Hit 5000 network cable terminations on Tuesday without a single fail

I keep a tally on the wall of my van for every RJ45 I terminate clean. Tuesday morning I hit 5000 exactly on a patch panel for a new office build-out in downtown Denver. I use a cheap Klein crimper and always test each run with a fluke meter before calling it done. Anyone else keep a running count of something dumb like this or just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

tessa_clark7410d ago

Whoa, hold up, 5000 with ZERO fails? That's wild! I had to read that twice to make sure I wasn't seeing things. I've been doing low voltage for about eight years now and my fail rate is probably one in every hundred or so, especially on those tight patch panels where the wires just don't want to lay right. Using just a cheap Klein crimper too? That's impressive, mine always seems to skip a pin if I'm not super careful. You must have the patience of a saint to test every single one with a Fluke, that adds so much time but it's the right way to do it. Honestly, that kind of record makes me want to go double check my own work tomorrow morning.

the_tessa10d ago

Wait have you tried pinching the top and bottom of the crimper together with your thumb and forefinger before you squeeze? That little trick keeps the pins from shifting sideways. I learned that the hard way after failing like a dozen cables in one afternoon on a job for a school library. Also I always strip the jacket back just a hair more than what's recommended so I can see the gold contacts line up perfectly before I crimp. And yeah testing every cable with a Fluke is a pain but it saves you from having to yank a whole bundle later when someone's computer won't connect.