finding lost speaker wires?

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Jeff Weissman Electric

Jeff Weissman Electric

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Park City, Utah
A customer just closed on a new home today. it has wires in the ceiling for rear speakers, in two rooms, no attic, no Jbox with covers, no free king clue as to where they are.

What wire finder tools are available?
 
Probably the regular fox and hound would work. I'd certainly give that a try. It's only drywall, I presume, so it should work pretty well.
 
celtic said:
Will a tone generator penetrate sheetrock?
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Sure will. You can also use a metal detector (like the kind you use to find lost rings on a beach) as a receiver too. It's a lot more sensitive than the bananna receiver that comes with the fox and hound.
 
Jeff Weissman Electric said:
Fox & hound?
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Tone generator.

What may be happening is that the wires are shorted at that far end.

When I hook up the tone generator to a set of wires I verify it's still 'toning' after I make the second connection.
 
Some tone sets also have a 'continuity' tester built into them Check for a short if it does, or else use a regular meter.

Jeff Weissman Electric said:
A customer just closed on a new home today. it has wires in the ceiling for rear speakers, in two rooms, no attic, no Jbox with covers, no free king clue as to where they are.

What wire finder tools are available?
Click to expand...

This is why I walk the job after I'm finished roughing in at take lots of photos. Every wall gets an image if there's something in it.
 
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Jeff Weissman Electric said:
Fox & hound?
More specific or a link MD?
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"The FOX is a lightweight, compact, battery powered instrument designed to perform a variety of tests on telephone lines. Alligator clips and a modular plug allow the FOX to be quickly connected to stripped wires, a terminal panel, or a standard modular jack (single line). Two selector switches set the function of the FOX, while an LED acts as a visual indicator.

The original HOUND is a portable, hand-held, inductive tracer that will aid in identification of wires without piercing the insulation. It can trace the Fox's tone through dry wall, wood and many other non-metal surfaces. The HOUND has a self-contained amplifier and a rugged, moisture resistant, Mylar cone speaker. When used in conjunction with the Triplett FOX, wire tracing is quick and efficient."

3385k.jpg
 
I use an Ideal cable locator. It is awesome. It works on energized or de-energized ckt.'s. It is the only accurate breaker tracer I have come across.

It will find buried speaker wires, where the "Fox and Hound" fail.

I was on a job recently where the cable guy said my RG6-U was open. It was a commercial job, with many coax's coming into the equiptment room.

My Ideal set-up "toned" through a splitter hidden in the attic.

The receiver has a 0-99 display. It also has four power ranges. It rocks! I call it my secret weapon. Well worth $460 bucks.
 
Sparky....got a link or pic of it?


I really need to get a tool to find wires/boxes broken/buried in walls....I'd make the same money ~ just be done sooner :)
 
celtic said:
Sparky....got a link or pic of it?


I really need to get a tool to find wires/boxes broken/buried in walls....I'd make the same money ~ just be done sooner :)
Click to expand...

Celtic, my boss just gave me a new camera phone. I am having trouble getting pictures on the forum.

The Ideal cable locator's receiver has a digital display. 0-99.

It has four power ranges. I get 0-99, on the receiver, in four "gears".

It is incredible. I bought the set-up out of pocket. It was well worth the money.

I can find problems so much faster now.
 
The problem with connecting the tone gen between leads of a cable is that the field tends to cancel (think- twisted pair, here). This is fine when you're trying to ID the pair on a punch block. Not so fine when you're tracing wires. The trick here is to connect the gen between one wire and a real ground. It'll radiate beautifully then, and a pickup should have no problem finding it from 6+ inches away.

FWIW, I prefer the Progressive Electronics units, the 77-HP and 200EP are the telecom standards. 'course, PEI is now owned by Greenlee.
 
celtic said:
Sparky....got a link or pic of it?


I really need to get a tool to find wires/boxes broken/buried in walls....I'd make the same money ~ just be done sooner :)
Click to expand...

I went on one call with this thing. the forman who did the tract house could'nt find the problem.

I hooked up my Ideal set up and located the break, in the wire, to the exact location wher a drywall screw stabbed the 14/2.

I cut a small hole to expose an extra long drywall screw in our 14/2.

Instead of being back charged, we billed the general.

I have many more examples of this Ideal system kicking butt.

It is also the only accurate breaker tracer I have used.
 
celtic said:
Will a tone generator penetrate sheetrock?
Click to expand...

Yes - it will! As mentioned... And if there is a speaker hooked up to it, you will get the familiar "Dee-DOO-dee-DOO" tone - right thought it - loud enought to tell which is left or right... :grin:
 
480sparky said:
Some tone sets also have a 'continuity' tester built into them Check for a short if it does, or else use a regular meter.
Click to expand...

Yeah I have a continuity test on my toner...to me it's still easier to just check with the receiver as you hook up the toner for the tone.
 
celtic said:
Sparky....got a link or pic of it?


I really need to get a tool to find wires/boxes broken/buried in walls....I'd make the same money ~ just be done sooner :)
Click to expand...

I'b really like to see a pic and see exactly what this does...I could use some help in this too, I do alot of troubleshooting....Thanks, JB:wink:
 
946

946

That is the real deal...... I have had one since seeing it display at a Mike Holt Seminar in Boston MA. several years ago. Have been impressed with the accuracy of the tool. Well worth the money!
 
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