Coaxial cables are widely used to carry high frequency electrical signals. Coaxial cables enjoy a relatively high bandwidth, low signal losses, are mechanically robust, and are relatively low cost. A coaxial cable typically includes an elongate inner conductor, a tubular outer conductor, and a dielectric separating the inner and outer conductors. For example, the dielectric may be a plastic foam material. An outer insulating jacket may also be applied to surround the outer conductor.
Coaxial cables may advantageously be used to connect to a tap at a ground pedestal or at an overhead line to carry signals from the tap to the customer. The tap is, in turn, connected to a trunk cable that typically serves a number of customers. Fiber optic, and electrical multi-conductor cables may alternately or additionally be so configured for such a customer drop application.
Typically an installer carries one or more relatively large reels of drop cable to an installation site to connect the customer to the trunk cable. The approximate length of cable, and some slack, that is needed for the particular drop installation, is manually pulled and then cut from the larger supply on the reel. Both ends of the cable are prepared by installing respective connectors onto ends of the cable. The connectors at the ends of the cable are then respectively coupled to mating connectors at the tap and also at the customer's interface. Unfortunately, this installation procedure is relatively time consuming and uses field-installed connectors that may not be as good and/or reliable as factory-installed connectors. Sometimes one or more of the connectors may not be installed properly. In addition, a considerable and uncontrolled amount of waste cable may be produced by this conventional installation approach.
Relatively long lengths of cable, such as for trunk applications, are typically designed in advance. Accordingly, a pre-connectorized cable can be made at the manufacturing facility with its attendant advantages. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,013 to Bedrosian discloses a reel for a pre-connectorized telephone cable.
Unfortunately, for drop cable applications, the labor intensive manual approach is typically used. Pre-connectorized cables are not typically available. In addition, there may be no convenient manner to store slack at the drop installation even if a pre-connectorized cable were used.