Circuit Tracers

[jmellc]

I think we discussed circuit tracers awhile back but what are you guys using now and having good results with? The boss told me I can buy one on his dime & I want something good but hopefully not the most expensive.

Thanks for any feedback.

 

[ActionDave]

Amprobe Pasar (sp?). I didn't have to buy it but, it's the one I would buy and would hold out for even if I had to save up.

 

[Cow]

I use an Amprobe AT-2005. I believe there is an Ideal model that is similar also, that works well from what I've read on the forum.

 

[cadpoint]

I use the Sperry Circuit Breaker Finder. If you enlarge the link note that it has a built in wood head. Plugging into any receptacle sends a signal that the wand of the base unit
pickups and as one wand's over the correct breaker.

If a radio is also used on the same circuit the scream of the wand movement will cause audio static on radio when a breaker is isolated! Thus you could be elsewhere and still
ID a continuation receptacle circuit.

Other accessories are available that also interface with wand, like a female receptacle with alligator clips and a lamp alligator clip.

So one could get by with all this for about $100.

 

[Little Bill]

I use the Sperry Circuit Breaker Finder. If you enlarge the link note that it has a built in wood head. Plugging into any receptacle sends a signal that the wand of the base unit
pickups and as one wand's over the correct breaker.

If a radio is also used on the same circuit the scream of the wand movement will cause audio static on radio when a breaker is isolated! Thus you could be elsewhere and still
ID a continuation receptacle circuit.

Other accessories are available that also interface with wand, like a female receptacle with alligator clips and a lamp alligator clip.

So one could get by with all this for about $100.

This is not a circuit tracer. It is just what the name implies, a circuit BREAKER finder.

A circuit tracer will trace both live and dead wires. It could also find the circuit breaker. But a "breaker finder" can only locate breakers/fuses and the circuit must be live.

 

[Fulthrotl]

Amprobe Pasar (sp?). I didn't have to buy it but, it's the one I would buy and would hold out for even if I had to save up.

yep. model 326B.

25 year old design, developed by Austin Wright in colorado.
i had mine stolen, bought another. it's that good. bought the
second one NIB for $400 on ebay.

fluke bought them, didn't change a thing, raised the price 25%.

also got a $1,250 ideal. also mentioned on the forum, and very good.
if i had to pick one only, i'd go with the pasar.

 

[electricalist]

I have an ideal 61-956 belongs to the company. I don't know how much it cost.
I have found using these type tools is almost an art form. I watched the demo video many times to get the hang of it. Sometimes experiences in understanding how the circuit could be ran is why for some ,,,one kind work great but not for me.
Which ever you choose. Practice on things that you know how it was ran.

 

[cadpoint]

This is not a circuit tracer. It is just what the name implies, a circuit BREAKER finder.

Ah, No, if one uses the Sperry wood head in a receptacle and goes to any other receptacle or light on that same circuit it will alarm. I walked around my house and tested it. I did notice that if a mini-transformer was attached in trying to test a receptacle the wand won't find it, remove the trannie and it read perfect just like if one was at the breaker.

A circuit tracer will trace both live and dead wires. It could also find the circuit breaker. But a "breaker finder" can only locate breakers/fuses and the circuit must be live.

I kind debunked that statement in respects to the first part of second sentence of that statement.

I didn't know that a "circuit tracer" by design had to be able to do both live and dead
circuits!
If one looks at the top five pictured items of circuit finder, four have a 3 prong plug.
circuit finder

If the OP really want a circuit tracer, spend some real money and get
http://www.tasco-usa.com/ . They in fact build the Greenlee model the cool thing
about the Tasco model is that it states which circuit it is at any reading from the
probe, I don't beleive this one little aspect comes with the Greenlee model. I can't remember if it's a live only system or dead or alive. Models come with 24 or 42 probes.

 

[Fulthrotl]

If the OP really want a circuit tracer, spend some real money and get
http://www.tasco-usa.com/ . They in fact build the Greenlee model the cool thing
about the Tasco model is that it states which circuit it is at any reading from the
probe, I don't believe this one little aspect comes with the Greenlee model. I can't remember if it's a live only system or dead or alive. Models come with 24 or 42 probes.

it's live or dead, either one.
i bought one used this weekend off the for sale forum here.
the thing is freaking awesome. it had been sitting on here for most of a year.
gotta remember to check that from time to time.

you pull the panel cover off, and clip on a little ct on each branch circuit
and plug it into the circuit number. there are 42 ports on my unit. then
you turn it on, and walk around to each plug, light, or whatever else you
want to identify, including wires in a condulet, gutter, or anywhere else.

then you take the receiver, and put it next to the wire. it tells you what
the circuit number is. no walking back and forth, zip. you can map an
entire building with this, quickly. i just did a small office in about 20 minutes.