Facilities

Do the facilities really matter?

We obviously believe they do. We are continually looking to enhance our training facilities to make sure you get more from the whole training experience with us.

Do we use state-of-the-art interactive whiteboards? No. We believe they are great for some meetings, but they add nothing significant to well-structured training, and we don’t just look for “wow-factor”. We make sure our courses are enjoyable, but we are keen to ensure you learn and are not distracted by flashy gimmicks.

What specialist cabling facilities do we have?

Our training centre in Garsdale has many specialist cabling features including:

• outdoor ‘man-holes’ or jointing chambers to BT specifications (6-box & 10-box)
• underground foot-way boxes (6 in total)
• duct system (100 mm) joining boxes and coming into one of our training rooms
• floor and wall mounted cabling cabinets of various makes and sizes
• fibre and copper patch panels of numerous styles
• trunking system for data-cabling installation skills training
• raised floor with floor boxes and grommets for underfoor cabling
• cable tray and basket systems for internal overhead cabling
• blown-fibre tubing/duct system
• covered practical work area with wall supports for copper cable jointing work
• kerb-side cable TV cabinet

What training facilities do we use?

We have used bright (minimum 1000 Ansi lumen) data-projectors to display PC presentations and video output from splicers and test instruments since the first Lucid course in 1999.

We use wall and floor mounted whiteboards and flipcharts, and display data-projector images on quality projector screens.

Our presentations are done with either radio or infra-red remote control for the trainers, so they don’t have to stand by the PC like a statue to present our materials.

For trainees we provide a comprehensive training manual. This is a properly written, illustrated and indexed book, and not just a collection of the presenters slides. These manuals are printed in full-colour on high-quality 100 g/m2 paper, and are widely regarded as the best in the industry.

Equipment

We could not possibly list all of the equipment we have, but we believe it is beyond that of any of our competitors and includes:

• various fusion splicing machines including micro & ribbon splicers
• fibre ribbonising kit
• OTDRs – lots of them…
• light sources and power meters – several types of field and laboratory style
• optical spectrum analysers – field and laboratory style
• polarimeter for polarisation measurments and teaching
• EDFAs
• WDMs and DWDMs
• fibre and cable of numerous types (several hundred kilometres at least)
• Cat 6 and 7 Network Testers
• Video fiberscopes, hand-held and lab microscopes
• four-way subduct and drum
• cable installation equipment and winch
• test telephones, SA9083 meters, Megger testers (insulation) etc.
• and much, much more

and if we don’t have it we can borrow, hire or buy to ensure we have the equipment you want to see or use on the course.

Parking?

At our training centre we have ample parking for cars and vans. The parking is not just at the roadside, and is not shared with anybody else. Parking your vehicle in our car park is free, so you don’t have to worry about additional costs and having correct change.

Getting to Lucid by train?

To get to Lucid by train most trainees or visitors prefer to use the faster services to Oxenholme station (near Kendal). From Lucid Training Centre to Sedbergh, our local town where most trainees stay, is around 5 miles, so we regularly arrange to pick-up and drop-off trainees. All part of the personal service and going the extra mile, or few miles in this case!

For those looking for a more leisurely arrival, we can happily meet you at Garsdale Head station on the famously picturesque Settle to Carlisle line.

Refreshments

We serve fresh, filtered coffee and tea from a teapot at both morning and afternoon breaks. A variety of other drinks can be requested, including caffeine-free varieties or herbal teas, with a range of fresh fruit juices also available.

Refreshments are normally taken in our open syndicate area, providing a relaxed change of scenery for trainees or, on sunny days, outside in our picnic area. A range of fresh fruit is put out for trainees at breaks and after lunch.

 

All refreshments served at Lucid Training Centre are complimentary, including biscuits, fresh fruit, buffet lunch, cakes, deserts/yoghurts and on warmer days ice-creams!

Training rooms are provided with both still and sparking bottled water during training sessions.

Special dietary needs are not a problem so long as you let us know in advance. We try to ensure our lunchtime buffets have an assortment of healthy foods, together with some not quite so healthy options for those of you who feel you deserve the odd treat. The choice is yours.

How are you sitting?

Our trainees sit on designer ergonomic HÅG chairs from Norway. Both the base and back-rest of these chairs are designed to move whilst supporting thighs and lumbar regions. The result is a conference chair that is comfortable to sit in for long periods allowing you to concentrate on the training.

Why did we upgrade our seating to a much higher cost chair? We wanted trainees to be happy with every aspect of their training with us so we wanted ergonomic seating and invested in HÅG chairs.

On most of our courses you won’t be sitting still for long periods, but with some seating you could be uncomfortable after just five minutes and the value of the training is then lost.

Of course seating is a personal thing, but since investing in ergonomic chairs we have had many positive comments from trainees – especially those who have struggled with seating at other meetings or events.

Light – a fundamental for our industry

Working with small optical fibres and copper wires requies good light. Natural daylight is hard to beat, so our main training room has skylights that provide ample light for most of the day. In addition all of our training rooms and work areas have plenty of well-positioned lights to give a good spread of light without too much shaddow. Additionally, the lighting can be controlled so that lights can be on at one end or side of a room and not the other to allow for different lighting requirements

In the interests of the enviornment, we have used high quality 2D lighting to give economical and flicker-free light when artificial lighting is required. In addition all of our training rooms have emergency lighting.

Environs?

Outside our training centre we have picnic benches and seating for those sunny days when trainees like to eat lunch alfresco (we provide a buffet lunch), or sip coffee in peaceful, idyllic coutryside. We have recently developed another outdoor picnic area for trainees by the stream behind our offices, and this has proved very poular on days with fine weather. Also on sunny days we can arrange for cabling and jointing practical work to be done outside in the best of real-world conditions.

Recreation?

Our snooker table has proved popular as a way of relaxing and getting to know fellow trainees at a more social level during breaks. Coffee breaks are generally taken in a separate open-plan communal area, allowing a change of scene and a chance for the trainer to set-up equipment for the next session if appropriate

Several recreational activities are available at our centre free of charge. These include snooker, pool, table tennis, walking, Pooh sticks, networked PC games (compete against fellow trainees) or just relaxing in a comfortable chair. We even keep a pair of binoculars at the centre for ornithologists on our courses to borrow, but we can’t guarantee the weather or which birds you’ll spot. Exactly which facilities are available during your course depends on the other activities taking place at our centre at that time.