TDR experts speak up

Status
Not open for further replies.
Well I don't use them for electrical wiring, but I do use a lot of TDR's to find cable faults with optical and coax lines. When you need one to know where to start to look they are valuable.
 
Looks like you would be paying for accuracy and resolution (in the two better ones), and then for the deluxe unit you get :
backlighting, TX null, a 2x larger looking display, and some software that might make it easier to use?
 
So will the $400 meter above do what you need to do or would you have to have the $1600 model?

I have tried a TDR/thumper to located faults on primary cable, but it was rented (came with a sales rep to keep me from killing myself), and I have no intention of buying anything that expensive.

The tracer I have will put a signal on a wire and I have used it to locate breaks on a low voltage cable and several 600 volt cables (inside and underground). I'm just wondering if I'm am going to gain anything if I buy one of these, and which one should I buy to get the most practical value.
 
ELA said:
Looks like you would be paying for accuracy and resolution (in the two better ones), and then for the deluxe unit you get :
backlighting, TX null, a 2x larger looking display, and some software that might make it easier to use?
Click to expand...
So I would not be crippled with the cheaper model, just wouldn't be stylin.
 
I own lots of test equipment (over 1/2 million $) and I can tell you, you get what you pay for. Inexpensive equipment is usually not up to the task, then you think if I had just spent the extra dollars. Then you end up spending the extra bucks for the better equipment.
 
I have an older 10F, and think of it as a minimum. The ability to store or print a wave form is very high on the want list. Take a shot from one end, try to remember what the display looks like, then jog to the other end 1500 feet away. Now take another shot and see if you can remember just where those anomalies showed up and what they looked like. Now what did those look like again when you want to study them where the wind driven sand isn't plasting the skin off your face? Or a year later?

My 10F has a 2 digit VF, another used & abused unit I have has a 3 digit. Makes a difference.

I'm with Brian, buy up not down.
 
Valuing good test equipment I also favor buying up. Even if I don't think I might need what may appear to be bells and whistles right now I may value them in the future.

I like the idea of being able to save waveforms but I think that is going to cost you.

The decision can be somewhat application specific.

I have used the Fluke DSP-4000 for testing communication cables and that may be overkill for your applications.

We own the Techtronix 1502C but it is old and limited.

I am not an expert either :)
 
Is the fluke ts-100 some sort of hand held tdr? I have bought a couple of them on ebay for 100 bucks and less It will track opens and measure coiled cable lengths out to about a half a mile. I mostly use it for measuring an open coil of unknown footage so I know if it long enough to use. I know other contractors who use them to mark all stored open cable reels.
 
Thanks for the inputs so far.

Experts was a little tongue-in-cheek. I have a good friend of mine that I sometimes call an expert in public. He quips that he is not an expert because it means he is an "ex" something and has never been called pert.
 
We used to pull good cash using mine to find sheath faults for the telco as a sub contractor. Then they switched to in house. Story of my life.. It was pretty dang accurate (within a couple of feet usually of the fault spot).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top