Common Problems
If you are having trouble with a Kingfisher PON power meter, please check the following:
The instrument won't turn on:
- If the instrument has alkaline batteries, just replace them and try again.
- Early version of these instruments have rechargeable batteries, which may cause other problems:
- The problem could be a faulty battery. Try using it with the external power supply connected.
- The charger may be faulty. Try using another similar charger, or check the charger output with a voltmeter. The charger is specific to the instrument, and should be around 8.4V DC
An optical power level seems to be wrong or unstable
- Check that the meter ports are connected the right way round into the target PON system.
- Clean and inspect all instrument and patch cable connectors and through connectors. Try using different patch leads and thru connectors, or turn them around.
- Note that unlike other power meters, a PON meter has a fiber connected internal interface, so it is sensitive to dirt and damage. Clean and inspect both meter internal interfaces.
- Check that a (green coloured body) APC Angle Polish Connector SC is mated with the instrument. A (blue coloured) PC connector may not connect properly
- Try gently waggling attached optical connectors, and observe the meter reading variation. If the instrument interface has been broken / bent / worn out, this will cause a very unstable reading, and the instrument will require (non-warranty) repair.
A laser test source doesn't seem to work properly with this meter
- Laser test sources may appear to randomly work or fail with a PON meter. This is because the useful wavelength window on a PON meter is tpyically 6.5 nm, whereas the wavelength tolerance of any test sources may be 30 nm. Special test sources are available with a tight wavelength tolerance. Unfortunately many PON meter manufacturers fail to make this obvious. For example they quote PON meter accuracy of eg 0.5 dB at the exact center wavelength (eg exactly 1310, 1490, 1550 nm), and then they quote a quite broad "passband", however a "passband" spec is a 3 dB spec, quite useless for test purposes.
