Cable Tester

[kwc]

Hi All,

can anyone tell me if you can get a coax cable tester like this one

http://www.computerware.co.uk/CT100.htm

that tests the cable when already installed.

This one seems to need both ends together.

How does it work out which end has the fault?

Kev

[hpotter]

Hi All,

can anyone tell me if you can get a coax cable tester like this one

http://www.computerware.co.uk/CT100.htm

that tests the cable when already installed.

This one seems to need both ends together.

How does it work out which end has the fault?

Kev

Dont know about the one you mention but even this cheap LAN tester c/w BNC adaptors will test insitu

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?Module...er&doy=27m8

[arfur mo]

tbh would depend if you woring on the bigger sites or not imo as to if its worth while, a decent DVM withlow ohms range will tell you which end the fault is at or nearest to by ressistance readings.

i have 2 x Fluke 620 lan testers, watch on ebay they come up for less than a

[SUBS]

Hi All,

can anyone tell me if you can get a coax cable tester like this one

http://www.computerware.co.uk/CT100.htm

that tests the cable when already installed.

This one seems to need both ends together.

How does it work out which end has the fault?

Kev

As arfur already said, apart from telling you whether the innr or the outer is O/C (what use is that ? if the cables down, its down ) I cant see what it does that you cant do with a 10K resistor and a good multimeter.

Put the resistor across one end, measure the other, if its less than 10K theres a short, if is substantially more ....... its simple and obvious. end with the lowest resistance is nearest to the short.

[arfur mo]

specialist meters do have there use's subs, just after last xmasi wired out a large house for structured cabling, boardings go's up usual stuff then we came to 2nd fit 6 months later. my fluke 620 spoted several faults, and showed how far it was to them within a foot, so saved an awful lot of destruction and time in the process.

i got the second unit virtually brand new with 8 identifiers for

[kwc]

Hi Subs,

I totaly agree,

Just wondered how it can tell which end is open!

Kev

[SUBS]

Hi Subs,

I totaly agree,

Just wondered how it can tell which end is open!

Kev

does the computaware ct100 do that ? theres no display, so I dont expect it tells you much.

Thats the time when the right meter is useful, but, in practice, how often do you need it ?

My DMM has a capacitance function, which has found the distance to an open co ax once or twice, but its not really a reliable way to do it, sometimes its right, somtimes its not. but you can usually tell for sure which end the break is.

TBH in the last ten years or so, I can count the number of times I have really needed a pukka cable tester on the thumbs of one hand.

specialist meters do have there use's subs, just after last xmasi wired out a large house for structured cabling, boardings go's up usual stuff then we came to 2nd fit 6 months later. my fluke 620 spoted several faults, and showed how far it was to them within a foot, so saved an awful lot of destruction and time in the process.

i got the second unit virtually brand new with 8 identifiers for

[eoghanfla]

I use a Fluke cable IQ. Its a network, voip, telco and coax tester. It tests installed cables as you have a second unit you put on the other end.. One of its handiest features on coax is cable tracing. The beaty is instead of cutting the cable and using a tracer you just plug on the BNC and go to the comms room and find your cable.. granted you need a tone tracer but the Fluke develops its own tone.. It also gives you wire length, something a 10k resistor and multimeter cant do, it also stores results and downloads em to pc etc.. It also has wire mapping and cross. open. short pairs reading on a large LCD.

It doesnt certify a Cat5 or 6 connection but it is a hany tool to have.. It costs around 1200 euro..

These are the kinds of tools that ghet you in and out of a site faster and make you look and operate more professionally than the guy with sticky tape and resistors (no offence to those who do just not my style)

[arfur mo]

does the computaware ct100 do that ? theres no display, so I dont expect it tells you much.

Thats the time when the right meter is useful, but, in practice, how often do you need it ?

My DMM has a capacitance function, which has found the distance to an open co ax once or twice, but its not really a reliable way to do it, sometimes its right, somtimes its not. but you can usually tell for sure which end the break is.

TBH in the last ten years or so, I can count the number of times I have really needed a pukka cable tester on the thumbs of one hand.

Yes arf, your right, but that particular one is for co ax, and from what I see in the advert it only checks for O/C and S/C.

Or has one mis read it?

cat 5 testers are useful, but I only use a basic one, maps and checks O/C or S/C, didnt cost much, but only used it twice in 2 years........

hi subs,

tbh how often a meter like this gets used depends on the work you undertake, aside from alarms and CCTv i install and extend networks as well telephone systems, so having a definative test uit is invaluable, i can test a network point before i fit a handset to prove it works if i have not installed the cableing.

i'd bet we have all had the "it don't work so MUST be your cableing" arguments, especially from the geeky IT johny's to lazy or oversure to recheck their works, so when you show the governer your measurement record and can prove with a meter all is well with your works (or was when you left it), jsut wins so many silly arguments and often gets you paid for the arguing (and boy do i like that ).

what i really hate with a vengence is the clowns who show up with a soppy box of flashing lights and then say that is a decent test, when no way is it so. where as this 'simple' fluke unit will measure each core ressistance and identify split pairs (which the soppy light boxes won't).

as for the coax test on it, hands up i have not used it in anger, i'd assumed it will do cable legnth as it will with CAT5e if you calibrate it will also give accurate legnths, but it will perform a test - if limited.

imo having this meter paid for itself on the very 1st use, after that just having it available costs nothing, but can save copious amounts of time and so like cable tracers well worth having.

regs

alan

[SUBS]

I use a Fluke cable IQ. Its a network, voip, telco and coax tester. It tests installed cables as you have a second unit you put on the other end.. One of its handiest features on coax is cable tracing. The beaty is instead of cutting the cable and using a tracer you just plug on the BNC and go to the comms room and find your cable.. granted you need a tone tracer but the Fluke develops its own tone.. It also gives you wire length, something a 10k resistor and multimeter cant do, it also stores results and downloads em to pc etc.. It also has wire mapping and cross. open. short pairs reading on a large LCD.

It doesnt certify a Cat5 or 6 connection but it is a hany tool to have.. It costs around 1200 euro..

These are the kinds of tools that ghet you in and out of a site faster and make you look and operate more professionally than the guy with sticky tape and resistors (no offence to those who do just not my style)

I'm really impressed already.

But my post did not suggest that cable testers are all a waste of time, just that the one mentioned by KWC with a price tag of