Non-Contact DC Detector

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big john

Senior Member
Location
Portland, ME
Once upon a time I swear I saw an ad for a non-contact DC voltage detector, but for the life of me I can't find it. It was a pen-style just like the AC ones that are so common.

I work with a ton of 125VDC controls and it would be fantastic to be able to stick a little detector into a nest of wires to see if I had any hots.

Anyone heard of a device like this or know where it could be found?

Thanks.

-John
 
eric9822

eric9822

Senior Member
Location
Camarillo, CA
Occupation
Electrical and Instrumentation Tech
Extech makes one, model number 401050. Google "Non Contact Voltage Detector DC" and you will see others.
 
ELA

ELA

Senior Member
Occupation
Electrical Test Engineer
zog said:
In theory, if you wave it back and forth in a DC field it might work :)
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I thought that was what an electrostatic voltmeter did for you?
I have used them to measure surface (electrostatic) charge but never attempted to use them on an electrical DC source wire. Seems like as long as the DC source voltage was higher than the "noise level" electrostatic charge on the wire surface that it could work?
 
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big john

Senior Member
Location
Portland, ME
wptski said:
That Extech model is a non-contact AC detector but a contact DC detector from 1.5V-36VDC.
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Yeah, that's all I've been able to find as well.
StephenSDH said:
If there is such a thing I don't know how it would detect the DC.
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I don't know, either. That's why I was sorta hoping, but maybe no such animal.

Nuts. Maybe what I want doesn't exist. I know they sell "current sensors." I wonder if they have a hall-effect wand for DC...?

-John
 
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