Novinium 260 User manual

©Novinium, Inc. 2019, all rights reserved. Novinium, Inc.
[e-mail] 22820 Russell Rd Kent, WA 98032
Revised: December 27, 2019 [phone]
Rejuvenation Instructions
#260 –TDR Diagnosis
This NRI covers the following:
•How to use Impedance Transition Device (ITD) Streamliners.
•How to use the time domain reflectometer (TDR) for the 1205CXA Model family.
Trademarks: http://www.novinium.com/trademarks/
Patents: http://www.novinium.com/patents/
WARNING: It is dangerous working around energized high-voltage systems,
pressurized systems, and chemicals. Always work in accordance to the
Novinium Field Operations Safety Handbook (FOSH) or other local governing
safety standards.

©Novinium, Inc. 2019, all rights reserved. NRI 260 –TDR Diagnosis
Revised: December 27, 2019 Page 2of 20
Table of Contents
TDR Recommended Settings................................................................................................................................................... 3
Making an Electrical Connection.............................................................................................................................................4
Connecting to URD cables...................................................................................................................................................4
Using alligator clips .............................................................................................................................................................5
Connecting cables with paddle connectors........................................................................................................................6
Connecting feeder cables without connectors...................................................................................................................7
Select a Lead Cable .................................................................................................................................................................7
Checking TDR Settings.............................................................................................................................................................8
1. Startup settings.....................................................................................................................................................8
Calibrating the Velocity of Propagation (VOP)........................................................................................................................9
1. Initial VOP..............................................................................................................................................................9
2. Confirm the VOP. .................................................................................................................................................. 9
Analyzing the TDR .................................................................................................................................................................10
1. Consistency is key. ..............................................................................................................................................10
2. Find the beginning of the cable. .........................................................................................................................10
3. Find the end of the cable. ...................................................................................................................................12
4. Identify anomalies...............................................................................................................................................13
5. Measure the distances of anomalies. .................................................................................................................16
6. Swap cable leads.................................................................................................................................................17
TDR from Termination 2 .......................................................................................................................................................17
Signal Strength......................................................................................................................................................................18
Saving the Waveform............................................................................................................................................................18
Tips and Troubleshooting .....................................................................................................................................................19
1. Two measurement rule.......................................................................................................................................19

©Novinium, Inc. 2019, all rights reserved. NRI 260 –TDR Diagnosis
Revised: December 27, 2019 Page 3of 20
TDR Recommended Settings
•Access the setup option through the TDR’s menu.
TDR Recommended Settings
Horizontal scale units
FEET (set to Meters if preferred)
Distance display format
FEET (set to Meters if preferred)
Horizontal reference
ON
Backlight at startup
OFF (set to ON for nighttime work)
Velocity format
VOP (%)
VOP precision
3 DIGIT
Cancel test lead length
NO
Serial printer type
CITIZEN
Memory options
16 WAVEFORMS (saves most data per trace)
Autofilter
DISABLED
dBRL type
TOTAL
Language
ENGLISH
•Choose the option to EXIT after setup is complete.
TDR Quick Tips (Basic Operation):
Use an ITD Streamliner whenever possible.
•Set the Pulsewidth to 2ns.
•Set vertical gain at 8-10X.
•Check that VOP is correct (typically 48-55%).
•Set the first cursor at the beginning of the cable.
•Zoom out –Center the picture.
•Zoom in at the end of the cable –place the second cursor at the far end of the cable.
•Avoid using radios and cell phones while examining the cable.
•Use filters to reduce noise if needed.
•Set contrast only as high as needed.
•Use clips supplied with TDR if the ITD Streamliner is not possible.
•Use 25ns or 100ns pulse width for long cables where the far end cannot be seen.

©Novinium, Inc. 2019, all rights reserved. NRI 260 –TDR Diagnosis
Revised: December 27, 2019 Page 4of 20
Making an Electrical Connection
•All waveforms uploaded to Knomentous should be taken with an ITD Streamliner if injected. This gives a
cleaner waveform than the alligator clips.
•The ITD Streamliner should be used unless the situation prevents it.
•Notate any uploaded waveforms taken with the alligator clips in the Knomentous comments.
Connecting to URD cables.
Remove the cable accessory as necessary to allow a connection.
Wrap or twist the neutral wires along the cable to minimize the separation between the conductor and
neutral.
Figure 1: Winding the neutrals together can help minimize separation to the conductor.
Clean the neutral wires for a good connection.
Slip the Kellems grip and ITD Streamliner over the end of the cable until the inner conductor cone
contacts the end of the compression connector.
Figure 2: ITD Streamliner on the connector.
Note: If there is not enough concentric
neutral to reach the Kellems grip, wrap
neutrals upward toward the connector.

©Novinium, Inc. 2019, all rights reserved. NRI 260 –TDR Diagnosis
Revised: December 27, 2019 Page 5of 20
The Kellems grip should not make electrical contact with any conductor which would cause a short.
•Placing an insulating sleeve or cover over the connector can help prevent contact.
Figure 3: An insulating cover over the connector will prevent shorts to the Kellems grip.
Ensure good electrical contact between:
•The ITD Streamliner conductor cone and the connector.
•The Kellems grip, ITD Streamliner body, and the cable’s neutrals.
Figure 4: The ITD Streamliner’s Kellems grip in good contact with the neutral wires.
Wrapping a single wire around the Kellems grip as (see Figure 4) will help hold the ITD Streamliner in place.
Using alligator clips
The alligator clips supplied with the TDR provide less clear signal than the ITD Streamliner. Clips may only
be used as an electrical connection if:
•iUPR injection elbows have already been installed.
•For preliminary diagnosis such as choosing between the SPR and iUPR process.
Attach a probe wrench to the elbow probe.
Connect one of the alligator clips to the metallic body of the probe wrench.
Connect the other clip to the cable neutrals.
Make sure that the clip connected to the neutrals does not make electrical contact with the conductor
or any connections that do.

©Novinium, Inc. 2019, all rights reserved. NRI 260 –TDR Diagnosis
Revised: December 27, 2019 Page 6of 20
Figure 5: Alligator clips.
Connecting cables with paddle connectors.
a. Follow steps a-c in the URD cable section to prepare neutrals
b. Connect the ITD Streamliner to the connector.
•Depending on cable size, this will be done by attaching the alligator clip or clamping the paddle
with the bolt.
Figure 6: ITD attachment for URD cables.
•For feeder cables, use the alligator clip to clamp onto the connector.
Figure 7: Using the alligator clip to clamp onto the connector of a feeder cable.

©Novinium, Inc. 2019, all rights reserved. NRI 260 –TDR Diagnosis
Revised: December 27, 2019 Page 7of 20
Connecting feeder cables without connectors
Drive a small nail or screw into the end of the conductor to provide a contact point.
Connect the nail or screw to the ITD Streamliner, depending on the ITD Streamliner type.
•Feed the nail into the cone of the URD ITD Streamliner
Figure 8: Using a nail or screw to make a connection with the ITD Streamliner.
•Unscrew the feeder ITD Streamliner’s paddle and rod and place the nail into the threaded hole.
Figure 9: Unscrew the paddle and rod Figure 10: Insert the nail into the ITD Streamliner
•Clamp the alligator clip of the feeder ITD Streamliner to the nail.
Figure 11: Using the alligator clip to clamp onto the nail.
Follow steps d-f of the URD cable section
Select a Lead Cable
The lead cable connects the ITD Streamliner to the TDR.
On the waveform, the length between the TDR pulse and ITD Streamliner signature is the lead cable. The
length displayed on the wave is the actual length of the lead cable used.

©Novinium, Inc. 2019, all rights reserved. NRI 260 –TDR Diagnosis
Revised: December 27, 2019 Page 8of 20
Figure 12: The lead cable between the TDR pulse and ITD Streamliner.
Different lead cable lengths are available for use, each having its strengths and weaknesses.
Select a lead cable based upon the current goal of the TDR analysis.
The longest lead cable will:
oStore the cleanest waveform with a minimum of echoes.
oShow cable anomalies more clearly within the first 20 feet from a termination.
The shorter lead cable will decrease the distance between the ITD Streamliner and the TDR, leading to more
echoes in the waveform. However, if you are unsure of a waveform, it is good practice to change lead cables
to verify cable anomalies.
Figure 13: 30ft (Red) and 6ft (Blue) lead cables.
After selecting a lead cable, connect the cable to the top of the ITD Streamliner and to the TDR.
•Bending the wires can cause internal damage and malfunction.
Checking TDR Settings
1. Startup settings.
Press the “Star” button above the two blank soft key buttons to bring up the TDR function menu.
Lead Cable

©Novinium, Inc. 2019, all rights reserved. NRI 260 –TDR Diagnosis
Revised: December 27, 2019 Page 9of 20
Figure 14: Star menu.
Select “Pulse” and choose the “2ns” setting.
Use the Vertical Gain buttons to set the gain initially between 8x and 10x.
See the quick tips and settings section at the end of this NRI for more detailed startup instructions.
A laminated card with the tips and settings is also supplied with each TDR
Calibrating the Velocity of Propagation (VOP)
1. Initial VOP.
•To start, locate the cable run and make a wheeled measurement to find VOP. The VOP is the
speed at which the TDR pulse travels through the cable.
•Depending on the insulation, the VOP for power cables generally ranges from 48% to 55% of the
speed of light. However, cables can have higher or lower VOPs due to factors like the type, age,
and condition of the insulation.
•A cable’s VOP can vary by insulation type, neutral type, neutral corrosion, and many other factors.
It is important to confirm VOP regularly using the guide below.
2. Confirm the VOP.
Confirm the VOP value by making a wheeled measurement (or equivalent) of the cable path. This
should be done:
•At least once each day.
•Each time a new loop is started.
•Each time a splice needs pinpointing.
•When encountering a different cable type.

©Novinium, Inc. 2019, all rights reserved. NRI 260 –TDR Diagnosis
Revised: December 27, 2019 Page 10 of 20
It is not necessary to re-confirm the VOP for each cable in other cases.
•Adjacent runs of similar cables with significantly different VOPs may signal a deviated cable path.
•Confirm with the RF Locator as described in NRI 270.
Place the cursors at the beginning and end of the cable.
Adjust the VOP on the TDR until the length displayed equals the wheeled length.
•The VOP is now calibrated for this cable type.
Analyzing the TDR
1. Consistency is key.
It is important to keep consistent TDR methods and watch for differences in the wave between cables.
Keep these in mind:
•Cable types are usually the same from segment to segment.
•The TDR will function similarly each time.
•ITD Streamliners will function and appear similarly on the TDR each time.
Use consistency as an advantage. Remember the characteristic shape of the ITD Streamliner.
•Noticeable differences to the ITD Streamliner shape on the wave can signify a connection issue or
the presence of an anomaly.
2. Find the beginning of the cable.
The initial large positive spike on the wave is the pulse created by the TDR.
Figure 15: The initial TDR pulse.
Look for the “W” shape near the beginning of the waveform. This is the signature of the ITD
Streamliner connected to the end of the cable.