Table of Contents

Section 1: Introduction to Leakage

Quick Reference – Measure a Leak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-1
Leakage: The Beast and This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-4
Why Monitor & Measure Cable Leakage? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-6
Control of Cable Leakage in 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-6
Government Regulation of System Leakage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-6
Implementing An Effective CLI Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-7

Section 2: Practical Information about Leakage

What is Leakage? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-1
How Leakage Egresses Into the Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-1
Common Leakage Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-2
Underground Leakage Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-5
Damaged Cable Sheathing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-7
Other Hardware Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-8
Troubleshooting The Cable System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2-8

Section 3: Leakage Detection Equipment

Introduction to Leakage Test Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-1
What Equipment is Needed For Leakage Detection? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-2
Leakage Detection Meters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-2
Features of the CLI 1450 and CLI-1750 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-2
Unique Features of the CLI-1750 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-3
Review of Leakage Meter Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-4
Secondary Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-5
Important Leakage Meter Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-6
Screen Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-6
Leakage Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-6
Measurement Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-6
Find and Fix Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-7
Antenna Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-8
Alarm (Volume Control and Mute) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-8
Set Leakage Configuration Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-8
Alarm Condition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-9
Alarm Threshold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-9
Alarm Mute Time-Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-10
Leakage Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-10
Measurement Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-10
Measurement Carrier Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-11
Tag Modulation Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-11
Reference Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-11
Peak-hold Reset Period (Peak-the-Leak) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-13
Edit Antenna Factor (Antenna Factor) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-13
Antennas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-15
How Antennas Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-15
The Monopole Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-17
The Dipole Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-17
Features of the HD-1 Dipole Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-18
Docking Station, DS-1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-19
Tagger, LT1000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-20
Signal Transmitter, LST-1700 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3-21

continued on next page

Table of Contents

Section 4: Leakage Detection Guide

Set-Up Your Leakage Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-1
Test Your Equipment – Calibrated Leak for Drive-Outs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-2
Patrol/Drive-Outs for Leakage Sources in the Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-5
Measure a Specific Leakage Source (Walk-About) in the Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-8
Triangulation Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-9
Measure Leakage Source for FCC Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-10
Ingress Measurement – Why and When . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-12
Guide for Leakage Detection in the Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4-14

Section 5: APPENDIX A
The FCC and the Cable Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-1
Testing Beyond Regulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-1
General FCC Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-2
Regular Leakage Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-2
Annual Leakage Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-2
Ground Based Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-2
System Fly-over Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-2
Cumulative Leakage Index (CLI) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-3
Computer Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-3

Section 6: Appendix B
European CENLEC – EN 50083-3 Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6-1

Section 7: Appendix C
Length of Antenna Elements for the HD-1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-1

Section 8: Appendix D
Most Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-1
 Introduction to Leakage 1

~ Quick Reference
Measure a Leak

1. Choose Your Weapon: Acterna offers

two leakage detection meters, the CLI-
1450 and the CLI-1750. Both meters
are fully equipped to measure egress
and ingress leakage sources and have
similar features and functions. The
CLI-1750 includes additional options
that can be used for home-wire-testing.

2. Know Your Meter: Turn your meter Vehicle Mounted

Antenna Icon
“ON”. Press the “SHIFT icon” key and
the Leakage key to access the leakage
Press the search
screen. Check your meter to see if softkey to
you are in the “Measurement” mode. toggle between
Check the screen for the vehicle “Measurement”
and “Find & Fix”
mount antenna option. modes

Press the antenna type softkey until the vehicle

mount antenna icon appears on the top of the
screen.

3. Check Your Meter Settings: While in the Leakage settings

leakage screen, press the “SHIFT icon”
key and the Configuration key, check the
default settings for each of the func-
tions. Check the following: alarm condi-
tion, alarm threshold, measurement fre-
Use the up and
quency, and reference distance. Adjust down arrow keys
the defaults on the meter functions that to scroll through
leakage settings.
are not correct for your situation.
(for more detailed information about setting the con-
figuration, see chapter 3 page 8.)

1-1
4. Patrol for Leakage: Connect the meter
to the vehicle’s antenna through your
vehicle’s docking station. Turn your
meter “ON”, set-up your leakage
screen, check for the “Measurement
Mode”, and vehicle antenna icon.
Adjust your alarm signal and start to
patrol.

5. During Patrol: Look for leakage

sources by listening for rapid alarm
signals when driving. Observe the
field strength in the leakage screen
and the peak level while the alarm
detects leakage sources in the area.
Identify a leak source with a leakage
potential of 20 µV/m or more. After a
general leak site is identified, stop the
vehicle and locate the specific leakage
source. Note: Always check with poli-
cies set by your cable system regard-
ing minimum leakage levels required.

6. Locate Specific Leakage Source:

Disconnect your meter from the dock-
ing station and connect your meter to
an HD-1 hand-held dipole antenna.

7. Set Your Meter: Turn “ON” your leak-

Peak hold high-
age screen, select the dipole antenna est level reading.
from the leakage screen, clear the old
peak reading, and select the “Find &
Fix” Mode. Current leakage
level.

1-2
8. Scan For Leakage Source: Hold the HD-
1 antenna in the air and rotate anten-
na slowly until the meter alarm indi-
cates a strong signal and a new peak
reading is reported. If the leakage level
identified is greater than or equal to
the minimum leakage level specified
by your cable system, repair the leak-
age source or report it for repair.

9. Follow-up Check: After the identified

egress leakage source is repaired,
check for additional egress leakage in
the area. If no other leaks are found
in the area, check for ingress, and
then return to your patrol vehicle and
search for other leakage sources.

10. Why Check for Ingress: Most leakage Ingress screen

sources are located at drop areas, there-
fore most ingress checks are completed
at residential sites. You should always
check and repair all sources of egress
during home installation before check-
ing for ingress. If your egress sources
are eliminated, you will also eliminate
most of your sources for ingress.

11. Check for Ingress: Locate the resi-

dential ground block and connect
your meter and RF Input Line. Turn
your meter “ON” and use the
Navigator button to select the Ingress
option. View the Ingress display
screen. If your screen indicates “Pass”
at the top of your screen, your ingress
levels are in the acceptable range. If
your screen indicates “Fail”, you need
to locate the ingress source.
Reconnect all service cable connec-
tions when your job is completed.
1-3
12. Acterna Home-Wiring Test Kit
(HWTK): Extensive testing shows that
one of the main challenges of the suc-
cessful offering of new services is the
current home wiring. The model CLI-
1750, used in conjunction with the
Model LST-1700 Signal Transmitter
helps to identify and locate potential
problems with home wiring prior to
activating these new services.

13. Contact Acterna Customer Support:

1-800-662-5515 for the latest in mul-
timedia and classroom training.
We’re here to help.

~ Leakage: The Beast and

This Book

Good news! can affect leakage; one day a leak may

I know why appear and the next day it may be
we’ve spent
gone. Radio waves can bounce off
the last 6
hours look- buildings; large leaks can mask small-
ing for the er ones; standing waves can go unde-
leak. Bad tected; and the field technician’s lack
news... it’s
of field experience can all contribute
you!
to inaccurate leakage detection.

For the field technician, accurate

Successful detection and measure-
ment of signal leakage requires a
combination of science and art. The
science of how leakage exists and the
art of leakage detection are not easily
explained. Signal leaks can be
deceptive and very unpredictable. For
example, weather and temperature
detection of leakage can only result
from training, ongoing field experi-
ence, repetition, the use of quality
equipment, and learning the tricks of
the trade. Therefore, this manual was
developed to assist you with:
• Understanding the importance of
RF signal leak detection.

1-4
 • Evaluating, selecting and using ing tools recognized by the most suc-
RF signal leak detection equip- cessful field technicians.
ment. Our Advice: You can best deal with “the
• Developing skills needed to beast” through on-going training and
detect and record signal leakage by using a good set of standard
accurately. processes and procedures. If your
cable system has a CLI Measurement
• The importance of using a cali- Practice Program, we suggest that you
brated leak for drive-out equip- follow it closely. The implementation
ment verification. of a good CLI program will not only
• The use of tagging especially in improve your measurement tech-
overbuild situations. niques, but will provide a consistent
set of policies and procedures for
• Using the hand-held dipole
everyone to follow. A cable system
antenna for “Walk-About’ and “In-
committed to the goal of “Taming the
Home” leakage detection.
Beast” will prosper as a result of
• The “Find-and-Fix” measurement improving the quality of customer
mode allows user to find leaks service and holding the bottom line.
quickly.
• Tips for ingress checking.
• Diagrams, tips and tricks
designed to help train and teach
your technical staff.
Always Remember: The science of find-
ing signal leakage cannot be com-
pletely taught nor documented. A
combination of field experience, on-
going discussion with cable industry
peers, and the usual blood, sweat,
and tears are the only effective train-

1-5
~ Why Monitor & Measure
Cable Leakage?
Control of Cable Leakage in 2000
The Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) in the United
States and the CENELEC in Europe
are two government agencies respon-
sible for regulating the cable industry
and enforcing technical standards
regarding cable system leakage in
their respective countries. Each regu-
latory body closely monitors the cable
industry in order to protect the public
from radio frequency (RF) signal leak-
age escaping out of cable systems.
For example, unmanaged signal leak-
age can have a dramatic effect on
external radio signals critical for air
traffic control. In order to insure
public safety, the FCC and CENELEC
require that cable systems maintain
their signal leakage levels within
acceptable limits or face the conse-
quences of extensive fines and/or loss
of the use of certain channels. For
more information regarding govern-
ment regulations, please refer to
Appendix A and B.
There are two types of leakage, egress
and ingress. Egress is RF signals that
escape out of the cable system into
the environment. Ingress is RF sig-
nals, noise or interference that get
into the cable system causing prob-
lems related to customer service.
Controlling signal leakage out of the
system has a beneficial two-fold
effect. As we discussed, control of
leakage out of the system will reduce
1-6
potential hazards to public safety.
Consequently, a second benefit
results, when signal leakage out of the
cable system is controlled, the poten-
tial for signal leakage into the cable
system is also reduced. By prevent-
ing leakage into the cable system, we
are preventing signal interference,
which can disrupt service to cus-
tomers using advanced cable modem,
digital TV set-tops, and telephony-on-
cable. Cable operators agree that
future labor costs spent on finding
leakage and internal interference
sources can be reduced by as much as
20%-30% if signal leakage could be
detected and repaired more efficient-
ly. To assist field technicians combat
service interrupted by ingress, ACTER-
NA provides leakage meters equipped
with ingress measurement functions.
Government Regulation of System
Leakage
In order to enforce government cable
leakage regulations, the FCC conducts
random bi-annual fly-overs using a
sensitive airborne measurement sys-
tem designed to map the overall leak-
age of the cable system in a designat-
ed area. Results of these inspections
are taken very seriously by the cable
industry. Recent research shows that
preventing ingress improves the over-
all quality of cable service. All cable
plant services, including analog TV,
improve. Cable systems should con-
sider the benefits of implementing an
extensive Cumulative Leakage Index
(CLI) program to systematically moni-
tor the overall cable system for egress
and ingress and to prevent non-com-
pliance with government regulations.
nd
de
a
He
450 m
the flight path
~ Implementing an Effective
CLI Program
At no other time in our history have
the airwaves been used more exten-
sively than in the past decade.
Through the use of technology, the
average person can communicate,
conduct business and use household
conveniences in ways unimagined 25
years ago. Though the future of tech-
nology looks bright, the opportunity
that technology provides can be
equally matched with challenges. As
What becomes increasingly clear, is
that the leakage limits (20 µV/m) pro-
vided are not strong enough to allow
the new interactive services (e.g. cable
modems) to work properly.
Small Leak
Medium Leak
Big Leak
professionals in the cable system
industry, we must ask ourselves; How
can we continue to provide customers
with quality service which can also co-
exist safely in a rapidly changing high
technology environment?
One of the most effective ways to
improve the efficiency and productivi-
ty of every person involved in the
cable industry involves a commitment
1-7
to continuous improvement. Through
the development and adoption of an
effective Cumulative Leak Index (CLI)
Program, field technicians can contin-
ually improve the skills needed to
effectively identify and repair sources
of cable system leakage. As a result of
commitment to improvement, field
technicians will be able to perform
leakage repairs more accurately and
efficiently, customers will receive a
higher quality product and the cable
industry will prosper as a safe and
multifaceted service to its clients.
With that it mind, what are the com-
ponents of an effective CLI program?
• All cable industry personnel must
have a basic understanding of the
problems associated with signal
leakage and its impact on the
world around it.
• All cable industry personnel must
have a good understanding of the
FCC or CENELEC government reg-
ulations regarding detecting and
repairing signal leakage sources.
• Field technicians must be provid-
ed quality leakage detection
equipment.
• Field technicians must be provid-
ed the proper training to use
equipment to its fullest potential.
• Field technicians must be provid-
ed training to properly calibrate
1-8
and maintain equipment before
and after use.
• Inexperienced and experienced
field technicians should be pro-
vided the opportunity to learn
and share experiences related to
detecting leakage in a variety of
real field situations.
• Field technicians must be provid-
ed the proper training to detect,
repair and report leakage sources.
• Whenever possible, the field tech-
nician should always check for
and repair ingress problems while
testing for egress. Prevention of
ingress problems can save time
and costs involved with later
“truck roll”.
Developing and implementing an
effective CLI program is the responsi-
bility of everyone in the cable indus-
try. Doing your part, in a continuous
improvement process, is required for
any program to be successful. The list
of CLI program components listed
above are all-important to the success
of your program. It is our hope, that
the contents of this manual can pro-
vide a ground floor for an effective
training and CLI program for your
cable system.
 Practical Information about Leakage
~ What Is Leakage?
Leakage can be defined as “the
amount of radio frequency (RF) signal
that escapes or infects the cable sys-
tem as a result of one or a combina-
tion of the following factors: improper
cable installation, component corro-
sion, poor product design, vandalism,
cable breaks, poor connections, etc.”
There are two types of leakage, egress
and ingress. Egress is RF signal leak-
age out of the cable system. (See
Figure 1). Egress occurs when cables
are damaged or improperly installed.
FIGURE 1: Egress
~ How Leakage Egresses into
the Environment
The nature of RF leakage allows a sig-
nal, radiating from a cable system, to
follow any path that provides the least
resistance. Leakage signals may fol-
low paths that include free space,
strand, power, and telephone lines.
Understanding how RF frequency radi-
ate outside of its intended source
helps us to understand why interfer-
2
Ingress refers to the RF noise or inter-
ference that leaks into the cable sys-
tem (See Figure 2). Ingress occurs
when RF signals emitted from the sur-
rounding environment (e.g. hair dry-
ers, microwaves, radios, welders, etc.)
have the opportunity to enter the
cable system through a break or exter-
nal leak in the cable system. RF or
noise ingress can also feed back into
the coax drop and into the system
from bad TV sets, center conductors
that are too long, customer amplifiers,
VCRs, jumpers, etc.
FIGURE 2: Ingress at point of Egress
ence between frequency signals can
lead to problems.
The illustration provided below indi-
cates how RF frequency signals radiate
out of their source. A typical wavelength
signal is generally 6-9 feet (1-3 meters).
The path that leakage chooses to take
will vary from situation to situation.
2-1
When a signal radiates from a fault in
the cable, it propagates in a pattern of
waves. As the signal’s strength
increases and decreases along the
wave, the level of the wave will rise
and fall. The field technician should
remember that wave fluctuations do
not indicate the existence of multiple
leakage points in the cable.
The ability to accurately detect leak-
age levels can only be achieved
through knowledge of RF signals and
through field experience. The field
technician should have a general
understanding of how RF frequency
reacts in the environment when
released from a cable source. The list
~ Common Leakage Sources
Your first step toward locating a
potential leakage site is to combine
common sense with knowing where to
look. Leakage can occur at any point
in a cable system, but the experienced
2-2
provided below give examples of how
leakage detection can be deceptive to
the experienced and inexperienced
technician.
• A large leak can mask a smaller
one (troubleshoot one leak at a
time).
• Leaks may radiate from the true
source down the cable, strand
and down guys.
• Radio signals may bounce off
buildings and other surfaces cre-
ating false readings.
• A leak may be active one day and
seem to disappear the next day.
• Very strong leaks may overload a
detection meter (use scan or
spectrum mode)
• Metal objects can distort radia-
tion patterns received by your
antenna.
• Sometimes a slight change in posi-
tion of a damaged cable or connec-
tor will cause leaks to subside.
Consequently, the leak source
must still be found and fixed
because it will undoubtedly return.
technician is able to pinpoint a general
location by following the cable or visu-
ally recognizing typical cable egress
indicators. Once the general area of a
leak is identified, the field technician
can eliminate potential leak sources
using a process of elimination.
Cable leakage is more common in the
following areas of the cable system.
Potential
Leak Site Definition
Headend The control center of a cable televi-
sion system, where incoming signals
are amplified, converted, processed
and combined into a common cable
along with any origination cable-cast-
ing for transmission to subscribers.
The system usually includes antennas,
pre-amplifiers, frequency converters,
demodulators, modulators, proces-
sors, and other equipment.
Trunk The main distribution lines leading
from the headend of the cable tele-
vision system to the various areas
where feeder lines are attached to
distribute signals to subscribers.
Drop or The line from the feeder cable to the
Subscriber’s subscriber’s television or converter.
Terminal
Bridger, Bridging An amplifier connected directly into
Amplifier, or the main trunk of the CATV system.
Distribution It serves as a sophisticated tap, pro-
Amplifier viding isolation from the main trunk,
and has multiple high level outputs
that provide signal to the feeder por-
tion of the distribution network.
What
to look for?
Check for bad cable
connections, malfunc-
tioning equipment,
and worn or
damaged cable.
Check for bad connectors
or terminators. Look for
worn or damaged cable.
Also check for poor
craftsmanship which
involves using poor quali-
ty materials and poor
quality installation.
Check for improper
installation and malfunc-
tioning equipment. The
drop is the most common
cable leakage source.
Check for bad connec-
tors or terminators.
Look for worn or dam-
aged cable. Check to
see if housing is not
closed. Check for poor
quality materials and
poor installation.
continued on next page
2-3
 Potential What
Leak Site Definition to look for?
Splices and Fittings A mechanical/electrical connection to Water and weather can
join two wires or cables together. result in pulled-out,
sucked-out, loose or
corroded fittings.

Splices at Taps, Refer to the Glossary of Terms found Check for bad connec-
Line-Extenders, in Appendix E for the following defi- tions, connectors and/or
Splitters, nitions: Tap, Line-Extenders, Splitters, terminators. Look for
Amplifiers, and Amplifiers, and Ground Blocks. worn or damaged
Ground Blocks cable. Also check for
poor craftsmanship
which resulted from
using poor quality
materials and poor
quality installation.

Cable, Distribution One or more electrical or optical con- Check for cable cuts,
Equipment ductors found within a protective breaks and exposure.
sheathing. When multiple conductors
exist, they are isolated from each other.

Illegal Hook-ups Cable hook-ups completed by unau-
thorized cable system personnel.
Check for twin leads
inferior passive devices,
poor or no connectors,
and improperly termi-
nated splitters. Also
check for jumpers from
drops to taps and/or
ground blocks. Center
conductors stuck into tak
spigots. Drops should
have no splices in them.
(note that weather boots or heat
shrinks should be used when replac-
ing jumpers on splices)

The term “drop” refers to the connec-
tion of the main cable system from the
tap to 5-10 homes or to one or several
Multiple Dwelling Units (MDUs).
Experience has shown that the most
common sources of leaks are drop
related. Although drop related leaks
are the most abundant, leaks from the
trunk and distribution equipment may
be more serious. For example, a leak
emanating from trunk or bridger out-
put is likely to radiate greater RF ener-

2-4
gy than a drop source and could pro-
duce a much greater effect on the sys-
tem’s total leakage into the airwaves.

Other less common leakage sources

include:
• Malfunctioning television sets • Two piece fittings
and VCRs • Splitters used outside without
• Bad converters weather bonding
• FM splitters • F-fittings with pinched jackets
• Inferior quality coaxial cable as a result of poorly adjusted
hex crimper

~ Underground Leakage
Sources

The potential for damage to under- table on the next page (2-6), identifies
ground cable is more common near common potential leak sites when
driveways, roads and sidewalks. checking for underground leakage.
Cables that are buried near high traf-
fic areas will naturally attract greater
opportunities for accidental cable
damage. Similarly, it is not uncom-
mon to check near fence-lines or mail-
box posts when checking for leaks.
Buried cables can be cut or gashed
any time digging occurs in the vicinity.
Buried cables in streets without con-
duit (direct buried) will crack and
eventually break.

Common underground drop related

leaks are often found at the pedestal
taps which are caused by broken or
unterminated tap ports; malfunction-
ing terminators; loose F-connectors at
the tap; and cracked feeder cable. The

2-5
Underground leakage sources are most
common at the following locations:

Potential What
Leak Site Definition to look for?
Bore Cable system term used to describe Knowing the path of
(Trench) the trench or hole dug prior to bury- where the cable is
ing the cable underground. buried will assist you in
locating broken or dam-
aged cable sources.
Pedestal Housing- Pedestal Housing is an environmental Broken or unterminated
Taps protection device used to house sub- tap ports, corroded and
scriber isolation units and passive dis- water damaged taps.
tribution amplifiers in underground Loose or damaged tap
CATV systems. Synonymous with plates, connectors, fit-
Underground Housing. tings, or cracked cable
feeder. Water, ingress,
corroded center conduc-
tor and braid.
Malfunctioning A resistive load for an open coaxial Check for wear, loose fit-
Terminators line used to eliminate reflections and tings and corrosion.
to terminate a line in its characteris- Check quality of a termi-
tic impedance. nator.

Loose F- The F-connector is the male end con- Check for wear,
Connectors necting device that allows a cable stripped threads, loose
drop to be attached to a cable inlet fittings and corrosion.
source (female end) tap.,spygot, etc. Check quality of the
F-connector.

Loose-Fittings Result when clamps, wire covers, etc., Cable connections that
are not installed properly, have become appear loose, worn or
loose because of age, or are broken. broken.
Poor Quality Manufacturer’s material that were The original plant was
Material defective before they were installed. installed using scraped
and perforated cable
sheaths, poorly spliced
lines, and crimped cable
with small bending
radii. Check for poor
quality materials.

2-6
A most difficult and costly problem
exists if the underground leak, located
in a feeder or trunk line, is caused by
extremely poor workmanship or inferi-
or materials. In the past, some con-
tractors were known to have construct-
ed cable systems poorly by using
~ Damaged Cable Sheathing
Another form of damage occurs when
cracks, slices or holes form in the
cable sheath. Water enters the cable
through these holes, causing corro-
sion inside the cable. Even a tiny
hole in the sheath can suck water into
the cable. Water damage in foam
cable is less of a problem because
there are fewer tendencies for water
migration to occur with the solid foam
dielectric. However, in fused disk
cable, the water collects inside the
cable, where it corrodes the center
conductor and sheath. Water and fur-
ther corrosion can migrate (flow) up
or down the cable. The water
migrates and will find eventually the
connectors and center conductors.
Then it will also migrate along the
center conductors. Also when the
sheath is corroded enough you begin
to lose ground impedance
When checking for damage to the
coaxial cable, evaluate the following
chronic trouble spots:
• Always check for holes and possi-
ble water migration at or near
suspension clamps, bonding
below grade supplies which can handle
analog CATV, but are incapable of han-
dling advanced services. The best
solution to this problem, and also the
most costly, is to have the entire cable
system in that area replaced.
clamps, span clamps, guy lines,
trees, and expansion loops.
• Pole hardware rub-through is a
major cause of cable damage.
Provide insulation to cable at rub
points by using straps and spac-
ers to prevent damage. Use tree
guard.
• Be extra careful with span clamps,
both at the pole and at mid-span.
Span clamps can cause problems
when carelessly installed.
• Down guys and overhead pole-to-
pole guys can come into contact
with the cable and eventually
wear through the cable sheath.
• Use tree guards to protect the
cable. Tree limbs and branches
can be a problem if trees are not
properly trimmed and the cable is
not properly insulated.
• Cable may be damaged by animal
chews (particularly squirrels).
• As with everything, a good cable
will degrade with age even though
it may show no visible damage.
2-7
~ Other Hardware Problems
Expansion and drop loops are common
problems in older cable systems, espe-
cially with a 0.412 (inches) cable.
Repeated seasonal expansion and con-
traction eventually causes the cable to
crack at the flex points. If a crack is
found in the cable, splice out the dam-
aged section of cable and check to see
if the problem is corrected. If the prob-
lem persists, it may be necessary to
replace the entire span; otherwise the
existing cable span will cause on-going
problems and cable system costs.
~ Troubleshooting the Cable
System
A leak source that exceeds the legal
limit of 20 µV/m should be recorded
and reported as soon as it is discov-
ered. Cable leakage that exceeds this
legal limit must be repaired as soon
as possible. If a leakage is discovered
at 50 µV/m or higher, it should be
reported; repaired as soon as possi-
ble; and must be officially logged for
FCC compliance. Note: Always check
and follow the specific policies
required by your cable system.
When evaluating a cable leak source,
moving or shaking the leak source can
change the leakage level and may
even eliminate it temporarily. This is
a very good method to find out if this
is a leak or very near the source of the
leakage. Many intermittent leaks may
2-8
Water damage to equipment occurs
when a poor seal is made between the
housing and its cover or lid. Water
will travel via the center conductor
into cable. Over a period of time,
water can collect inside the housing,
eventually causing corrosion and
component failure Poor seals of lids
also cause some egress. This is why
good lid seals have both rubber and
braided bonds to prevent leakage.
be found when the wind is strong
enough to move the cable.
For most leaks at fittings, repair gen-
erally involves finding the defective
component and then tightening it or
replacing it with a new fitting that is
well prepared and sound. After a leak
source is repaired, be sure to do a fol-
low-up check of your work. Use a
meter to confirm that the leak you
repaired is no longer a problem and
that the leak repaired was the actual
leakage source. If the leakage signal
persists, as a result of your follow-up
check, there may be additional leak-
age sources in the area or there is
another leak at the same source that
was masked by the fixed leak.
 Leakage Detection Equipment
~ Introduction to Leakage Test
Equipment
As technology advances, the need for
sophisticated, easy to use, equipment
will be required by all field techni-
cians in the cable industry. ACTERNA
has developed a full line of equip-
ment specifically designed with the
field technician in mind.
ACTERNA’s Leakage Test Equipment
is:
• Priced Economically – minimal
amount of equipment needed for
reliable leakage detection.
• Designed with Multiple Features
—- faster; more accurate; leakage
level sensitive; high resolution
screen; international icons; detects
ingress and egress; and designed
to be time and labor efficient.
• Ease of Handling – portable &
convenient — the field technician
can monitor leaks between serv-
ice calls and installations.
• FCC and CENELEC Compliant —
measure leaks according to gov-
ernment standards — ideal for
collecting data
• Technologically Sophisticated and
Uniquely Comprehensive —
designed to quickly uncover both
common and problematic cable
leakage.
3
Combo Leakage / Signal Level Meter
Models CLI-1450 and CLI-1750
SLM Features of the CLI-1450/1750
meter include:
An installation check mode.
A comprehensive channel level
measurement screen.
Full channel scan with online
limit check.
Automated testing and logging.
Ability to store and scan tilt
screens.
Multiple channel plans /
Analog and Digital Limits.
Reports are printed directly
to a printer or uploaded to
StealthWare (data software).
Ability to scan and locate
ingress problems — forward
and reverse.
The user interface can be fully
converted to the international
language requested: German,
French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch
and Italian.
3-1
~ What Equipment Is Needed
For Leakage Detection?
Two of the most important require-
ments, for a successful CLI program, are
having the right equipment and know-
ing how to use the equipment correctly.
Throughout this section, we will discuss
the features and functions of each piece
of equipment and briefly discuss the
most important operating procedures
needed for leakage detection.
The primary equipment needed for
successful leakage detection includes
the following:
• Leakage Detection Meters (CLI-
1450 and CLI-1750)
• Vehicle-Mount-Antenna –
Monopole VMA-3
~ Leakage Detection Meters
(CLI-1450 and CLI-1750)
There are two types of leakage detec-
tion meters available through ACTER-
NA; these models include the CLI-1450
and CLI-1750. Both leakage detection
meters have many features in com-
mon. The primary difference between
both models, for leakage detection, is
the CLI-1750 can be used as part of the
Home-Wiring-Test-Kit (HWTK).
In the text below, a combined model
number (e.g. CLI-1450/CLI-1750) will
represent similarities between mod-
els. For the purpose of this section,
3-2
• Dipole Antenna – HD-1
• Adjustable 10-foot Pole – PL-1
(optional for calibrated leaks and
government leakage tests)
• Tagger — LT1000 (optional for
signal detection sensitivity and
overbuild situations)
• Signal Transmitter LST-1700
(optional for home-wire-testing,
used with CLI-1750 only)
• Docking Station – DS-1 (optional
for patrol vehicles)
we will only discuss meter functions
that are needed to measure leakage.
Please refer to the operation manual
for each model regarding specific
information or instrument capabilities
not discussed in this guide.
Features of the CLI-1450/CLI-1750
Include:
• Each meter can be hand-held for
convenience.
• Measurement Mode assists the
technician with locating leakage
sources up to 40-60 feet away.
 • “Find and Fix” Mode helps the including frequency domain reflec-
technician locate leakage sources tometry (FDR) for cable fault detec-
within 20 feet from source. tion and a unique mini-sweep for test-
• “Find and Fix” Mode quickly guides ing frequency response.
the field technician to the leakage
source by updating the leakage With the HWTK’s comprehensive test
value 10 times per second. capabilities, the installer technician
can confirm whether or not the current
• Both meters are significantly home wiring is acceptable for trans-
more sensitive, accurate and porting advanced cable services. The
directional when used in conjunc-
tion with the HD-1 dipole anten-
na and the LT1000 tagger.
• Each meter screen has a high res-
olution, graphic LCD that allows
for simple user interface.
• The leakage configuration set-up
can be programmed into a CLI
and then cloned or downloaded
into other CLI meters or
Home Wiring Test Kit: CLI-1750 and LST-1700
StealthWare.
• Both meters can remain in the CLI presence of unterminated devices,
carrying case while mounted in the non-conforming components and
docking station. This carrying case cable/component faults can be detect-
feature allows the field technician ed by using the innovative FDR and
the convenience of a quick mount min-sweep functions. In addition, the
in the docking station and pro- LST-1700 can be used at the subscriber
vides the portability needed for premises to transmit a dedicated leak-
outside use. age signal. This leakage signal can be
detected by the CLI-1750 for monitor-
The CLI-1450 and CLI-1750 are almost ing in-home leakage. The LST-1700
identical in their appearance and can even frequency "tag" it’s own CW
functionality. The primary difference is signal to prevent false leakage alarms
that the CLI-1750 can interface with caused by unwanted outside signals!
the LST-1700 (signal transmitter), and
the combined meters form the Home
Wiring Test Kit (HWTK). The HWTK
offers features that extend beyond
leakage and ingress measurements,

3-3
~ Review of Leakage Meter
Components

The field technician should have a rectly. The information summarized

thorough understanding of the func- below provides an overview of the
tions available on the leakage meter meter components and functions that
and must be able to use the meter cor- a field technician should understand.

Soft Keys – represented by

icon obove
Title Bar – title of screen Leakage Soft Keys
used to toggle between "Measure-
ment and "Find & Fix" modes

used to select the correct antenna

Leakage type when locating leaks

used to adjust for calibrated leaks

Arrow Keys – makes selection move

Installation Check – up, down, left, or right (also, increase
determines if subscriber or decrease volume)
connections meet system
level requirements Auto Scale – resets the peak reading

Enter Key – press after making

Configure – a selection
meter set-up
Navigator Key – brings up navigator
Level Measurement – screen, travel to any mode
a single channel display of
video and audio carrier levels 1 ABC 2 DEF 3 GHI

4 JKL 5 MNO 6 PQR

Scan File – 6 channel scan
7 STU 8 VWX 9 YZ
or all channel scan
0 space

Value/Test Keypad –
enter data
Shift Key/Secondary Function –
Power Button – depress prior to choosing a
turns unit "On" or "Off" secondary function (indicated in green)

3-4
~ Secondary Functions

Each secondary function is represent- the desired secondary function. A

ed by a green icon on your meter. complete list of secondary functions
When using the secondary function, and icons is provided below.
press the “SHIFT” key first and then

Meter Key Strokes Function Description

Opens Leakage screen

+

Opens Configuration screen

+

Auto Scale clears last peak reading

+
3 GHI

9 YZ Clears antenna compensation factor

+

Freezes last level reading

+
2 DEF

Opens Help screen

+

Stores Installation, Scan, Sweep, Locate,

+ or Tilt screens for later viewing

Prints a measurement screen or report to

+ a serial printer
1 ABC

7 STU Enters positive or negative values

+ (when allowed)

Turns meter screen light on

+

3-5
 Leakage Configuration Screen
Lists –
This screen provides items for
viewing or selecting. Use the
up or down arrow keys to scroll
through options. Press the
enter key to make a selection.
~ Important Leakage Meter
Functions
Both the CLI-1450 & CLI-1750 meters
have several important functions that
all field technicians should under-
stand and apply. The field technician
should practice setting-up each func-
tion using their meter keypad prior to
using their instrument in the field.
Screen Display Light: If your
screen light dims during opera-
tion, press the “SHIFT” key twice or
until your screen lights up.
Leakage Screen: The Leakage
Screen provides all the informa-
tion and icons needed to detect and
report leakage. Press the “SHIFT” key
and the Leakage key.
3-6
Edit Box –
This edit screen is commonly
used when entering data into
your meter.
Status Bar –
Displays current date,
battery charge, and time.
Measurement Mode: This feature is
designed to allow the field technician
to scan for leakage from a distance
during patrol. This mode is immune
to spurious signals and false alarms.
This mode detects the LT1000 tagger.
The “Measurement Mode” is useful for
conducting the following activities:
• Drive around situations
• Calibrated Leaks
• FCC/CENELEC testing
Procedure for obtaining the
“Measurement” mode:
a. Press the “SHIFT” key followed by
the Leakage key.
b.Check the screen for the correct
mode. If “Find and Fix” is high-
lighted, press the Left Soft key.
c. The word measure should be high-
lighted on your screen.
 Measurement Mode Screen
compensation factor reference distance.

Current antenna factor

peak mark shows comparison
with current reading
measurement frequency

toggles between tag icon identifies leak is from

“Measurement Mode” and your system
“Find & Fix” Mode
Peak-Hold
alarm volume

antenna factor can switch antenna compensation

from vehicle mounted to adjusts to read correct cali-
dipole to monopole brated leak level

Find & Fix Mode: This feature allows
you to quickly scan for targeted leak
sources nearby. It assists in guiding
the technician toward the leak source
quickly and accurately. The Find & Fix
Mode is used monitoring leaks on
foot in the following situations.
• Zero-in on the source of a leak
• Drop-to-subscriber
• Inside the home applications
Procedure for obtaining the “Find and Fix”
mode:
a. Press the “SHIFT” key followed by
the Leakage key.
b.Check the screen for the correct
mode. If “Measure” is highlighted,
press the Left Soft key.
c. The word “Find and Fix” should be
highlighted on your screen.

Find & Fix Mode Screen

peak mark shows comparison

alarm indication
with current reading

Peak-Hold
graph will do an auto re-scale
in “Find & Fix” mode
alarm volume

warning that “Find & Fix”

mode is more sensitive but toggles between
less accurate than “Measurement Mode” and
“Measurement Mode” “Find & Fix” Mode

3-7
Antenna Type: The middle soft key is
used in the leakage display screen to
select the antenna used during a leak-
age measurement. Press the soft key
and review the antenna types on the
display screen
Monopole (near-field probe)
Dipole (HD-1)
Vehicle Mount (VMA-3)
Custom
Procedure for selecting antenna type:
a. Open the leakage screen.
b.Press the middle soft key until the
desired antenna is displayed.
~ Set Leakage Configuration
Screen
The Configure Screen contains a list
of functions that are needed for accu-
rate leakage detection. Your meter
has been pre-set with a series of
default commands for each of these
functions. In some situations, you
will need to change a default entry in
order to meet your specific leakage
detection needs. Remember, once a
default has been changed, it will
remain in the memory of your meter
3-8
Alarm (Volume Control and Mute):
The leakage meter is equipped with
an audible alarm that will provide a
progressive modulated tone indicat-
ing the strength of the leak in the
area. During a patrol, as the level of
a leak becomes stronger, the alarm
will increase in number of modulated
tones (Geiger Counter Effect).
To set the alarm volume control while in the
leakage screen:
a. Simply push the Left or the Right
arrow keys as needed.
b.To mute (silence) the sound of
the alarm if desired.
• Press the “ENTER” key.
• To remove the mute, press the
enter key again.
until you change it.
Review the list of functions on the
Configure Screen:
a. Turn power “ON”
b.Press “SHIFT” and Leakage Key
c. Press “SHIFT” and Configure Key,
the following list of functions will
appear on your screen.
 • Alarm Condition
• Alarm Threshold
• Alarm Mute Time-Out
• Leakage Units
• Measurement Frequency
• Measurement Carrier Type
• Tag Modulation Frequency
• Reference Distance
• Peak-hold Reset Period (i.e. Peak-
the-Leak)
• Edit Antenna Type (i.e. Antenna
Factor)
select function
While in the Configure Screen, you
can set-up of all the functions listed
above using the following procedures.
d.Use arrow up or down key to
select the function (above) you
want to change.
e. Press the “ENTER” key.
f. For each function, review the
options provided at the bottom of
the screen by pressing the up or
down arrow key.
g. Select an option, then lock your
choice into the meter’s memory
by pressing the “ENTER” key.
h.In some situations, specific num-
bers can be entered manually
from the keypad. Review the
instructions provided for setting-
up each function.
i. Repeat above steps (d through h)
to set-up each function.
Alarm Condition: This setting deter-
mines when the alarm is triggered.
When setting the alarm condition, the
field technician should select “thresh-
old” or “threshold and tag”. For exam-
ple, if the field technician is using a
tag, the “threshold and tag” should
be selected.
Set function by choosing one of the
following choices. Press “ENTER”
when complete.
a. Threshold and tag
b.Tag
c. Threshold
d.Disabled
Note: If the audio alarm becomes
annoying when doing leakage meas-
urements, it is possible to mute the
alarm for a few seconds by pressing
the “ENTER” key.
Alarm Threshold: This is the leakage
measurement level at which the alarm
will occur and must be set according
to uses leakage requirements. To com-
ply with FCC rules the CLI instrument
threshold should be set at 20 µV/m.
3-9
Set the alarm threshold at the µV/m of
your choice. Press “ENTER” when
completed.
a. Use up or down arrow to raise and
lower the value in the edit box
b.Enter your own value, using the
meter keypad.
c. Press “ENTER” when complete.
d.“Peel the Onion” techniques –
recommended for new networks.
The “Peel the Onion” technique is
based on principle of starting
with the largest problem first and
then working toward the smaller
problems.
• Set the alarm threshold at 100
µV/m, so only the extreme leaks
are revealed
• Set the alarm threshold at 50
µV/m, to find severe leaks
• Set the alarm threshold at 20
µV/m, for FCC compliance
Alarm Mute Time-Out: In this setting
you can determine the amount of
time that will elapse before the alarm
is automatically re-activated.
Set this function by choosing one of the
following choices. Press “ENTER” when
complete.
a. Slow – alarm muted for approxi-
mately 16 seconds.
b.Medium – alarm muted for
approximately 8 seconds.
c. Fast – alarm muted for approxi-
mately 3 seconds.
3-10
d.The audio mute can be toggled
“on and off” by pressing enter key
(insert enter icon) while the leak-
age screen is displayed.
Leakage Units: Choose your measure-
ment unit.
Set this function by choosing one of
the following choices. Press “ENTER”
when complete:
a. µV/m = microvolts per meter (rec-
ommended for domestic USA)
b.dB20µV = decibels referenced to
20 microvolts
c. dBm = decibels referenced as one
milliwatt
d.µV = microvolts
e. dBµV = decibels referenced to
one microvolt
f. dBmV = decibels referenced to
one millivolt
g. dBµV/m = decibels referenced to
one microvolt per meter
Measurement Frequency: Select your fre-
quency in MHz.
Set the measurement frequency of
your choice (115 - 140 MHz). Press
“ENTER” when complete.
a. Use up or down arrow to raise
and lower the value in the option
bar (or)
b.Enter your own value, using the
meter keypad.
c. Range of options is 115-140 MHz.
Measurement Carrier Type: Select the car-
rier that will be used during measure-
ment. Normally video unless dedicat-
ed CW source is used.
Set function by choosing one of the
following choices. Press “ENTER”
when complete.
a. Video = Select when using a regu-
lar TV carrier
b.CW = Continuous Wave, select
when using in conjunction with
the LST1700 or CW source inject-
ed on system.
Tag Modulation Frequency (Used only with
Tagger LT1000): Select your modula-
tion frequency in Hz.
Set the tag modulation frequency at
the Hz of your choice. Press “ENTER”
when complete.
a. Use up or down arrow to raise
and lower the value in the edit
box
b.Enter your own value, using the
meter keypad.
c. Range of options is 3-25 Hz, best
results obtained when using 20-
25 Hz.
Reference Distance: The reference dis-
tance function allows you to calculate
the level of leak based on the estimat-
ed distance between your meter and
the actual leakage source. This is the
distance the CLI unit is calculating
the leak field strength. The FCC
requires that a leaks be referenced
at10 ft. CENELEC at 4 meters.
Set the distance reference at the num-
ber of feet of your choice. Press enter
“ENTER” when complete.
a. Use up or down arrow to raise and
lower the value in the edit bar.
b.Enter your own value, using the
meter keypad.
c. Range of options is 10-100 feet.
If the technician is doing a “ride-out”
in his vehicle and the cable plant is
about 30 ft. away but he has 10 ft as
the reference distance in his meter,
the leakage strength value will appear
lower than it is. With CLI-1450 &
HWTK-1750 the user is able to enter
the estimated leakages distance which
will enable the unit to calculate the
equivalent field strength display a
more accurate leakage reading
Important :
The most accurate and repeatable measurements
are made using a dipole antenna (HD-1) located at
the required reference distance. This is the only
method recommended by ACTERNA for doing reg-
ulation compliance measurement.
3-11
The Importance of
Reference Distances
Although regulations specify that
leakage measurements must be taken
at 3 meters (10 feet) from a leak
source, this is not always possible
because portions of a cable system
may be inaccessible. For example,
cables may be situated in backyards,
easements, inside a home, or the dis-
tance to the cable may be unknown.
While the optimum approach is to
measure at 3 meters (10 feet), some-
times the technician may be required
to estimate longer distances.
Estimating the distance from the
antenna to the leak source can be diffi-
cult. Reliable distance estimations
require practice. One way to learn how
to estimate distances is to measure
known distances and use them as a
reference. For long distances, a more
accurate way to determine distances is
to use a range finder. Many surveying
companies use range-finding instru-
ments to determine the distance
between two predetermined points.
Reading a leakage meter for RF level
without correlating the reading to the
distance involved may result in a dis-
astrous situation for the cable opera-
tor. A miscalculation in distance can
seriously skew leak magnitude esti-
mates. If a leak is determined to be
greater than 20 µV/m at street side,
but the actual cable plant is located
in a distant rear easement, the leak
will most certainly be a large one.
Let’s work through an example in
3-12
order to clarify this point. Assume an
average sized leak is measured in a
patrol vehicle to be 70.29 µV/m on
channel C (133.2625 MHz). While the
leak is greater than 50 µV/m and must
be included in the FCC Cumulative
Leakage Index (CLI) test, it is certainly
a manageable sized leak. On a typical
workday, this leak would be logged
and repaired within a few days,
depending on your company’s specific
policies.
Now let’s factor in a distance correla-
tion and assume that the leak is locat-
ed in the cable plant in a rear ease-
ment 230 feet (70 meters) away.
The equation for correlating signal
levels from a known distance to 10
feet (3 meters) is:
µV/M (at 10 feet) = µV/M (at y feet) • (y
÷10)
Let’s insert our new values into the
equation:
µV/M (at 10 feet) = 70.29 µV/M (at 230
feet) • (230 ÷ 10)
µV/M (at 10 feet) = 1616.67 µV/m
As you can see, the new calculation
resulted in a much more serious leak-
age problem. Miscalculations like
this could cause any cable system to
fail the CLI test!
Note: A simple method that can be
figured in you head when you get out
of the truck to chase a leak is: Every
time you are half the distance you
double the leak intensity. In Truck on
the Street 10µV/m 20µV/m 40µV/m
Distance to Subscriber Home 40’ 20’ 10’
Use Table 1, provided below to com-
pare the relationship between refer-
ence distance and leak size.

Table 1: Relationship of Distance to Leak Size Measured on Channel C

µV/M at µV/M at µV/M at µV/M at µV/M at µV/M at
dBmV 10 Feet 15 Feet 20 Feet 40 Feet 100 Feet 250 Feet
-10 885 1327 1770 3540 8850 22124
-15 498 746 995 1991 4977 12441
-20 280 420 560 1119 2799 6996
-25 157 236 315 629 1574 3934
-30 88 133 177 354 885 2212
-32 70 105 141 281 703 1757
-35 50 75 100 199 498 1244
-40 28 42 56 112 280 700
-43 20 30 40 79 198 495
-45 16 24 31 63 157 393
-50 9 13 18 35 88 221
-55 5 7 10 20 50 124

Peak-hold Reset Period (i.e. Peak-the-Leak):
Peaking a signal is defined as the
process of using your leakage meter
and antenna to scan a specific area for
the source of a leak. Through the use
of this meter function, the field techni-
cian is able to mark and hold the high-
est peak field strength reading encoun-
tered while scanning. In addition, this
feature allows the field technician to
search for leakage without constantly
looking at the meter while patrolling.
Set function by choosing one of the fol-
lowing. Press “ENTER” when complete.
• Infinite (most common)
• Fast
• Medium
• Slow
Note: Should a false leak be detected,
or if a new peak value is needed dur-
ing leakage detection, reset the peak
screen by pressing the “SHIFT” key fol-
lowed by the auto scale (#3) key.
Edit Antenna Types: For accurate meas-
urements the correct antenna type
must be selected when doing leakage.
There are several types of antennas
that will work with the CLI-1450 &
HWTK-1750. Each antenna type has
its own unique set of antenna factors.
A complete set of antenna factors is
stored in the CLI-1450 & HWTK-1750
internal memory. This feature of the
leakage detection meter eliminates
the need for the field technician to
calculate the antenna factor.

3-13
Antenna Factor Icons:
Monopole (near-field probe)
Dipole (HD-1)
Vehicle Mount (VMA-3)
Custom
The types of antennas that will be used
with the CLI meters must be activated.
A “checkmark” must be next to the
antenna types you will be using when
detecting leaks. If the antenna type
you are using is not activated in the
Configure screen, that antenna type
will not be available in the
“Measurement” mode or “Find & Fix”
mode. Use the up and down arrow
keys to highlight the desired antenna
and press the checkmark soft key.
NOTE: The charac-
teristics for each
type of antenna are
programmable. The
default antenna val-
ues are specific to
the ACTERNA
antennas.
In the Measurement mode leakage
screen the type of antenna factor
being used will be displayed in the
upper portion of the display screen.
You can change the antenna factor to
reflect the antenna being used by
pressing the antenna type soft key
(see following screen).
3-14
Antenna factor cur-
rently active. The
antenna selected in
“Measurement”
mode will be the
same one used in
“Find & Fix” mode.
Press antenna type
soft key to select
antenna to be used.
The Importance of the
Antenna Factor
Every antenna type (monopole,
dipole, etc.) has its own unique set of
antenna factors. In fact, even two
similar antennas may have slightly
different antenna factors due to differ-
ences in construction. The antenna
factor is a term used to describe a
number that relates to the signal volt-
age received by the antenna. This
received signal, from the antenna, is
provided to the meter in microvolts
and is multiplied by the antenna fac-
tor to produce the field strength
(microvolts per meter).
Field strength is related to the
amount of energy “captured” by the
antenna. For a given field strength in
microvolts per meter, the signal level
at the input to the meter (microvolts)
will decrease with increasing frequen-
cy. For Example:
Assuming a measured field strength of
20 µV/m at 120 MHz, the signal level at
the meter input may be 6.6 µV.
The same 20 µV/m field strength at
300 MHz would produce a 2.6 µV sig-
nal level at the meter input.
ACTERNA’s cable leakage meters elim-
inate the need for complicated calcu-
lations during field RF leakage meas-
urements. A complete set of antenna
factors is stored in the meter’s internal
memory. The various antennas are
keypad-selectable from the leakage
meter display screen. Your leakage
meter will perform all field strength
calculations automatically, displaying
the correct result in microvolts per
meter. In addition, your leakage meter
provides a custom antenna factor
~ Antennas
Selecting the correct antenna for
cable leakage detection is as impor-
tant of a decision as choosing a quali-
ty leak detection meter. Antenna sys-
tems are among the most important
and often least understood aspects of
leakage field strength measurement.
Understanding the characteristics and
use of the various types of leakage
measurement antennas is essential if
accurate measurements are to be
made. A variety of antennas can be
used for the purpose of locating and
pinpointing cable system leaks.
entry for those who wish to supply
their own antenna factors.
Remember: If you remove the CLI-
1450 or CLI-1750 from the docking
station after it had been connected to
the VMA-3 monopole, you must
change the antenna type displayed on
your meter to the antenna type you
are currently using for the walk-about
(e.g. dipole).
How Antennas Work
The major function of an antenna is to
receive or radiate RF signals. Therefore,
different types of antennas are rated
based on their gain, and polarization.
The term gain refers to the antenna’s
ability to pick up signals better than
another antenna type. The gain value
assigned to an antenna is determined
by comparing its reception ability to an
idealistic theoretical reference antenna
called an isotropic radiator (see dia-
gram on next page). An isotropic
antenna produces a perfectly uniform
radiation pattern in three dimensions
“emitting the same amount of energy
in all directions”. Since the isotropic
antenna does not exist in the real
world, it is used as a standard for com-
paring different types of antennas.
3-15
 principle should be applied to a vertical
leak, hold the antenna in a vertical posi-
tion. In simple terms, you should point
your antenna in the same directional
position as your leak.

The two types of antennas that we will

Side View Top View
Isotropic Antenna (artist’s conceptual rendering;
does not exist in the real world)
Polarization; vertical leak vs horizontal antenna
reception lobe (artist’s conceptual rendering)
discuss in this manual are the mono-
pole and the dipole. The diagrams pro-
vided below indicate the radiation pat-
tern emitted by each of the antenna
types. As you can see, the radiation
pattern of the monopole is parallel to
the antenna. In comparison, the radia-
tion pattern of the dipole looks like a
figure 8 pattern that is perpendicular to
the center of the antenna. Compare
the gain and polarization of both types
of antennas. Which type of antenna will
provide the field technician with a high-
er degree of flexibility and accuracy
when checking for cable leakage? Why?

Polarization is defined as the orienta-

tion of the electric field as radiated from
the transmitting antenna. Polarization
is determined by the position of the
antenna or cable with respect to the
earth. If a cable leak is parallel to the
earth, it radiates horizontal signal
Monopole Antenna (Side View)
waves. If a cable leak is at a right angle
to the earth, it radiates vertical signal
waves (See diagram above). If cross
polarization occurs, there will be inade-
quate detection of many signal deci-
bels. Therefore, if a leak is coming from
the cable in the horizontal position,
your antenna must be held in the hori-
zontal position in order to obtain the
most accurate level reading. The same
Dipole Antenna (Top View)

3-16
The Monopole Antenna
The radiation pattern of a monopole
antenna is omni-directional and radi-
ates equally in all directions. The
monopole antenna can detect leakage
from all sides except the top and bot-
tom. Therefore, this antenna is most
sensitive to detecting leaks that are
parallel to its sides. Because signal
leakage often occurs in a spherical
pattern, the monopole antenna
should be used most effectively for
general location of a leakage source
(e.g. the VMA-3 used for vehicle patrol
applications).
The near field probe antenna is appre-
ciated most for its convenience; it
doesn’t take much space. The most
important drawback to the near field
probe is its inefficiency in locating the
source of the leak. This type of anten-
na is often criticized because of its
limited performance as a result of its
omni-directional pattern.
ACTERNA VMA-3 vehicle mount antenna (left) NOTE:
VMA-3 requires adequate ground plane to function properly
Near Field Probe (right)
ACTERNA recommends the use of the
HD-1 dipole antenna, especially for
new and inexperienced field techni-
cians. The vehicle mount monopole
antenna does not provide the direc-
tionality needed to conduct accurate
leakage readings consistently. By
using the HD-1, the new and inexperi-
enced technician will be able to devel-
op more leakage detection confidence
as a result of dependable, high quality
equipment that will contribute to sys-
tematic accurate approach to leakage
detection.
The Dipole Antenna
As discussed, the radiation pattern of a
dipole antenna looks like a figure eight
and the maximum radiation is located
perpendicular to the center of the
dipole. To measure leakage signals,
the dipole antenna must be held at the
same polarization (wave angle) as the
leak. The sides of the antenna’s ele-
ments are most sensitive to RF signals
and the antenna ends are the least
sensitive. During leakage detection,
the antenna should be slowly rotated
about the vertical axis until the maxi-
mum signal level is found and the
meter reading has peaked.
In the United States, the half-wave
dipole is the only acceptable antenna
approved by the FCC for determining
legal leakage levels and Cumulative
Leakage Index (CLI) data collection
(See Appendix A). The dipole anten-
na was selected by the FCC because
of its well-defined electrical current
stability, directivity and ease of use.
3-17
In order for antenna leakage measure-
ments to be FCC / CENELEC compli-
ant, the dipole antenna must be held
horizontally at a distance of 10 feet / 3
meters above the ground, 10 feet / 3
meters from the cable, and 10 feet / 3
meters from any other conductors
(any metallic objects) in the vicinity.
Metal objects; including bucket lift
booms; ladder racks; and other con-
ductive hardware must be removed
from the leakage detection area or
distortion of the intended radiation
pattern will occur.
The dipole antenna used in leakage
detection is commonly referred to as
a half-wave dipole because the anten-
na is equal in length to one-half the
measured wavelength in free space.
The length of the dipole elements is
inversely related to the radio frequen-
cy to be measured—the higher the
frequency, the shorter the element
lengths. Antenna lengths can be cal-
culated using the following formula:
Length of each element of the half-
wave dipole antenna
in inches = 2,952 ÷ ƒ • 0.96
in centimeters = 7500 ÷ ƒ • 0.96
where ƒ = operating frequency in MHz.
For example, if you patrol tuned to
channel C (with a positive offset, i.e.
133.2625 MHz), the length of each ele-
ment can be calculated as follows:
2,952 ÷ 133.2625 MHz • 0.96 = 21.25 in
7500 ÷ 133.2625 MHz • 0.96 = 54.03 cm
3-18
Features of the HD-1
Dipole Antenna
ACTERNA’s HD-1 dipole antenna is
designed to be the primary out-of-vehi-
cle leakage detection antenna for both
field and in-home leakage detection.
Features of the HD-1 antenna
• Meets FCC and CENELEC
regulations
• Lightweight, portable, and con-
venient; handheld and/or
pole-mounted
• Can be used with all ACTERNA
CLI meters
• Adaptable for use in
field leakage testing and/or
in-home leak detection
• The HD-1 provides directionality
and accuracy in pinpointing the
leak source.
• A combination of the HD-1 anten-
na; the firmware installed in each
leakage meter; and the many fea-
tures of both of the CLI-1450 and
CLI-1750 meters, allow the field
technician to conduct quick and
accurate leak detection readings.
HD-1 dipole antenna
HD-1 dipole antenna with elements retracted

With the HD-1’s retractable elements,

the antenna’s elements can be pulled
out to the appropriate length for the
frequency being measured. Therefore,
field technicians who use the HD-1
antenna can measure leakage with a
higher degree of accuracy because
they have the equipment to fit their
leakage measurement requirements.
Listed below is a table for the NTCA
frequencies. (See other channel plan
frequency lengths in Appendix C)
NTCA Length of Elements Quick Tip –
Frequencies in inches To easily set your HD-1 antenna elements to the
115.2750 24.50 appropriate length: a) Measure from tip-to-tip the
121.2625 23.50 desired length. b) Fold antenna elements down to
127.2625 22.25 sides of unit. c) Mark coax cable with tape. d)
133.2625 21.25 Always use as quick reference to set elements to
139.2500 20.25 desired length.

~ Docking Station, DS-1

The DS-1 Docking Station, designed
by ACTERNA, provides convenience to
the field technician when patrolling
for leakage sources. After the docking
station is officially installed in the
field technician’s vehicle, the docking
station provides a “heads-up” view of
the leakage meter’s graphic LCD
screen during cable leakage patrols.
In addition, when the leakage meter is
mounted in the docking station, the
leakage meter will be automatically
switched to the vehicle’s antenna and
connected to the vehicle’s 12 Volt DC
source allowing for automatic re-
charge of the leakage meter’s battery
while you patrol.
Note: Always remember to change
3-19
the antenna type on your meter
screen display when switching from a
vehicle mount antenna (connected
through your docking station) to the
antenna used during the walk-about.
~ Tagger, LT1000
The LT1000 Leakage Tagger was
designed to add a distinctive signal to
the video carrier, which enables the
leakage meter (CLI-1450 or CLI-1750)
to detect signals from a specific cable
system. A key benefit of using a Tagger
is to improve your ability to identify
specific distinctive leakage signals in
areas where interference can affect
accurate leakage detection. The dis-
tinctive tag signal produced by the tag-
ger improves detection sensitivity in
noisy environments and curbs false
alarms. The tagger is especially useful
in overbuild situations where leakage
may be coming from cable systems in
the area other then your own.
LT1000 Leakage Tagger
3-20
Docking Station with Unit in carrying case
Your tagger modulation frequency can
range from 3 Hz to 25 Hz when used
to test in overbuild situations. It is
recommended that you set your tag
modulation frequency at 20-23 Hz. If
the tag modulation frequency is set
too high it will cause television inter-
ference. If the frequency is set too
low the CLI leakage meter may pick
up false leaks.
Set-Up and Use Your Tagger
The CLI-1450 & CLI-1750 must be
configured to work effectively with the
LT1000 Leakage Tagger.
Please refer to the operations manual
for specific information regarding the
application and capabilities of this
instrument. The tagger icon
will appear in the leakage display
screen of both the CLI-1450 & CLI-
1750 when a specific distinctive leak-
age signal is detected. The unique
signal detected by the tagger is very
important when checking for leakage quency be adjusted to a mini-
in overbuild situations. mum of 20 Hz. Press “ENTER”
when complete.
Three key adjustments must be com-
pleted before the Tagger can be used
correctly.
1. While in the leakage screen, press
“SHIFT” and press the configura-
tion key.
2. While in the configuration screen,
select the alarm condition,
choose “threshold and tagger”
and press “ENTER”.
3. While in the configuration screen,
select Tag Modulation Frequency;
enter the same modulation fre- Note: For users of the SDA/Stealth
quency as the setting on the Sweep System – edit the channel
LT1000. Use up or down arrow to plan on the transmitter for the channel
raise and lower the existing value that the tag modulation is on and set
or enter your own value, using the that channel as scrambled. Otherwise,
meter keypad. It is recommend- there will be a spike reading in the
ed that the tag modulation fre- sweep graph of the channel that is

being modulated.
~ Signal Transmitter, LST-1700

The LST-1700 is a signal transmitter.

When the LST-1700 is used in combi-
nation with the CLI-1750 it is referred
to as the Home Wiring Test Kit
(HWTK). The HWTK provides a com-
prehensive measurement tool for
finding and troubleshooting home
wiring, as well as performing loop loss
tests for cable modem installation.
Please refer to the operation manual
for specific information regarding the

3-21
application and capabilities of this
instrument. The benefits of using the
LST-1700 include:
The Model LST 1700 can be
used as a portable tagger.
The Model LST 1700 can be
used to generate mini-sweep. The LST-
1700 can be inserted at the tap end of
the drop, or at the ground block and
used to measure subscriber terminal
locations using the Model CLI-1750.
The LST-1700 allows the installer to
look for significant variations in the fre-
quency response, which could include
standing waves, excessive loss, roll-
Frequency
response in
MiniSweep
26 dB loss
30 dB slope
8 dB standing
waves
offs, or suck-outs.
3-22
The Model LST 1700 Signal
Transmitter can be used to pro-
vide a source for a frequency domain
reflectometry (FDR) test of in-house
wiring to help locate faults. Frequency
domain reflectometry is a method of
determining transmission characteris-
tics by analyzing the reflections in a
sweep response.
If a cable fault is buried, inside a wall,
or otherwise hidden, use the FDR
mode of the CLI-1750. More accurate
than TDR, the LST-1700 is used as a
sweep generator, injecting a sweeping
signal into the beginning of the net-
work (street, home, apartment build-
ing). Bad cables, connectors, taps,
splitters, etc. will cause reflections or
standing waves. Analyzing these
standing waves by the CLI-1750 gives
a distance-to-fault diagram; reflection
in dBrl vs. distance in feet or meters.
Set-Up and Use Your LST-1700
To use the LST-1700, simply connect
the LST-1700 to the cable outlet (usu-
ally from the tap source into the
home) and turn up the frequency. The
LST-1700 will send a signal through
the targeted residential system which
can be detected by the CLI-1750 meter.
 Leakage Detection Guide
A basic requirement for developing a
quality CLI program is to be sure that
field technicians understand how to
use their leakage detection equipment
correctly. Throughout this section of
the booklet, we will discuss proce-
dures that should be followed when
using leakage detection equipment to
measure leakage sources in the field.
The primary equipment needed for
leakage detection in the field includes:
• Leakage Detection Meters –
CLI-1450 and CLI-1750
• Vehicle Mount Antenna,
~ Set-Up Your Leakage Meter
In this guide we will only discuss the
procedures which should be followed
when setting-up your meter to deter-
mine cable leakage. Both the CLI-
1450 and CLI-1750 models have signal
level meter capabilities which will not
be discussed in this manual.
It is important to become familiar
with the leakage detection functions
on your meter. We suggest that you
practice the following procedures in
order to become familiar with the
process of setting-up these leakage
functions.
• Select your leakage meter (CLI-
1450 or CLI-1750). Refer to the
operation manual for each of the
models regarding specific ques-
tions for operation and additional
capabilities.
4
Monopole – VMA-3
• Dipole Antenna – HD-1
• Adjustable 10-Foot Pole – PL-1
(optional for calibrated leaks and
government leakage tests)
• Tagger – LT1000 (optional for sig-
nal detection sensitivity and over-
build situations)
• Signal Transmitter – LST-1700
(optional for home wire testing,
used with CLI-1750 only)
• Docking Station – DS-1 (optional
for patrol vehicles)
• Be sure that your meter battery is
properly charged. The battery will
provide 2.25 hours of continuous
operation. The re-charge time
required will be a maximum of 16
hours when the unit is off.
• Check the set-up of your meter for
these functions. Do not assume
that these functions are already
set-up to meet your specific leak-
age detection needs. Use the fol-
lowing procedure to check the
current settings on your meter for
each of these functions. (see
pages 3-8 & 3-9 for step-by-step
configure instructions)
• Following the completion of the
above steps, you are ready to
start doing leakage detection.
4-1
~ Test Your Equipment —
Calibrated Leak for Field
Drive-Outs
The purpose of a calibrated leak is to
determine the accuracy of your equip-
ment in relation to your truck or van
before you begin patrolling in the field
for cable leakage sources. A half an
hour spent on calibrating your equip-
ment can save hours of labor that
would be wasted if the leakage test
equipment were not functioning prop-
erly during a patrol. This section of the
manual is designed to provide a step
by step process for conducting a cali-
brated leakage test for drive-outs.
1. Gather the equipment needed for
leakage testing:
• Leakage detection meter
(e.g. CLI-1450 or CLI-1750).
• Antennas
(e.g. dipole antenna HD-1 and
monopole antenna VMA-3).
Note: For accuracy purposes, a
dipole antenna should always be
used when measuring leakage
from a known source. The dipole
antenna should be positioned to
match the polarization of the
leakage source.
• Adjustable 10 foot (3 meter)
fiberglass antenna pole (PL-1).
The antenna pole method is rec-
ommended for the calibrated leak
test because the pole provides
the same height as your vehicle
mounted antenna. In addition,
using the antenna pole method
4-2
provides good practice for FCC
leakage measurements.
• Patrol Vehicle.
2. Select a location to conduct your
calibrated leak that is free from
obstructions (e.g. people, trees, wind,
etc.) and conductive surfaces (e.g.
metal buildings, fences, cars, etc.).
The ideal location to conduct a cali-
brated leak is in an open area.
Note: When setting-up your calibrated
leak, be sure to choose a location
which will allow you to park your patrol
vehicle at least 10 feet (3 meters) from
the leakage source.
3. Set-up your leakage source
(step a. see illustration, page 4-5),
turn your equipment “ON” and turn
the RF level “ON”.
• The leakage source that you
choose should not interfere or be
affected by any off-air service.
Your leakage source should be
“ON” only during the time need-
ed to conduct a calibrated leak.
(step a. see illustration, page 4-5)
4. Prepare to measure the leak level
generated from your leakage source.
• Mount your dipole antenna to the
adjustable fiberglass antenna
pole. The pole should be set to a
height of 10 feet (FCC) / 3 meters
(CENELEC).
 • Connect your leakage detection
meter to the dipole antenna/pole.
• Rotate the antenna to a position
that matches the polarization of
the vehicle mounted antenna.
• Pre-adjust the leakage source to
generate the desired leakage level
that you would like to measure
with your meter. For example,
select a desired leakage at 20 µV/m.
Note: Some cable system services
may require you to select a desired
leakage at a higher level (e.g. 50
µV/m). Check with your supervisor.
5. Use your leakage detection meter
to measure the leak level from your
known source.
• Turn your leakage meter “ON” .
• Press the green “SHIFT” button
and press the leakage button.
Your screen should say “Leakage”
at the top of the screen.
• Check your screen, your meter
should be in “Measurement”
Mode. If your meter is in “Find
and Fix” Mode, press the Left Soft
key until measure is highlighted.
• Check the antenna icon at the top
of your screen.
Monopole (near-field probe)
Dipole (HD-1)
Vehicle Mount (VMA-3)
Custom
a. The correct antenna for the cali-
brated leak, at this stage,
should be the dipole.
b.If the dipole antenna is not on
your screen at this point, use the
middle Soft key to choose the
antenna icon until you have the
dipole antenna on your screen.
• Enter the reference distance
according to the regulations (10
feet – FCC; 3 meters CENELEC)
in the setup menu.
• Enter the actual distance in the
leakage screen (the distance from
the leakage source to the spot
where the vehicle antenna is to
be calibrated).
• Using your leakage meter, read
and record the leak level.
• Shut your leakage meter off for
now, as the level of your leakage
source is known. Shutting your
meter off at this point will also save
energy on your meter’s battery.
6. Calibrate vehicle-mounted antenna.
(step c. see illustration, page 4-5)
• Drive your patrol vehicle approxi-
mately to the same location as
your current dipole antenna set-up.
• Mount your vehicle antenna
(monopole or dipole) on the top
center of your patrol vehicle roof.
• Connect your meter to your patrol
vehicle docking station or directly
to the antenna’s cable, if a dock-
ing station is not available.
7. While in your vehicle, set-up your
leakage meter with the vehicle’s antenna
• Turn your meter “ON”.
4-3
 • Press the “SHIFT” key and the
leakage key. Your screen should
say “Leakage” at the top of the
screen.
• Check your screen, your meter
should be in “Measurement”
Mode. If your meter is in “Find
and Fix” Mode, press the Left Soft
key until measure is highlighted.
• Check the antenna icon at the top
of your screen. Check to be sure
that the antenna type mounted
on your vehicle is the same
antenna type selected on your
screen. For our example below,
we are selecting the vehicle
mount antenna:
a. The correct antenna for the cali-
brated leak, at this point,
should be the vehicle mount.
b.If the vehicle icon is not on
your screen at this point, use
the middle Soft key to press the
antenna icon until you have the
vehicle icon on your screen.
• Read the leakage level displayed
on your meter.
Vehicle
Antenna Factor
Leakage Level
Leakage Soft
Keys
4-4
8. Using the antenna compensation
adjustment, match the leakage meter
reading of the vehicle mount antenna
with the same value previously
recorded with the dipole antenna.
Compensation
factor for
calibrated leaks
Leakage Level
Antenna com-
pensation, used
to adjust cali-
brated leak lev-
els; use up &
down arrows to
change value
• You will need to compensate for
the difference in antennas.
Therefore, press your Right Soft
key, compensation icon.
• On the screen, to the left of the
compensation icon are two icons
Up arrow compensation icon &
Down arrow compensation icon.
• Use the Up or Down soft keys,
adjust the compensation value on
your screen so that the new
measured leakage value matches
the leakage level obtained with
the dipole antenna.
• When the leakage reading on your
meter and the level of leakage
generated from the source match,
your meter is calibrated with the
vehicle’s antenna.
• Push the compensation icon again
to lock-in your compensation value.
Note: The vehicle mounted antenna
settings do not affect the dipole settings.
9. You have now calibrated your patrol
vehicle’s best leakage set-up, by com-
pensating for the obstructions on it
(e.g. ladders, rack, antenna cable,
etc.). Turn your frequency-generat-
ing source “OFF”.

10. With your leakage meter docked

and vehicle antenna in place, you are
set-up for patrolling.

11. Make this a weekly routine to re-

calibrate your equipment.

step c

step a

step b
minimum of 10 feet / 3 meters

Calibrated Leak Illustration.

NOTE: move the vehicle away when performing step b. The vehicle has a large influence on the measured
field strength by the dipole antenna.

~ Patrol/Drive-Outs for
Leakage Sources in the Field

At this point of the guide, you should
be familiar with the functions of your
meter and the procedures for con-
ducting a calibrated leak successfully.
A good field technician must have a
good understanding of the basics
before they can successfully patrol for
cable leakage. If you feel confident in
your abilities so far, you are ready to
start patrolling for cable leakage.

4-5
 Patrol / Drive-out Diagram
Small Leak
The illustration indicates potential
leak detection areas in a typical
cable network diagram.
d
en
ad
He

Medium Leak

Big Leak

1. As a result of your vehicle antenna • Edit Antenna Type (i.e. Antenna Factor)
compensation, your vehicle and leak-
age detection equipment have been 3. Drive to the general location that
properly prepared to begin patrolling you will be patrolling. Upon arrival at
for leakage sources. your general destination:
• Turn your meter “ON”.
2. Final check: Is your leakage meter
set-up for the following functions? Do • Press the “SHIFT” and Leakage key.
any adjustments need to be made • Check that your meter is in
before you begin to patrol? With the “Measurement Mode”
up and down arrow key, scroll each of
• Make certain the vehicle
the functions on the configure screen
mount antenna is the active
to verify that the correct options are
antenna factor.
chosen for your situation.
• Alarm Condition • Adjust your alarm volume up or
down by using Left or Right
• Alarm Threshold
arrows.
• Alarm Mute Time-Out
• Leakage Units Vehicle
Antenna Factor
• Measurement Frequency
Reference
• Measurement Carrier Type Distance

• Tag Modulation Frequency Compensation

Factor
• Reference Distance
• Peak-hold Reset Period (i.e. Peak- Alarm volume

the-Leak)

4-6
4. Patrol the general vicinity for leak-
age sources. The best results are
obtained when patrolling at a slow
speed (ex. 20 mph).
5. As you patrol, listen for changes in
the rate of modulated tones coming
from your alarm. When the rate of tones
increases rapidly and then decreases
rapidly, you have located a leakage
source that should be monitored.
6. If needed, drive your patrol vehicle
back into the suspected high leakage
area to try to detect the general loca-
tion of the leakage source. Watch the
level detected on your meter and listen
to the alarm. If a leak of 20 µV/m or
above is detected, you will need to
check for the specific leakage source.
7. Stop the vehicle and prepare your
equipment to identify the specific
location of the leakage.

Hints for Effective Drive-Outs

Using ACTERNA's Leakage Test System

• Be safe and reliable; use a docking station

• Make sure the DS-1 docking station, used to mount the CLI-1450/1750, is in a
convenient position for the driver. Mount the VMA-3 vehicle mount antenna
in the middle of the truck's roof for best ground plane. Use a short cable
from the roof to the docking station, and make sure the antenna connectors
are mounted correctly, as there is a large amount of vibration in the truck.
• Keep the antenna installation in the truck in good condition.
- Use the CLI’s special “Measurement” mode with a new fast reaction alarm
sound indication to eliminate drive-by delay distance.
• Enter the expected distance from the cable plant to the truck; keep the dis-
tance to the cable as constant as possible.
- Keep a close eye on the distance from the truck to the cable plant for accu-
rate distance corrections.
- Use standard distances.

Strong variations in field-strength can The superposition of waves with dif-

be expected, even when moving the
truck just a few feet (or meter). It's
important to realize that a leaking
source generates multiple waves
which will hit your antenna from dif-
ferent directions. There will be a
direct wave, a standing wave and
reflected waves. As these waves
travel different distances, they arrive
at the antenna at different phases.
ferent phases at the antenna deter-
mines the measured field strength.
Example: The reflected wave arrives
at the antenna with a 180º phase shift
from the direct wave. When these two
waves are added, they zero themselves
out and the field-strength result will
read very low. Just moving a very small
distance can cause the two waves to

4-7
arrive at the antenna in-phase. After
accumulating at the antenna, you will
have twice the field-strength.

h
Pat
lected
Ref

Dire
ct Pa
th

Standing Wave

~ Measure a Specific Leakage

Source (Walk-About)
in the Field

At this stage of the manual, you have • Leakage meter (CLI-1450/1750)

identified a leakage source as a result
of patrolling. The procedures in this
section will assist you in identifying
the specific leakage source in the field.
1. Disconnect your meter from the
vehicle’s mounted antenna and/or the
docking station.
2. Gather the equipment needed to
conduct a site specific leakage test
• dipole antenna (HD-1)
• Adjustable 10-Foot Antenna Pole,
PL-1 (only required for FCC or CEN-
ELEC compliant measurements)
3. Press “SHIFT” and the Leakage key.
4. Change the antenna type to corre-
spond with your hand-held dipole
antenna (HD-1).

4-8
5. Press the “SHIFT” key followed by ty to determine the general location
the auto scale (#3) key to reset your of the leak source. The alarm on your
peak reading before you begin to scan meter will have rapid tones as you
the general vicinity for leakage. come closer to the highest leakage
source. Watch your peak signal on
Measurement your meter to determine the location
Mode
of the highest peak.
This mode is used
for patrol/drive- 8. Triangulation Method: If the leak source
out applications,
calibrated leaks is difficult to identify, the field techni-
and FCC/CENLEC cian can use the following procedures
testing.
to pinpoint a leakage location.
Triangulation is a simple method for
locating a leak’s source using a dipole
antenna. The steps in triangulation are:
Find & Fix Mode
(see illustration, page 4-10)
This mode is used • Stand in one spot (Position A)
for quickly guid- and rotate the dipole until the
ing the technician
towards the leak maximum meter reading is
sources for walk- obtained. Note the direction of
about, drop-to-
subscriber and the dipole. The leak is along an
in-home imaginary line perpendicular to
applications.
the dipole elements. Remember
the direction of this line.
6. Press the Left Soft key. Make certain • Move to another spot 15-20 feet
that you are in the “Find & Fix” Mode. away (Position B), parallel to the
cable, and again rotate the dipole
until a maximum reading is
obtained. The leak is along
another imaginary line perpendi-
cular to this new dipole position.
• The leak’s source is located where
the two imaginary lines intersect.

9. If the leakage source you have discov-

ered must be reported according to FCC
specifications, turn to the next section
and follow the procedures outlined.

7. With your leakage meter and hand-

held antenna, scan the general vicini-
4-9
10. If an FCC measurement is not 12. After the leakage source is
required, repair the leak. repaired, check for other leakage
sources in the area.

Triangulation Method

g
in
ld
ui
B

A B
15 to 20 feet (5 to 7 meters)

~ Measure a Leakage Source

for FCC or CENELEC
Compliance

In this section of the manual, we have take a site specific leakage reading
pinpointed a critical leakage source using FCC guidelines. Use the follow-
greater than 20 µV/m, which is not ing procedures to complete a FCC
FCC compliant. Therefore, we must compliant field measurement.

4-10
1. Mount your HD-1 dipole antenna antenna cannot be held 10 feet / 3
on the ACTERNA extension pole meters above the ground and still
and extend the antenna elements. be 10 feet / 3 meters from the
The ACTERNA pole is 10 foot (3 cable, the antenna may be held 10
meters) tall and is made of a non- feet / 3 meters above ground and
conductive fiberglass material. moved out 10 feet / 3 meters hori-
The most accurate leakage reading zontally from the cable.
is completed using this type of 3. After the antenna/pole is posi-
FCC / CENELEC compliant pole. tioned, turn the dipole antenna
Warning – Electrocution Hazard: elements to match the direction of
All field technicians should strictly the potential cable leakage source.
follow company policy regarding
precautions for using probes and 4. The field technician should now
antennas in the presence of high scan for the leakage peak. Clear
voltage power lines. the old peak readings by pressing
the “SHIFT” key followed by the
2. Strategically position the location auto scale (#3) key to remove any
of your antenna/pole with regard to peaks obtained prior to your final
the leakage source. The FCC / leakage scan. Conduct a leakage
CENELEC requires that cable leak scan by rotating the dipole anten-
measurements are to
be made with a reso-
nant half wavelength
dipole held horizon-
tally at a distance of
10 feet / 4 meters
above the ground, 10
feet / 3 meters from
the cable, and 10 feet /
3 meters from any
other conductors (any
metallic objects) in
the vicinity. Metal
10 ft (FCC) / 3 m (CENELEC)

objects, including
bucket lift booms, lad-
der racks, and other
conductive hardware
should be avoided.
Metal objects will dis-
tort the radiation pat-
tern of the antenna. 10 ft / 3 m
In the event that the

4-11
 na slowly until a new peak read-
ing is obtained. Lock the peak
reading by pressing the “SHIFT”
key followed by the #2 key. After
the peak reading has been estab-
lished on the leakage meter, the
final position of the dipole anten-
na should be perpendicular to the
actual leakage source.
5. Evaluate the peak reading, if the
meter reading is above legal limit
of 20 mV/m, it will need to be
repaired. Remember if the leakage
reading is greater than 50 mV/m,
the leakage source will need to be
documented, repaired, and report-
~ Ingress Measurement –
Why and When
The delivery of high quality cable sig-
nal is required by the advanced cable
customer who uses the cable system
for audio, video, Internet, telephony
and digital service transmission.
Though the number of advanced cable
subscribers is limited today; the pre-
dicted need for high quality service will
grow well into the future. With that in
mind, the delivery of high quality serv-
ice to our customers must be a priori-
ty. Futuristic subscribers of the cable
system will not tolerate traditional
analog services that are plagued with
frequency response problems, reflec-
tions, group delays, ingress caused by
inferior components, and poor installa-
4-12
ed to the FCC. Note: Always
check with the specific policies of
your cable system regarding FCC /
CENELEC guidelines.
6. Following the leakage detection
process, make arrangements to
have the leakage repaired. After
the leakage source has been
repaired, conduct a follow-up
check for additional or smaller
leaks that could be occurring in
the same area. Use the same
procedures for antenna position-
ing and meter reading as you
would for a new undiscovered
leakage source.
tion. The cable industry has advanced
in its techniques to identify and con-
trol egress; we must do a better job of
controlling ingress in order to insure
the growth and development of the
cable industry.
During home installation, the field tech-
nician will verify adequate tap levels,
connect the drop cable to the ground
block, and install all hardware required
for quality customer cable service. In
addition to these basic service respon-
sibilities, the technician should take
responsibility for checking for ingress
and to verify that the cable’s reverse
spectrum is clean. The completion of
this extra step can save a cable system
time, labor, and money as a result of
on-site detection/repair. In addition,
undetected, on-going ingress and
egress leakage contribute to the com-
bined interference that already affects
the quality of service provided to the
customer. Unless the field technician
adopts a standard ingress prevention
procedure, the quality of service provid-
ed to the advanced cable system sub-
scriber would always be in question.
With the growing demand for digital
carrier transmissions, the need to pre-
vent all potential sources of ingress
leakage into the cable system is critical.
Eliminating egress sources and reduc-
ing the potential for ingress into the
cable system will not be a quick fix.
Egress and ingress leakage sources
exist everywhere and will remain at vari-
ous frequency levels. The FCC requires
that leakage sources with a minimum of
20 µV/m must be repaired for the cable
system to remain compliant. If a cable
system’s goal is to reduce egress and
ingress levels in their overall cable sys-
tem, a minimum acceptable level of
egress and ingress leakage should be
suggested to the technician by their
cable system procedures.
Ingress is considered to be one of the
biggest obstacles in deploying inter-
active services over the return path of
the cable network. Most ingress (up to
95% of all ingress) originates in the
home and distribution network. Each
home's ingress is combined to accu-
mulate the total ingress noise level of
the entire network of homes serviced
by a node. Therefore, it's important
to keep each individual home under a
certain ingress threshold. You can get
the total ingress signature of a single
home at the tap. (for more detailed infor-
mation refer to the ACTERNA Wallchart: RF
Signal Leakage “Find & Fix” Guide)
During in-home installation or inspec-
tions, the minimum requirements of the
cable technician should include:
• Follow your cable system’s stan-
dard on minimum acceptable lev-
els of egress and ingress.
• Always use and check for good stan-
dard cable installation practices.
• After cable installation/inspection,
walk through the subscriber’s resi-
dence to check for egress leakage
sources
• Complete all egress testing first
(In-home testing is preferred to
testing outside the home).
• Complete an ingress test at the
ground block
For the first year, I got to run
behind the truck...
4-13
~ Guide for Leakage Detection
in the Home

Standard procedures suggested for com-
pleting a home installation/inspection.
Take the proper equipment
• Leakage detection meter
(CLI-1450 or CLI-1750)
• LST-1700 (for use with the
CLI-1750 only)
• Leakage detection antenna
(Hand-Held Dipole, HD-1)
• RF Input Line (test jumper)
age, to be sure that your configu-
ration functions are properly set-
up for your situation.
7. Check the current threshold read-
ing on the meter. The threshold
for home-leakage detection should
be set on 20 µV/m or the minimum
leakage level recommended by
your cable system.
8. Use the HD-1 to scan the cable
and hardware in the home.

Conduct all installation procedures 9. Scan for leakage; hold your HD-1
before checking for egress and ingress. antenna perpendicular to the
potential leakage source.
Check for Egress Leakage 10. Monitor the peak leakage reading
1. Always check and repair egress on your display screen and listen
leakage sources before detecting to the response of your meter
ingress sources. If you detect and alarm in order to identify specific
repair your egress sources first leakage sources.
you will also be repairing your 11. Identify any egress leakage
ingress sources. sources and repair them.
2. Attach the HD-1 antenna to your 12 Always conduct a follow-up check
leakage meter using supplied for egress in the area after you
coax cable. have completed a repair.
3. Attach and set-up your LST-1700,
if using the CLI-1750 meter.
4. Turn meter “ON”; Go to the leak-
age display screen by pressing the
“SHIFT” key followed by the leak-
age key.
5. Press the Left Soft key, check your
display screen for the “Find and
Fix” Mode.
6. Check you meter configuration
screen prior to checking for leak-

4-14
Set Your Meter to Check for Ingress
1. Turn your meter “ON” and press
the Navigator Key.
2. While in the navigator screen, use
the up and down arrow key to
select Ingress and then press
enter. The ingress screen should
be open on your screen display.
User
programmable
limits
Spectrum Display
Cursor for
frequency
identification
Ingress Soft Keys
The “scale adjustment” softkey is used to
provide the best view of the frequency
response. After selecting use the up and
down soft keys to the right. Press the “scale adjust-
ment” softkey when done.
is used to allow the field technician to
take a peak reading during ingress meas-
urement.
allows the field technician to zoom in and
out from frequency markers. Use the (+)
or (-) soft keys to zoom in or out.
3. While in the Ingress screen, check
and set your configuration factors
for measuring ingress by pressing
“SHIFT” key and the Configure key,
the following list of functions will
appear on your screen.
• Start frequency
• Stop frequency
• Resolution
• Dwell
• Check Limit
• Limit Value
Ingress configure
screen
While in the Configure Screen,
you can set-up of all the functions
listed above using the following
procedures. Note: Check with
your cable system procedures for
specific values that should be
used for your cable system.
a. Use up or down arrow keys to
select the function you want to
change.
b.Press “ENTER” key.
c. For each function, review each
option provided at the bottom
of the screen by pressing the up
or down arrow keys.
d.Select an option, then lock your
choice into the meter’s memory
by pressing the “ENTER” key.
e. In some situations, specific
numbers can be entered manu-
ally from the keypad. Review
the instructions provided for
setting-up each function.
f. Repeat steps from above to set-
up each function.
4-15
 Start Frequency: This function
allows the field technician to set
the starting MHz value from the
keypad. Set this function by
entering a starting value desired
for MHz and then press the
“ENTER” key.
Stop Frequency: This function
allows the field technician to set
the ending MHz value from the key-
pad. Set this function by entering a
stopping value desired for MHz and
then press the “ENTER” key.
Resolution: This function allows
the field technician to select the
screen resolution. Set this func-
tion by choosing one of the
options provided below. Press
the “ENTER” key when completed.
• Ultra (most common choice)
• High
• Medium
• Low
Dwell: This function allows the
field technician to set the mS (mil-
liseconds) value desired from the
keypad. Set this function by enter-
ing a desired value for mS and
then press the enter “ENTER” key.
Check Limit: This function allows
the field technician to check if the
carrier levels are within limits. Set
this function by choosing one of
the options provided below. Press
the “ENTER” key when completed.
• Yes (yes should always be selected)
• No
4-16
Limit Value: This function allows the
field technician to set the dBmV
value desired from the keypad. Set
this function by entering a desired
value for dBmV value and then
press the enter “ENTER” key.
Check for Ingress
1. You should always check and
repair all egress sources before
checking for ingress. If your
egress sources are eliminated,
you will also eliminate your
ingress sources.
2. Locate the ground block (tap) and
connect your meter and RF Input
Line (Test Jumper).
3. Turn your meter “ON”; press the
navigator button.
4. Select the ingress icon
and press “ENTER”.
5. At the top of your ingress screen
will be a “Pass” or a “Fail”, If you
read a “Pass”, your ingress work is
completed. If you receive a “Fail”
reading, you have not detected
and repaired your major egress
sources properly.
6. Once the ingress performance has
been verified, reconnect the cable
service to the ground block (tap).
I’m promoting you to do all the high voltage leakage measurements!

4-17

~ The FCC and the Cable
Industry
The Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) is the U.S. govern-
ment agency responsible for regulat-
ing the cable industry and enforcing
technical standards regarding cable
system leakage. Protecting the public
against RFI related problems from
computers, power lines, industrial
equipment, and communication
devices (e.g. cordless telephones,
cordless microphones, and other low
power equipment) are also included
in the FCC’s responsibilities.
The FCC as specified in 47, Code of
Federal Regulations, parts 15 and 76
~ Testing Beyond Regulation
In addition to the leakage require-
ments cited above, it becomes even
more necessary to test for leakage
when services such as telephony and
high-speed data are planned or imple-
mented, using the reverse path.
These services are susceptible to
interference from signals that may
ingress at a leak point. Because criti-
cal leaks are found at the drop and in
the house, it becomes necessary to
monitor for leaks at as low a level,
with as high a sensitivity as possible.
A leak that reads 19.5 µV/m in the
street may be significantly larger
inside the residence. The distance
Appendix A 5
regulates cable television. According
to the FCC, a cable system is defined
as a “non-broadcast facility” because
its signal is transmitted over “closed”
cables. Cable signals theoretically
should not interfere with other signal
reception because cable signals are
enclosed and shielded. Unfortunately,
the closed cable system is subject to
cable breakage, product malfunction,
improper installation, and occasional
vandalism. If cable leakage is left
unmanaged, it can have a dramatic
effect on air traffic control, television
quality, data communications, and
telephone services.
compensation feature of Acterna’s CLI
products makes a best effort at cor-
recting for distances, but reflections,
phase summing and canceling can
have an effect on accuracy of these
readings. Therefore, government reg-
ulations require that measurements
should be conducted in the following
consistent manner: 10 feet / 3 meters
from the leak and 10 feet / 3 meters
off the ground. The best practice is to
find the biggest leaks first, then grad-
ually increase the sensitivity of the
leakage meter in order to find every
leak regardless of size. Then, of
course, “fix it.”
5-1
~ General FCC Requirements
The FCC requires that cable systems
perform each of the following:
Regular Leakage Monitoring
Each cable system must either moni-
tor its entire plant at least once quar-
terly or supply field technicians with
the equipment needed to monitor
cable system leakage routinely.
Compliance with FCC regulations
require that the field technician:
• Identify and repair cable leakage
greater than 20 µV/m at 3 meters
(10 feet)
• Document and repair all leaks
greater than 20 microvolts per
meter (µV/m) in a reasonable
period of time.
• Maintain regular and complete
leakage logs and maintenance
reports. The logs must be kept on
file for at least 2 years.
Annual Leakage Measurement:
Each cable system must complete one
of two options annually:
Option 1: Ground Based Measurement
Perform a ground based signal leak-
age measurement test annually. This
requirement involves measuring the
leaks in a minimum of 75 percent of
the cable plant (including the worst
segments of the system) compute the
cumulative leakage index (CLI), and
report the test results to the FCC. For
ground based measurements, all leaks
5-2
that are 50 µV/m or greater at 10 ft / 3
meters are included in the CLI calcu-
lation.
Specifically, the technician will:
• Annually participate in a test to
measure leaks in accordance with
FCC signal leakage measurement
rules in order to gather the data
needed to compute the system’s CLI.
• Use an accurate, calibrated signal
leakage-measuring instrument with
a dipole antenna to measure signal
leakage. The instrument must be
able to detect and measure a 20
µV/m leak at 10 ft / 3 meters.
• Measure any leak at 10 ft / 3
meters, if possible (if not, meas-
ure as close to the leak as possi-
ble and note the estimated dis-
tance to the expected source).
• Rotate the dipole about the vertical
axis to obtain the highest possible
reading (i.e., peak out the signal).
• Maintain on file for at least 5
years an accurate log of all leaks
found that exceeds 20 µV/m at 10
ft / 3 meters.
Option 2: System Fly-over Measurement
Perform a signal leakage measure-
ment by conducting a system fly-over
annually. Measure the field strength
generated by the cable system using a
specially equipped airplane at an alti-
tude of 450 meters above the ground
and report the test results to the FCC.
Note: Fly-overs are generally con-
ducted by specialized engineering
contractors who have an equipped air-
craft with the appropriate measuring
instruments already installed.
~ Cumulative Leakage Index
(CLI)
In March 1985, new regulations gov-
erning frequency offsets, signal leak-
age and the cumulative leakage index
(CLI) were approved. All of the new
regulations went into effect on July 19,
1985 except for the CLI measurement
and reporting requirements, which
became effective on July 1, 1990.
The CATV system has the option of
selecting either of two methods of cal-
culating the CLI.
1. The Iinfinity (commonly called “I
of infinity”) is easier to compute
because it entails less data col-
lection; however, this method
penalizes large systems.
2. The I3000 method is a bit more
complex because it factors in the
distance of the leak with an imagi-
nary point 3000 meters above the
geographic center of the system.
For large systems, plan to gather
the distance data during ride-outs.
The FCC allows CATV systems to use
both methods to calculate CLI and
will accept the most favorable result.
For instance, the FCC considers a sys-
tem acceptable that passes I3000 but
fails Infinity. In other words, if a sys-
tem passes either test, it qualifies!
Computer Software
Most technicians will probably not be
called upon to compute the CLI without
the help of a personal computer and
specialized software. Computers can
calculate the CLI quickly and accurately.
5-3
 6 Appendix B

~ European CENLEC – EN
50083-8 Regulations

Recommended frequency range is Leakage must be within limits:

Band II. The measurement must be • Less than 20 dBpW at a distance
repeatable: of 3 meters (30 to 1000 MHz)
• Dipole 3 meters from leak and 4
• Less than 20 uV/m at a distance of
meters above the ground
3 meters (30 to 1000 MHz)
• Dipole should be rotated about a
vertical axis and maximum read-
ing recorded
• Other conductors must be 3 or
more meters away from the meas-
uring antenna
• The measurement range should
be free from obstacles

6-1
 Appendix C 7

~ Length of Antenna Elements

for the HD-1

NTCA - Frequencies Length of Elements in inches

115.2750 24.50
121.2625 23.50
127.2625 22.25
133.2625 21.25
139.2500 20.25

HRC - Frequencies Length of Elements in inches

120.0 23.5
126.0 22.5
132.0 21.5
138.0 20.5

PAL - B/G Length in centimeters

119.25 60.4
126.25 57.0
133.25 54.0

PAL - UK Length in centimeters

128.0 56.2
136.0 52.9

SECAM - L Length in centimeters

120.0 60.0
128.0 56.2
136.0 52.9

7-1
 8 Appendix D

~ Most Frequently Asked Questions

1. What Antenna is used as a reference for all leakage measurements?

A. The Dipole

2. If I take measurements using a Monopole or vehicle mount antenna without

referencing a Dipole will the readings be accurate?
A. NO the dipole is the absolute reference.

3. Can I compensate other antennas to read closer to a dipole Antenna?

A. Yes, you can by using the Acterna dipole antenna HD-1.

4. What kind of a Calibrated Leak should be used?

A. You should create a 20 uv/m leak at 10ft and 10ft above ground as a
Reference using a Dipole Antenna.

5. Should the Dipole Antenna be compensated for 20 uv/m?

A. NO because it should be an absolute reference.

6. How do you adjust the alarm volume on the CLI-1450/HWTK-1750?

A. You can raise and lower the alarm by pressing the left and right arrow keys.
You can mute the alarm by pressing the enter key.

7. What is the charger voltage needed to charge my CLI-1450/HWTK-1750?

A. 12Vdc at 800ma.

8. What should the tag frequency be set to?

A. 20-23 HZ works the best.

9. Which antenna is most accurate?

A. The most accurate and repeatable measurements are made using a dipole
antenna located at the required reference distance.

8-1