32
Sidekick
®
Plus Test Set
Time Domain Reflectometer (TDR)
The TDR position of the rotary knob converts the
Sidekick
®
Plus test set into a time domain reflectometer
that sends out pulses of energy and then measures the
time interval of the reflections.
The way energy is reflected and the amount of the
energy reflected indicate the condition of the cable.
A TDR can detect normal occurrences such as taps,
splitters, couplers, and loop extenders. It also can
accurately pinpoint trouble such as shorts and opens.
A TDR also provides a rough estimate of the total
amount of cable that is wet and the approximate
location of the wet section.
The TDR displays a graph of the tested cable with
distance (time to reflection) on the horizontal axis. The
on-screen cursor helps by displaying in feet or meters
to a point on the cable. The vertical axis on the TDR
screen shows the type and severity of the fault.
1. Connect the test leads: red to ring and black to tip.
2. Move the rotary knob to the TDR position.
A TDR must know the characteristics of the cable to
accurately display the distance to faults. The Sidekick
®
Plus test set has the characteristics of some cable
types preset.
When the TDR feature is first used after the unit
is turned on, the screen begins in the Cable Type
Selection menu. Afterwards, the cable type can be
selected through the TDR main screen:
1. Press
F3 Config
.
2. Press
F1 Single Cable
.
