A non-contact acoustic signal propagation property evaluation system, the system comprising: a support including a passageway configured to receive a rope to be evaluated, the passageway having a first side and a second side; a first transducer supported by the support and spaced from the first side of the passageway, and configured to convert a first electrical signal into an acoustic signal directed towards the second side of the passageway; and a second transducer supported by the support and spaced from the second side of the passageway and radially aligned with the first transducer; characterized in that: the system is a non-contact acoustic signal propagation property evaluation system for synthetic ropes; the second transducer is configured to receive and convert first and second portions of the acoustic signal into a second electrical signal, wherein, in use, said first portion of the acoustic signal would have propagated through the rope to be evaluated in a transverse direction and the second portion of the acoustic signal would have passed around a perimeter of the rope to be evaluated; and the system further comprises: a signal processing circuit configured to receive and convert the second electrical signal into a digital signal; and a processor connected to the signal processing circuit and adapted to execute computer readable code configured to compare the digital signal with reference data to attribute properties of the digital signal to acoustic propagation properties of the rope and provide a structural health measure of the rope based in part on the acoustic propagation properties of the rope. a support including a passageway configured to receive a rope to be evaluated, the passageway having a first side and a second side; a first transducer supported by the support and spaced from the first side of the passageway, and configured to convert a first electrical signal into an acoustic signal directed towards the second side of the passageway; and a second transducer supported by the support and spaced from the second side of the passageway and radially aligned with the first transducer; characterized in that: the system is a non-contact acoustic signal propagation property evaluation system for synthetic ropes; the second transducer is configured to receive and convert first and second portions of the acoustic signal into a second electrical signal, wherein, in use, said first portion of the acoustic signal would have propagated through the rope to be evaluated in a transverse direction and the second portion of the acoustic signal would have passed around a perimeter of the rope to be evaluated; and the system further comprises: a signal processing circuit configured to receive and convert the second electrical signal into a digital signal; and a processor connected to the signal processing circuit and adapted to execute computer readable code configured to compare the digital signal with reference data to attribute properties of the digital signal to acoustic propagation properties of the rope and provide a structural health measure of the rope based in part on the acoustic propagation properties of the rope. the system is a non-contact acoustic signal propagation property evaluation system for synthetic ropes; the second transducer is configured to receive and convert first and second portions of the acoustic signal into a second electrical signal, wherein, in use, said first portion of the acoustic signal would have propagated through the rope to be evaluated in a transverse direction and the second portion of the acoustic signal would have passed around a perimeter of the rope to be evaluated; and the system further comprises: a signal processing circuit configured to receive and convert the second electrical signal into a digital signal; and a processor connected to the signal processing circuit and adapted to execute computer readable code configured to compare the digital signal with reference data to attribute properties of the digital signal to acoustic propagation properties of the rope and provide a structural health measure of the rope based in part on the acoustic propagation properties of the rope. a signal processing circuit configured to receive and convert the second electrical signal into a digital signal; and a processor connected to the signal processing circuit and adapted to execute computer readable code configured to compare the digital signal with reference data to attribute properties of the digital signal to acoustic propagation properties of the rope and provide a structural health measure of the rope based in part on the acoustic propagation properties of the rope.