From: gherold@teachspin.com   
      
   On Sunday, April 8, 2018 at 8:05:42 AM UTC-4, kristoff wrote:   
   > Hi,   
   >   
   >   
   > I want to learn a more and experiment with optical fibre, especially for   
   > communication.   
   >   
   > Does somebody here have any experience with this (at a hobbyist level)?   
   > There seams to exist a kit called FO-30K, that just uses LEDs,   
   > optotransistors and plastic fibre. So it looks like this is a technology   
   > for hobbyies to play with.   
   >   
   >   
   > Concering fibre, I found something called "POF" (plastic optical fibre),   
   > which seams to be a lot easier to handle then glass fibre, and -hence- a   
   > good start.   
   > What would be a good thickness of fibre to start with? I found   
   > references starting from epef-1 (1 mm core, 2.2 mm in total) to epef-18   
   > (18 mm core).   
   > Anybody any idea on what is easy to handle?   
   >   
   >   
   > On the well-known Chinese webshops, I can buy cable in one batch of   
   > (say) 10 meter.   
   > Can you just cut the fibre at the length I need, or do you need special   
   > tools for that?   
   > (I know that glass-fibre must be cut in a certain angle to be well   
   > terminated. I have no idea if this also applies to plastic fibre.   
      
   I know nothing about special angles.  But years ago we'd make our own fibers   
   for sending/ receiving light down into cryostats.  We'd nick the fiber with   
   a diamond scribe and then cleave it.  (Break... there must be youtube videos   
   it's not at all hard.)  The nick leaves a little section of the fiber   
   that is not perfect, but that didn't bother us.. A few percent of the area   
   was lost.   
      
   Your big job will be the optics to couple into the fiber.  We had a lens,   
   fiber holder, x-y-z translation stage, and tip/tilt on the fiber holder.   
    ... spendy.   
      
   George H.   
   >   
   >   
   > On the FO-30K kit, the holders on which to connect the ends fibre are   
   > just metal rings.   
   > Would it be possible to 3D print a connector for a transmittor and   
   > receiver for an plastic optical cable?   
   > Perhaps a two part housing: one that holds the LED/phototransistor and   
   > one for (the end of) the fibre?   
   >   
   >   
   >   
   > Any help or ideas would be appriciated.   
   >   
   >   
   > Cheerio! Kr. Bonne. (ON1ARF)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)