Calibration - Minimizing your Workload

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The Return Loss calibration is the same calibration as performed for the One Port Insertion Loss and Distance to Fault (when it is performed with Frequency Range set to manual) measurements. If you have already calibrated for any of these three measurements, the calibration will apply to the other two measurements and "Calibrated" (together with the frequency range over which the calibration was performed) will be displayed on top left of the screen for all three if the Start and the Stop frequencies are set within the calibrated frequency range.
The Distance to Fault calibration (when it is performed with Frequency Range set to Auto) is only valid for other Distance to Fault measurements that are also performed with Frequency Range set to Auto, and then only if the Start and the Stop Frequencies fall within the previously calibrated frequency range.
If you have not previously performed a calibration, the word "Uncalibrated" appears at the top left of the measurement screen.
It is important that you keep the calibration frequency range as close as possible to the actual sweep frequencies you intend using for the measurement or measurements. Calibrating over a large frequency range (for example, 1 GHz) when you only intend measuring over a much smaller range (a few kHz, for example) will reduce your measurement accuracy.
If you plan to perform a combination of One-Port Insertion Loss measurement, Return Loss measurement, and Distance to Fault measurements using a frequency range that you will set manually, you can perform one calibration for all three measurements as long as you calibrate over a frequency range that incorporates all three of your measurements, and as long as your cables do not change. For this reason, if you are doing Distance to Fault measurements (using a frequency range that you have set manually) as well as any type of Insertion Loss measurement, Agilent recommends that you select your cable type before performing calibrations. Press [Mode], [Antenna/Cable], [Distance to Fault], [Cable Type] to set the cable type.
The calibration remains valid until you do any one of the following:
set the Distance to Fault frequency range to Auto. Note that the calibration will become valid again as soon as you switch from Auto back to Manual Frequency Range.
power off the test set
change the start frequency to a new value that lies below the start frequency of your previous calibration
change the stop frequency to a new value that lies above the stop frequency of your previous calibration
change any of the jumper leads that you used for the calibration
change any of the attenuators that you used for the calibration
change the type of cable specified under the [Cable Type] menu key.