Cooper Instruments & Systems WTM 502 Wire Tension Meter - Manual (Page 6)

2.2 Measurement Practices
Warning
Do not apply tension greater than rated capacity of the instrument or overload damage
to the sensor may result.
Do not use the WTM 502 with cable larger than indicated on the sheaves. Overload
and damage to the instrument may result.
Do not mix sheave sizes. This will result in inaccurate measurement and possible
overload.
For best measurement, install the WTM 502 at least 2 feet (0.6m) from terminations, clamps or other
hardware. Do not install over the top of wire wrappings.
Take readings at three different places along the cable, moving the tension meter at least four inches for
each reading. Take the average of the readings. The built-in average function is ideal for this task.
Do not use the WTM 502 to measure tension for wires if both of the following are true:
1. No wire calibrations are stored of the same diameter as the wire you are looking to measure, and
2. You do not have sheaves of the same diameter.
If both of these conditions exist, contact Cooper Instruments.
Contact Cooper Instruments to improve accuracy for a specific wire type by calibrating to it.
Insure that the wire rope is riding in the groove of all three sheaves.
Insure sheaves installed agree with sheaves noted in the Wire calibration.
Exception: Sheaves match the wire diameter of the cable to be measured and alternate calibration is
selected as per section 5.2.
The WTM 502 has an internal temperature sensor inside the electronics cavity. Dramatic temperature
changes (such as moving from a warm vehicle to cooler outdoors) requires time for the sensor to reach
the same temperature. Direct sunlight will heat the electronics cavity and cause higher readings than
actual ambient temperature. Ins these cases, use a separate thermometer to determine temperature. Be
certain to enter this temperature into the WTM 502 if using the quick-tensioning mode with the
temperature dependent acceptance window.
For best tension accuracy, use the exact temperature of the wire. This may be widely different from the
ambient temperature if the cable has been sitting in direct sunlight.
2.3 Softkey Functions
Now that you’ve seen a simpler operation, we’ll explain the softkey functions. Figure 5 shows the softkeys
available during normal operation.
FIGURE 5. NORMAL MODE SOFTKEYS
CF 142 4 V 08/09/05