Splice has bubbles? Likely due to dirty fibers or worn-down electrodes—clean and replace if needed. 1 dB? Likely due to misalignment of fibers because of dirty V-grooves or not calibrating the equipment correctly—clean the V-grooves and recalibrate the. The performance of a fiber optic splice is determined by a number of factors, including the quality of the fiber, the cleanliness of the splice, and the techniques used to make the splice. Intrinsic factors, such as the refractive index of the fiber, are those that are inherent to the fiber itself. The Problem: Another common Fusion Splicing Machine Problem occurs when the plastic protective sleeve doesn't shrink correctly or has bubbles inside. That is usually done for permanent connections, but it may be possible to dismantle a splice without spoiling the fiber ends. If you get the arc power "Not Adequate" message, just do another. Watch the fiber display for bubbles, fiber offset, or arc stability issues that could signify a defective splice. The sleeve can then be heated in a heating oven or using a heat clamp to allow the sleeve to shrink evenly.
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