G8MNY  > TECH     12.06.25 09:45z 63 Lines 2108 Bytes #174 (0) @ WW
BID : 34607_GB7CIP
Subj: Scope RF Trick
Path: ED1ZAC<ED1ZAC<DB0APK<DK0WUE<K7EK<VE2PKT<VE3KPG<GB7CIP
Sent: 250612/0931Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO #:34607 [Caterham Surrey GBR]
From: G8MNY@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EURO
To  : TECH@WW

By G8MNY                                (Updated Apr 11)
(8 Bit ASCII graphics use code page 437 or 850, Terminal Font)

A few years ago at my local club we had demonstrated an impossible wooden
transformer, that did all its should do!

I recently got a 100MHz scope going & using it for demonstrations, I found
quite a convincing RF trick, that even experienced hams are initially fooled
by.

ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿        ÚÄÄÄÄÄ¿           ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³RF SIGNAL³        ³SCOPE³   Display ³/~\   ³
³GENERATORÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄ´     ³           ³   \_/³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ     BNCÀÄÄÄÄÄÙ           ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
                 T
Connecting this arrangement, no one is surprised the scope displays a sine
wave. But adding a short length of coax teed to the scope...

               TEED
               COAX
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿      ³ ÚÄÄÄÄÄ¿           ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³RF SIGNAL³      ³ ³SCOPE³   Display ³______³
³GENERATORÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄ´     ³           ³      ³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ     BNCÀÄÄÄÄÄÙ           ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
                 T

Making the teed coax quite a short length & the pure OSC frequency set to make
that an electrical 1/4 wave. The scope displays nothing! Many wrongly think the
teed coax must be a DC short!


But shorting the end of the coax out, the sine wave magically reappears!

              SHORTED
               COAX
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿      ³ ÚÄÄÄÄÄ¿           ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
³RF SIGNAL³      ³ ³SCOPE³   Display ³/~\   ³
³GENERATORÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄ´     ³           ³   \_/³
ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ     BNCÀÄÄÄÄÄÙ           ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ
                 T

This is the opposite to intuition & many are confused as to what is going on.
Only when the frequency of around 70MHz (for my short coax) is noted, does the
penny drop!

USES
This of course is a very usefull method of measuring the velocity factor of a
cable (0.6 to 0.8 the speed of light) as well as the losses. Only low a loss
cable will produce a good nul, & of course a good sine wave oscillator!  


See my Tech bul on "Tuned Circuit Scope Demo", "Spectrum Harmonic Demo circuit"
"Oscilloscopes".


Why Don't U send an interesting bul?

73 De John, G8MNY @ GB7CIP



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