Platinum Tools 18303 User Manual

Coax Clarifier

Test. Identify. Qualify.

User Manual

Coax Run Mapping
Maps runs through splitters to show an
accurate picture of the coax system layout
using up to 4 Coax RF Remotes. Up to 12
ID Only Coax Remotes also available for
wiremapping on home runs.

Cable Length
Determines cable run length and reports
the location of an open or unterminated
cable.

Quality of Network
Measures overall network quality and
clearly depicts network reading as both a
bar graph and a digital return loss number,
measured in dB.

Tone Tracing
Traces coax runs with four unique tones
to quickly distinguish between respective
outlets.

TM

See video demonstrations at:

www.platinumtools.com

Coax Clarifier

Test. Identify. Qualify.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

About this Manual...................................................................1

Symbols and Icons..............................................................2

Terms and Descriptions......................................................3

Safety Information..............................................................4

Accessories.....................................................................4

Design Features.......................................................................6

Coax Clarier™ Description.....................................................7

F-Connector................................................................7

LCD Display Screen............................................................8

Keypad.................................................................14

Operations.....................................................................16

Turning the Unit On/Off...................................................16

Automatic Power Down...................................................16

Cable Testing General Guidelines....................................17

Using Tone Mode.............................................................18

Trace Cable Runs..............................................................18

Measure Network Insertion Loss.....................................19

Prepare Test Unit........................................................19

Calibrate dB Loss Meter.............................................20

Measure Network Insertion Loss................................21

Test Splitters...............................................................21

Using Length Mode..........................................................22

Measure Cable Length...............................................22

Adjust Length Constant Value...................................24

Length Constant Accuracy..........................................26

Using ID Mode...................................................................27

RF Remote Battery Life...............................................29

Using Quality Mode..........................................................29

RF Remotes and Network Quality..............................30

Measure Network Quality..........................................30

Maintenance ...............................................................32

Coax Clarier™ Battery Replacement.............................32

RF Remote Battery Replacement....................................32

Cleaning.......................................................................33

Storage....................................................................33

Customer Service...................................................................34

Contacting Platinum Tools ..................................................34

Additional Accessories and Kits......................................34

Warranty Information.......................................................37

Product Registration..........................................................37

Disposal......................................................................37

Returns........................................................................37

Specications....................................................................38

TM

ABOUT THIS MANUAL

The Coax Clarier™ is a self contained, hand-held, battery powered

analyzer used by contractors, repair technicians, and other authorized
users. This device is used to quickly map coax cable runs, measure
network performance, determine cable length, and locate faults in “Dark”
(unpowered) residential and business cable networks. The test unit offers
the following features:

Feature Function

Length Testing Determines cable length and reports distance to an

Coax Run Mapping Identies cables and determines their location by

Quality Testing Measures overall network quality and clearly depicts

Tone Tracing Traces coax runs, with the use of a tone probe, using

Insertion Loss Measures the insertion loss of a single coax run.

Fault Detection Identies Open and Short cable faults.

open (unterminated) cable.

mapping up to 4 runs through a splitter using Coax
RF remotes and up to 12 cables using ID Only Coax
remotes.

network reading as both a bar graph and a digital
return loss number, measured in decibels (dB).

four tones to easily distinguish between cable outlets
and quickly map the network layout.

1

Symbols & Icons

The following symbols are used throughout the manual or in the display

screen of the Coax Clarier™ to help you avoid personal injury and

potential damage to the test equipment (see Table 1).

Table 1. Symbols and Icons

Symbol Denition

Warning: Potential for personal injury

!

Caution: Potential for damage or destruction to equipment.

Voltage!

Act Sig

Voltage detection symbol. Immediately disconnect test unit
from source of voltage.

If an active signal is detected, immediately disconnect test unit
from active signal source. If the unit is not disconnected from

the source, the Coax Clarier™ will turn off after 90 seconds.

Conformité Européenne. Conforms with European Economic
Area directives.

Disposal information.

2

Terms and Descriptions

Table 2 denes the terms used throughout the manual and provides

information to assist you with proper operation and understanding of the
unit and its functions.

Table 2. Terms and Descriptions

Terms Description and Uses

Coax Cable Video cable with a single pair (2 pin) wiring system.

Run An end-to-end cable connection. Run can refer to a

Coax Network Multiple coax cables connected by splitters or home

Length Constant

Value

Insertion Loss A measurement of the network’s ability to carry

Return Loss A common measurement of coax networks, return

Splitter A device used to route a single signal source to two

F-Connector Connector for a coax cable.

▪ Common coax cable types are RG6 and RG59.

single cable or multiple cables connected together
with a splitter or barrel connector.

run congurations to concentration panels.

The amount of capacitance in picofarads (pF) per
unit distance.

a signal from a power source to a receiver at the
opposing end of a run. Network insertion loss is
measured in dB and represents the percentage of
signal that is successfully transmitted through a run.

loss is a measure of Voltage Standing Wave Ratio
(VSWR), expressed in dB. It ranges from 0.0 dB for a

cable with a dead short to innity for a perfect cable

with absolutely no signal loss.

▪ The Coax Clarier™ reports the return loss value

from 0.0 dB to 40.0 dB, with 40.0 being the best
possible network quality.

or more devices.

3

Safety Information

To ensure safe operation of the Coax Clarier™, follow the instructions

carefully and observe the warning and caution messages listed in Table

3. Failure to observe warnings can result in severe injury or death and can
damage the unit.

Table 3. Safety Information

Notication Denition

The Coax Clarier™ is designed for use on unenergized
cabling systems. Connecting the Coax Clarier™ to live AC

power may damage the unit and pose a safety hazard for
the user.

Do not place equipment or its accessories in the trash.
Items must be properly disposed in accordance with local
regulations.

ACCESSORIES

The accessories listed in Table 4 are used with the Coax Clarier™

to identify runs and test coax networks. The provided accessories are
dependent on the kit you purchased. The Additional Accessories and
Kits section contains a detailed list of each kit as well as additional
products that can help make testing easier.

4

Table 4. Coax Clarier™ Accessories

Accessory Product

Number

18303

18304 Adapter, F–Jack to Push-On Plug

18301

18306 F-Terminator Plug

TCA004

TCR001

Remote3Remote

Remote2Remote

1

TCR002

4

TCR003
TCR004

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12

TRK104

TRK112

Description

Adapter, F-Jack to BNC Jack

F-Connector Coupler, F81

Cable Assembly, Screw-On F-Jack to
Push-On F-Plug Cable – 12”

Coax RF Remotes

▪ No. 1 Coax RF Remote
▪ No. 2 Coax RF Remote
▪ No. 3 Coax RF Remote
▪ No. 4 Coax RF Remote

ID Only Coax Remotes

▪ Nos. 1 – 4 ID Only Coax Remote Set in

Foam Holder

▪ Nos. 1-12 ID Only Coax Remote Set in

Foam Holder (Illustrated)

Note: All accessories listed in Table 4 are available for purchase

through Platinum Tools. Refer to the Customer Service
section for contact information.

5

DESIGN FEATURES

▪ Easy to operate
▪ One pass coax cable run mapping
▪ Tests through splitters
▪ Identies open (unterminated) cables
▪ Extra large seven-segment, backlight LCD screen with icons that

clearly display test results
▪ Displays coax cable run quality
▪ Tests and grades splitter performance
▪ Measures length of coax cable in feet or meters
▪ Identies up to 4 RF remotes and 12 ID Only Coax remotes
▪ Automatic pre-test voltage checks
▪ Measures single cable length up to 1,500 ft
▪ Tone generator with selectable tone cadence to easily trace cable runs
▪ Conserves power and supports long battery life with Auto-off feature

and battery low icon
▪ Four AA alkaline batteries provided with your purchase

6

COAX CLARIFIER™ DESCRIPTION

The Coax Clarier™, illustrated in Figure 1, has three main parts: the

F-Connector, the LCD display screen, and the keypad.

Figure 1. Coax Clarier™

F-Connector

One F-Connector is located at the top of the Coax Clarier™. The

connector enables you to test and measure single cables and coax
networks.

Note: An F-Connector coupler is provided with your purchase of the

Coax Clarier™.

7

LCD Display Screen

The Coax Clarier™ has a high contrast, backlight LCD display screen,

shown in Figure 2 below. The LCD display screen shows the following:
cable conditions, test modes and related icons, calibration icon, voltage
detected warning, active signal warning, and battery capacity.

Detected Remotes

Voltage Detected Warning

Tone Mode

Length Mode

Cable Types

Length Constant Value

}

Return Loss Icon

Figure 2. LCD Display Screen

Cable Conditions

The device checks for three cable conditions during testing: Open, Short,
and Terminated. The cable conditions, explained in Table 5, appear in a
column below the battery low icon in the LCD display screen.

Table 5. Cable Conditions

Cable Conditions Description

Open An “Open” error indicates a wire connection within

the cable is not continuous throughout the length
of the cable.

Short

The “Short” icon appears when the two wires
within a cable are electrically connected. This is
also known as a short circuit.

Terminated The “Terminated” icon will appear when the far end

of the run has an F-Terminator Plug in place or is
wired to a device.

Battery Low Icon

Cable Conditions

Calibration Icon

Quality Mode and

Bar Graph

Measured Length

8

ID Mode

When the Coax Clarier™ is set to ID Mode, the “ID” and “RF” icons

appear in the top left corner of the LCD display screen. Table 6 describes
the numbers and icons that appear in the display screen according to three
testing scenarios.

Table 6. ID Mode Numbers and Icons

Test Scenario Displayed Numbers and Icons

Detected Remotes Indentied remotes 1-12 display in the top two rows

of the LCD display screen.

▪ When an ID Only Coax remote is detected, the

“RF” icon disappears from view.

▪ The “IdLE” icon appears in the lower right

corner of the display screen when mapping is
complete and all remotes are detected.

Unterminated Runs RF and ID Only Coax remotes are not identied on

unterminated runs.

▪ The “Open” icon appears in the right side of

the display screen to indicate the network is
unterminated.

▪ The halt icon, “HLt”, displays in the right side of

the screen demonstrating the unit is idle and the
test was incomplete (see Figure 3).

Poor Network Quality ID mode does not function on a coax network with a

poor quality reading (< 17 dB).

▪ When the network quality is low, mapping stops,

the “QUALITY” icon ashes, and the “HLt” icon

appears in the lower right corner of the display
screen (see Figure 4).

Figure 3. ID Mode with Unterminated Run Figure 4. ID Mode with Poor Network Quality

9

Note: When the network quality is low, be sure that all cable ends

are terminated. Unterminated cables result in signal loss. Use
F-Terminator Plugs as needed to improve network quality.

Length Mode

The “Length” icon appears in the left side of the LCD display screen when
the LENGTH button is pressed. When the unit is set to measure cable

length, the length reading and measurement specications described in
Table 7 appear in the LCD display screen (see Figure 5).

Table 7. Length Mode Measurement Specications

Length Specications Description

Cable Types The cable types (RG6, RG59, or no specied

type) appear in the lower left of the LCD display
screen.

▪ Each type of cable has its own length constant

value, which is used to properly measure cable
length.

Length Constant Value A value measured in picofarads (pF) per foot or

meter appears in the lower left corner of the
LCD display screen. This value corresponds to
the selected cable type and can be adjusted at
any time.

Measured Length The length of the measured cable displays in

units of feet or meters in the lower right corner
of the screen.

Figure 5. Length Measurement for Unspecied Cable

10

Note: Refer to the Using Length Mode section to learn how to

change the unit of measurement, adjust the length constant
value for each cable type, and measure cable length.

Quality Mode

When the QUALITY button is pressed the “Quality” icon displays in the
lower right corner of the LCD display screen and a bouncing ball activity
indicator is shown in the lower left corner of the screen. When testing
network quality, the following icons and values appear in the screen (see
Figure 6):

▪ Bar Graph – The bar graph depicts the overall quality of the network

being tested. The bar graph, appearing in the lower right of the screen,
corresponds to the measured return loss and will adjust (increasing or

decreasing in the visual bars shown) as the return loss value uctuates.

Refer to the Using Quality Mode section for a description of what each
bar represents in terms of network quality.

▪ Return Loss (RL) – When the unit produces a return loss value for the

network quality, the “RL” icon appears to the left of the measured return
loss value. Return loss is measured in dB and displays in the lower right
corner of the screen.

Figure 6. Return Loss Measurement in Quality Mode

Note: Using F-Terminator Plugs on unterminated cable ends will

improve network quality and lower return loss.

11

Tone Mode

When the TONE button is pressed, the “Tone” icon appears in the middle
of the LCD display screen and a bouncing ball activity indicator is shown
in the lower left corner of the screen. The “RF” symbol will display to the
left of the “Tone” icon when you set Tone Mode to measure the network’s
insertion loss. When using Tone Mode, the icons and values described in
Table 8 appear in the LCD display screen.

Table 8. Tone Mode Icons and Values

Icons and Values Description

Tone Path Selection The selected cadence is transmitted on the coax

Frequency

pin (“P”), the coax shield (“S”), or both the pin and
shield (“PS”).

▪ The icons related to the current tone path selection

appear in the lower left corner of LCD display
screen.

If the unit is set to measure network insertion
loss, one of the following frequencies (measured
in MHz) displays in the lower right corner of the

screen: 10.0, 20.0, 30.0, or 40.0 (see Figure 7).

Cadence If the unit is set to identify cable runs, one of the

following tone options appears in the lower right
corner of the display screen: HL1, HL2, Hi, and Lo
(see Figure 8).

Figure 7. RF Tone with 10.0 MHz Frequency Figure 8. Tone Mode with Lo Cadence

Note: Refer to the Using Tone Mode section to learn how to run

the two tone tests.

12