Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1476549
30 I ICT TODAY THE PCPA AND ITS APPLICABILIT Y TO THE SC CONNECTOR FOR PULLING IN A SMALL DIAMETER HOLE OR CONDUIT The removal of the SC connector outer body is a difficult task to complete in the field; if not done properly, it can lead to SC connector failures at the location of the crimp ring securing the connector to the cable jacket. The pro- posed solution is to install the PCPA at the factory and install the SC outer body in the field upon the pulling operation being completed. Doing so, it is possible to demonstrate pulling an SC connector cable through a hole or conduit that is 3 mm (≈0.118 in) smaller in diameter without the SC outer body than with the SC outer body. This benefit is significant as much smaller diameter holes are desirable for various reasons, such as the thickness of the mortar between layers of bricks, which makes it possible to restrict drilling in the mortar itself. SC OUTER BODY REMOVAL AND REINSERTION Although the removal of the SC outer body is possible in the field, this can lead to catastrophic failure when the SC outer body is removed from the SC inner body by just pulling on it. The crimp ring is not strong enough to hold the connector's inner body to the cable sheath unless it is compression fitted. The proper way to remove the SC outer body is to push against the dust cap on a surface while holding on the SC connector's outer body until it pops out. It is fair to assume that it would be pos- sible for connector manufacturers to make SC connectors that have outer bodies that are easier to remove. Applying a lot of pressure on the connector dust cap while pushing out the SC outer body can lead to prob- lems; the ferrule facet could be damaged if the dust cap is crushed. Some dust caps are too soft to support the force to remove the SC outer body. Do not remove the SC outer body in the field unless connectors are designed with this in mind. Considering a PCPA, an installer would remove from the bag the pre-connectorized cable that has the PCPA already factory preinstalled on one end of the cable. After attaching a pulling stick on the threaded head of the PCPA, the pulling operation can now begin. Afterward, the PCPA is untethered from the cable sheath and the SC outer body can be placed back onto the SC inner body. However, the installation of the SC outer body onto the SC inner body can be error prone unless repeatedly practiced. There are two key condi- tions required for an SC outer body to slide on an SC inner body: The concept is generic and applies to any pre-terminated cable type, whether optical fiber, balanced twisted-pair Ethernet, or coaxial, as well as any connector type. • The chamfered (i.e., beveled) edges of the SC inner body need to be aligned to be on the same face as the guiding pin of the SC outer body. • The finger grip recessed portion of the SC outer body needs to be oriented toward the boot of the SC con- nector. With the SC outer body properly aligned, it easily slides back on the SC inner body without risk of damaging the pre-connectorized cable at the crimp ring location. Discussions are ongoing with SC connector vendors to improve the SC outer body marking to provide visual aids to make it less error prone. While it may be apparent that placing an SC outer body back on the SC inner body in the field requires sub- stantial training, the benefits are significant. It is then possible to install indoor optical fiber pre-connectorized cables with an SC connector in holes or conduits that are 3/8 in (≈9.5 mm) in diameter. This has been demon- strated to be a full 3 mm (≈0.118 in) less than in the case of PCPA's design for pulling on SC pre-terminated cables with the SC connector outer body present.