How to verify SMA pcb connector

[GibbsFE]

Hi All,

I am not an EE, and honestly as far as I got is Ohm's Law. However, I am having problems with a RF signal either not being properly transmitted or received, and I want to see if there is a way to check connectors with a multimeter?

I have two mini SMA connectors - one soldered on a pcb board and one on a transducer, both part of a (metal chassis) machine to transmit energy out of the transducer. They are connected by a coaxial cable.

I believe the problem may be with how the pcb SMA is soldered, or at the transducer SMA.

With the coxial cable removed, I have electrical contact between both SMA bodies, which makes sense given the machine is metal. But what about center conductor to center conductor? I am getting electrical contact there as well. It doesn't seem right to me, but I admit I don't RF transmission.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[VEBill]

These forums provide picture upload, using the buttons a bit left of the happy face, above the reply box. A picture of the situation would assist to clarify the overview.

RF can be tricky, because signal paths can have series capacitors blocking DC, and parallel inductors looking like shorts. But if you're looking at something that should give continuity and it doesn't, then it's worth further examination. Just need to be careful not to jump to conclusions.

PS. SMA are supposed to be torqued quite gently, surprisingly gently. A few INCH!!-lbs, varies a bit. So peek inside the cable connectors, on the cables, to see if any have been mangled by over torque.