Comment on Can't throw me off the scent

IDKWhatUsernametoPutHereLolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

• synapse1278@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  It’s very valuable as a cable, but as material, it’s worthless. Pull on it to hard, give it a rough bend, cute it anywhere, and it isn’t a cable anymore.

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  • Whats_your_reasoning@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    cute it anywhere

    Resist the urge to put kitty stickers on fiber optic cables. Got it.

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  • JokeDeity@lemm.ee ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    Now I’m curious, how DO they cut it to size?

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    • towerful@programming.dev ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      They just cut it roughly, strip back the protective layers, then do a very precise and clean cut on the actual fibre and polish the end.
      Most of the time it will get spliced into a patch panel (instead of being installed into the patch panel). At which point the cleanly cut fibre is precisely aligned with the fibre from the patch panel, then melted together.
      It’s very precise. Splicing tools often use extremely high magnification, and very precise actuators to align the 2 fibre ends before they are fused

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      • JokeDeity@lemm.ee ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

        Cool, always wondered how they fixed our Internet line with it being fiberoptic.

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    • noride@lemm.ee ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Cutting it is the easy part, splicing them back together is the real trick.

      en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusion_splicing

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    • scottmeme@sh.itjust.works ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Some very expensive tools for termination and splicing

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• credo@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  You can take this and install your own fiber to home. Free unlimited internet.

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• Honytawk@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Only the connectors and the skill to weld them on are expensive.

  The cable itself is just glass and plastic with some shielding.

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• possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Extremely

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  • IDKWhatUsernametoPutHereLolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

    So instead of copper cable theft, they’ll just steal the optic fiber cables then… 🤔

    The sign isn’t helping lol

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    • AugustWest@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      The difference is that your average crackhead/tweaker copper thief knows a sketchy scrap yard that will pay them a discounted rate for the copper cable and not ask any questions. It’s unlikely they know where to unload stole fiber optic cable.

      The sign is less to discourage theft than to prevent damage by copper thieves who are unaware of the difference and attempt to steal the cable.

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    • ContriteErudite@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Copper cables are easier to reuse or sell as scrap due to the intrinsic value of the metal value and simple structure. Fiber optic cables are harder to reuse because they require precise handling, expensive connectors, and special training and equipment to splice together properly. Unless thieves steal pre-terminated fiber and handle it with extreme care or take entire spools with a buyer ready, fiber is essentially worthless to them since it can’t be melted down and reused like copper.

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    • possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      That assumes you can sell it. Chances are it will be worthless once you remove it.

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    • qaz@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

      Maybe they’re harder to resell illegally

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• doggle@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨2⁩ ⁨months⁩ ago

  Not very. Worthless if cut into short lengths.

  A thief who rips a bunch out of a construction site or similar won’t be able to sell it for anything, if that’s what you wanted to know.

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