Nov 30, 2016: The PowerAIM-120 is no longer available. It will be replaced by the PowerAIM-150 early in 2017.

The latest versions of the PowerAIM manual and the program are here: PROGRAM UPDATE (The program can be run in the demo mode without the hardware.)

The PowerAIM 120 is based on the same techniques used in the popular AIM4170 and AIM4300. The primary distinction is the ability of the PowerAIM to make readings in the presence of strong RF interference. The AIM4170 can tolerate up to 0.1 volt of stray RF at it's input, while the PowerAIM can tolerate up to 25 volts of stray RF. The parameters that are calculated include: SWR referenced to any impedance Resistance and reactance at the cable input Resistance and reactance at the antenna terminals Resistance and reactance of discrete components Return loss Reflection coefficient Cable length Cable impedance Cable loss Distance to fault (open or short) Marker sets to collect data at specific frequencies Two Smith chart displays Band scan for interfering signals Quartz crystal parameters The scan data can be saved to disk or printed to compare before and after results. It can also be imported into spreadsheet programs for further analysis.

The PowerAIM software features include all the capability of the AIM4170 and it has additional features designed for commercial antenna system testing. The following example shows how measurements can be made on a 160 meter vertical even when strong broadcast stations are only a few miles away. The disturbance due to each station extends only about 20KHz around the carrier. A report on this evaluation study is available here.

The menu for the PowerAIM features is shown below: Up to twenty markers can be defined at one time. Sets of markers can be saved in files and easily recalled for specific applications. Below is an example of the marker data display:

The software includes digital signal processing routines to smooth out glitches on the same channel where measurements are being made. The following pictures show a scan with strong interference near the center. This picture is the same data after processing:

Another feature in the software package is the ability to display two Smith charts with one of them rotated by a specified angle. Markers are also indicated by red dots on the Smith charts.

An article on applications of the PowerAIM has been published in Radio Guide magazine. The article is available here in pdf format.