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September 2001 Issue
Marketplace

Monitoring Automatic Reporting

New from evsl is the Monitor and Automatic Reporting System (MARS). This compact component monitors the status of the headend, where the majority of outages occur. The MARS module can be configured locally through a menu-driven control system or remotely from a PC, and can be connected to any type and any number of modules to monitor their operation. RF, video, audio, AC power and temperature are all monitored by the MARS, and faults are reported to a remote PC on demand or at scheduled intervals via an onboard modem. For more information, contact the company at , or visit www.evsl.com.

Fiber Optic Pulling Capstans

General Machine Products has introduced fiber optic pulling capstans with aluminum drum diameters of 32 and 40 inches, adding to the company's established 25-inch drum units. The additional sizes give installers more choice in determining which tool is most appropriate for the size of cable being installed, and will accommodate bending radius limitations of even the largest fiber cable. The products are available with or without torque limiters. The 32-inch diameter model offers torque limiters set at a maximum pull force of either 600, 750 or 1,000 pounds. The 40-inch diameter model offers torque limiters set at a maximum pull force of either 600 or 1,000 pounds. The 25-inch diameter model offers torque limiters set at a maximum pull force of 600 or 1,000 pounds. GMP also will set the torque limiter at specified weights by request. For more information, contact GMP at telephone , or visit www.GMPtools.com.

Battery Analyzer

Midtronics has launched its Digital Midtron Electronic Battery Analyzer, designed for use in less demanding applications limited to 6- and 12-volt systems. The portable product uses conductance technology, a passive method that minimizes technician risk. Providing battery power assurance and replacement cost management, its features help to ensure consistent, repeatable off-line and on-line battery testing. Battery voltage and conductance are displayed in less than 10 seconds, so a technician can test an entire 48V string in less than one minute. For more information, contact the company at telephone , or visit www.midtronics.com.

Dual Channel Upconverter

DX Communications' DUC-100 dual channel upconverter features low phase noise specs geared toward 64- and 256- quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM). The unit is optimized for both video and data applications. Frequency agile from 54 MHz to 858 MHz, the DUC-100 also features automatic intermediate frequency (IF) sensing and switching, digital channel display, auto/manual gain control and optional remote control capability. For more information, contact the company at telephone , or visit www.dxcomm.com.

Outside Plant Test Instrument

Tempo has redesigned its outside plant test instrument, the Sidekick 7B. Marketed to cable telephony technicians, Sidekick V.O.C. (voice-over-cable) is the same as Sidekick 7B with three design modifications that focus on inside wiring troubleshooting. Modifications include the Quasi-Square Wave Scale, the modified test lead and the new user's manual. Sidekick V.O.C. also incorporates the leakage test, which checks a pair's insulation quality, as well as the stress test, which discloses noise and imbalance in the pair. For more information, contact the company at telephone , or visit www.tempocomm.com.

Low Profile Enclosures

Multilink is shipping its MQ Series low-profile enclosures designed to house generators, power supplies, batteries and optical nodes including splice cases and slack storage. Measuring 30 or 36 inches tall, these enclosures feature the free-breathing ventilation system of the "Lifesaver" enclosures. All-aluminum construction and powder coat paints are used throughout. Enclosures may be mounted on poured concrete pads or on plastic vaults. For more information, contact the company at telephone , or on the Web at www.multilinkbroadband.com.

Home Network Powerline Product

New from Electroline Equipment is its Powerline solution, which allows cable operators to offer new services in any room of the house where an electrical outlet is located. The Powerline technology consists of two devices, a gateway and an adapter. The gateway acts as a bridge between the operator's high-speed data service and the Powerline network. The adapter simply plugs into an electrical outlet and allows the consumer access to the home network. For more information, contact the company at telephone , or visit www.electrolinequip.com.

Digital TV with Packets

VideoStorm technology from Artel Video Systems' gives cable operators and other last-mile delivery providers the chance to build networks that are able to transport digital TV services over existing broadband infrastructures with high quality of service (QoS). The core engine for Artel's Cross Stream 155 video access multiplexer product line, VideoStorm overcomes the problem of jitter (cell delay variation) with technology that enables the transport of full broadcast-quality, real-time digital video programming across packet networks. For more information, contact the company at telephone , or visit www.artel.com.

Multifunction HFC Analyzer

Harnessing the power of digital signal processing technology, two new return test options configure TRILITHIC's 860 DSP Multifunction HFC Analyzer to perform the functions of the Guardian RSVP Installer's Return Tester (Option VP1) and the Guardian SSR Reverse Test Field Unit (Option SR1). Test capabilities and displays have also been enhanced, allowing RSVP-type testing of eight frequencies at once. For more information, contact the company at , or visit www.trilithic.com.

Portable Cable Caddy

Lemco Tool has introduced its T-280 Test Caddy, a compact and retractable caddy that protects test cable used in obtaining accurate test data for determining signal integrity and diagnosing sources of ingress, signal degradation, losses and reflections. The product uses a cable pay-out device that controls and measures cable as each caddy is loaded. The caddy is used for FCC proof-of-performance testing, headend device bypassing, bypassing residential wiring from tap to subscriber terminal device and bypassing feeder cables. The cable is paid out and retracted on a special reel sized to the length of the cable and is controlled by a braking mechanism. For more information, contact the company at , or visit www.lemco-tool.com.

Padded Equalizers

New from Cableserv is the Twin Pad padded equalizer, a patented method of separating the reactive and resistive elements of a cable amplifier equalizer or slope control into two distinct entities. The reactive element is contained on a circuit board, and a plug-in attenuator establishes the equalization bandwidth. The carrier remains installed in the amplifier equalizer or slope location, depending on the amplifier model. The resistive element, which determines the amount of induced slope, is a plug-in pad (attenuator) of the same type usually employed for level attenuation in the amplifier model. Thus, if the amplifier model employs SXP-type pads, then the Twin Pad carrier will employ SXP pads to control the equalizer slope. For more information, contact the company at , or visit www.cableserv.com.

Color-Coded Locking Terminators

Viewsonics has launched a new line of locking terminators. Designed to provide added security from casual theft, they are compatible with GTT-style tools. They have a crush-strength of 700 pounds, protecting network security and providing enhanced revenue-stream protection. Plus, they're color-coded for easy identification in the field--silver is for nonresistor, gold is for resistor and black is for power blocking. The anodized finish and centering internal O-ring help provide 15-year equivalent corrosion protection. All the terminators are free from common path distortion and provide -25 dB return loss or better. For more information, contact the company at , or visit www.viewsonics.com.

DC Power System

American Power Conversion's new MX06-100 is a modular, -48 VDC standby power system designed to be field-expandable from 10 to 100 A. It offers flexible distribution options, and a system controller that continuously manages and reports rectifier status, providing major and minor system alarms. The system will be available in a low-profile, rack-mount form factor (compatible with 19- or 23-inch racks) with optional batteries. It can be adapted for custom plug-and-play use applications requiring maximum uptime and redundancy. For more information, contact the company at , or visit www.apc.com.

Transcoder Accepts Digicipher II Signals

Blonder Tongue's 6289 QQQT (Quad QPSK/QAM transcoder) is compatible with any DigiCipher II-based quaternary phase shift keying (QPSK) signal. The unit is designed to conserve bandwidth by transcoding existing 30 MHz QPSK satellite transponder signals to 6 MHz quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) signals. Containing four separate QPSK to QAM transcoder sections, the unit fills a single EIA 1.75-inch rack space. It works with any QAM set-top decoders developed by Motorola. For more information, contact the company at , or visit www.blondertongue.com.

Network Status Information

Micromuse's Netcool/Webtop is a new browser-based interface to real-time network status information residing in the Netcool service assurance and network fault management solution. Written in Java, the interface provides a window into the status of a network, and provides network administrators "anytime/anywhere" access to the state of their network via the Internet. For more information, contact the company at , or visit www.micromuse.com.

Small Headend Connectors

New 75 Ohm SMA connectors from Holland Electronics are designed for use in headend applications where backplanes may require a few hundred connections in an area as small as two square feet. The line includes three connectors: SMA female, screw-on male and spring-loaded, snap-on locking male. Designed to fit RG-59, 735A, 179 and 1855 cables, these 75 ohm connectors exceed 30 dB return loss at 1 GHz. For more information, contact the company at , or visit www.hollandelectronics.com.

QRF Adds AMP for MDUs

Quality R.F. Services has added a new distribution amplifier to its line. Based on its QDAX indoor amplifier design, the new amp has up to a 12 dB output slope capability, which makes it effective in MDUs with long drops. Subscriber levels in the residential units can now be near flat in those long drop situations. In addition, the output capability can be increased due to the decreased power loading of the lower channels. For more information, contact the company at , or visit www.qrf.com.

Back to September 2001 Issue