Surviving the Storm

How did you fair through the wrath of Hurricane Irene? Leading up to the storm, many of our local east coast customers placed orders to help them prepare for whatever damage would occur in the hurricane. Late last week, our warehouse was shipping out strand and aerial hardware like crazy!

Comstar weathered the storm just fine. Our office and warehouse is located in an industrial park at the top of a hill. Businesses just down the road though suffered some serious flooding. The Perkiomen Creek flows through Collegeville and after the hurricane, it became a raging river! The bridges crossing the creek were closed for most of the day on Sunday but fortunately were opened again by Monday morning so we have no disruption in shipping or receiving product.

Comstar remains committed through the cleanup process to be here for whatever you might need. We have a solid stock on aerial strand as well aerial hardware. Our shelves are stocked with splice cases and our yard is filled with HDPE, PVC, fiber optic cable and handholes. Let us know what you need and we’ll work to turn around your order as soon as possible!

Roll out the red carpet – Comstar Supply Definition Movie Premier

Have you had a chance to check out the brand new video on our website? The Comstar Supply Definition video is the first in a series of videos we are having produced to highlight our company and the products that we sell.

In this short film, you’ll get a glimpse into Comstar Supply, learn about our company history, mission and goals and how we strive to provide the best customer service possible. You’ll see the faces of Comstar (can you recognize and match up voices with names?) and glimpse into the workings of our office and warehouse!

Poleline Hardware Guide

Here's another handy tool you can use as a reference when you are purchasing pole line hardware. This graphical depiction of a telephone pole is courtesy of http://www.hubbellpowersystems.com.

The telephone pole diagram notes the proper applications and uses for various pole line hardware which we stock and sell. You can note the proper placement of everything from cable extension arms to machine bolts and anchors and guy guards!

If you have a question or need any poleline hardware, give us a call and someone from the sales team will happily help you out. We stock most of the items that you will need for your aerial applications and in most cases we can ship same day or next day, depending upon when the order is received!

Proper Knots for Pull Tape

While doing some research for our upcomming video on how to tie a knot in pull tape, I came across this graphical demonstration from A-D Technologies showing the proper way to splice two lengths of pull tape together as well as the proper method for tying off pull tape to a swivel.

It's important to use proper knots with your pull tape so you maintain the pulling strength of your tape. Use this graphic as a reference and stay tuned for a video demonstration of how to use both of these techniques in the field!

Chat it Up!

Have you noticed the new chat feature on our website?

The new chat will enable Comstar Supply to be available for immediate assistance while you shop on our website. Not only will customers be able to contact us directly during business hours but the Comstar Supply sales associates will also be able to reach out and initiate conversations with customers who are online. Look for the chat bubble at the bottom of the screen on our of website pages!

So if you see a chat window pop up, rest assured that there really is someone behind those words! We are excited to reach out, say hello to our customers and of course, offer our assistance!

Snow Day Stock Up!

If you live or work in the northeast part of the United States, there’s a good chance you are snowed in today and can’t make it out to jobsite. Instead of calling today a wash, consider sitting down with a hot cup of coffee and spend some time on www.comstarsupply.com stocking up on some outside plant essentials.

Our warehouse has a constant stock of the commodity items that you use everyday. Consider duct plugs – We have an extensive inventory of everything ranging from temporary poly pull plugs to the more permanent expanding blank plug style duct plugs. We also keep stock on triplex plugs as well as simplex plugs for your fiber optic applications.

Looking for couplers? Pick your favorite! For PVC applications, we stock the standard style slip couplings in a range of sizes. For HDPE applications, consider using either moonlink couplers or reverse threaded aluminum couplers. If you’re looking for a compression style coupling, we maintain a solid inventory of both E Loc and Double E Loc couplers as well as Comfit couplers. Joining pipe together has never been so easy!

Need to proof your duct? Don’t forget about the wide range of mandrels that are available through www.comstarsupply.com. We provide aluminum test mandrels, wooden mandrels, flexible steel mandrels, and wire brush mandrels.

Don’t forget about your birdies and missles! Our warehouse stocks foam carriers (a.k.a. mice) and inflatable line carriers (a.k.a. balloons) as well as the plastic missile style line carriers and the rubber cone style missiles. We keep all sizes in stock and in most cases, we’re able to ship same day to your location!

So if you’re stuck inside because of the snow, stay warm and do some shopping! Your order from www.comstarsupply.com will be handled promptly and professionally by our staff and you can rest assured knowing you’re stocked up on your outside plant essentials!

Duct Rodders 101

A good quality duct rodder is one of the staple tools in the telecommunication industry. Each year, we sell duct rodders to customers all over the world. And while most customers come knowing what they want, we often get questions regarding the proper duct rodder for the application.

Some key points that you want to consider when purchasing a duct rodder are the following:

What size duct will you be working in?

The Condux duct rodders we stock and sell have recommended duct ranges for each size rodder:

• 3/6” Duct rodders are recommended for ½” through 1 ¼” conduit.
• ¼” Duct rodders are recommended for 1” through 2 ½” conduit.
• 5/16” Duct rodders are recommended for 1 ½” through 4” conduit.
• 7/16” Duct rodders are recommended for 3” through 6” conduit.
• 9/16” Duct rodders are recommended for 3” through 8” conduit.

What type of pulling strength and bending radius do you need from your rodder?

The Condux duct rodders we stock and sell have specific full strength ratings and bending radius that help you pick the correct tool of the job:

Duct Rod Diameter	Duct Rod Pull Strength - lb	Core O.D - in	Coating O.D. - in	Minimum Bending Radius - in.
3/6”	200	.125	.187	3
¼”	350	.187	.250	5
5/16”	950	.237	.312	7
7/16”	950	.300	.437	11
9/16”	1400	.375	.500	11

What type of rod do I need?
Condux features three distinct types of rodders:

Cobra: These rodders are the highest quality that Condux manufacturers. They are designed for heavy duty applications. They are constructed in such a way to ensure rigidity and strength. They work best in long runs with multiple sweeps ad bends. One of the key design features to the Cobra rods is the braided wrap of reinforcing fibers. These rodders are white and all come with one male and one female end fitting and a tapered head fitting.

Python: These rodders are the most popular design that we sell. They are similar strength characteristics to the Cobra rod, however they are much more flexible. Python rods are blue also come with one male and female end fitting as well as a tapered head.

Mini Cobra: Mini Cobra rods are available only in the 3/16” and ¼” size. They are designed for smaller ducts and shorter runs. They have the same flexibility as the Python rods. The Mini Cobras include two male end fittings and two tapered heads.

We stock a variety of sizes of duct rodders here at our Collegeville warehouse. However, if we do not have the size and length combination that you need, rest assured that we can get you the rodder of your choice quickly. All Condux duct rodders have a one day lead time. Duct rodders are also available with footage or meter markers printed on them from the manufacturer!

One recommendation that we always offer to our customers is buy a rodder slightly longer than your job requires. While rodders are heavy duty and designed to hold up in tough conditions, they sometimes break. Having the extra footage will enable you to splice the rodder back together and extend the life of your investment.

Comstar Supply also stocks a range of accessories for duct rodders. Attachments and accessories range for a mini pulling harness to a flexible leader guide and roller guide. All of these attachments come specific to your rodder size. Condux also offers a complete accessory kit that includes a roller guide, splice kit, epoxy, swivel coupling, tapered head and threaded end fitting in a convenient canvas bag that attaches to your duct rodder cage.

Other accessories available for the duct rodders include a sonde adapter, replacement end fittings, splice repair kits, replacement tapered heads as well as replacement cages and rods.

Regardless of what size rod you need, please remember that every job is different and the recommendations stated here are based upon standard radius bends. If you need more assistant picking out the proper duct rodder, give us a call and we’ll be happy to help!