TFS DuraTAC 2ST0500TFR Steel Armored Tactical Fiber Cable Reel, 500 feet, 2 Fiber, Single Mode, ST Connectors

I am the Director of the Digital Media Production Department for a large private school. We have purchased more than a dozen tactical fiber reels from Tactical Fiber Systems over the years including the recent purchase of the 2ST500TFR reviewed here. The 2ST0500TFR tactical reel is vastly superior to competitive reels because they are steel armored and extremely durable…. but at the same time, the cable is smaller in diameter and lighter so the size of the reel is more compact which makes it easier to transport and deploy. We have never had an issue regarding the integrity of their cables. Occasionally, a student breaks a connector due to stepping on it or improper handling and we return the reel to TFS for repair. We have found their repair service to be economical and turn-around very prompt…in most cases as soon as they receive the return. I did notice a poor review here on amazon who mentioned the problem they had with ST connectors and so I asked TFS about it before re-ordering this one. I was informed that they inadvertently purchased a bad batch of ST connectors which they didn’t realize were defective until the problem surfaced in field use. Apparently, the ceramic ferrule separated from the ST metal housing after being plugged and unplugged several times. In all fairness as soon as the issue became known, they did a product recall and re-terminated all of the defective ST connectors with high quality ST connectors at no charge . Simply put, TFS makes excellent tactical fiber cables and provides excellent customer service. Highly recommended!

We have had two of these reels now. Both reels had the same issue of the fiber termination end pulling out from the cable rendering the cable useless. It appears that this is a manufacturing defect that the company needs to address.