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Re: [TowerTalk] measuring old coax, return loss ?

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] measuring old coax, return loss ?
From: Jim Brown <jim@audiosystemsgroup.com>
Reply-to: jim@audiosystemsgroup.com
Date: Wed, 8 May 2024 20:34:23 -0700
List-post: <mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
On 5/8/2024 6:23 PM, Jim W7RY wrote:
In my opinion, DTF (distance to fault) measuring the return loss is a much more informative measurement. You can see the bad spots in the coax, were they dont make specs. You cant do that with just a return loss measurement.

Yes. And in general, TDR sweeps to find discontinuities in the cable can be performed with antenna loads connected. Because the coax will be matched only at the operating frequency of the antenna, both 99.99% of the sweep will produce reflections. This is true whether the excitation is an impulse or a sweep for which an inverse FFT is then performed to get the time response.

DG8SAQ's software for his VNWA does the latter, and the user has a choice of multiple windowing functions to provide the most useful view of the data. Depending on the frequency range being swept, a stepped rather than an impulse excitation can be used, which can display Zo of the cable(s) that are being swept (for example, a line that includes cables of differing Zo).

73, Jim K9YC

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