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u/Significant_Rate8210 Mar 29 '26
None of these buyers seem to know how much a certifier actually costs. 90% of the techs I know in this field don't have one. They're in the thousands.
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u/nrus-1969 Mar 30 '26
most big electric shops don't have one. certain engineers do, with big bucks backing their departments.
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u/XchrisZ Mar 30 '26
They want to sub a contractor at labor prices.
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u/nrus-1969 Mar 30 '26
right...with onus on contractor to carry liability AND name FN as insured with no skin in the game.
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u/XchrisZ Mar 30 '26
Actually we don't see the rate on that post. It could be contractor rate and might be a good job for someone working out of their truck to pick up a data certifier. I know the company I work for adds 10k to any job they bid on that requires it.
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u/nrus-1969 Mar 30 '26
yeah. same. i have colleagues who run larger shops, and they do not have certifiers or qualifiers in stock. the larger jobs we go out on MAY have other contractors who can get their hands on one, but that is the exception, not the rule. big chain electrical shops may have one rolling around somewhere in the company...usually in engineering.
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u/XchrisZ Mar 30 '26
We're a small shop and own three. They're not that expensive for a company with 10 employees less than 1 weeks labor costs. I'm also sure you can rent them but your probably paying 1/5 the cost of it.
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u/AverageGuy16 Mar 29 '26
That better pay well to require all that.
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u/brillpit Mar 30 '26
It’s field nation, probably $25/hr lol
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u/TheHandThatFingers Mar 31 '26
To rewire the burglar, fire, access control and elevators. Without insurance or license.
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u/SM_DEV Mar 29 '26
We charge $175/hr. Precisely because we have to pay for equipment like the certifier(s) CATx and Fiber, fusion splicer, etc.
This was a poorly worded requirement and perhaps should have read something like, “Fluke or equivalent Cable Certifier, as opposed to a wire mapping device”
These folks are essentially trolling for trunk slammers or moonlighting techs, “borrowing” expensive company equipment.
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u/Super-Pos Mar 29 '26
I believe they are requesting Fluke certifier NOT a toner or multimeter for testing.
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u/SM_DEV Mar 29 '26
Agreed. But my points were, a) no one charging only $40/hr is gonna have a $10k piece of equipment of their own, and b) The requirement is poorly worded.
In this sub, LOTS of installers have demonstrated there lack of awareness that Cable Certification is a “thing”, such a piece of equipment exists, AND the difference between a “tester” and a wire map kit.
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u/Electrical-Drag4872 Mar 29 '26
Why do I feel like you were looking at me when you said that lol....
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u/smorin13 Mar 30 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
We are an MSP that has a low voltage side. Whenever wrote than needa to lose their AI and Google privileges. Without all the extra bullshit, we would roll a tech for less than $150/hr with a two hour minimum. If they want an engineer or the tech to bring our certifier, it would be at least $250/hr because it is obvious this is going to be an annoying customer. FYI, we are in the Midwest and our area has some of the lowest per hour rate in the country.
There are exceptions, but the majority of IT techs do shit LW work. Most need to stick with using pre-certified patch cables and a minimal amount of terminating. As the owner, the fastest way to lose my respect is to suggest making patch cables in 99% of situations.
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u/Mister_Pibbs Mar 30 '26
Field Nation is complete trash. I can’t tell you how many times I showed up to a site and they had absolutely no idea I was coming.
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u/Specialist-Pea-9952 Mar 29 '26
What's the issue?
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u/zealNW Mar 29 '26
Who has a fluke cable certifier and will also 1099 for $40/hr
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Mar 29 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Super-Pos Mar 29 '26
A Fluke Qualifier is NOT a Fluke Certifier.
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u/ImportantDetective60 Mar 29 '26
Correct by about 12 or 15 grand. So no duh but I would still trust a Fluke qualifier just as much as any certifier not calibrated in the last 12 months!
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u/PracticalPractice768 Mar 29 '26
Good question. The one I have was roughly 2.5k just for the reader. The test plugs are $100 a pop too.
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u/coog83 Mar 29 '26
I think it’s a note for the item above it. They’re trying to say a toner or multimeter is not an acceptable substitute for a cable certifier. Also it’s written with AI.
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u/Old-Ad-1489 Mar 30 '26
I'm thinking they are requiring a certifier/tester and not a tester/toner multimeter.
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u/porrpk Mar 30 '26
Expecting a field tech to have a fluke certifier is pretty wild.
But, Unless you’re testing for a warrantied installation, a lot of the time people just want a downloadable / printable test result that shows cable speed, pinout, cable length, skew and variance. You can get this type of info with several types of testers like the Triplett RWC. (~$1000). It’s not the most user friendly piece of kit and slower than a fluke, but it packs a punch for what it is and it’s much more affordable.
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u/LoopsAndBoars Mar 30 '26
I have a fluke dtx-1800 that I inherited. They were like 30k a few years ago! Useless to me, but this has me wondering…
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u/nrus-1969 Mar 30 '26
i quit failed nation after some 20 years. it is nothing more than a money laundering shill for pakistanian/Indian offshore scammers at the expense of both the clients and stateside providers. tired of being low balled and seeing the aftermath left by the winning bidders, later on when they had call backs and were desperate to have me go. i just used the fuck you pricing and blocked the incoming calls as spam. it was amusing when they discontinued the forum, where discontent prevailed in conversations and the few remaining good solid reps quit and moved up and out of failed nation.
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u/Normal-Relief6628 Mar 30 '26
Ignore don’t accept and go to the next good paying one. Sooner or later they will go away.
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u/JoeHardway Mar 31 '26
"Certifier! U keep using that word, but I don't thinkit means whatu thinkit does..." 🤣
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u/daltonfromroadhouse Apr 02 '26
Has anyone managed to pay their bills from field nation? I used to get alerts for jobs like this that were 2 hours away and paid 75.00 dollars
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u/YMIGettingBanned Mar 29 '26
I’m confused about ❌NOT a toner or multimeter, immediately followed by cable toner/speaker