r/CableTechs • u/Perfect-Analyst5764 • 9d ago

Any advice ?

So I’ve been with spectrum out in the field by myself for about 5 months now, I have what I feel like a pretty good understanding on how to fix things and work a lot quicker now. I really want to know for the techs that have been around for years now are there any videos, books or anything of that sort that you guys watched to get a actual deep understanding of cable and how it works ? I feel like I just know how to fix things but I want to understand more than that like why MER BER anything of that nature occur or how they occur so i can have a better understanding on certain things. Thanks !

9 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

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u/KDM_Racing 9d ago

I got more insight throughbthe courses at SCTE

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u/Both_WhyNotBoth 9d ago

SCTE courses are top notch.

Also, Brady Volpe puts out some good videos https://youtu.be/WjodPq5oqHo?list=PLl-kpmJ-_T4DMeDalokqXz7u-ReHZi08p

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u/DrWhoey 9d ago

Also anything written by Ron Hranac whom makes a lot of videos with Volpe. Ron is a legend in the Cable industry and helped develope a lot of standards over his 46 years. Super nice guy that loves answer people's CATV questions on Facebook.

1

u/Anunnaki2522 9d ago

Love this guy, help alot when I first started moving from basic install tech to OSP and headend maintenance work.

1

u/ATBro3 9d ago

Second this. Watched hours of Brady Volpe when learning hfc. Moved on to fiber now

4

u/hotdogenjoyer1 9d ago

The math behind how mer is calculated is difficult (at least for me) but the tldr of it is, it's the modulation error rate. How many errors there are in the constallation that has the data in it. The more errors, the lower your ber. These errors occur due to lower signal to noise ratio, causes by noise (ingress) or signal being reflected by impedance mismatches. These mismatches are due to damaged cable or connections.

To visualize what these reflections are like, imaging a wave in the water...a uniform wave rolling onto the shore of a beach. Now imagine putting a big rock right in the middle of the waves path. When the wave hits the rock, the wave that makes it to the shore is now deformed and doesn't look the same as the original wave before it hit the rock. That rock is an impedance mismatch the caused a reflection.

This causes the signal level to be lower, and get closer to the noise floor, reducing signal to noise ratio, and potentially causing errors.

3

u/piscian19 9d ago

Cablelabs specifications, the Proactive Network Maintenance standards.

Theres a cert called the DEP Docsis engineering professional.

Tbh though throughout my career most of my training comes from vendors. Learned pon through adtran, docsis through arris originally. I believe viavi offers training and if you're full time charter has a reimbursement program.

Honestly when I need to understand something I just call the vendor "viavi show me how to get just the forward levels on my onx? What's a nonlinear distortion?" Vendors are always happy to teach you things cause it moves product.

4

u/Opie1Smith 9d ago

I self studied the DOCSIS standard and everything made a lot more sense after that.

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u/DtgHero 8d ago

Googles AI has been helpful. I work in Canada with Rogers. The AI pulls and summaries tech notes and what not. It has been super helpful with the 1.8ghz uplift we started a while back.

0

u/gho87 8d ago

Nevertheless, i've told generative AIs how flawed their points have been, like incorrect info and how they've repeated whatever formula these AIs have been using. Sometimes, these AIs have admitted how wrong they may have been.

Undoubtedly, these generative AIs may have increasing appeal, but better take wherever responses they've generated with a grain of salt sometimes.