[TowerTalk] Coax Loss -- RG-Numbers Don't Tell us Much

[jimlux]

Jim Brown wrote:
> On Fri, 05 Feb 2010 06:28:03 -0800, jimlux wrote:
> 
>> The ideal situation would be to be in some warehouse
> 
> Not as ideal as you might think. The problem is that most coax is 
> shipped on reels with access to only one end. To make a transmission 
> loss measurement, you must unreel it to get a connector on both 
> ends. 
> 
> Now, if you happen to own instrumentation that allows you to measure 
> that loss on a 1,000 ft spool from only one end, that's another 
> story. :) 
> 


Wouldn't an S11 measurement do the trick?  The far end is either open or 
shorted, and either reflects perfecty.