Tempo Communications now offers the Spike marker for use when network technicians need to mark underground cable plant in small, cramped spaces. The company says Spike provides an option for applications where larger electronic markers might not physically fit.
The Spike marker features a maximum diameter of 21 mm and a length of 100 mm (just over 0.75 x 4 inches). It is being launched in two variants: Spike for Telephone (orange) and Spike for Gas (yellow). “Spike is literally a ‘spike,’ as the name implies,” explained Mark Govier, product manager for Tempo Communications. “They are supplied in industry standard color and frequency combinations, and with existing marker locators, such as our EML-100, can be detected reliably to a depth of at least 1 m or 3 feet depth. Just push them into the soil above the utility as you backfill the trench.”
The design enables network installers to use Spike for near-surface utilities buried in narrow trenches, says Tempo. Initial applications include marking telephone cables and fiber-optic ducts (as well as irrigation, water, and gas lines) run in shallow ducts and spaces outside the home. They can also be used to mark hand-holes and small connection splices. Technicians can use a fixing kit to more permanently attach them to ducts.
Tempo says it plans to offer models for non-potable, CATV, sanitary, Euro power, water, and power applications in the future.
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