Why not collect data with the highest Fmax setting supported by your analyzer (and just 800 lines)?

When conducting vibration analysis, the Fmax setting refers to the maximum frequency that can be captured during data collection. Using the highest Fmax setting supported by your analyzer while only collecting 800 lines of data can result in reduced resolution.

Resolution in vibration analysis is critically important because it determines how accurately you can identify and measure frequency components within the spectrum of interest. A higher Fmax allows for the observation of higher frequency data, but if the number of data lines (bandwidth) collected is kept low, the distribution across the frequency range becomes coarse. This means that features that may be important for diagnosing issues in machinery could be missed or inadequately represented.

In summary, selecting an elevated Fmax setting with a limited number of lines can lead to a situation where there aren't enough data points to accurately represent the data, thus compromising the quality of the analysis. This is why it's advisable to strike a balance between the Fmax setting and the number of data lines collected to maintain optimal resolution for effective diagnosis.