All passive and active equipment shall support a forward bandwidth of
54 MHz to 1,002MHz (1 GHz)
All passive and active equipment shall support a return bandwidth of
5 MHz to 42 MHz
ANSI/SCTE code for bond
blocks
129 2007
A F-port must have this at the base to accommodate weatherproofing devices.
a non-threaded area
The bonding wire attachment must accommodate this range of wire sizes
6 AWG to #14 AWG solid copper
Cable specifications in all new installations
minimum Series 6 with a minimum foil-braid-foil, tri-shield configuration that includes a bonded inner foil tape and outer foil bonded to the jacket and at least 77% braid coverage
ANSI/SCTE code for drop amplifiers
161 2009
ANSI/SCTE code for indoor f-81 splice connectors
02 2006
An F-81 indoor splice connector must have at least one end with what
threads all the way to the base of the port to accommodate panel nuts and mounting to wall plates
Plastic fasteners must be
UV and ozone stable
requirements for a clip gun
must use a half-round plastic insert to prevent crushing
ANSI/SCTE minimum mechanical and electrical specifications for all passive devices
153 2008
Cutting blades in all drop cable preparation tools shall be replaced
monthly
Why must drop cable preparation tools have a notch in the dielectric cutting blade
to prevent nicking or scoring of the center conductor
Locking terminators must have what inside
an internal 75-ohm resistor
When must a locking terminator be sealed
When a disconnected drop is parked on the locking terminator
Why must a thread protector have a uniform internal inside diameter through the full length of the thread proctector
It allows the thread protector to be installed from either direction and ensures secure compression of the sleeve over a variety of female F-port lengths
Why must wall plates have a 7/16-inch hex recess molded in the wall plate
to hold the F-81 and prevent it from turning
What are requirements for f-connectors
compression-type with 360-degree retention of the cable
How often should compression tools be inspected
monthly
What must be done to drop before changing its connector at the groundblock
Drop must be disconnected from live plant to minimize inadvertent injection of noise
All aerial drops must meet the requirements of what Article of the National Electrical Code at a minimum
Article 820
Cable used for aerial installations must have
messenger wire or integral self supporting strength member
Aerial drop cable must have what on the braid wires?
A non-flowing flooding compound
What is max allowable length of series 6 drop cable?
150 feet
Series-11 or QR-320 cable is permissible only for aerial drops when
it is greater than 150 feet in length AND where its use will improve RF forward signal levels to within acceptable ranges as defined in Section 9 of this standard, and will therefore eliminate the need for RF signal amplification in the home
What must be used to prevent the messenger wire from separating from the drop cable?
S cable clips
Aerial drops must not interfere with what at the pole?
climbing space
Aerial drop routing must follow what whenever possible?
power service drop
When an aerial drop crosses property lines outside of the municipal right-of-way, it is called
cable trespass
What on strand device must be used to avoid cable trespass?
a mid-span drop attachment
What cannot be crossed with an aerial drop?
swimming pools and utility lines
How many splices or splits are allowed between the tap and the grounding point at the house?
Zero
How many splices are allowed on a temporary aerial drop
Two (one between the tap and span clamp) and (one between house attachment and ground-block)
Drop clearance from power at the pole
40 inches
Drop clearance from power at the mid-span
24 inches
Drop clearance from power at the house
12 inches
Drop clearance from Phone or other Telecom providers at the pole
12 inches
Drop clearance from Phone or other Telecom providers a the house
6 inches
Drop clearance from Phone or other Telecom providers at the mid-span
6 inches
Drop clearance over roads, streets, alleys; nonresidential driveways; parking lots and other areas subject to traffic
18 feet
Drop clearance over residential driveways subject to truck traffic
15.5 feet
drop clearance over residential driveways not subject to truck traffic
11.5 feet
Drop clearance above sidewalks or other pedestrian traffic areas
10 feet
Drop clearance of all points above a flat roof
10.5 feet
minimum distance span clamp must be from the hardline connector of any equipment.
6 inches
Minimum that span clamps on either side of a pole must be attached from the center of the pole
30 inches
Only approved location to attach a span clamp
the strand
What must a span clamp NEVER be placed over
lashing wire
To prevent cable damage, what must be used over hardline cable everywhere the hardline cable is lashed up to the strand and is close to the span clamp location?
cable guards
Minimum climbing area from center of pole that must be maintained at all times
30 inches
When attaching the drop cable to the opposite side of the pole from the tap, what is the minimum diameter of the drip loop from grip to strand?
5 inch diameter
When routing the drop cable on the strand, which side must it be run on?
Underside
What does tying the drop to the underside of the strand prevent?
squirrel chews and damage from falling debris
The only hardware a drop may be attached to
Comcast owned hardware
What method must not be used for new drops but is acceptable for legacy drops to attach the drop to a span clamp or house hook?
The 2-4-4 method
What is the 2-4-4 method?
a) separating a minimum of two feet of messenger wire from the coaxb) passing the messenger wire through the hook TWICE and pulling it tightly while ensuring the messenger wire does not cross over itselfc) wrapping the messenger wire FOUR TIMES tightly around itself d) wrapping the messenger wire a minimum of FOUR TIMES around the unseparated drop cable and messenger to prevent any further separation of the drop cable and messenger. Any excess messenger wire must be trimmed off
When attaching a drop to the house, the drop cable must have what sag?
Drop cable must match the sag of the power drop. If there is no power drop reference, the drop cable must be tensioned for a minimum of 6 inches of sag for every 50 feet in length
When installing a mid-span drop, what order must the drop be installed in?
Pole to mid-span point, and then to the house
What is the only Comcast hardware a multi-span clamp must be attached to?
The Strand
To prevent cable damage, what must be placed between the multi-span clamp and the distribution cables?
Cable gaurds
How much messenger wire separation should be on each side of the multi-span clamp?
3 inches
What is the minimum drip loop at a midspan?
5 inches
How far from the multi-span clamp should the S cable clip be attached to the cable and messenger wire?
approximately 3 inches
Minimum drip loop half circle from drop cable grip to the aerial tap port
5-inch-diameter
What must be placed on every aerial drop at the tap?
a drop address and service tag
What must be done to unused tap ports?
install a locking terminator with internal 75-ohm resistor, and wrench-tightened to a minimum of 20 inch-pounds
How must a trap be attached to an aerial tap port?
a)A jumper between the aerial tap port and trap must be used if the trap is longer than the locking terminator.b) must be attached to the strand or to a trap hanger bracket.c) cannot have strain on the drop and maintain minimum bend radius.
Name 3 devices that service drops must NEVER be attached to
power service mast, TV antennas, chimneys, lightening rods, or gutters
How should a house hook be installed to prevent it from pulling out of the house?
install into a stud or other strong support wood with the drop ran at right angles whenever possible
After attaching the aerial drop cable to the house hook, what must be removed between the hook and the ground block location?
the messenger wire
Vertical clips must be placed
30-36 inches apart
horizontal clips must be spaced
18-24 inches apart
Cables used for underground installations have what kind of cable jacket?
polyethylene (PE)
Cables used for underground installations must have what on the braiding?
a flooding self healing compound
All new underground installations must have cable installed in
an approved conduit
conduit for underground drops must be buried to a minimum depth of
8 inches
When not installed completely in conduit, the protective conduit or molding must extend at least_____ below the ground.
8 inches
How must an underground drop enter the pedestal or enclosure?
From underneath (never through the lid)
When routing the underground drop parallel to lot lines, routing must stay _____ away from those lines
4 feet
Underground drop cable must extend a minimum of _______ above the tap at the pedestal or vault.
12 inches
Underground drop cable must extend a minimum of _______ past the ground block at the house.
12 inches
The end of all underground drop conduit or molding at the house and pedestal must be sealed with
Room Temperature Vulcanizing (RTV) sealant or duct cap
Underground drop cables routed down a pole must have physical protection, cable guard or conduit, to a point at least ______ above ground and ____ below ground
8 feet 8 inches
How many splices are allowed in all newly buried underground drop cables between the tap and the grounding point at the house?
zero 0
Underground drop restorations requiring splicing must allow only ______ splice(s) in any cable shorter than 60 feet and not crossing a driveway
1
Underground cable restorations requiring splicing must allow only _____ splices in any cable longer than 60 feet and not crossing a driveway.
2
Underground drop cable restorations requiring splicing must allow only ______ splices in any cable section between driveways (independent of length.)
2
If a cable is damaged under a sidewalk or driveway how should it be repaired?
A new cable must be placed for that portion and must be spliced a minimum of 12 inches from the edge of the sidewalk or driveway. Extra cable at the splice locations must be left to prevent pull-out caused by frost heaving.
For taps in a pedestal where the pedestal is not large enough to attach the disconnected drop to the locking terminator and still maintain the minimum bend radius of the cable, use what to protect the disconnected cable and connector.
drop saver plug-type device or approved encapsulating device
How must a trap be installed in a pedestal?
A jumper between the underground tap port and trap and trap must be attached to the feeder cable, pedestal stake or to a trap holder bracket.
If it is not possible to run the temporary drop along an existing fence line or if the drop must be ran in locations where pedestrian traffic cannot be prohibited what must be done to the drop?
Drop must be marked with fluorescent flags or wrapped with caution tape. Rubber cord covers and u-type hold downs also must be used.
What is the target time for drops to be buried, weather permitting?
No later than 30 days
What is the demarcation point between the outside network drop cable and the internal home distribution wiring?
The service distribution point outside the home
how high off the ground should a service enclosure be mounted?
four to five feet
The minimum distance a service distribution enclosure should be from power
one foot
where must a service distribution enclosure be mounted for a mobile home installations?
on service pole
What is ground wire made of?
solid copper
What size ground wire should be used for Series-6 drop cable?
12 AWG
What size ground wire conductor should be used for Series-11 or QR-320 drop cable
6 AWG
What must be checked before connecting the grounding conductor to the ground block?
FVD to check for voltage
What is the max length of a grounding conductor?
20 feet
Bonding Option 1A
The drop should be bonded to the structure’s electrical service on the #6 AWG solid copper stub
Bonding Option 2
The drop should be bonded to he power company grounding conductor.
Bonding Option 3
directly to the power company grounding electrode.
Bonding Option 4
The drop shall be bonded to grounded metallic conduit.
Bonding Option 5
The drop may be bonded to the metallic meter cabinet
Bonding Option 6
The drop may be bonded the the GROUNDED interior metal cold water piping system
How many bonding options are available for houses?
6
When bonding a mobile home what is preferred location to ground?
To power service equipment if it is within 30 ft of the mobile home
What are requirements to bond a mobile home drop to the tap?
tap pedestal must be co-located with a power pedestal and both must be within 30 feet of the mobile homeAWG # 6 must be used
If a mobile home is more than 30 feet from the electrical service equipment, how should the drop be bonded?
Bond to the grounded metal I-beam underneath the mobile home
When should CATVR riser cable be used?
in a vertical run in a shaft or from floor to floor in multiple dwelling units
When should CATVP plenum be used?
in environmental air handling plenums and ducts
Why must white or beige cables never be used for exterior wiring?
They are not UV/ozone stable and will deteriorate when installed outdoors.
Drop cable must NEVER be attached to what?
water pipes, gas lines, commercial power lines, or any other structure where it might interfere with other services or utilities
How should cable be routed on a structure?
must follow the natural lines of the structure and must be done to minimize the visibility of the cable.
How should a hole be drilled to prevent water damage?
All exterior entry holes must be drilled so that the outside hole is slightly lower than the hole on the inside of the wall.
When should drilling be done from the inside out?
For wood siding
When should drilling be done from the outside in?
For every material but wood including metal, slate, stucco, hard asphalt or brick.
What should always be installed over the drop cable before inserting the cable through any outside hole?
An outside feed-through bushing
What must one have before drilling a foundation wall?
supervisor approval
This must be placed on the feed through bushing and around the drop cable going through the bushing?
RTV sealant
Where should entry holes come into a mobile home?
Through the floor only, never drill through the outside wall of a mobile home
What must be installed in the floor entry hole in a mobile home before installing the cable?
a wall bushing
How must cable never be run inside homes?
under carpet, or up and over or through door frames or windows.
Why must excessively long jumpers between outlets and any cpe be avoided?
to eliminate any tripping hazards
When routing cable through a finished or partially finished basement how must the cable be routed?
parallel or perpendicular to the floor joists, never diagonally. and never to the bottom of the floor joists
When drilling a hole through a floor joist what is the minimum distance from the bottom of the joist that can be drilled?
2 inches
What section of the floor joist should be avoided when drilling?
The middle one-third
What are the mounting requirements for wall plates?
must be same height as the electrical outlets in the room and no closer than 6” from any electrical out
When running an outlet to an emta what requirements must be followed?
it must be a permanent, un-interrupted and un-amplified home-run cable
Why must unused outlets in the home not be connected
to prevent potential RF egress/ingress points.
What must be done to unused rf ports on a splitter?
install a 75 ohm terminator
The minimum RF signal level of individual forward video carriers at any wired outlet inside the home
0 dBmV
The maximum RF signal level of individual forward analog video carriers at any wired outlet inside the home
+15 dBmV
The minimum RF signal level of individual forward digital QAM carriers at any wired outlet inside the home
-8 dBmV
The maximum RF signal level of individual forward digital QAM carriers at any wired outlet inside the home
+10 dBmV
If measured tap levels do not fall within expected market engineering network design tolerances what must be created?
a plant maintenance ticket or (RTM) refer to maintanence
What is the preferred splitter configuration for a home with 4 outlets
one 4-way splitter
What is the preferred splitter configuration for a home with more than 4 and up to 8 wired outlets
one 8-way splitter
Name 3 styles of aerial drops that need to be replaced when serviced
1.all non-messengered aerial drop cables, 2.all Series 59 size aerial drop cable3. drop cables with copper braid wires,4. cables that have a solid dielectric material 5.drop cables that do not have the inner foil bonded to the dielectric and the inner foil is pushed back when attempting to install the F-connector 6. exhibit significant physical damage7.If drop has a splice between tap and bonding location
Name 3 styles of underground drops that need to be replaced when serviced
cables with copper braid wires, cables with solid dielectric material, cables that do not have an underground flooding compound applied to the braid, and cables that do not have a polyethylene (PE) jacket.Drops that exceed the acceptable number of splices
what types of indoor drop cables must be replaced with new 6 series drop cable?
all cables with copper braid wires, cables that have a solid dielectric material, drop cables that do not have the inner foil bonded to the dielectric and the foil is pushed back when attempting to install the F-connector, all damaged Series 59 size cables interfering with proper RF signal reception
name 3 of 5 reasons a connector must be replaced
hex-crimp type connectors, screw-on type connectors, i.e. connectors that thread onto the drop cable, push-on type connectors, all external non-weather-tight connectors, connectors that are corroded, moist or wet inside, have a black center conductor or show other signs of moisture contamination
What specifications must all splitters or passives meet
have bandwidth of 1,002 MHz (1 GHz) and support a minimum return bandwidth of 5 MHz to 42 MHz
Minimum bending radius for RG11?
4.5”
ANSI/SCTE specifications for Braided 75 ohm flex RF coax drop cable
74 2003
ANSI/SCTE specification for outdoor f-port
01 2006
BRIS requirements for amplfiers
1.Must be capable of remote powering2.Amplification on the forward path must be unity gain3.must be a 5 port or 9 port4.External passive port5.Single housing style6.a mechanism to properly terminate the internally amplified legs when DC power is removed from the amplifier7. Power supply transformer must have a Mounting tab to secure the device to a wall outlet
According to SCTE standards thread protectors must be able to protect port lengths of
.500 inch
When must a jumper be used for a trap on an aerial tap?
If the traps exceeds length of locking terminators
Drop clearance above roofs not accessible to pedestrians
3 feet
Bonding Option 1B
the grounding bridge on the copper stub
Requirements for running cable on a flat roof
cable cannot lay on the roofRoof must have a parapetcable must be run along top inside edge of parapetAbove roofing material3 to 4 inches below edge of the parapetNever drill through the roof
What is the scte code for male feed-through “F” conectors
123 2011
ANSI
American national standards institute
Attached
Thread protector is a permanent part of the connector
AWG
American wire gauge A US standard specifying diameter of a round wire usually made of copper and aluminum
CDV
Comcast digital voice
CHSI
Comcast high-speed internet
CPE
Customer premises equipment
dBmV
Unit of RF signal strength– decibel-millivolt
DOCSIS
Data over cable service interface specification
FVD
Foreign Voltage detector
GHz
Giga Hertz (1 billion Hertz)
MDU
Multiple Dwelling Unit
MHz
Mega hertz (1 million hertz)
MoCA
multimedia over coax alliance
MTA
Media terminal adapter
NEC
national electrical code
NESC
National electrical safety code
OSHA
Occupational safety and health administration
PE cable jacket
Polyethylene cable jacket
pre-installed
Thread protector is shipped on the nut of the connector
Pre-packaged
Thread protector and connector come shipped together in the same package but not assembled to the connector
PoE RF filter
Point of entry RG filter
QAM
Quadrature amplitude modulation
QR cable
commScope quantum reach 75 Ohm coaxial cable
RTV
Room temperature vulcanizing
SAHHC
Stand alone home health check
SCTE
Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers
SDU
Single dwelling unit
SIK
Self install kit
SRO
Special request order
VOM
Volt-ohm Meter
XOC
eXcellence in Operations Center
All new outdoor f-connectors must have what?
A thread protector attached, pre installed or prepackaged to the connector
All new drop installations must use what method for attaching drops?
Approved drop clamps designed for dead ending messengered drop cable.
What must not crush, deform, or damage the cable
Fasteners
Where applicable, what are the preferred type of fasteners ?
Screw type
Metallic fasteners and components must not do what when exposed to the environment?
Rust or otherwise discolor the wood/siding
All connections except those on Cpe must be wrench tightened to a minimum of what?
20 inch-pounds
What is the maximum amount of torque to be used with f-connectors on CPE?
10 inch-pounds
Drop clearance for alleys and commercial driveways
16 feet
New mid span drops must use what at the span clamp?
Drop clamp hardware
In all installations, all underground drops emerging from the ground must have physical protection to a point of at least
4 feet above ground or until reaching the service enclosure location at the house
For all installations without a service distribution enclosure, what is the maximum loop allowed for the drop? (In degrees)
270 degrees
Series -6 drop cable should use a grounding conductor of #12 AWG to ensure what?
A current carrying capacity approximately equal to that of the outer conductor of typical series -6 tri-shield drop cable.
What size grounding conductor must be used when bonding to an effectively grounded I-beam underneath a mobile home?
6 AWG
When installing an outlet, what must be used on all interior walls?
Wall plate mounting brackets
Every new customer installation must have a minimum of _____ outlets to ensure proper support for the later activation of additional Cpe devices by customers using a Self-install kit
4
MER 256 QAM minimum Threshold at CPE
35 dB
BER pre-FEC minimum threshold at Cpe
Less than 1.0e-07
DOCSIS transmit power Maximum level at CPE
Less than or equal to 54 dBmV
Downstream SNR minimum level at CPE
35 dB
Upstream SNR minimum level at CPE
31 dB
Legacy stb upstream power maximum level
57 dBmV
Who must approve use of any and all hardware?
Comcast Corporate Engineering
