning Wipes for Modern Fiber Networks
If you have not gotten your July/Aug issue of BICSI News Magazine, please check out the following site:
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/bicsi/news_20110708/#/0
Mike Jones our VP of Marketing has penned a great cover article: "Wipes for Modern OSP Fiber Networks - A New Twist on an Old Tool". It provides very useful information for selecting wipes to be used for cleaning fiber. Take a look and let me know what you think at OSP in Cincinatti, or visit us at BICSI Las Vegas, or let me know now by clicking on the "Ask Harvey a question" link below.
May 26th--
Bandwidth Growth Is Forcing "Inspect and Clean"
Last week I was in Vancouver, BC for a Regional BICSI meeting. The weather forecast was for rain/showers every day but when I got there it was sunny and very nice. I took full credit for bringing the sun from Arizona. The meeting was held on the University of British Columbia campus - a very nice school and the campus location is wonderful. I got to meet the Hardware Facilities Manager who is responsible for Fiber Infrastructure at the University. He very willingly accepted samples of our products to try out on campus.
After that meeting I headed for St. Louis via Seattle for a BICSI Technical Education Summit. The Summit was very nicely done and well attended, with what I would estimate as over seventy-five attendees. My presentation on "Reducing Optic Network Failures - What can you do?" was well received by both the attendees and vendors in the Table Top Exhibit area.
The message of the need to inspect and clean is spreading as the bandwidth growth forces the issue. It is always interesting when other's share horror stories about network maintenance like how a particular fiber tech swore that he could clean fiber connectors on his shirt as long as it was made of a particular material. Once again BICSI provided relevant educational opportunities at very pleasant facility with very good food. What more could a Fiber-Tech ask?
For those of you in Salt Lake City area, I will be presenting at the Regional BICSI meeting on June 9th. For more details go to: https://www.bicsi.org/event_details.aspx?sessionaltcd=MT-WRGN-UT-0611
Hope to see you there!
April 17th--
The Future Is Bright for the Fiber Industry
Recently, I had the opportunity to view a webcast put on by the IGI Group. It was entitled "Network Traffic Forecast - 2011", and the speaker was Clifford Holliday. The bottom line is that network traffic will increase 40% per year each year through 2016. That equates to 1.4 times more traffic each year. The biggest driver of the traffic will be IPTV which will become 80% of the network traffic by 2016. Next in line to drive traffic are the fiber-to-the-home deployments; followed by growth in mobile data traffi, international traffic particularly, with the Far East growing economies and of course other internet traffic. All this equates to approximately doubling our network traffic every two years.
In addition, a recent report put out by the Fiber to the Home Council estimates that 38% of the FTTH projects funded by the Federal government stimulus (ARRA) have begun construction while another 36% are actively preparing for construction to begin. The remaining are in engineering or environment impact evaluation phases.
It looks like fiber has a very bright future.
April 1st--
The OFC/NFOEC Show Showed the Strength in the Fiber Industry
The OFC/NFOEC show earlier in March was great. Apparently the fiber industry is doing well, because traffic was up. We also were pleased that more attendees were seeking out fiber cleaning products either for their own use or for inclusion with their products/kits. Samples of our new Sticklers® CleanWipes™ 400 were very well received. The message of "The need to clean fiber optic connectors" is spreading (just like contamination). Also, it is always a pleasure to run into old friends, catch up with folks and learn what they are doing now.
Last week, I was on the east coast, showing our fiber cleaners to a meeting of the Joint Fiber Optic Working Group, a government/military conference addressing wiring and fiber optic issues as related to their needs. It was a very interesting meeting, where I got to see many more old friends. Of course I'd like to offer a big thanks to Don Stone of Kitco Fiber Optics for hosting a cookout where many of us attendees could get together in a relaxed atmosphere and enjoy great kabobs and beer. Thanks again, Don!
Feb. 18 --
OFC Is a Great Show for Networking
OFC/NFOEC is just around the corner. I would like to personally invite you to the Sticklers® Booth #1137 to take a look at our new CleanWipes™ 100 and CleanWipes™ 400. They consist of a high modulus material that cleans the end-faces and helps eliminate the buildup of any static charge on the connector end-face. The CleanWipes™ 3200 is designed for larger cleaning jobs such as cable assembly production or large installations. The CleanWipes™ 400 is for normal install, upgrade and maintenance cleaning.
We still have our CleanStixx™ which features the industry's only voluminous, absorbent surface for cleaning within the alignment sleeve. As a note: Our XMT sticks not only clean MTP end-faces but they also clean around the alignment pins to assure reduced back reflection on the end fibers.
If you haven't heard, we have replaced our two-solvent cleaning system with one non-hazardous, non-flammable solvent that cleans bare fiber and connector end-faces with even better results and greater materials compatibility.
Please stop by the booth, take a look, and say hello.
Feb. 1 --
A Great Start to the New Year
Happy February! January certainly started out really well for Sticklers® cleaners. We announced our new CleanWipes™ 400 at BICSI in Orlando. The attendees were quite impressed with the cleaning ability and ease of use. The new high-modulus wipe provides a lint free, static-dissipative cleaning surface in a process-friendly package. Each CleanWipes™ 400 allows the user to clean 400-800 connectors per package as well as use the wipes for cleaning bare fiber before splicing or termination.
Following BICSI, we were off to another very busy show; Photonics West in San Francisco. In was a rare week in January, in the city by the bay; the temperature was 70 degrees and the sun was out every day. Great show, in a great city, with great weather; what more could you ask? Clean Connectors? Choose CleanWipes™.
Dec. 13 --
What to Do After the Holidays?
We are all busy this time of year. I think that perhaps the business is part of our culturally induced therapy to get us through these days that are so short this time of year. But what happens when the New Year begins? The folks in the northern United States still have to endure January and February before the warming sun is high enough to really feel.
My suggestion is to fly to Orlando, Florida and attend the 2011 BICSI Winter Conference and Exhibition at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort. MicroCare will have a booth, number 706, and will be showing some new Sticklers® product offerings.
In addition, on Wednesday afternoon at 3:30pm, I will be offering what I certainly hope to be an interesting, entertaining, and valuable presentation on - "Reducing Optical Network Failures: What Can You Do?" A description of the presentation follows:
"Life is tough but there is no need to make it tougher. Whether you are in the planning stage, maintenance stage or always in transition with your optical network, this presentation will offer a range of practices that will reduce your network outages and time spent troubleshooting. This fast paced, highly visual presentation will focus on fiber optic handling, inspection, cleaning, testing, and documentation practices that will save you time and money while reducing stress."
Hope to see you in Orlando, taking a much needed winter break and preparing for the ever increasing bandwidth on your fiber network.
October 3, 2010
Avionics Conference In Denver...
Last week I attended IEEE's AVFOP, "Avionics, Fiber-Optics and Photonics" conference in Denver. It was well attended with both US and EU manufacturers present. The conference confirmed that the trend to put more fiber on aircraft is not slowing. Lighter weight, larger bandwidth, and EMI immunity makes fiber the preferred communication medium.
The opening presentation on Tuesday was by John Mazurowski of the Penn State Electro-Optics Center. He opened his presentation with a discussion of the evolution of electronics. I do remember TV sets with a metal chassis, tubes, and lots of individual wires on the underside. Then came transistors, printed circuits, and ICs and electronics got cheaper and better. He pointed out that right now with the fiber optics industry, we are basically at the individual wire stage, and we will likely see printed optical boards and integrated optical chips common place in our technology products in the coming years.
I am not sure I can image the applications that will require the bandwidth and computing power that will be available optically. But I am sure there are many entrepreneurs that will and they will likely have a lot of fun and do very well. Photonics - a brighter future.
Sep. 20, 2010
BICSI West Was Great...
One certainly could get a mixed message over the past week regarding the economy, yet after BICSI Las Vegas all we want to talk about at MicroCare is the good news we witnessed.
The show was very well attended and most of the visitors to our booth were small business owners, who operate cable installation and maintenance businesses. They tend to employ anywhere from four to forty technicians.
Reason number one we are joyful is that the cable installers are being called upon to install more fiber, which is good for our fiber optic cleaning products.
Reason number two is that most of them are ready to buy or place an order.
As an extra, we had strong interest in our new Sticklers® CleanWipe™ Big Box Wipes. These wipes are designed for large scale production where folks are cleaning thousands of connectors per day (not your typical BICSI attendee). Well, one contractor had serious interest. He said he needed to clean over 2,000 connectors in a single location.
Why couldn't the CNBC or some other news outlet be at the show interviewing attendees? Not all sectors of the economy are in recession. Spreading some good economic news might help every sector. For sure, we are seeing good growth and are very thankful!
Sep. 3, 2010
Summer Is Over...
Summer is about over and the fall show season is about to start. If you are looking for a great place to go after Labor Day, may I suggest Las Vegas, September 12-16 for the 2010 Fall BICSI Conference & Exposition?
Fall in the desert is always good. The sun goes down a bit earlier and "real" heat of the summer is gone. It is being held on the Strip at the MGM Grand, and Sticklers® fiber optic cleaners will be located at Booth # 528. So be sure to stop by with your "Sticklers" attendee bag and say "Hello" to Dan and myself. Also feel free to bring by any fiber optic connectors you would like cleaned!
See you there… I won't tell….
July 29, 2010
BICSI North Central Meeting
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to speak at the North-Central BICSI regional meeting in Indianapolis. The weather was cooler than Phoenix but certainly more humid; even so, change is good.
The program was very well attended with information from Video Surveillance to Tracking Hot Spots in Data Centers as well as my favorite topic: "Optical Network Performance - The Role of Cleaning".
I would like to offer a personal thanks to Chris Scharrer for hosting such a fine event.
July 4, 2010
A Quick Summer Read
I would like to make a suggestion for a quick summer read. This one is a short article in the latest BICSI News Magazine (July/August 2010) entitled "THINGS WE CANNOT SEE".
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/bicsi/news_20100708/#/30
Please feel free to email any comments to harveys@microcare.com
Enjoy, and I hope everyone is has a safe and wonderful summer.
Jun. 10, 2010
Be Picky About Packaging
When cleaning optical components, including fiber optic connector end-faces, we need to carefully consider the packaging of the solvent or cleaner. When we are cleaning optical devices, we are concerned about micron-sized contamination as well as oils or other coating that could be left on an optical surface. 
If you are inspecting an optical surface for micron-sized contaminates, all materials that contact the surface must be packaged and handled to keep them pristine. Therefore the solvent used must be pure and free of particulate, inorganic contamination and organic contamination, and kept that way until used.
We all have faith in our suppliers, and we generally assume the solvents are clean and properly packaged. However, if technicians are repackaging the solvent into smaller containers, you must be sure that those containers also are clean and free of all particulates and oils. You also must ensure that all transfer tubing, funnels or glassware are contamination-free.
Handling also is an issue. Many solvents are hygroscopic, which means they absorb water from the atmosphere. Airborne contaminates also can be picked up by the solvent along with the water. Therefore, if you are repackaging the solvent, minimize the time the container is not tightly sealed, which reduces the time your solvent is exposed to contamination.
It may be easier, more cost-effective and ultimately more productive to purchase your optical cleaners prepackaged into end-user packaging. With this packaging, you will be assured that pure uncontaminated solvent is dispensed every time you need it. May I recommend the Sticklers® Fiber Optic Splice and Connector Cleaner from MicroCare.
May 24, 2010
Fiber Optics in Harsh Environments Conference
Mid-May I attended the Fiber Optic Harsh Environment Conference in Swindon, UK. It was the second year of the conference and it was quite well attended. We met with representatives from the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. Exhibitors included Fiber manufacturers, offering a variety of fiber resistance to many environmental hardships; harsh environment connector manufacturers; as well as cleaning and test equipment offering.
There were two days of presentations, including one by yours truly on fiber optic cleaning. However, with this group it was almost like preaching to the choir. These folks seem to understand that fiber optic cleaning is the problem in harsh environments.
Let's face it -- the cable and connector manufacturers have done a wonderful job of protecting the fiber once the optic link is all mated (connected). However, most attendees realized that the connector must be thoroughly cleaned before mating and then the system will work as designed.
May 6, 2010
BICSI Canada Was an Exciting Venue
Last week I attended BICSI Canada in Montreal. We had a booth at the exhibition and I presented a training session on fiber optic cleaning during the conferences. (MicroCare also was a major sponsor, supplying the show bags.)
There were a little over fifty exhibitors; certainly not as large as BICSI Orlando so I was not sure what the traffic would be like. The show opened on Sunday night with very good attendance. We were busy at the booth all night. The food and drinks helped naturally but the number of good leads was encouraging. The surprise was that Monday and Tuesday were even busier.
It was interesting to note the number of attendees from the United States. I asked one gentleman from Georgia why he came to Montreal and not Orlando. He politely noted that Montreal is a much more appealing city than Orlando (and with that I must agree). In addition, the weather was quite warm. I live in Phoenix and I am quite accustomed to the warmer climate. However, I enjoyed walking back to our hotel after dinner between 9:00 and 10:00pm is shirt sleeves. The jacket I brought was never used.
It turns out that BICSI Canada had over 1200 attendees. A good show in a good city with good weather. What more can we ask?
May 4, 2010
More Very Impressive Fiber Optic Applications
In the April issue of NASA Tech Briefs, there is an interesting segment in the Applications section. It seems that fiber optic sensors are being imbedded in carbon fiber reinforced composites. These composites have been used in hockey sticks and tennis rackets. However, they are now being used in aircraft; the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner is primarily made of these composites. And fiber optic sensors are imbedded in the material for monitoring the structural health of the material during the life of the aircraft. Fiber is light weight and EMI immune; ideal for the job. It seems that using an OFDR (Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometer) will allow technicians to "see" of both very small and very large strains in the material, thereby protecting the safety of the passengers.
Also in the March issue of the "bioPHOTONICS" is another wonderful application of fiber optics. A fiber optic probe has been developed that can offer errorless blood group determination more quickly than current methods. This means that potentially fatal blood mismatches in critical emergency situations can be avoided.
Is there any end to the ways that optical fiber can make our lives better?
Apr. 5, 2010
New Touchless Sensor May Invigorate Telecom Products
This morning I was reading Photonics.com Weekly Newsletter and noticed an article on "Touchless Sensors on the Horizon". Apparently, a company in Germany has developed a polymer sensor that reacts to the tiniest changes in temperature and pressure. All you have to do is point at it and it senses the change in temperature caused by your approaching finger tip and activates a function.
Now that would be very nice on as an overlay on catalog images so that when you point at something you are interested in, you get more information about the product. Or, as the article describes, it could be used as an overlay for your cell phone. There are still issues to be worked through but I certainly like the idea.
If you like more information you can go to: http://www.photonics.com/Article.aspx?AID=41595&refer=weeklyNewsletter&utm_source=weeklyNewsletter_2010_3_31&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weeklyNewsletter .
Mar. 28, 2010
OFC San Diego Rocks
Once again, OFC/NFOEC turned out to be a great international show. For the first time that I can recall the opening and closing announcements were in both English and (what sounded to me as) Chinese. The fiber optic marketplace is clearly global in nature.
But on the more practical side, attendance was good. We had lots of visitors to our booth. Most of them clearly understand the need to clean and were searching for a solution that works. Of course, we offered samples for their evaluation. We encountered potential customers from South America, Australia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and of course Asia and India.
The recession has not been harsh on the fiber optics industry. We already had our bad time at the turn of the millennium.
Mar. 17, 2010
St Patrick's Day
Today is St. Patrick's Day; the wearing of the green. So let's hope that fiber optic industry continues its growth and generates some much needed green for the economy. Next week is OFC/NFOEC in San Diego and I am looking forward to a good show. MicroCare will be at Booth 3131. I certainly hope all of the Irish and non-Irish alike will stop by our booth, say hello and take a look at our new Sticklers® brand of fiber optic cleaning products. It seems that March in San Diego is always wonderful; for that matter, anytime in San Diego is usually wonderful. Hope to see you there.
Mar. 9, 2010
Medical Imaging Will Drive Demand for Faster Networks
There is an interesting article in the February 2010 BioPhotonics magazine. The article discusses the history and future of PACS, which stands for the "Picture Archiving and Communication System."
PACS is the system that allows doctors to digitally access images such as digital x-rays, CT scans, PET scans, ultrasounds, mammography and others. Reduced access time to these images can save lives. However, according to the article, only about 22 percent of the hospitals in the US have some sort of PACS installed, and most of these are in metropolitan areas.
In order to reduce costs and improve healthcare system, we need to get key patient information and these types of images where they are needed. This means the data need to be available to a doctor in the OR, a consulting doctor at home on their PC, a nurse practitioner in a rural clinic or a telemedicine practitioners using their iPhone.
What does all this mean? It means growth for the fiber optic industry all over America. And in our current economy that is good news indeed.
Feb. 26, 2010
Winter Olympics
While watching these 2010 Winter Olympics, it is amazing to note the time, determination, effort and practice that goes into becoming an Olympic competitor. 
It seems as though one's whole life must be dedicated to the pursuit of perfection in one specific sport or even just one event within that sport; and that means from early childhood. It is not likely that someone at age 20 who decides to become an Olympic figure skater or downhill skier will achieve much success. It seems that the programming of the mind and body for this level of competition must be from the beginning so that the responses run deep. All of this effort is put into the pursuit of perfection; the flawless performance.
Yet, we all expect our communications networks to operate perfectly all the time. We get very upset if a download times-out or our HD picture quality fails. We expect Olympian performance from our optical networks. There is only one way to assure quality and perfection on an optical network and it doesn't involve years of training. Just clean and inspect every fiber optic connection, every time you connect!
Feb. 10, 2010
Let's Thank Fiber
I am just returning from a personal trip to New England and would like to offer the following comment about last weekend's major event (I'm not referring to my granddaughter's birthday). For those who watched the super bowl on a large HDTV and got to see all the detail of the Saints' win over the Colts, we should pause for a moment of thanks.
- We should offer thanks to the fiber optic technicians that installed the fiber network at the stadium.
- We should thank the fiber techs who hooked up the network cameras to make the broadcast possible.
- And we also need to thank the communications companies for investing in the fiber optic networks that enabled that HDTV signal to reach our homes.
Remember that great game certainly traveled over a lot of glass to reach our homes; allowing all of us to share New Orleans great moment.
Jan. 28, 2010
Photonics West
Photonics West 2010 just wrapped up in sunny San Francisco; it was the only sunny day we had all week. But the show was definitely better than the weather.
Unlike BICSI, Photonics West is a show to reach OEMs and researchers. Attendance and activity was very good. There were many folks present using photonics in medical devices who were very interested in fiber optic cleaning. There was also those needing cleaning materials for new technologies in microscopy. It was different than the BICSI EXPO with the contractor types needing cleaning products to complete an install without being called back for repairs. At Photonics West we found folks developing new products such as laser applications for medical devices and needed help with cleaning materials for both their manufacturing processes and to package with their products for their customers to use. All and all it was a very good show.
On a slightly different note, I found the food on Fisherman's Wharf to be "OK". (I must tell you that I do have a restricted diet due to a medical condition and therefore restaurants have to prepare my food separately from the standard menu order.) However, the best salmon I had was not in the tourist area but at Houlihan's at the Holiday Inn at SFO. It was tender and moist, grilled to perfection, and served with grilled asparagus that slightly charred and soooo sweet. Noticeably better than the downtown fare. Go figure!
Jan. 22, 2010
BICSI Wrap-Up
It is Thursday and I am on way back to Arizona from Winter BICSI Conference in Orlando.
As I mentioned an earlier post, the show was well attended and the contractors seemed enthusiastic and in a buying mood. I was not sure how the 2009 downturn would affect the premise market in fiber optics, but most of the vendors that I spoke with were very pleasantly surprised also. Perhaps it is some of the "stimulus money" filtering down to the fiber infrastructure. If so, it is good to see that our tax dollars have reached the fiber optic industry.
Next week I will be in San Francisco for Photonics West, which has moved this year to the Moscone Center from San Jose. It will be interesting to see if the positive outlook we saw with the premise folks, is also present in the general photonics sector. I will let you know next week.
And remember, photons can only collide with contamination at the connections; clean and inspect each and every time.
January 18, 2010
BICSI Opens in Orlando
BICSI Orlando opened on Sunday January 17th. The weather was pleasant; the cold wave had passed and MicroCare debuted the new Sticklers® fiber optic cleaning products. The bright "Day-Glo" orange posters with a mantra of good cleaning practices certainly grabbed the attention and support of the attendees.
Speaking of attendees, I must admit that I was not sure how well attended the show would be considering the economic turn of events in 2009. But I must say that I was very pleasantly surprised at both the number of attendees, and from a vendor viewpoint, the quality of attendees. Many more people visited the Sticklers® fiber optic cleaning booth with the intensions to buy rather than just tire kicking.
It seems that message of the importance of cleaning and inspecting every fiber optic connection before mating is taking hold. The contractors we talked to know that cleaning is necessary, and they are looking for easy to use tools that their crews can bring to the field and conveniently and reliably get the job done. The "Stickler" Day-Glo cleaning kit with a single solvent for fiber optic cleaning and proven wipe and cleaning stick technology that will clean any connector they may encounter, seemed to fill that need.
It seems that Sunday January 17th was good day for both MicroCare and the Minnesota Vikings!
Jan. 7 --
WELCOME!
January 17, 2010 is the opening date of the Sticklers® fiber optic website and I would like to take this opportunity to offer a sincere welcome to all who have either searched for the site or happened upon it.
It will be my goal to offer information and comment on fiber optic cleaning and inspection as well as comments on photonics and photonic applications. I believe there is a lot of potential in the world of optical communication and photonics that have yet to be explored. I know that I feel fortunate to be a part of this industry and I hope that you do also.
I will use this blog to answer questions that are submitted via the "Ask Harvey" site (see email link, below). I would assume that a majority of these comments will be focused on cleaning and inspection as they pertain to optical network performance. However, other related (some even vaguely related) matters may be discussed.
It is my goal that you will find this blog both enjoyable and informative.
May your source be bright
May your connectors be clean
May all photons reach their intended destinations.
Technical questions? Cleaning problems? Issues about "best practices" or processes? Worried about through-put and speed? Contact
Harvey and he'll answer you here.
Harvey Stone has been working the fiber optics industry for a long time. A
brief bio is available here.