07 Jun 2006  

A new range of instrumentation is now available from Greenlee, a Textron company. The economically priced XLfiberTOOLS are designed to enable technicians to perform installation and maintenance measurements on fibre optic cabling networks. The instrument range comprises a power meter and two dual-wavelength sources and a visual fault finder. All of the products are rugged and splash-proof and easy to operate and intended for use in all environments. The instruments have only three buttons to control all functions, the visual fault finder has just a power on/off switch and a modulation on/off switch. All of the products feature an important Greenlee characteristic, excellent value for money.

The 560XL power meter provides power measurements in dBm’s and loss measurements in dB’s with 0.01dB resolution and 0.25dB accuracy over the range -3dBm to -60dBm. Calibration is at four wavelengths between 850nm and 1550nm with a measurement data storage and recall feature to increase operational efficiency. The instrument has a long battery life with a user selectable auto shut-off period. With a price of only £265, the XL560 represents an outstanding price/performance ratio.

The 570XL dual wavelength LED source has a calibrated output of -13dBm at 850nm and -20dBm at 1300nm with a stability of 0.05dB over a one hour period. The output may be CW or modulated at 1 kHz, 2 kHz or 270 kHz through an FC, SC or ST connector interface. Up to 80 hours of operation can be provided from 2 standard AA size 1.5V batteries with a user selectable auto shut-off. The price - £405.

The 580XL laser source has outputs at 1310nm and 1550nm with minimum output levels of -8dBm and a one hour stability of 0.05dB. It shares many of the features of the LED source and is priced at £580.

The model 170XL visual fault finder is a small lightweight device using a 635nm diode laser with a 1mW output as its visible source. It has the ability to find discontinuities in cables over a 3 km distance with a selectable modulated output to increase viewing contrast. An easy-to-use quick interface fits all 2.5mm connectors and an ergonomic rotary switch allows one-handed operation. Priced at £204, the 170XL is an economic and useful addition to any technician’s armoury.

For more information contact Adrian Harrison on 01582 764334 Fax: 01582 712084 or email