AHL Special Episode - Family Edition

Ready to master data centers and cable management with expert tips and tricks? Chuck Bowser and his brother, Peanut (Rob Yates), bring over 70 years of combined experience to the table, sharing insights into the ever-evolving world of data centers. We kick things off with an engaging acronym challenge that explores "NEXT" (Near End Crosstalk), diving into lively discussions about cable management preferences, the future of data centers, and the role of edge data centers in the AI age. With humor and wisdom, we tackle the critical question: velcro or tie wraps?

Our conversation shifts to the evolution of essential tools and techniques in the industry. Learn about the transition from traditional punch tools to modern plug-and-play systems and discover which tools have become indispensable, like web blades and screwdrivers. We also explore cable dressing methods, from streamlined to bundled, and discuss how Cat 6A influences cabling practices. Throughout, we emphasize the importance of craftsmanship and maintaining a positive attitude while navigating the nuances of cable management, especially in unique architectural installations.

In our final segments, we unravel the world of fiber optic installations and grounding within data centers. We weigh the pros and cons of ribbon fiber versus air-blown fiber, and share first-hand experiences on the practicalities of raised floor versus above-ceiling cabling. Safety and adherence to manufacturer guidelines come to the forefront as we recount personal anecdotes highlighting the importance of workplace safety. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out in the low voltage field, we've got valuable advice on continuous learning and certifications to guide your career development. Listen in to gain insights and insider knowledge that can elevate your expertise in the data center industry.

Chapters

• 0:01 Data Centers and Tools for Success
• 7:34 Tool Selection and Cable Dressing
• 16:58 Bonding and Grounding in Data Centers
• 26:36 Fiber Optic Cable Installation Considerations

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Wednesday night, 6 pm, eastern Standard Time. That can only mean one thing Live after hours with your favorite RCDD, chuck Bowser. You know that's me. Don't even try to pretend it's not me. Special episode tonight come to you from our, my remote studio somewhere hidden in the depths of maryland I can't say where, because if I did I'd have to hunt you down. We always start off every episode with an acronym challenge, acronym challenge. Tonight's acronym is uh, next next n-e-x-t.

Speaker 1: 0:50

Tell us in the chat box what does n-e-x-t mean? I'll give you a few seconds to figure that one out. While you're figuring it out how you been man, not pretty good, it's kind of funny. I've been here all week and I think, yeah, literally parked in my driveway, and this is the most we've talked. Yes, I've been parking this driveway in my trailer, so anybody know what next means. See, I haven't got anything down here in the chat box down here yet. N-e-x-t Near End Crosstalk. Could, could it be? Yes, it is.

Speaker 3: 1:22

Oh, D-Block did it.

Speaker 1: 1:22

This is who you're saying it is Ah D-Block's in the house. Are you cheating Nearing crosstalk?

Speaker 3: 1:28

He looked it up I'm cheating, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 1:30

So I got five questions for Peanut this is my little brother, peanut and two. What he did that? Oh gotcha. And so him and I, I've got 40 plus years of experience in the industry. You've got 30 plus years of experience in the industry. We worked together for a long time in the industry and stuff like that. So I'm going to ask him five questions. He's going to ask me five questions.

Speaker 2: 1:55

I'm going to ask him one question, one question.

Speaker 1: 1:59

And I think I know what that question is going to be too, would we still be waiting for an elevator? Yeah, exactly that wouldn't be it so, um, and my camera operator is trying to talk to me when I'm trying to host the show, I'm gonna have to fire her afterwards because she's not supposed to be holding the can. She just it doesn't.

Speaker 2: 2:17

We don't care if the camera's shaky, it's fine if it's shaky little, does my brother know you can't fire the producer?

Speaker 1: 2:23

yeah, true, true. So so I got five questions to ask him, he's got five questions to ask me, and then we will take questions from you guys as well too, so ready shoot velcro tie wraps.

Speaker 2: 2:37

Oh velcro, always velcro. Why?

Speaker 1: 2:40

um you telling me, you are you telling me, you velcro this 6912 everywhere wherever I can.

Speaker 2: 2:45

Yeah, but considering it being outside plant, we actually use a more sturdier, heavy duty stuff like what? Ah, so I do use tire. If I can get away with velcro, I'm gonna use velcro every time, because velcro is less likely going to damage the cable yes, so I like velcro because it's re-enterable, it won't damage the cable.

Speaker 1: 3:03

but but you can use tie wraps. Yes, some manufacturers will tell you you can't use tie wraps if you avoid their warranty. But the standards say you can use tie wraps If you do use tie wraps.

Speaker 2: 3:14

What do you have to do? You got to make sure they're loose enough to spin around the cable and not cause indentations whatsoever in the cable. And what else? What do you mean? What else Cut?

Speaker 3: 3:25

them flush. Oh yeah, please cut them flush.

Speaker 2: 3:26

Oh, and they cannot be used as support. So in other words, you can't run a cable under a joist and then use a tie wrap to support that cable from a joist.

Speaker 1: 3:34

Yep, yep. Okay, what's your question?

Speaker 2: 3:36

to me With the industry changing as rapidly as it does every two to three years, where do you see data centers in the next 10 to 15, maybe even 20 years? More data centers, do you think it's going to be more, or are they going to be smaller, more condensed in?

Speaker 1: 3:51

contact. There is a movement in the data center world to go into what's called edge data centers. So a data center is just a large building that's going to house computers, equipment, cooling, heating, air conditioning, and it serves as the network functions, for it could be a private network, it could be the internet, it could be anything right, and it's usually. If you look at topology, it's in the center of the network. They're big, so there's a big cost to build the building. There's a lot of power that's got to go to them. So you got to bring all that power in. You got to go to them. You've got to bring all that power in. You've got to pay for that power every month, cooling. Then you've got to worry about site planning. Land is not cheap. That's why you find data centers in rural parts of the country.

Speaker 1: 4:32

Usually there's been a move to making what's called edge data centers, which are smaller. They don't cost as much to build, they don't use as much power. They're closer towards what's called the edge of the network. So you have more of them, but they're smaller. So that's where I think of it Data centers. They're not going away. We're stuck with data centers for eternity, especially with AI right now. I just watched a real interesting show on AI. I'm not going to get into that right now.

Speaker 2: 5:06

So especially with.

Speaker 1: 5:07

AI and all that stuff. I mean everything's ai right now. So data centers it's a good thing to get into, but you were telling me once that you didn't like working in data centers um, not particularly um.

Speaker 2: 5:17

Same thing over and over gets kind of mundane. Um, and a lot of times security can be a hassle get in and out and, as everybody in the communications industry knows that usually when you get a project, that project needed to be done two weeks ago and then you get held up with getting material into the building, getting yourself into the building, actually getting jobs done, and sometimes it can be a real headache.

Speaker 1: 5:43

You see, you have a question.

Speaker 3: 5:44

Wise Components just chimed in and said more data centers to serve the growing IoT throughout. Smart buildings, smart cities everywhere.

Speaker 1: 5:52

Wise Components is in the house. Yes, so yeah, exactly right, you've got Internet of Things, smart buildings, all that. A lot of people don't realize how much stuff is actually connected to the Internet. When we hooked up I said this before we got Starlink because of the hurricane, and when I hooked up Starlink to my house and it discovered all the devices I think we had like 14 devices in our house connected to the internet.

Speaker 3: 6:17

I'm like 14 devices.

Speaker 1: 6:18

You probably believe that here 14, because you don't think about it right, my phone, Barbie's phone, my work cell phone, my personal computer, my work computer, her personal computer, her work computer, your TV your alarm system the blink camera system, the alarm system?

Speaker 1: 6:34

Devices galore, devices galore. All right, so here's my question for you. I got to ask this question today. I thought my question was about you. No, this wasn't. This one came from ed the old tech guy, because him and I were talking today about how ways I can make my tiktok channel get more viewers, and so he said this is a good question. So let's say that you got a brand new person coming to work for you. Okay, they show first day on the job site, or actually you get to talk to them before they show first day on the job site. Okay, what five tools do you tell that person he has to have?

Speaker 2: 7:03

First and foremost, you've got to have a pair of scissors Scissors or snips, snips Well, it depends on. There's a whole nother can of worms there, because now you have scissors and snips, and then what you and I used forever was those Klein solid steel snips. Yep, I was given a pair of snips the other day, you know, from one of the guys I was working with, so I can cut a piece of cable and literally snap the handle off. Yep, and that's just.

Speaker 1: 7:28

It's funny you say that I've got one of them pairs of snips out of my in my trailer. So scissors.

Speaker 2: 7:34

What's the next one? Well, we no longer really need punch tools. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 7:39

Everything.

Speaker 2: 7:39

I've been doing here lately in the last two or three years been plug and play. That's because you do. You function in the data center role. Yeah, so the need for an actual punch tool unless you're doing some jacks or something, but a punch tool. We definitely want to have web blades uh 66 and 110. Okay, uh, you want to have a, uh, a five and one, the screwdriver you know, so you got to have one of those three um.

Speaker 2: 8:03

What else am I missing here? You gotta have all your ppe always um. Hold on, it'll come me, because, I'm sorry, I don't carry tools much anymore there's my tool you do this, you do that, yeah, exactly that.

Speaker 1: 8:19

And a pen, okay, so so I agree with all those. I would add two more things. Well, you got your butter cutter, butter cutter.

Speaker 2: 8:27

Yeah you know that little knife comes on your side. Pouch Again your outside plant. No, no, no, they come when you buy that pair of scissors. It's called a splacer's kit. It's called a splacer's kit.

Speaker 1: 8:36

Yeah, it's a butter cutter because it looks like a butter knife but it's very sharp. Most inside plant people don't use that knife, I know, but it comes with the pouch it comes with. If you buy the splicers pouch, it comes with the pouch.

Speaker 2: 8:49

You can buy the pouch with just the scissors, and you should probably have a pair of angle cutters, because you know them tie wraps. You want to bring that back.

Speaker 1: 8:56

So I would add to that because I got more of an inside plant view of things. A keyhole saw.

Speaker 2: 9:03

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 9:09

See again you're talking office work. If you wanted to go. That's why. That's why that's why you have you. You, right now you're thinking your, your mindset's outside plan, mine's inside plan, so keyhole saw and the most important tool to bring of all. I'm surprised you didn't say this you're not talking about this no, no, no, no, no. Which one? Your brain? Don't leave it at home. Bring a good attitude, the willing to do the work.

Speaker 2: 9:30

That's for him, for him only. Yeah, uh-huh, I'm always happy to go to work. Uh-huh, what's your next?

Speaker 1: 9:36

question.

Speaker 2: 9:38

I told you when we had the one, I told you to come up with five.

Speaker 1: 9:41

Now you see why I'm mom's favorite.

Speaker 2: 9:43

All right, Well, how much wood could a woodchuck chuck?

Speaker 1: 9:45

A woodchuck could chuck wood.

Speaker 2: 9:46

Three cords, three cords, three cords. But what type of tree?

Speaker 1: 9:51

Depends. If it's southern pine, it's seven.

Speaker 2: 9:53

You can't burn southern pine? Yes, you can, not in a fireplace. Yes, you can.

Speaker 1: 10:01

Since when, oh I bet you, tj burned Southern Pine? He lives in Florida, and what year did your house burn down? It didn't, yeah, all right.

Speaker 2: 10:07

No, no, no, no, no no, let's see If I had to ask you a technical question. Really, the one I had was the data center. That's the only one, you had Only one, you had, yeah, I mean everything else we know.

Speaker 1: 10:20

Okay, so you said you like Velcro?

Speaker 2: 10:28

Yeah, soft side in or soft side out, let's say soft side in. I don't know why, it's just a preference for one of my preferences, but usually I duplicate, like if there's a bundle there I'm dressing next to, I'm going to duplicate whatever they did to keep everything dressed nice. Okay, so okay. He did give me a question, um, when it comes to dressing cable, especially copper, yeah, um, do you like them streamlined or do you just put them in a bundle?

Speaker 1: 10:54

depends on, depends, so tell your viewers.

Speaker 2: 10:58

So why and what?

Speaker 1: 11:00

okay, so is cabling all used to be done via cable combing? Some people call it penciling. Yes, some people call it penciling. And that's just where you just form the cables so you can put your finger on any one cable and follow the cable all the way down. The cable doesn't dive into the bone or anything. It's a statement of craftsmanship. Yes, absolutely Statement of craftsmanship.

Speaker 3: 11:23

It's a statement of craftsmanship?

Speaker 1: 11:23

Yes, absolutely Statement of craftsmanship. So then, when Cat 6A came out because of people worrying about alien crosstalk functioning at 500 megahertz, the industry kind of said, okay, you have to randomize stuff, yes, okay. Well, cable manufacturers have fixed those issues, you can go back to cable coming in. But some people will just say that they lack the desire to work. That's a nice way of saying it. They lack the desire to work and they like just not having to dress the cable.

Speaker 2: 11:56

Yes, oh, it's faster when you don't have to spend hours upon hours on dressing the cable. So they would rather just randomize it, especially if you're in a cable trade and you can use that little basket liner in there, and then you can just lay your cables in there, nice and neat.

Speaker 1: 12:08

Exactly so. Now that brings up the point. So what I would probably do is a combination of both. I would cable comb inside the telecom room, but I would just let the cables just lay the way they lay in the cable trays going down the halls yes, unless they had false ceilings. If they had false ceilings, you know, like restaurants where you can see the cable trays and stuff like that then I would dress it or order the cable tray with the solid bottom so you can't see the cables.

Speaker 2: 12:36

I've actually done that, going from drop-tile ceiling like we have in this room into an architectural, you know, and you'd have to dress 10 feet of it and then go back and do a drop-tile ceiling.

Speaker 1: 12:46

Now some people try to tell you that the randomization is the only way to do it now because of PoE and because of alien crosstalk. I already ruled out alien crosstalk. Poe, you can cable, comb and the bundle size you know, the recommendation size from Bixby is 24 bundles If you go by the code book. It depends on the conductor size, it depends on the length. But I would always go above and beyond what the code says, because code is for safety, not for performance.

Speaker 2: 13:14

Yeah, and explain the difference between code and standard.

Speaker 1: 13:18

This is one of my favorites.

Speaker 2: 13:19

I really like this. How much time do we have here? Just a quick spiel.

Speaker 1: 13:23

So there's three levels. Okay, there's technicians who just want to do the bare minimum. There's the ones who do a little bit more than the bare minimum. Then there's the best. There's codes, there's standards, there's best practices. Codes are for safety. That's it. If you follow the code book. It says in the code book. It says in 90.1 paragraphB, it says that it will give you, if you follow the code, it will give you a functioning system that is safe. And then it goes on to tell you that it will give you, if you follow the code, it will give you a functioning system that is safe. And then it goes on to tell you that it doesn't even guarantee it's going to perform, it's just safe.

Speaker 1: 13:57

That's what drives me crazy. When people say codes, it's a bit of meets codes. Standards always meet the codes or exceed the codes. I'll give you an example. In the code book we're allowed to staple cables.

Speaker 2: 14:15

The standards say don't staple cables.

Speaker 1: 14:17

Why does it say don't staple the cables?

Speaker 2: 14:19

Because, long story short, it's not good for the cable. You cause indentations on the cable. You could possibly pierce the cable, causing issues. Yeah, yep, Staples are no good unless you're stapling the velcro to the wall that you're going to use.

Speaker 1: 14:33

So yeah, so with stapling cabling, two big things. One, you, if you're not paying attention, you can drive the staple through the cable that's going to. That could cut a conductor, could short out a conductor. Right, it's also going to pinch the jacket. If it's pinching the jacket, then it's changing the pair geometry inside the cable, which could cause crosstalk. Everywhere there's a staple pair geometry. Yeah, that's, that's, that's how the pairs lay on.

Speaker 2: 15:00

I know it's just, it was a big word for you, I learned that one, just the other day oh my goodness.

Speaker 1: 15:06

But with that being, as it says, Klein makes a stapler that they guarantee that you can staple Cat 5E, Cat 6E, Cat 6A cable and it won't crush the jacket. I've got one. I haven't done it yet, but I've got one.

Speaker 2: 15:21

I'm not going to take anything from Klein. They make great tools.

Speaker 1: 15:23

Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. So that's just one example Standstill guarantee performance. So then, so then. So that's just one example standstill guarantee performance. And then, the best of the best of the best, follow the best practice manuals. Okay, by big c, the tdm, the it's a manual, the field pocket guides. Because I'll give you an example.

Speaker 1: 15:42

There's the code book. There's nothing in the code book that requires us to install plywood in a telecom room. Nothing, nope, it's not required. You can if you want to, but you're not required to put in plywood. Codebook that requires us to install plywood in a telecom room Nothing, nope, it's not required. You can if you want to, but you're not required to put in plywood Per code, not required. It doesn't even mention plywood. But when you look at the standards, the standards say at least one wall should be covered with three-quarters AC grid plywood. Right, because if you're hanging blocks or cabinets on it, you want to hang a plywood, not off gypsum board, right? If you follow the best practice manuals, like the Bixie TMM, it tells you two walls should be covered with three-quarters-inch plywood. Because they understand customers grow and they put in more equipment.

Speaker 2: 16:22

And you always got to have one for telecom, one for security.

Speaker 1: 16:25

That's an example. Exactly that's an example between codes, standards and best practices. So let me see Edge. Computer data centers are basically provided by the telcos. It's basically low latency cloud services. So yeah, when you think about my data is going to the cloud, what if it's sunny outside and the cloud dissipates? What happens to my information? Oh, because it's on somebody's computer, it's not really the cloud. You have any questions on TikTok, baby?

Speaker 2: 16:55

Yes, we have a few here, oh geez.

Speaker 3: 16:58

What's your view on ribbon versus ABF in the data center?

Speaker 2: 17:04

Actually I prefer ribbon, why? Just because it's all there and I've done air balloon fiber and maybe it was just me because I had a hard time getting it actually from one building to another but doing actual pulling and getting it over and it just, you know, when the spicers came up and did what they had to do, it seems so much easier and so much more more practical so if it was the, so tell people what, because it might be somebody watching.

Speaker 1: 17:29

You may not know. What is ribbon fiber? What is airborne fiber? What's the difference between those two? That, right there, I can't.

Speaker 2: 17:36

That doesn't help them. Well, that's well. The cable we showed you earlier was ribbon fiber.

Speaker 1: 17:41

So when you look at the fiber, so premise, distribution fiber is 12 individual strands of fiber. Yes, a ribbon fiber is going to be those individual strands of fiber. Yes, a ribbon fiber is going to be those fibers all glued together.

Speaker 2: 17:54

Correct Air balloon fiber Well no, they actually ran, we ran a 240, no 288. Through it's cable they run piping all throughout the ground, Right, right. And you hook up this machine it's called like a tornado, I think that was the name of it and you hook the fiber to the center where it's got wheels, that it sits in a track and the whole time it's blowing air down the tube and your fiber gets blown or actually sent through the tubing on a cushion of air Right.

Speaker 1: 18:25

So with air blowing fiber. A lot of the manufacturers recommend that you use nitrogen not oxygen.

Speaker 2: 18:34

I was on a compressor.

Speaker 1: 18:35

You just did compressed air. Yeah, I was going to say we didn't add no nitrogen. What was the next question, baby?

Speaker 3: 18:42

Raise floor or above ceiling in the Premier Data Sitter design.

Speaker 1: 18:47

Ooh, that's a great question. So there's advantages and disadvantages to both.

Speaker 2: 18:52

Yeah, but as an installer I'd much rather be in the floor, because I hate working with lifts. I hate climbing ladders and doing everything overhead. So much easier just to lift a towel and then do all your dressing, you know, at your ankle level.

Speaker 1: 19:05

But yeah, there are advantages and disadvantages to both, right. So the advantages of running overhead, like in a cable tray system or something your cable runs are going to be shorter because, generally speaking, when the cable comes out of the tray it goes to the equipment. The equipment's usually at the top of the rack, Correct? So usually the cable's going to be shorter. Right, it's pretty easy to install in a cable tray system. You just kind of and you're off and running, right. But the problem is running overhead. You got to worry about emi from fluorescent light fixtures, yes. You got to worry about blocking sprinkler heads, yes. And there are just some customers, some it people who run data centers, who don't like looking at cabling.

Speaker 2: 19:45

They rather be all nice yeah, so all you see is their racks.

Speaker 1: 19:49

That's it Exactly Now. Running underneath the floor Real easy. You just open up the towels, you drop it in the tray on the floor, you're off and running. But your runs are going to be longer. There's a potential that you could set off a fire suppression system. Yes, because you're kicking up dust underneath the floor. Yes, there's a chance that you might knock down a very important link at a law firm.

Speaker 2: 20:13

Really Let it go, man. That happened in 1990-something 92?.

Speaker 1: 20:17

Uh-huh, because somebody was running a quarter-inch fish tape underneath the floor. 1989. 1989. Somebody was running a quarter-inch fish tape under the floor of one of the largest law firms in the united states and he knocked out the t1 circuits.

Speaker 2: 20:34

Well, first of all, let me explain to your audience. That is not what happened um the day the day prior. Uh, we were running late or something, and a technician prior or before me took all the cable, instead of cooling up nice and neat, just stuffed it under the floor and then stepped on it. So when your little brother came, little brother came out because I had to run up the wall so we can terminate. When I pulled all the fire or all the copper out of the ground, it grabbed some extension cord which knocked out their T1 service.

Speaker 1: 21:03

The funny slash sad part of this whole story. I had to fire him because of that.

Speaker 2: 21:10

Well, it wasn't just that instance, no, there was two of them back to back, it was the floor. And then we were in the shops in DC and I ran that fish tape across that copper thing and knocked out all the lights.

Speaker 1: 21:20

That's not why you got fired. You got fired just because of that, just because I won.

Speaker 2: 21:25

They wanted somebody's head In my defense, I was also only 17.

Speaker 1: 21:28

And I'm like yeah, what was the next question, baby?

Speaker 3: 21:31

What's the difference between grounding and?

Speaker 1: 21:32

bonding? Great question. Who's put that? Let me guess TJ, of course, of course. So before I start this one off, I am creating a bonding and grounding course that I will submit for CECs and I'll have it available online. Will submit for CECs and I'll have it available online.

Speaker 1: 21:52

So this is one of those areas where people in the low-volume industry don't understand the difference between bonding and grounding. So if you're grounding something, you're doing something with mother earth. You're driving a ground rod into the earth. You're driving a ground ring. You're putting a ground ring into the earth. You're getting blisters on your hands. You're getting dirt on your boots Never. Or you're hiring an electrician to do the work for you, right? If you're bonding something, you're making two pieces of metal electrically continuous to a ground source. So and a lot of people get this wrong they say hey, go ground that rack. Is that rack grounded? Right, you're not grounding that rack, you're bonding that rack to a ground. Now there was one scenario where I actually grounded a rack.

Speaker 1: 22:32

I did a call center in memphis, tennessee, mci world and say I will come. You didn't do it to a sprinkler pipe, did you? No, no, no, no, no. So it was a single story call center. The gc drilled a hole through the concrete slab slab on great construction. They drilled a hole right through this slab. Right next to they drilled a hole. The dogs are back in the house. They drilled a hole right through this slab, right next to they drilled a hole. The dogs are back in the house.

Speaker 1: 22:57

So they drilled a hole through the concrete slab right next to the rack. We drove a ground rod through that hole into the earth and then ran a short conductor from that ground rod to the rack. That's the only rack I've ever grounded in my entire career.

Speaker 2: 23:05

Yeah, most of the grounding. I mean I've done that because we did. I did a job in Miami and I had to ground um outside trailer and um. What was great about this story is I'm sitting there with a sledgehammer in the middle of August and those who live in Florida know that August in Miami is kind of warm, pleasant, yeah, pleasant. So I'm swinging this uh sledgehammer, trying to run this thing through the ground and I finally get it. And just as I get it, the resident engineer walks up with one of these electronic jackhammer type things you just put on the end of the ground rod and it runs it to the ground for you.

Speaker 1: 23:41

That's pretty nice. I got a question for you before we go to the next question.

Speaker 2: 23:45

But we had to do an exothermic weld on it which I was not competent to do, because I don't know.

Speaker 1: 23:52

So the preferred method for doing bonding and grounding connections is a listed two-hole compression connector or an exothermically welded connection. Do not use split bolts?

Speaker 2: 24:01

Nope, they needed an exothermic bond Bond. The gas pipe right.

Speaker 1: 24:06

No, yeah, no, no, no, that's funny.

Speaker 2: 24:10

And when did their house burn down? Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 1: 24:19

So there is some confusion about bonding to a water pipe because that used to be a common practice. Yeah, and PERC is another example difference between codes and standards Code. You're allowed to bond to a water pipe if it's within five feet of where the water pipe goes through the wall, outside the thought there is. You can see that it hasn't been spliced with PVC.

Speaker 2: 24:36

Right.

Speaker 1: 24:37

If you open this tile here and bond it to a water pipe here and it goes to the other side of the house, you don't know if somebody spliced in a piece of PVC between here and where it goes out. So the thought there is if it's within five feet, when five feet goes through the wall you can see it, and there has to be 10 feet of direct earth contact on the other side of that wall. What does that mean?

Speaker 2: 24:57

I'm sorry, I was just off in my own little world.

Speaker 1: 25:00

There has to be 10 feet of direct earth contact on that water pipe on the other side of that wall.

Speaker 2: 25:06

Okay.

Speaker 1: 25:06

What does that mean that there's? How do you verify that? You tell me Shovel. No, yeah, okay, exactly. That's why you really shouldn't be using cold water pipes as a bond to a ground. So let me so before we take the next question from TikTok. If you could go back in time and talk to your 17-year-old self, what advice would you give yourself coming into the low voltage industry?

Speaker 2: 25:31

It gets better. There's so many things. Well, the first thing I would have told myself is like hey look, what you learned today may not be relevant tomorrow. That's true. It's constantly growing, constantly changing, that's true. So it's very important that you keep you keep up with code standards, especially all the new stuff that was coming out.

Speaker 1: 25:54

And how do you do that?

Speaker 2: 25:57

Have a brother in the industry that has his own podcast. There you go. Hey, let me ask you this Wait, wait. How many times have I called you from a job site and asked you something?

Speaker 1: 26:07

Lots lots actually. But let me ask you this, because I'm always curious about this as you're out there functioning day in and day out and stuff, has anybody ever come up to you and said hey, man, there's a pretty cool podcast about Lou Volge. Have you listened to it?

Speaker 2: 26:20

There was one guy and he said there's really ugly guys on there and he says yeah, I'd be doing it now? No, but there are quite a few people that's running around Northern Virginia with let's talk caving stickers. This stuff on our hard hats, nice, nice. Next question and I have got them. Last question so far Zbog asks have you done any spider web fiber? No, what came? I can't even say I'm familiar with spider web fiber, spider web fiber but it rings a bell and I'm trying to remember why I don't know.

Speaker 1: 26:54

I've never even heard of spiderweb fiber. I don't know. I'll have to research that one. I've never even heard of it. If we only had a computer, yeah. But right now the computer's broadcasting the podcast right After these messages, neither on the floor or the ceiling.

Speaker 2: 27:10

all over spaghetti cabling for the win yes, yes, no, but um, the other day I had, uh, actually, the manufacturer of a certain type of fiber that we're installing. Okay, um, he was concerned about the pull tension on his fiber. Okay, right, and this is when I called you the other day.

Speaker 1: 27:31

And it is. Was it outside plant? Yeah, 600 pounds.

Speaker 2: 27:34

Right Code or standard Standards Right, can you exceed those standards?

Speaker 1: 27:40

Standards are voluntary, okay, but you can't exceed the manufacturer's recommendations.

Speaker 2: 27:44

That's what I was afraid of, because we actually have a manufacturer rep there watching us install this and, unfortunately, some of these pools are greater than 600 feet.

Speaker 1: 27:56

I didn't say 600 feet, 600 pounds.

Speaker 2: 27:57

Yeah, but the cable weighs a pound a foot.

Speaker 1: 28:00

Ah, I see what you're saying yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: 28:01

So if you have 600 pounds of cable? Yeah, but when?

Speaker 1: 28:03

you're putting in cable lubricant that lowers the coefficient.

Speaker 2: 28:06

It does, it does, so you're not technically pulling 600 pounds. It does, and we also use a swivel that's only rated up to 600 pounds. So if we exceed the 600 pounds, it actually snaps the swivel, which keeps us from damaging the cable.

Speaker 1: 28:22

Any new questions come in yet? Wow, I guess we've answered all the questions. Yeah, now you actually used to owe me a question. I've given all their questions.

Speaker 2: 28:32

Yeah, no, you're actually you still owe me a question. I've given you your question. So why did I have to carry you all those years when we first started out? Because, look, he may be smart technically, but when it comes to common sense and getting cables down the wall or doing certain things, that's where he relies on me. Right, but if I need to know why a certain thing works a certain way, look at that camera. Oh, that's the guy. Isn't that a camera? That's camera two, camera one, camera two.

Speaker 1: 29:06

So obviously that's his sarcasm, because we all know that I carried you, because I'm the one who had was smart enough to not have a hammer fall off the top of a ladder and hit him on the head let's go there, let's go there, let's go there now.

Speaker 2: 29:25

look, I used to uh uh. This time in my life I could not stand having to wear a hard hat, having to put on gloves, wearing safety shoes and all this other things, but do you do it now, absolutely Every time, every time, every time.

Speaker 1: 29:39

Um, it's not like anybody from your company listens to my podcast, by the way.

Speaker 2: 29:43

Oh, I'm sure they all do, but yeah, um, it's the smallest little things, if you you don't?

Speaker 1: 29:49

yeah, exactly Right, you didn't. It's the smallest little things. Yeah, exactly right. The definition of an accident is an unplanned event.

Speaker 2: 29:55

Yeah, and I've actually been looking into the safety world or the safety realm when it comes to communications, how to make the workplace a little bit safer. Right, but yeah, back to what he was saying, doing a high school in Bethesda, chevy Chase, I remember that project.

Speaker 2: 30:15

At the time I had whatever tools I used to use in roofing and one of them was a roofing hatchet. And I took this roofing hatchet and I used it to climb a wall, to bust out concrete. I want to bust out the concrete on a 14-foot ladder. I left the hatchet on top of the ladder, Climbed down the ladder, was doing something else. Somebody said, hey, can you bring ladder over here? And guess what? I left on top of it, moved the ladder and that thing just split the top of my head. Oh, my was. And they're like, well, what's your middle name? And literally I could not remember my middle name. And they're like, yep, you're going to the doctor. So yeah, I've got a few stitches in the back of my head.

Speaker 1: 30:57

So let me ask you this If somebody was watching this tonight because they're thinking about hey, I want to get into this low voltage thing, they're cooking pizza at Lido's. Absolutely Get into it.

Speaker 2: 31:09

No no, no Let me finish.

Speaker 1: 31:11

I'm doing the preface here. Let me give you the question. Okay, they've decided, they have decided, they've decided they want to get into low voltage. All right, I asked you what advice would you give yourself? What advice?

Speaker 2: 31:30

would you give somebody new coming in to make sure that they're set up for this class? Learn everything you possibly can. Get involved with all certifications, especially Bixie. Having that as part of your stack of certifications you'll acquire throughout the years comes in very handy. Yeah, knowledge is power. That's it for this episode of today's podcast. We hope you were able to learn something. Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on future content. Also, leave a rating so we can help even more people learn about telecommunications. Until next time, be safe.