Handheld Instrument Tests Voice and Data Circuits
January 5, 2013. Megger, a manufacturer of test equipment and measuring instruments for electrical power applications, has introduced a handheld test set that combines the functions needed for fast and comprehensive testing during telecommunication installations. With a touch of a button, the compact HT1000/2 performs many of the 26 essential tests between the technician’s central office and the subscriber’s location.
The new easy-to-use instrument, with an intuitive menu system, is suitable for maintenance technicians who perform critical telecommunications testing. By testing both voice and data circuits during copper-wire installations, the HT1000/2 provides a means for certifying the physical layer of the telephone network and its xDSL transmission characteristics as well as the Home Phoneline Network Alliance (HPNA) data/video networks.
Some standard tests conducted by the handheld unit include resistance, leakage, noise, power influence, longitudinal balance, and voltage testing with DC and AC voltage appearing on the circuit simultaneously to save time.
The HT1000/2 includes Megger’s automatic Super Stress mode, a test that provides convenience, reliability, and sensitive test results, helping to identify the most difficult short loop imbalances during longitudinal balance testing. Super Stress can recognize imbalances in twisted pairs below the 0-dB threshold. Super Stress also features a DC bias to help uncover faults caused by corrosion.
A dual-trace time-domain reflectometer (TDR) with a range of 16,000 m is incorporated into the HT1000/2. The TDR uses short pulses to minimize dead zones and helps locate faults both near and far from the instrument. The TDR can store up to ten traces and includes an intermittent fault location feature. Traces can be saved and uploaded to a PC for review.
The HT1000/2 features a wideband spectrum analyzer that is useful in identifying the type of noise affecting a circuit under test. The analyzer covers frequencies from 20 kHz to 30 MHz and noise amplitudes from -90 dBm to +10 dBm.
Additional features of this new test set include wideband tone send and receive, voice-band tone send, and loss evaluation as well as load coil detection. With an optional golden modem, the HT1000/2 can sync with a DSLAM, giving an actual and attainable data rate for the line under test.
The HT1000/2 comes standard with a bright 1/4 VGA display with LED backlight, a USB port, and an AC/DC charging port. It is powered by a rechargeable NiMH battery that delivers approximately four hours of continuous usage at maximum consumption when fully charged. The instrument is weather and drop resistant in accordance with MIL-STD-810F.
Pricing for the HT1000/2 starts at $2,250.
Megger, www.megger.com/us/products/ProductDetails.php?ID=1663