Circuit analyzer

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I am thinking about purchasing either an Amprobe insp-3 or and Ideal 165-65 suretest Circuit analyzer. They are simular in price and functions. Does anybody have a recomendation or oppionion. I also found an Extech model but saw several neagative reviews of the Extech brand as a whole. are there anyother models that are out there that would be good for simple home electrical inspections.
 

electric_cal

Member
Location
California
We have an Amprobe Insp 3. We got it to help us with an AFCI breaker problem that we had on 1 of our construction jobs. By using the Insp 3, we were able to prove that the problems we had with some of the AFCI brealers tripping was not due to our installation, but in fact was due to the breakers. We obtained new breakers from the manufacturer, that were their next generation AFCIs. Problem solved. :D I would highly recommend this device. :thumbsup:
 
Thanks for the info. I am leaning toward the amprobe anyway. reading the manual it seems like it might be easier to read and understand.

and on a side note. with 100+ views I would have thouht I would have gotten more replies. I know I have been out of construction for a while and just getting back into it but have electricains became less opionated than they used to be. LOL
 
Ideal Industries SureTest 61-165 vs Amprobe INSP-3

Ideal Industries SureTest 61-165 vs Amprobe INSP-3

I too have been looking into both the Ideal Industries SureTest 61-165 and the Amprobe INSP-3. These two models seem to be the top two to choose from... but which is best? I want to know as well.

A gentleman by the name of Mike Sokol, who also happens to be a forum member (jmsokol), had this to say in response to a similar inquiry (see http://forums.mikeholt.com/showthread.php?t=146225&page=5):
Peter,

In addition to the INSP-3 and Ideal SureTest, I also have the Extech CT-70 and have compared all three testers both on my test bench and in the field. I still have my "antique" Woodhead Ground Loop Impedance Tester (GLIT for short) with a big analog meter, which still works great but offers much less intel than a modern load tester. Guess that makes me an antique as well...

I would leave the Extech CT-70 out of the running since it has too many screens to go through for info, and the information is too spread out for a quick evaluation. Also, there's no primary screen indication of a Bootleg Ground, which is important when testing a lot of rental property outlets.

That leaves the Amprobe INSP-3 and the Ideal SureTest. Both units seem to have similar accuracy since we've tried them out on the same outlets and they read close to the same numbers. However, I did not confirm their accuracy with an independent measurement, which is what I would do using a calibrated meter and known resistance load. But I've gotta believe their accuracy is close enough for field work. (I used to build nuclear missile guidance systems in a previous life, so calibration procedures were drilled into me...)

Both the SureTest and INSP-3 provide similar info, but the SureTest is a little quicker to use since it gives you a pass/fail indicator on the first screen that's pretty clear. The INSP-3 gives you more data on the first page, but you have to really work to interpret what it all means. For instance, while either tester finds a bootleg ground, the INSP-3 just blinks the actual impedance reading number, while the SureTest actually has 3 lights on screen that show up like a cube tester, and the ground "light" blinks a big F for false ground if it determines there's too low of a impedance between the Neutral and Ground (less than 15 feet of wire). So a wiring fault that could be overlooked on the INSP-3's smaller display is really obvious on the SureTest display. Also, the fluorescent display of the SureTest is easier to see than the INPS-3, especially at a distance, so that could be helpful to somebody with less than perfect vision (like me).

Both the Amprobe INSP-3 and Ideal SureTest have a nice carrying case with a short "euro" power plug, and both seem equally rugged. I would make the SureTest my first choice, then the INSP-3 as a second choice, and finally the CT-70. All of them will get you there, but the SureTest is the easiest one to drive.

Finally, remember that none of these GLIT's can tell the difference between a CPBG (Correct Polarity Bootleg Ground) and an RPBG (Reverse Polarity Bootleg Ground) outlet. To know the difference you'll either need to use a DMM [Digital Multi-Meter
] or Wiggy from the outlet ground contact to a known earth connection such as a copper water pipe, a long extension cord ground that's plugged into a known-good outlet, a test wire run back to the service panel bonding point, or easiest of all a NCVT [Non-Contact Voltage Tester] such as a Fluke VoltAlert or Amprobe VoltProbe. I really think using an NCVT as a quick check to discover any "hot" grounds followed up with an intelligent load tester such as an Ideal SureTest would be a very solid outlet check and quick to perform.

Mike Sokol

Mr. Sokol has also posted a few YouTube videos in which he test electrical receptacles using both the Ideal Industries SureTest 61-165 and the Amprobe INSP-3.

Reviews on Amazon.com appear to be made by amateur do-it-yourself electricians, so I think their comments offer limited value. They are not capable of a critical, in-depth analysis of these products.

Amprobe has a "reviews" feature on their website as a means of rating their products. Here is a link to the reviews on the Amprobe INSP-3:

You'll notice a few negative reviews regarding some percieved deficiencies in the INSP-3. A few reviewers did not use the device correctly, thus leading to their negative view of the product, while others seem to have found some genuine deficiencies. Credit to Amprose for being open and transparent with regards to these reviews and opinions. The Ideal Industries website does not have a similar "review" feature.

So, I don't know which device is better. I am not a trained electrician, but I do need a circuit analyzer to test a few electrical receptacles. Naturally, I want one without deficiencies.

I would be curious to know what further information you can find that will allow you to narrow your decision to one device or the other.

dcfelix
 
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PetrosA

Senior Member
The most important thing to define is what your needs are from such a tester. If it's testing AFCI breakers, neither of them has a great track record - through no fault of their own (although Amprobe claims to have improved their firmware recently). GFCI testing probably works fine on either model. The data they gather about circuit health will probably be similar.
 

FionaZuppa

Senior Member
Location
AZ
Occupation
Part Time Electrician (semi retired, old) - EE retired.
We have an Amprobe Insp 3. We got it to help us with an AFCI breaker problem that we had on 1 of our construction jobs. By using the Insp 3, we were able to prove that the problems we had with some of the AFCI brealers tripping was not due to our installation, but in fact was due to the breakers. We obtained new breakers from the manufacturer, that were their next generation AFCIs. Problem solved. :D I would highly recommend this device. :thumbsup:

big "yellow" to smaller "green" AF breakers ??
 

RLyons

Senior Member
Not terribly impressed with my insp-3
from another post:

quote_icon.png
Originally Posted by RLyons
I had to have mine replaced after hitting the AFCI test one to many times on a GFCI circuit :slaphead:....no smoke though it did indicate on the screen it needed to be repaired. I don't know how much I trust this thing as you plug it in and it says it fails voltage drop then you unplug it and plug it in again and it passes. On GFCI circuits you are suppose to hit the GFCI test button before plugging it in so it gives you polarity and voltage drop then instructing you to "hit GFCI" to test. Allot of the times it just trips the GFCI and doesn't give me the polarity and voltage drop. Another weird thing I came across was a GFI recept that didn't trip when I hit the test button or when using a plug tester the isp3 tripped it and said the gfi was working properly.
 

PetrosA

Senior Member
Interesting that there aren't many comments on the Ideal tester yet. Anyone?

What gets me is that at the price range these testers are in (~ $300) you'd think any one of the big name manufacturers could make a solid tool that would last for years and work dependably on at least the diagnosis and GFCI tests (I'll give them the benefit of the doubt on the AFCI testing since we all know how open the breaker manufacturers are about their proprietary algorithms). I paid about $335 for my INSP-3, which isn't much less that you'd pay for a Fluke 87 V or my Agilent U1272A, both of which are high quality, industrial grade multimeters that can take a beating. The main difference between them is my INSP-3 is made here in the US instead of in Asia.
 

busman

Senior Member
Location
Northern Virginia
Occupation
Master Electrician / Electrical Engineer
I had the Amprobe and it died after less than 6 months. Bought the Ideal and loving it for the past few years.

Mark
 
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