Show time!

After a successful show in 2010 we decided to take another stand at the Emirates stadium for the Networks 2011 show. Attendence was lower than in previous years but the quality of customers was excellent and it gave us chance to say hello to some regulars.
This year we took a golf putting challenge with us to give everyone a bit of competition and interest and boy were folk competitive!
We even had other suppliers queing up to have their marketing photo shots on our stand such was the interest! (note to the boss; maybe we should hire putting games :-)

Excel Networking added to DTX database

Excel Networking are among the very latest copper and optical cable provider's to have their entire cabling catalogue added to the Fluke DTX cable manufacturer’s database. Fluke has added the Excel products into the latest release of its firmware software, Version 2.52 which is available to download for free from the Fluke Networks website.

The comprehensive listing allows the user to quickly select the cable type to be tested and submit the results for testing making it quicker and easier to obtain a warranty.

Simon Robinson of Excel tells us, “Getting the Excel cabling products added to the Fluke cable manufacturers database was an important and essential job for our installers taking into account that Excel has been voted as the number 3 cabling system in the UK by BSRIA, there are more and more Excel systems that need to be tested.”

Simon continues, “With such wide use of Fluke DTX analysers throughout the UK and Europe and with significantly more Excel projects taking place in these regions, we are simply offering our user's a more efficient way of testing their installations and submitting their results.”

So next time you perform testing and certifications with a DTX1200 or DTX1800, rather than selecting a generic cable manufacturer make sure you visit the cable manufacturers list section so you can determine the exact test parameters allowing for a more consistent, specific and accurate result. 

DTX1200 v DTX1800, what's the difference?

Here's a question we get asked nearly every day;
"What's the main difference between the Fluke DTX-1200 and the Fluke DTX-1800?"

Well the easy answer is that the Fluke DTX-1200 won't test Cat6a or Level IV (Cat7 & Cat 7a) unlike the DTX-1800 as the DTX-1200 only tests to 350mhz where as the DTX-1800 tests to a much higher 900mhz.

Both testers can still test a Cat6 link in 9 seconds and both can be used to perform identical fibre tests with the relevant additional fibre modules on-board.

So if you looking to test Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6 or fibre then either model will be suffice however if your looking to future-proof your installation for systems such as Cat6a,10 gigabit Ethernet of Class FA and CATV then the DTX1800 is the answer.

DTX-1200 £175 per week (ex vat & collection) v DTX-1800 £195 per week (ex vat & collection)

Fluke Networks makes the DSP obsolete

Fluke Networks have been supporting the DSP series of copper and fibre certifiers for a many years since obsolesence, but unfortunately this support is soon due to come to an end.

As a number of critical components becoming unavailable, DSP Permanent Link Adaptors, Channel Adaptors and other spares will become obsolete at the end of March 2011. Also, repairs are no longer available and calibrations are only possible on units that are in full working order and require no replacement components.

So what better time to think of upgrading to a DTX, weather your thinking of buying or renting. Not only will you see an amazing increase in speed due to it's 9 second autotest you will also benifit from detailed reports, larger storage capacity & superior functionality. In a word if cabling is your business you really should be considering a DTX.

Tester Hire News Update

Fluke up again: Further to our post in Sept 2010, Fluke Networks have yet again increased the list price of the entire network range by an another 10% from 1st February 2011. This now makes ownership of products such as the DTX1800 extremely difficult at a time when business investment in equipment is being heavily reduced or completely cut.

DTX-1800 £7494, DTX-MFM2 £3664, DTX-SFM2 £5040, DTX-OTDR £6435 all plus vat

So hiring a DTX-1800 for example at £195 or a set of DTX-MFM2 at £165 for 7 days looks like an even more viable option.

LinkWare 6.2 release: The latest LinkWare software update is now available which is essential for all DTX owners and users and can be downloaded by clicking here then registering which then also gives you access to a wide range of useful information and updates including equipment firmware releases.

Tester Hire Demo Day: We are keen to hear from you if you would like to register your interest for our upcoming training and demo day where we will be demonstrating the power of the Fluke DTX range and what it can do for you and your business. Whether your a regular user owner of infrequent rental customer you will be amazed at some of the little know features and details this kit can produce. Places are limited so get in touch with us for more information.

New product website pages

In the last week we have been working hard on the www.testerhire.co.uk/ website to give our users more product information for our most popular Fluke Network testers and a really useful Frequestly Asked Questions page covering key areas. Our new info pages include three sections aimed to inform quickly and effectivley helping you to choose the correct testing equipment.

Each new page includes an At a Glance, Product Capabilities and a Testerhire Says section giving a full overview for each product. You can also download product pdf's, user guides and our hire application form.

While your there why not sign up to our email mailing list and get offer and information straight into your inbox, we promise not to pester you and of course you can always opt out!

Click here to take a look at the new info pages for the DTX1800

Training Demo day Coming Soon!

We are in the early stages of planning a testerhire.co.uk Fluke DTX training demo day in the South West where we will have industry experts on hand to offer practical advice, demonstrations and information so you can get to grips with the basics of copper and fibre cable certification, diagnostics and troubleshooting all helping you  get the most out of your own or hired Fluke DTX equipment.

With the support of Fluke UK and our network of Fluke distributors we will have several test sets available for you to get hands on and learn operations such as initial set up, self testing, referencing, cable ID set up, auto saving and downloading. There will be an overview of Channel testing v Permanent link for Cat5e, Cat6 and Cat6a with a short guide on how to interpret, view, print and email the results, what to look for should you get a fail or marginal pass, why a results may fail on certain criteria and how to correct or address these issues.

In short we hope to give you all the information you need to confidently test network cabling accurately and correctly each and every time.

If you think this session may be of interest to you or your colleague's then please email training@testerhire.co.uk or call on 01275 542 528 to register your company for more information.