I pondered over which particular forum to use and settled on this one. TD or Eric, please re-home it if I have chosen incorrectly.
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My questions really have a BT Group / Openreach slant to it, so I hope our resident engineer, B*Sheep, will be able to comment.
Background statements (as I understand things). The latest current device provided to Openreach engineering staff that is capable of performing TDR measurements is a JDSU HST-3000C. That device has superseded the previous multi-function tester, the BT Hawk. The Hawk was, in turn, provided to replace three separate devices -- the Tester SA9083, the Ohmmeter 18C and the Tester 301C.
Of the three TDR capable devices, the JDSU, the Hawk and the 301C, which one:
(1) provides the most accurate result?
(2) is considered to be the simplest to use?
(A parenthesised aside: I recently passed an Openreach van, whose user was attending to a pole fault. The engineer was quite approachable and allowed me to "have a nosy" in his van. When I asked him about the Hawk and its TDR capabilities, he gave me a brief demonstration . . . Certain Kitizens (Walter, Bald_eagle1 & asbokid, to name but three) know that I own an ex-BT Tester 301C and from my experience of using the latter & seeing a demonstration of the former, I suspect that the 301C is the simplest to use.)
Good question Cat, and to be honest, quite open-ended.
The simple answer is, different individuals prefer different devices. Not just because of the meters 'capabilities', more-so down to its ease of use and/or familiarity.
Rewind a quarter of a century and the majority of engineers were using (as you mooted above) 9083's, Moles and Ohmeter 18C's. Back then, life was simple, most circuits were of a low-frequency, and those that weren't (Private Wires etc) would be attended to by PW Engineers or Precision Test Officers (PTO's). These two roles were, and still are, a higher-paid grading within the BT/OR framework.
I can't remember quite when, but let's say roughly 10 yrs ago I was introduced to the HAWK. This incorporated the previously mentioned 3 seperate meters, nicely into one average sized box. As with all things new, I would swear at it, kick it, use it as a step to gain extra height to hammer in a wire cleat. But eventually, it became like a best-friend.
Some of the older generation swore they'd never give up their 18C's for locating Batt/Earth contact faults, but the 'Wheatstone Bridge' used in the HAWK was just as good. The TDR was also as good as the stand-alone MOLE's (301's etc) we used. The only slight disadvantage IMO, was the multi-meter on the HAWK when faulting internal cabling issues. The 9083 is still easier and quicker to use and locate rectified loop/resistive loop faults.
On to today, and we have the latest HHT's, namely EXFO and JDSU. I have a JDSU and yet again, I initially had a quiet word in its ear, explaining how I would drown it at the first available opportunity. But again, time and experience has shown me what a great bit of kit it really is. It has one major downfall, and that is it's TDR trace at close proximities. It is nigh-on impossible to determine which is the 'fault-peak' out of what looks like the Himalayan mountains, on the screen presented to you.
That aside, for ADSL/VDSL it's brilliant. I'm just getting to grips with the spectrum analyser that is also inbuilt to aid with REIN faulting. The AC Balance, PSD functions, Bit-loading graphs, Copper-testing, Wideband Timms and a host of other features are easily accessible and mostly easy to use. Impulse Noise settings on the JDSU is a subject all of its own though !!!!
Going full-circle, it's really down to the user and the task he's undertaking, as to what meter he feels will be best. Add to that, a good percentage of the lower-skilled engineers don't know how to use a meter, or indeed what the actual measurements mean if they did attempt to. I am out with a guy next week who's been on approx 8yrs, to explain the fundamentals of electrical priciples in the hope he can better fault a circuit rather than swopping things out and re-testing until he gets a good line test stored. Not his fault I hasten to add, better training is needed at the onset of ones career. Having said that, a little self-help wouldn't hurt them.
Hope I haven't bored you and ask away if you've any other queries Cat ??