[Boatanchors] [Test-Equipment] Bird Termaline Question

[Jim Wiley]

Kind of unlikely that Bird made a mistake,  but there are other 
possibilities:

1.  Did you check using more than one ohmmeter?  It is not unheard of 
for test equipment to be significantly out of calibration.

2.  Perhaps the load was damaged by too much power. and just happened to 
drift up to the  73.5 ohms you measured.  Resistors damaged by overload 
tend to move higher, but not always.  Depending on the physical 
configuration,  for example loads designed to be attached to a heat sink 
but run without one, overload is easy to accomplish

3.  Perhaps it is actually mislabeled, perhaps by another user.   Do the 
screws attaching the label to the fins (if any) or the body of the dummy 
load show signs of tampering?  And yes, Bird company could have in fact 
goofed up.  As I said, unlikely, but not impossible.

4.  the connector on the load could be cold-soldered or intermittent.  
Gently tap the load around the connector to see if shaking it or flexing 
the connector causes the meter to wiggle. Shake the load,  Does it 
rattle?   If so, suspect internal damage.

5.  Perhaps there be gremlins loose somewhere

- Jim, KL7 CC





On 2/4/2017 10:17 AM, Doug Hensley wrote:
> I just received what was supposed to be and what certainly looks like a NOS (new old stock) Bird Termaline dummy load.  The label is marked 150 Watt, 50 Ohm.
>
>
> When I put my Fluke meter on it, it measures 73.5 ohms.  Not the kind of response I get from my old Heathkit cantenna nor my OHR RFL-100 which is like 50.1 ohms.
>
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> Has anyone seen this problem or heard about it?  Could Bird have made a mistake or could the vendor have swapped labels?
>
>
> Thank you,
>
>
> Doug W5JV
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