Fiber Visual Fault Locator Kit (VFL-300)

Ships direct from the manufacturer. Please allow up to 10 business days, though it often ships sooner.

A break, a crushed cable, or a tight bend in a fiber shows up as a glow where the light escapes, and the Jonard Tools VFL-300 is the rugged pen-style visual fault locator that puts that light into the fiber. Its 650 nm Class IIIA laser diode is bright enough to find breakpoints, leaks, poor connections, and stress points in single-mode and multimode fiber up to 5 km (3.1 miles) away, and it works in the dead zone of an OTDR, close to the connector, where an OTDR trace can't resolve a fault. It comes with adapters for 2.5 mm FC, SC, and ST and 1.25 mm LC connectors, three output modes (continuous, pulsing, and slow pulsing) at constant power, and a sleeve that rotates over the power button so it can't switch on in a bag. The aluminum housing is built for job sites, and two AA batteries, included, run it for 60 hours.

Features

• 650 nm Class IIIA laser. Visible red light that finds faults in single-mode and multimode fiber up to 5 km, with 650 ± 10 nm output.
• Adapters for FC, SC, ST, and LC. Fits 2.5 mm ferrule connectors (FC, SC, ST) and 1.25 mm LC connectors.
• Three modes at constant power. Continuous wave, pulsing, and slower pulsing, so a flashing fault stands out from room light and from other sources.
• Works where an OTDR can't. Finds faults in the OTDR dead zone near the connector and does end-to-end visual fiber identification.
• Rugged pen-style body. Light, portable aluminum housing for job sites and on-the-go use.
• Button lock. The protective sleeve rotates to cover the power button and prevent an accidental press.
• 60 hours on two AA batteries. Batteries included.

Where It Fits

It suits FTTH and outside plant technicians tracing a dark drop or finding the break in a cable that failed after a dig, data center and enterprise crews identifying which fiber is which across a panel by lighting one end and looking for the glow at the other, splicing crews checking a splice tray or a closure for a tight bend or a broken fiber before closing it up, installers verifying continuity on a short link that's inside an OTDR's dead zone, anyone who needs a quick continuity and fault check without a power meter and light source, and the fiber kits it comes in, since the VFL-300 is the fault locator in Jonard's TK-199B.

Good to Know

This is a Class IIIA laser. Never look into the output, into a connector, or into the end of a fiber while the locator is on, and never point it at anyone; the beam is visible, which is what makes it useful, and it's strong enough to damage an eye. Use the locator on dark fiber only: disconnect the far end from any equipment before you light the fiber, since the red light into a receiver can damage it, and confirm the fiber is dark before you connect, because connecting a VFL to a live link is a way to get a live laser in the face. Cover or cap the far end if someone else is working at it. The glow shows through the jacket on most indoor and drop cable, which is how a break or a tight bend is found; on armored or heavily jacketed cable the glow only shows at the ends and at a break in the armor, so the locator confirms continuity but can't pinpoint the fault inside. Use the pulse modes in a bright room or when there's other light in the fiber; a flashing glow is easier to spot than a steady one. The 5 km range is for a clean fiber; splices, connectors, and bends each take some of the light, so on a long or lossy run the glow at the far end gets faint before 5 km. The VFL shows where the gross faults are and whether the light gets through; it doesn't measure loss, and a link that lights up end to end can still fail a power meter test. Clean the connector before you plug it into the adapter, since a dirty VFL adapter contaminates every connector that goes in it afterward. Rotate the sleeve over the button before the locator goes back in the bag, which is what the 60-hour battery life depends on.

Specifications

Documentation