On Sat, 11 Feb 2006 15:11:40 +0100, Paul Burridge wrote:

The RG-214 cable I ordered from Germany to make up some patch leads for my
VNA has finally arrived. It was advertised as "high-end audio cable" which
is what it's commonly sold as over there (those wacky Germans!) but it
*is* the real deal low-loss 50 ohm UHF cable, nevertheless (just as well
since it took 3 months to arrive).

Now I have to make up these leads with N-type connectors to replace the
stock leads that didn't come with the analyzer. These hook up the VNA to
the Transmission/Reflection Test Set (which I do have). I see from HP's
tech spec that the interconnects I need to copy comprise what was
originally sold as the "11851A RF cable kit" and it consists of four
cables. Now here's the tricky bit:

"Kit includes three 24" 50 ohm cables, phase-matched to 4 degrees @
1300Mhz and one 34" cable. The 34" cable is used to phase balance the
transmission path of the Transmission/Reflection Test Set."

So does this mean the cable lengths are critical and if so, how best to go
about making them up?

I'd brush up on my N connector soldering, so I can get it in a consistent
place relative to the end of the cable, and just measure four cables of 24"
minus 2X whatever the length of the rest of the N connector is, and
possibly put them in some kind of jig.

It doesn't sound like it's the _length_ that's critical, but the _matching_
of those lengths.

About the 34" cable, I have no idea what the rest of that sentence means. ;-)

Cheers!
Rich