BICSI Manuals and TIA/EIA Standards 1

[TelNetSystems]

I am a "weekend warrior" cable installer if you will. My primary goal is providing telecommunications and computer neworking systems management to small businesses. Essentially, I have several small businesses for whom I provide the functions that would otherwise be provided by the MIS/IT employees, were they large enough to have any, such as domain regestration, website hosting, anti-virus protection, internet firewalling, data backup scheduling and verification, creation and deletion of user accounts, software upgrade and service pack installtion, telephone moves/adds/changes, telephone system programming changes, PC technical support, etc. But, people need additional jacks, old cabling has to be replaced, telephone systems are outgrown or become outdated, people move or open additional offices in places where the existing wiring is completely inadequate, and in most cases I end up doing the installation or upgrading of the telephone system and/or premise wiring. Since I am not primarily in the business of being a cable installer, and I am not a low voltage systems contractor so I have to try to keep my projects under $500 (which is almost impossible), there are limits as to how far it is practical for me to go when it comes to cable installation. Additionally, I am only breaking even right now until I can get this business off the ground and can't afford to sink a lot more money into cabling tools and materials.

That said, I refuse to accept having my work be any less professional or of any less quality than that which would be done by a quality cabling professional. I am intensely interested in learning the material contained in the BICSI publications and the TIA/EIA Telecommunications Building Wiring Standards and using it to improve the professionalism of my work. However, it would cost me over $1000 to purchase these items from BICSI. I have searched eBay for used manuals with no success, and only managed to purchase the BICSI Residential book used on Amazon.com. I simply cannot justify spending an additional $1000 on cabling books in the near future. Does anyone know how I can learn this material for less expense? Can I get used/prior versions somewhere for a nominal charge? Are there alternative publications that contain much of the same material I could obtain? My best refrence right now is Cabling: The Complete Guide to Network Wiring by David Groth.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Servamatic]

Give me snips and a rip cord any day....

Using the rip cord makes it much easier to adjust cable length perfectly on a patch panel so your cables end up straight into the D4 block.

Richard S. Anderson, RCDD

http://www.servamatic.net

 

[Jtodd]

Can I add a third to that. I've yet to see any stripping tool that doesn't cause shinners.

Justin T. Clausen
Physical Layer Implementation
California State University, Monterey Bay

 

[franklin97355]

properly adjusted this one will NOT create shiners.

http://www.paladin-tools.com/cutandstrip.html

 

[daronwilson]

I quit the ripcord thing when we got heavy into data. We don't do it, the paladin or equivelant ring tool PROPERLY set will do just fine with no shiners, and it looks like it was done as designed.

Remember you should be installing the cable and connectors as described by the manufacturer. Several of the structured cabling classes I've attended for certification use a ring type tool, I suppose I should double check and see, but unless the manufacturer says you should rip and snip, I'm using the proper ring tool.

Good Luck!

It is only my opinion, based on my experience and education...I am always willing to learn, educate me!
Daron J. Wilson, RCDD
daron.wilson@lhmorris.com

 

[Jtodd]

Obviously all the guys who teach the classes use the ring tool, but I have never had a manufature tell me that a ring tool was required or even recommended. Even the Avaya Systimax Installation Guidelines make no indictaion of a suggestion one way or another. There is a nice picture of a ring tool, but no mention of what is required.
I think the implication that rip and snip is some how less than standard or not up to manufatures specs is misleading. This is simply a preferance thing, and my preferance is that the risk of shiners is too high, and I can control that by not using ring tools.

Justin T. Clausen
Physical Layer Implementation
California State University, Monterey Bay

 

[Servamatic]

I do know if you take a BICSI installer class, we strongly urged snip and rip... When I was a Master Instructor for BICSI I required it, as did many of my fellow instructors.

Richard S. Anderson, RCDD

http://www.servamatic.net

 

[Jtodd]

Good to hear it. Most people I've talked seem to think I'm nuts for NOT using ring tools. Which is fine.
And no, I've never taken a BICSI class, and unless my current employer decides to cough up the dough, I never will.

Justin T. Clausen
Physical Layer Implementation
California State University, Monterey Bay

 

[oldgoat47]

I don't know where you are but for Australian standards try looking at

http://www.acif.org.au

and download the pdf of the rules

 

[skip555]

bicsi manuals

http://www.bicsi.org/Publications/Order.aspx

 

[chiefred]

Yikes--this is quite a long and involved thread. However--I am sort of in the same position. I started 17 years ago in Network Administrations and never had time nor the money to get to the next level other than "trial and error----hands on----and hours ona Tech Support call" and found that people that were certified--had the money but didn't have experience nor the tenacity. They got paid more because they had the certificate but came to me to unravel their mistakes or problems. Seems it is still that way on the data side. I switched over to phone systems and cabling. Worked all the S**T jobs in the dirty, nasty, small and dark places, but learned something new each time I worked with someone new or on new systems. I still do the nasty jobs but am a little smarter on how I proceed. However---I read lots of the trade Magazines concerning cabling and see contributors and see the RCDD after their names---and I wonder if they ever crawled in the attics or crawl spaces to hump cable. (Dont get me wrong--I bet every member of this forum that has the RCDD title has put their time in humping and terminating and honestly met all the requirements.) I suppose when it comes to money and making money---anything can be fudged or eyes averted.
I am in California and have worked with contractors and large cabling companies on all sized and types of projects and I have seen (at least in Residential) more and more electrical companies installing data, voice and video cable. They have the necessary licenses but not in all cases do they know all the standards concerning cable installations. I have a theory that the evolution path started with electricians who ran voice cables in homes and commercial sites then evolved to Alarm companies and now they are assimilating the Data and Voice cabling jobs as a one stop shop!
I guess my point is I feel I have the "Hands on" experience and also am not stupid enough to say I know that I can't learn new methods or proceedures, but have this feeling that no matter how hard I try-- I see holes and shortcuts and others getting the cake while I cant even get a place at the table. I have a full time job in the communications industry and would love to start my own cabling business. Personally I can't afford to meet all the financial requirements by the State of California without taking out a loan and making the committment to become a full time business----not ready to leap off the cliff yet. At this point I am working with General Contractors that have the C7 license to do the data, voice, and video on some of their projects. So I empathise with you TelnetSystems and can feel your pain. My suggestion is contact some of the General Contactors in your area and ask if they could use your services on a weekend basis or contact the Technical Job Placement companies as I know they are always looking for people with any amount of cabling experience to beef up crews at the large cabling companies for their projects. You get exerience, paid for your work, the knowledge of others that have several years in the business and a good networking resource for the future. So you will move closer to that GOAL of getting the C7 license.
Good Luck and sorry for being so long.

 

[chiefred]

Hey Richard--I cant get to your website------is it up? I keep getting routed to myplace search engine

 

[chiefred]

anyone else tried

http://www.servamatic.net

 

[daronwilson]

I too am often frustrated by people with certifications and such that have not 'earned' them. In Oregon, a limited energy license is required for the work, and essentially you are looking at a two year apprenticeship program for voice/data type work, and 4 year program if you wish to do life safety (fire alarm, nurse call, security, etc.)

Personally, I have always been an hands on working type person and got my RCDD 3 years ago because I felt 'qualified' to do more than pull wire. I was very frustrated with the design work coming out from 'electrical engineers' and 'architects' and figured with my field experience I could do better.

I still drive a service van with ladders and all the tools as well as more test gear than my crew. I still wear boots and jeans and when needed I crawl or do whatever needs to be done.

What has frustrated me is some attitudes that an RCDD is somehow superior to all others. Let me tell you, we all put our pants on one leg at a time. Obtaining the RCDD certification simply means that I have documented experience AND passed a very tough test on the eia/tia standards and related documents. It is a very worth achievement, the average failure rate is something like 70% on the initial test. It does require continuing education and attendance at a BICSI conferenece every 3 years to keep up with current technology.

I too was out on my own prior to my current job. It was a lot of fun, I learned a lot, but I honestly worked 50+ hours a week to get 40 billable hours with all the paperwork and overhead required to get the jobs. Not to mention insurance, bonding, licenses, etc. The reason most of those requirements are there is to keep the guys from showing up with a few parts in the trunk of their car and incorrectly wiring a place.

Good Luck!

It is only my opinion, based on my experience and education...I am always willing to learn, educate me!
Daron J. Wilson, RCDD
daron.wilson@lhmorris.com