Electronics > RF, Microwave, Ham Radio
CB and Ham Radio Techs Love Their Bird Wattmeters
vk6zgo:
--- Quote from: joeqsmith on December 12, 2023, 06:57:40 pm ---Video demonstrating using attenuators for a load. Rather than a VNA, he uses a scope with TDR. Warning, I cringed a lot during the video.....
--- End quote ---
Yes, he does rather like screwing them on the wrong way---that's why I like "N" connectors---you have to be pretty brutal to hurt them.
The information is good, but he "waffles on a lot" to get it over.
In the field it is often necessary to present the test equipment or DUT with a reasonably correct load, so if someone forgot to return the load to the equipment box or "cooked" it, & you are several thousand km from home, it is nice to be able to get quite close to a calibration load accuracy with two 40dB pads in cascade.
Another scenario is if you are working at a company which is quite poor (or miserly) where you may not have a calibration load & need something to "Second think" the Bird test load specs.
metrologist:
--- Quote from: vk6zgo on December 12, 2023, 11:33:41 pm ---Yes, he does rather like screwing them on the wrong way---that's why I like "N" connectors---you have to be pretty brutal to hurt them.
--- End quote ---
You are not supposed to rotate the body, doing it that way wears out the center conductors, rotate the nut instead.
joeqsmith:
--- Quote from: metrologist on December 15, 2023, 06:09:59 pm ---
--- Quote from: vk6zgo on December 12, 2023, 11:33:41 pm ---Yes, he does rather like screwing them on the wrong way---that's why I like "N" connectors---you have to be pretty brutal to hurt them.
--- End quote ---
You are not supposed to rotate the body, doing it that way wears out the center conductors, rotate the nut instead.
--- End quote ---
It can do a lot more than wear out the parts, it can easily damage them.
https://www.microwaves101.com/encyclopedias/how-to-not-trash-a-calibration-kit
metrologist:
--- Quote from: joeqsmith on December 15, 2023, 08:51:11 pm ---
--- Quote from: metrologist on December 15, 2023, 06:09:59 pm ---
--- Quote from: vk6zgo on December 12, 2023, 11:33:41 pm ---Yes, he does rather like screwing them on the wrong way---that's why I like "N" connectors---you have to be pretty brutal to hurt them.
--- End quote ---
You are not supposed to rotate the body, doing it that way wears out the center conductors, rotate the nut instead.
--- End quote ---
It can do a lot more than wear out the parts, it can easily damage them.
https://www.microwaves101.com/encyclopedias/how-to-not-trash-a-calibration-kit
--- End quote ---
That's great. I try to learn something new every day.
"Mayor McCheese:
Once an ad campaign for junk food, now the perfect nickname for your boss, especially if he is a big sloppy eater. Note the resemblance? BTW, Mayor McCheese is all over the internet, including a parody of "Me and Bobby McGee"... "nugget's just another word, for no meat left to use...""
And there are a lot of ways to damage these components. Other than bent pins from ham fisting them together, we often see signs of over torque and cross threading. Nobody likes a cross threader :P
This is not recommended:
"A handy RF connector wrench is made by grinding (on a bench grinder) down the jaws of a small crescent wrench thin enough that it can grasp the flat on a SMA barrel."
We give away a half-dollar size stainless disc with notches cut around the perimiter for a handy RF connector wrench. The open end wrenches are not a good idea either.
xrunner:
--- Quote from: joeqsmith on December 15, 2023, 08:51:11 pm ---
--- Quote from: metrologist on December 15, 2023, 06:09:59 pm ---
--- Quote from: vk6zgo on December 12, 2023, 11:33:41 pm ---Yes, he does rather like screwing them on the wrong way---that's why I like "N" connectors---you have to be pretty brutal to hurt them.
--- End quote ---
You are not supposed to rotate the body, doing it that way wears out the center conductors, rotate the nut instead.
--- End quote ---
It can do a lot more than wear out the parts, it can easily damage them.
https://www.microwaves101.com/encyclopedias/how-to-not-trash-a-calibration-kit
--- End quote ---
If you do it like that you're screwed! :-DD :palm: :clap:
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