BIRD Thruline 43 Instruction Book Download Page 1

Page: 1 / 65

INSTRUCTION BOOK

RF DIRECTIONAL

THRULINE® WATTMETER

MODEL 43

Also Covers Models 4431, 43P

And Series 4300 and 4520

by Bird Electronic Corporation

Instruction Book Part Number 920-43 Rev. J

Thruline® and Termaline® are registered trademarks

of Bird Electronic Corporation

Summary of Contents for Thruline 43

Page 1: ...E WATTMETER MODEL 43 Also Covers Models 4431 43P And Series 4300 and 4520 Copyright 2009 by Bird Electronic Corporation Instruction Book Part Number 920 43 Rev J Thruline and Termaline are registered trademarks of Bird Electronic Corporation ...

Page 2: ...THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ...

Page 3: ... equipment with the high voltage supply turned on To avoid casualties always remove power WARNING Shock Hazard Do not attempt to remove the RF transmission line while RF power is present WARNING Do Not Service Or Adjust Alone Under no circumstances should any person reach into an enclosure for the purpose of service or adjustment of equipment except in the presence of someone who is capable of ren...

Page 4: ...ating and maintenance personnel and are repeated here for emphasis WARNING Resuscitation Personnel working with or near high voltages should be familiar with modern methods of resuscitation WARNING Remove Power Observe general safety precautions Do not open the instrument with the power on WARNING Warning notes call attention to a procedure which if not correctly performed could result in personal...

Page 5: ...urns electrical shock or death can occur WARNING When working with RF powers of 200 watts or more the potential of the center conductor of the line section will be over 100 volts Do not touch the center conductor while RF power is on CAUTION For low reflection measurements do not rotate the reflected power element to read forward power Damage to the element or wattmeter could result CAUTION Handle...

Page 6: ...E SEGURIDAD DEL INSTRUMENTO BENUTZUNG WIRD DAS GERÄT AUF ANDERE WEISE VERWENDET ALS VOM HERSTELLER BESCHRIEBEN KANN DIE GERÄTESICHERHEIT BEEINTRÄCHTIGT WERDEN UTILISATION TOUTE UTILISATION DE CET INSTRUMENT QUI N EST PAS EXPLICITEMENT PRÉVUE PAR LE FABRICANT PEUT ENDOMMAGER LE DISPOSITIF DE PROTECTION DE L INSTRUMENT IMPIEGO QUALORA QUESTO STRUMENTO VENISSE UTILIZZATO IN MODO DIVERSO DA COME SPECI...

Page 7: ...S GERÄTES GELTEN NUR FÜR GESCHULTES FACHPERSONAL ZUR VERMEIDUNG GEFÄHRLICHE ELEKTRISCHE SCHOCKS SIND WARTUNGSARBEITEN AUSSCHLIEßLICH VON QUALIFIZIERTEM SERVICEPERSONAL DURCHZUFÜHREN ENTRENTIEN L EMPLOI DES INSTRUCTIONS D ENTRETIEN DOIT ÊTRE RÉSERVÉ AU PERSONNEL FORMÉ AUX OPÉRATIONS D ENTRETIEN POUR PRÉVENIR UN CHOC ÉLECTRIQUE DANGEREUX NE PAS EFFECTUER D ENTRETIEN SI L ON N A PAS ÉTÉ QUALIFIÉ POUR...

Page 8: ...ÉMENT H F CONSERVER L ÉLÉMENT DANS LA PRISE LORS DE L EMPLOI HF SPANNUNG KANN IN DER HF ELEMENT BUCHSE ANSTEHEN ELEMENT WÄHREND DES BETRIEBS EINGESTÖPSELT LASSEN PUEDE HABER VOLTAJE RF EN EL ENCHUFE DEL ELEMENTO RF MANTENGA EL ELEMENTO EN EL ENCHUFE DURANTE LA OPERACION IL PORTAELEMENTO RF PUÒ PRESENTARE VOLTAGGIO RF TENERE L ELEMENTO NELLA PRESA DURANTE IL FUNZIONAMENTO ...

Page 9: ...ay be periodically updated When inquiring about updates to this manual refer to the part number and revision on the title page Literature Contents Chapter Layout Introduction Describes the features of the 43 Wattmeter lists equipment supplied and optional equipment and provides power up instructions Theory of Operation Describes how the 43 Wattmeter works and Installation Describes how to set up a...

Page 10: ...nce Lists routine maintenance tasks as well as trouble shooting for common problems Model Differences Describes how each indivdual models vary from each other Specifcations Specifications and parts information are included in this chapter ...

Page 11: ...i Introduction 1 Purpose and Function 1 Performance Characteristics and Capabilities 1 Chapter 1 Theory of Operation 5 Travelling Wave Viewpoint 5 Formulas 5 Coupling Circuit 6 Load Power 7 Standing Wave vs Travelling Wave Viewpoint ρ vs φ 7 Low Reflection Measurements 11 Transmitter Monitoring 11 Component Testing 12 Measuring Insertion Loss 12 Frequency Response 13 Impedance Mismatch 15 ...

Page 12: ...Storage 30 Customer Service 31 Bird 43 Replacement Parts List 32 Bird 43 Replacement Parts List 33 Available QC Type Connectors 34 Chapter 5 Model Differences 35 Bird 43P Peak Wattmeter 35 Operation 35 Peak Detector Response 35 Rectangular Pulses 36 Peak Calibration 36 Maintenance 37 Bird 4301 Thruline Wattmeter 38 Bird 4305A Thruline Wattmeter 38 Bird 4305A Replacement Parts List 39 Bird 4431 Thr...

Page 13: ...Bird 4520 Series Thruline Wattmeters 43 Installation 43 Operation 43 Bird 4520 Series Replacement Parts List 44 Chapter 6 Specifications 47 ...

Page 14: ......

Page 15: ...n of the Bird 43 Thruline Wattmeter and its descendants Two models have RF sampler ports while the Bird 43P can measure peak power The Bird 4520 series comes ready for panel mounting Differences are discussed in Chapter 6 on page 35 Except where indicated instructions and specifications for the 43 apply to other models also Performance Characteristics and Capabilities The Bird 43 is portable with ...

Page 16: ...with any other Bird QC connector The wattmeter housing does not interfere with connector changes To make measurements a Bird Plug In Element is inserted into the line section socket and rotated against one of the stops A small catch in the corner of the socket face presses on the shoulder of the element to keep it in proper alignment This assures good contact between the spring finger and the elem...

Page 17: ...Bird Model 43 Wattmeter 3 Figure 2 Bird 43 Thruline Wattmeter Outline Drawing ...

Page 18: ...Bird Model 43 Wattmeter 4 ...

Page 19: ... current If in phase with Ef If Zo Reflected Wave and its power originates by reflection at the load and travels from the load back to the source It has an RF voltage Er and current Ir in phase with Er Ir Zo Formulas Each wave is mathematically simple and has a constant power Forward Reflected Note Zo is the characteristic impedance of a uniform line section For useful lines it is usually a pure r...

Page 20: ...with the corresponding capac itive current while that produced by the wave travelling in the oppo site direction will subtract The additive or arrow direction is assigned to the forward wave The electrical characteristics of the element are carefully adjusted so that for the reverse travelling wave the inductive current will com pletely cancel the capacitive current The result is directivity great...

Page 21: ...ansmission line The standing wave viewpoint also widely used is highly developed both in theory and in practice This viewpoint can be traced to the early use of slotted transmission lines The slotted line measures the standing wave ratio by mechanically positioning a voltage detector at peaks and nulls along a length of line section Its drawbacks are that it is usually too long too expensive for g...

Page 22: ...nt have been intentionally omitted from the Bird 43 Experience using the Thruline Wattmeter for transmitter tune up antenna matching etc will show that the power ratio measurement is as use ful in practice as the standing wave ratio A trial is suggested forget about VSWR for a few days and think in terms of φ Wr Wf The two meter readings Wr and Wf give a useful approximate picture of the results w...

Page 23: ...Bird Model 43 Wattmeter 9 Figure 4 Percent Reflected Power vs VSWR 1 0 1 3 ...

Page 24: ...Bird Model 43 Wattmeter 10 Figure 5 Percent Reflected Power vs VSWR 1 0 8 0 ...

Page 25: ...a second element rated at one tenth of the full scale power of the forward element This method should not be used with element ranges differing by more than 10 1 Example Consider an 80 watt transmitter and a Bird 43 with 100 and 10 watt elements Measure Wf with the 100 W ele ment Measure Wr using the 10 W element with the arrow pointing towards the transmitter Wr can be measured down to at least 0...

Page 26: ...y with no line between them and adjust their zero settings until they are both zeroed Line loss using open circuit calibration The high directivity of elements can be exploited in line loss measurements because of the equality of forward and reflected power with the load connector open or short circuited In this state the forward and reflected waves have equal power so that φ 100 and ρ Open circui...

Page 27: ...or normal instrument errors Make sure to note exact readings or their dif ference on the initial equality check and correct for this Frequency Response Bird Plug In Elements have a flat frequency response over their speci fied operating range A sample set of curves is shown in Figure 6 Notice that for the low power element the rolloff outside its frequency band is more pronounced than for the high...

Page 28: ...quency points accordingly Example For a B element range 50 125 MHz simply divide all frequencies by two For an E element range 400 1000 MHz multiply all frequencies by four Harmonics or subharmonics that lie outside of the frequency range of the element may exist in the circuit under test A rough approxima tion of the element s response to harmonics can be made with these curves Using an element f...

Page 29: ...Consider using a Bird 43 to tune a 70 ohm line If the load impedance is also 70 ohms the wattmeter will mea sure a VSWR of 70 50 1 4 However if the wattmeter is removed the VSWR will actually be 1 0 Similarly if the load impedance is 35 7 ohms the VSWR will be 50 35 7 1 4 with the wattmeter and 70 35 7 2 0 without it Caution must therefore be used since both good and bad matches can have the same ...

Page 30: ...Bird Model 43 Wattmeter 16 ...

Page 31: ...coaxial transmission lines of 50 ohms nominal impedance The RF source can be connected to either side of the watt meter without affecting readings If non 50 ohm cables are used a mismatch will occur causing inaccu racies in readings However if a mismatch cannot be avoided refer to Impedance Mismatch on page 15 for instructions It is strongly advised that this condition be avoided CAUTION Handle el...

Page 32: ...k cover 2 Grasp the back cover by the side tabs behind the line connectors and pull straight back to remove it 3 Remove the two 10 32 oval screws on the front of the housing 4 Slide the line section out of the housing Note Do not loosen the two oval screws on the sides of the housing in line with the meter These hold the shock ring in place 5 Replace the cable attaching the line section to the met...

Page 33: ...anel cut is given in Figure 7 The thick ness of the panel should be about 1 4 inch On thinner panels build up the thickness with pads or washers to achieve a flush face mounting Attach the line section so that the finger catch is in the most accessi ble position Figure 7 Panel Cut for Mounting RF Body ...

Page 34: ...Bird Model 43 Wattmeter 20 ...

Page 35: ...ement Combining the Thruline Wattmeter with a Bird Termaline Load Resistor creates an accurate absorption wattmeter With this combi nation readings only need to be taken in the forward direction because the reflected power will be negligible Normal Operation 1 Insert the appropriate element in the line section socket 2 Turn the element so that the arrow points towards the load to mea sure forward ...

Page 36: ... be unbalanced or shorted causing inaccurate or zero power readings For convenience a set of VSWR conversion nomographs is included in this manual With these charts VSWR may be determined from the forward and reflected power readings Find the intersection of the for ward and reflected power measurements The slanted line passing closest to this point indicates the VSWR Figure 8 Element Direction ...

Page 37: ...Bird Model 43 Wattmeter 23 Figure 9 VSWR Conversion Graph Reflected Power 0 2 20 0 ...

Page 38: ...Bird Model 43 Wattmeter 24 Figure 10 VSWR Conversion Graph Reflected Power 0 01 1 00 ...

Page 39: ... be affected Transmission line theory shows that if the line length changes by exactly 1 2 wavelength the impedance is unchanged To have identical match with the wattmeter in or out of the circuit insert or remove 1 2 wavelength of line including the unit To do this use a length of cable which when added to the unit equals a 1 2 wavelength at the frequency of interest If multiple frequencies are n...

Page 40: ...Bird Model 43 Wattmeter 26 Figure 11 Cable Length Wavelength Matching ...

Page 41: ... the corrective action listed This manual does not list all malfunctions that may occur or all cor rective actions If a malfunction is not listed or not corrected by the listed actions contact the nearest Bird Service Center for assistance Problem Possible Cause Corrective Action No meter reading No RF power Check RF source Arrow on element pointing wrong way Rotate element DC contact bent Adjust ...

Page 42: ...sopropyl alcohol Intermittent or inconsistent meter reading Dirty DC contact on element Clean contact page 28 Faulty transmission line or antenna Inspect line Sticky or defective meter Return wattmeter for service High VSWR or reflected power Foreign material in line section or in RF connector Clean connectors page 28 Open or shorted transmission line Inspect line Bad load or poor connectors Inspe...

Page 43: ...er of the DC contact If necessary the contact can be adjusted manually The button must be out far enough to maintain good contact but not so far as to interfere with easy entry of the element body To remove the DC jack and spring finger 1 Unscrew both 4 40 fillister head screws holding the jack assembly against the side of the RF line section 2 Retract the assembly Note Be careful not to lose the ...

Page 44: ...ro see Figure 12 Storage When storing the meter keep an element or dust plug in the element socket to prevent the intrusion of dust and to prevent damage to the meter movement When using an element use the highest power ele ment available Turn it so that the arrow points up midway between the FWD and RFL positions This protects the meter and will not expose the element diode to dangerous potential...

Page 45: ...rization All instruments returned must be shipped prepaid and to the attention of Bird Service Center Bird Service Center 30303 Aurora Road Cleveland Solon Ohio 44139 2794 Phone 440 519 2298 Fax 440 519 2326 Sales Facilities For the location of the Sales Office nearest you give us a call or visit our Web site at http www bird electronic com ...

Page 46: ... 4210 005 1 Line Section Assembly 1 4230 018 Carrying Strap 1 8580A003 Dust Plug Aluminum 1 3610 031 DC Connector Assembly 1 4230 010 DC Connector 1 7500 076 Microammeter 1 2080 002 Coaxial Cable Assembly 1 4220 097 1 Turnbutton 2 4300 015 Spring Washer 2 5 1144 1 Rubber Stem Bumper 8 5 1388 Pushnut 2 5 1076 1 Replacement Meter Kit 1 8 000 RF Connectors 2 See list on next page ...

Page 47: ...30 018 Line Section 923 RPK43 3 Instruction Sheet RPK43 4 Meter Kit 8 000 Replacement Meter 4220 087 Shock Mount 923 RPK43 4 Instruction Sheet RPK43 5 External Hardware Kit 1118 0614 00 8 32x3 8 Phillips Flathead Machine Screw 1120 0820 00 10 32x1 2 Phillips Oval Screw 1136 0813 00 10 32x1 2 Phillips Pan Screw 5 1388 Rubber Bumper Stem 5 1763 Gray Rubber Bumper Foot 8240 054 Strap Spacer Screw 858...

Page 48: ...40 336 C Male 4240 110 SMA Male 4240 334 HN Female 4240 268 TNC Female 4240 156 HN Male 4240 278 TNC Male 4240 160 LC Female 4240 031 UHF Female 4240 050 LC Male 4240 025 UHF Male 4240 179 LT Female 4240 018 7 16 IEC Jack Type 169 4 4240 344 LT Male 4240 012 7 16 IEC Plug Type 169 4 4240 080 Mini UHF Female 4240 346 7 8 EIA 4240 002 N Female 4240 062 1 5 8 EIA Fixed 4240 096 N Male 4240 063 1 5 8 ...

Page 49: ...ment power rating must match the peak power to be measured Example If 1000 watt peaks are expected use a 1000 watt element Operation There is a push button on off switch on the right side of the meter To read peak power push the switch in The red LED will light To read CW power push the switch again The LED will turn off Peak Detector Response Since the peak detector s response time is about one s...

Page 50: ...e side tabs behind the line connectors and pull straight back to remove it 3 Insert the Bird 43P between a reliable CW signal source and a 50 ohm load 4 Insert an element with the appropriate power and frequency range into the Bird 43P Turn it to read forward power 5 Set the wattmeter to CW mode LED off 6 Turn on the signal source and adjust the source power to give a stable reading in the upper h...

Page 51: ...attery life should typically be 48 hours If the unit does not function properly in peak mode or if calibration cannot be achieved the batteries may be low Replace with two new 9 V alkaline or lithium batteries The batteries fit very tightly in their retaining clips and may have to be pried out one at a time Figure 13 Model 43P U 1 ...

Page 52: ... Bird 4305A Thruline Wattmeter is the same as the Bird 43 except for the following physical differences The Bird 4305A s dimensions are 4 5 16 L x 4 W x 6 7 8 H 110 x 102 x 175 mm including element and bumper feet The Bird 4305A s weight is 3 25 lb 1 5 kg including the element The Bird 4305A does not have holders for spare elements The Bird 4305A line section has higher operating power capability ...

Page 53: ...4305A002 Cover Assembly 1118 0419 00 8 32x1 4 Phillips Screw 923 RPK4305 2 Instruction Sheet RPK4305 3 Line Section Kit 4305 005 Line Section Assembly 923 RPK4305 3 Instruction Sheet RPK4305 4 Meter Kit 2150A015 1 Meter 25 50 100W 4220 097 22 Cable Coax Assy 48 in 923 RPK4305 4 Instruction Sheet RPK4305 5 External Hardware Kit 1116 0400 00 6 32X1 4 Pan Screws 1120 0819 00 10 32x1 2 Phillips Screws...

Page 54: ...b on the front of the meter The table below lists approximate attenua tion levels and notes maximum suggested adjustment The sampler output may be fed to any suitable RF signal monitoring device e g a frequency counter spectrum analyzer or oscilloscope All other opera tion instructions are the same as for the Bird 43 Sampler at max Fully clockwise Turned counter clockwise 4 full turns from max Tur...

Page 55: ...back on the shaft then turn it counterclock wise until the collar is free of the shaft 6 Remove the control knob 7 Pull the probe plate straight out of the pin and guide bushing 8 Unscrew the 5 8 hex nut on the BNC connector and pull the sampler connector into the case The probe plate assembly P N 4431 003 is now released and may be replaced Note The sampler cable RG 58 U center conductor is sol d...

Page 56: ...K4431 3 Meter Kit 4230 018 Line Section 923 RPK43 3 Instruction Sheet RPK43 4 Meter Kit 2080 002 Meter Assembly 5 1066 Strip Shock 4220 097 1 12 in Coax Cable 4220 087 Mount Shock Assembly 4410A261 Pad Neoprene Shock 923 RPK4431 3 Instruction Sheet RPK4431 4 External Hardware Kit 8580A003 Handle Plastic 5 1388 Bumper Stem Rubber 5 1763 Bumper Ft Gray Rubber 1120 0820 00 10 32x1 2 Phil Screws 1118 ...

Page 57: ...hort and without sharp bends Note Avoid the use of angles and adapters 2 Make sure all connectors are tightened securely 3 Use four 12 24 screws to fasten the wattmeter panel to the rack Operation The RF sampler on the Bird 4527 provides a low power sample of main RF signal This signal is available at the female BNC connector labeled RF SAMPLE The sampler output may be fed to any RF sig nal suitab...

Page 58: ...embly 923 RPK4521 1 Instruction Sheet RPK4521 2 Meter Kit 2080 002 Meter 25 50 100W 4220 097 5 Cable Coax Assembly 16 in 923 RPK4521 2 Instruction Sheet RPK4521 3 Front Panel Kit 4521 002 Panel Blank 923 RPK4521 3 Instruction Sheet RPK4521 4 External Hardware Kit 1116 0801 25 6 32x1 2 Round MS Screw 1132 0201 00 6 Split Lock Washer 1131 0200 00 6 32 Hex Nut SS 1120 0820 00 10 32x1 2 Phillips Screw...

Page 59: ...2 013 Cable Assembly 923 RPK4521 2 Instruction Sheet RPK4522 3 External Hardware Kit 1116 0801 25 6 32x1 2 Round MS Screw 1132 0201 00 6 Split Lock Washer 1131 0200 00 6 32 Hex Nut SS 1120 0820 00 10 32x1 2 Phillips Screws 1132 0406 00 10 External Lock Washer 5A2315 2 Label Safety Symbol 1131 0400 00 10 32 Hex Nut SS 5A2290 2 Label RFL 5A2290 1 Label FWD 923 RPK4522 3 Instruction Sheet RPK4522 4 F...

Page 60: ...ement Parts Customer Replacement Part Consists of Description RPK2080 002 2080 002 Meter 25 50 100W Replacement Part Consists of Description 4526 004 4526 004 Panel 4527 005 4527 005 Panel 4527 002 4527 002 Line Section Assembly 4430 002 4430 002 RF Cable Assembly 4527 only ...

Page 61: ...al 50 ohm VSWR Max All models except 4431 1 05 1 4431 1 07 1 when coupling is less than 30 dB Connectors Primary Line Bird QC N Female normally supplied RF Sampling on applicable models Female BNC Power and Frequency Range element dependent 43 43P 4521 22 26 100 mW 10 kW 0 45 2700 MHz 4305 25 kW max 0 45 2 5 MHz 10 kW max 2 30 MHz 4431 5000 W max 2 30 MHz 1000 W max 30 1000 MHz 4527 1000 W max 2 2...

Page 62: ... CW all models 5 of full scale Peak Power 43P only 8 of full scale Power Requirement 43P only Two 9V alkaline batteries NEDA 1604 Battery Life 43P only 48 hours typical Dimensions Nominal 43 43P 3 5 8 L x 4 W x 6 7 8 H 92 x 102 x 175 mm 4305A 4 1 4 L x 3 7 8 W x 6 7 8 H 108 x 99 x 175 mm 4431 3 7 8 L x 4 W x 6 7 8 H 99 x 102 x 175 mm 4521 22 26 27 19 W x 5 1 4 H x 1 3 4 D 483 x 134 x 45 mm ...

Page 63: ...P 4 lb 1 8 kg 4431 3 5 lb 1 59 kg 4305A 3 25 lb 1 47 kg Operating Position Any Finish Grey Powder Coat Applicable only for maximum coupling less than 30 dB This requires a minimum decoupling of four full turns counterclockwise above 200 MHz and seven full turns above 800 MHz ...

Page 64: ...charges are authorized in advance by Seller If Seller s products are claimed to be defective in material or work manship or not to conform to specifications drawings blueprints and or samples Seller shall upon prompt notice thereof either examine the products where they are located or issue shipping instructions for return to Seller transportation charges prepaid by Buyer In the event any of our p...

Page 65: ...er s warranties do not extend to the failure of tubes transistors fuses and batteries or to other equipment and parts manufactured by others except to the extent of the original man ufacturer s warranty to Seller The obligations under the foregoing warranties are limited to the pre cise terms thereof These warranties provide exclusive remedies expressly in lieu of all other remedies including clai...

Search results

Summary of Contents for Thruline 43

Reviews:

Related manuals for Thruline 43

Brands by name

Popular brands

BIRD Thruline 43, Instruction Book

Search results

Summary of Contents for Thruline 43

Reviews:

Related manuals for Thruline 43

Brands by name

Popular brands