ideal vdv multimedia tester

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codeunderstanding

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To trace a coax cable that is not labled and you want to find it in the media box do you use the tone setting on it? How do you get it to work? Do you need a seperate source for the tone? I can get the opens shorts to work fine but confused on using the tone settings.
 
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Looks like there are two ways to identify a cable, both require disconnecting the other end. First is the remote unit, connect it at the jack then disconnect the cables at the splitter and connect them to the tester until you find the one connected to the remote unit.

You can also use the tone generatior function. Connect the tester with tone turned on to the jack. Again disconnect the cables at the splitter and use a tone probe, touch it to the center conductor of each cable.

Only problem is that it needs to be a straight cable run. If there are any splitters in the run then the audio tone won't pass through. I'm not sure if the remote unit will work in that case either.

Billy Bob- it's always more useful to contact the center conductor with the probe. That will always work except as I stated above, if there are splitters.

-Hal
 
Since other methods of coax identification are being mentioned, there is an elusive (even I haven't seen it or found it) remote unit that generates RF and you use a signal level meter to identify the cable. Obviously that's the way to go since it will work through splitters.

-Hal
 
hbiss said:
Since other methods of coax identification are being mentioned, there is an elusive (even I haven't seen it or found it) remote unit that generates RF and you use a signal level meter to identify the cable. Obviously that's the way to go since it will work through splitters.

-Hal
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That would be a modulator, such as one of these and signal level meter, such as this ST-4000D. Kind of expensive, though, unless you have frequent need for such a setup.
 
egnlsn said:
That would be a modulator, such as one of these and signal level meter, such as this ST-4000D. Kind of expensive, though, unless you have frequent need for such a setup.
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Or, you could really get fancy and use the Dark Meter System that's there. That would give you a much better picture of the system than just one modulator would.
 
Billy_Bob said:
Instead I short the ends and use a continuity tester/ohm meter to find the wire with a short.

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On a single run of coax if you short the 2 ends of the copper conductors where would you put the ohm meter to test?
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That would be a modulator, such as one of these...


Nope, wouldn't be a modulator. No reason to modulate. It's very much like that Holland TSTL-3A. Stick it in your tool pouch.

-Hal
 
hbiss said:
That would be a modulator, such as one of these...


Nope, wouldn't be a modulator. No reason to modulate. It's very much like that Holland TSTL-3A. Stick it in your tool pouch.

-Hal
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Gotta generate a carrier somehow for the SLM to see, which is what a modulator does. No need to stick anything on the carrier, no.
 
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On a single run of coax if you short the 2 ends of the copper conductors where would you put the ohm meter to test?
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I think he meant just one end...

Your VDV will not tone the wire, just check continuity (basically).

On the black insert in the base there is a coax end, remove it and place on one end of the coax. Connect the other end to the "other end", select video and if it says "pass" your on the correct one, if it says "open" your not.

I'm not sure what happens if you connect to a live video feed...

Jim
 
codeunderstanding said:
On a single run of coax if you short the 2 ends of the copper conductors where would you put the ohm meter to test?
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No, I just short the internal wire to the outside shield at one end of the wire, then use an ohm meter or continuity tester at the other end to find which wires it is. The other wires in the bunch would not be shorted. And of course this is with coax wires which were not labeled!

One time I had about 50 coax wires running from one building to another building about 150 ft away via conduit. All the coax were connected to metal mounting plates at each end and these were grounded. And the labels had fallen off. I could not tone them! A real pain to find a few spare wires.

Basically do whatever works with the equipment you have on hand...
 
Gotta generate a carrier somehow for the SLM to see, which is what a modulator does.

Actually, a modulator takes a carrier and puts some kind of information on it. The process is called modulation. Here you just need an unmodulated carrier which is plain RF. Though you could use one of those modulators and not input anything to it, it's a lot more than what is necessary. Unmodulated RF can be generated with very few components and a battery and that is what the device I speak of does.

-Hal
 
hbiss said:
Gotta generate a carrier somehow for the SLM to see, which is what a modulator does.

Actually, a modulator takes a carrier and puts some kind of information on it. The process is called modulation. Here you just need an unmodulated carrier which is plain RF. Though you could use one of those modulators and not input anything to it, it's a lot more than what is necessary. Unmodulated RF can be generated with very few components and a battery and that is what the device I speak of does.

-Hal
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A modulator is a device used to modulate an electromagnetic wave (carrier). We can choose to put information on that carrier or not put information on that carrier.

While a modulator is overkill for just checking continuity, if a Signal Level Meter (which costs several hundred dollars) is used, a forty dollar modulator is a much better companion than anything else. Preferably, there would be two modulators -- one at the low end of the bandwidth and another at the high end.
 
You miss my point. There is a device made for this. Connect it to one end, look for the signal at the other with a SLM. Carry it in your tool pouch. It's test equipment, not a modulator intended for something else.

I just haven't found who makes it.

-Hal
 
hbiss said:
You miss my point. There is a device made for this. Connect it to one end, look for the signal at the other with a SLM. Carry it in your tool pouch. It's test equipment, not a modulator intended for something else.

I just haven't found who makes it.

-Hal
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What is the SLM that you use with it? Just any standard SLM?
 
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