I used to think those new fiber optic testers were just expensive toys

For years at the MRO in Tulsa, I stuck with my old light source and power meter combo. Everyone was raving about these new all-in-one units that cost over $5k, saying they were faster and caught more faults. I figured it was just marketing, until we got a contract for a fleet of regional jets with a ton of IFE system issues. My boss basically made me use one on a stubborn intermittent fault we'd been chasing for a week. The thing mapped the entire run in minutes and pinpointed a tiny bend loss at a connector I'd reseated three times. It wasn't just a little better, it was a whole different level of finding problems. I had to eat my words, and now I get why the shop invested in them. Has anyone else had a tool they fought against that ended up being a game changer?

3 comments

3 Comments

wren_hunt131mo ago

Had the same fight with our new ELD system. Hated it for months, now I can't imagine going back to paper logs.

emma3031mo ago

Sounds like a lot of fuss over a logbook.

michaelross1mo ago

Yeah, that learning curve is real. The first week with our system felt like fighting with a brick. But once you get past the weird menus, the automatic clock math is a lifesaver. No more scrambling to add up hours at the end of a long day. It just does it for you.