tracers

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It depends upon which one you use, I have been using the Greenlee system for about 12 years now and I cant be with out it, its like having xray eye's, it's a bit pricey but to me worth every penny. the one I have has a transmitter, that works on hot or dead power circuits, I have made many little attachments for cable, phone and network. it can even trace underground to a limited depth, but can trace for a long way through the wires themselves. Greenlee makes two models, of the one I have, one has a variable gain receiver, and one has a auto setting receiver, I have both but the manually adjusting the receiver one is the one I prefer. it allows me to find everything from buried boxes, to breakers, shorts, and cut wires. now if your talking about what we call Tic-Tracers, well there about useless IMO.
and I have used other brands that didn't work well either.

One thing I have found is because the grounds and neutrals are connected to all others circuits through the panel, before tracing I open both ends of the cable I need to trace ahead of time , this way I don't start tracing another circuit.
 
Are you asking about circuit tracers?

My Amprobe 2005 just kills it, it hits the right breaker every time. I've used it in houses, offices, a senior citizen living center, an emergency room remodel, and it never gets it wrong. I plug the transmitter into the hot recep and scan the panel. I can tell if I'm getting a false read too, the tone changes from a steady pulse to more of a constant tone if I'm scanning the wrong (sub)panel.
 
Cow said:
Are you asking about circuit tracers?

My Amprobe 2005 just kills it, it hits the right breaker every time. I've used it in houses, offices, a senior citizen living center, an emergency room remodel, and it never gets it wrong. I plug the transmitter into the hot recep and scan the panel. I can tell if I'm getting a false read too, the tone changes from a steady pulse to more of a constant tone if I'm scanning the wrong (sub)panel.
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I have the Amprobe brand also, deadly accurate. You can also find mistapped nuetrals that are going to different panels or tied to two panels. (splits the signal when neutrals from two different panels are tied together)
 
I was working facilities when these things first came out, and I can't tell you what a problem solver they were. The first one we got would sometimes only get you within two or three breakers, but they finally spent the money on a better one (I think it was like $600 in the 80's) and it was dead on 99% of the time.

It's funny as I was just telling an EI how important it is to get panel schedules right in big industrial complexes. I was doing that kind of work before computers had auto-save. It could be very costly to turn of the wrong circuit.
 
Circuit tracers are a great tool, if you have the right one and know how to use it. We used the Amprobe Pasar for years and now we've been using the Greenlee's. Both work well and can be a lifesaver in an occupied building the key is using it properly. ;)
 
I bought the Sperry circuit breaker finder CS61200, I generally don't get much into service work but found that it 80/20 accurate to find the correct breaker. The twenty percent is usually a shared neutral back off of another breaker.

I like buying multiple use tools, the base is the tester, the other end is a wood head for checking receptacles circuits, alone or using the Trace feature. There's one more piece that you can add (that's technically two more pieces) as another two testing piece, the pig tailed and bulb tester, that you can plug the Wood head into the base and use the Pigtails or bulb inter-changing, or as required!

Here's one supplier's Web site for roughly 100.00 and four piece's it's kinda slick..
Note the Buy Both Now!


http://www.professionalequipment.co...r-sperry-instruments-cs61200/circuit-tracers/
 
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It depends upon your need and how good you want, like was said low end tracers $60.00-200.00 are just that, such as breaker finders, toners, etc.
But high end tracers can cost as high as $800-2,000
I have a Greenlee tracer kit which I cant do without, that was about $789.00,
I also have a couple radio finders for underground work that can cost as high as $2,000-4,000

but the rule of the thumb is you get what you pay for so the research on these to get exactly what you need is a must.
 
Cow said:
Are you asking about circuit tracers?

My Amprobe 2005 just kills it, it hits the right breaker every time. I've used it in houses, offices, a senior citizen living center, an emergency room remodel, and it never gets it wrong. I plug the transmitter into the hot recep and scan the panel. I can tell if I'm getting a false read too, the tone changes from a steady pulse to more of a constant tone if I'm scanning the wrong (sub)panel.
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Holy COW!! I mean holy moley. The first one who understands the precision of the 2005 and how awesome it is. Finding breaks in wires within 1 inch burried in a wall. Finding a screw into a hot wire from the room behind within 2 inches. Worth every penny of the 1200 list price. Spend a couple of hours reading and understanding the instructions and you are the superman of tracing. I have been beating that drum for over 2 years since I got the little devil. Many jealous coworkers have tried to downplay the tracer only to look like a fool in the end. I have seen them go on ebay for 400$ used.
 
infinity said:
Circuit tracers are a great tool, if you have the right one and know how to use it. We used the Amprobe Pasar for years and now we've been using the Greenlee's. Both work well and can be a lifesaver in an occupied building the key is using it properly. ;)
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The pasar should have fossils right next to the T-REX exhibit I was using them in the 80s. So easy a caveman could use it .
 
quogueelectric said:
Holy COW!! I mean holy moley. The first one who understands the precision of the 2005 and how awesome it is. Finding breaks in wires within 1 inch burried in a wall. Finding a screw into a hot wire from the room behind within 2 inches. Worth every penny of the 1200 list price.
Click to expand...

I understand. :cool:

Spend a couple of hours reading and understanding the instructions and you are the superman of tracing.
Click to expand...

That is the key, lean how to use it, I see others using it and getting frustrated, they slam it down and call it junk when really it is operator error.

Many do not even know it matters how it is held in relation to the conductor.

I have used it to trace under slab PVC conduits, I have used it to trace MC ..... yes it can read through the metal jacket on a high setting.

It is invaluable to me.
 
hurk27 said:
One thing I have found is because the grounds and neutrals are connected to all others circuits through the panel, before tracing I open both ends of the cable I need to trace ahead of time , this way I don't start tracing another circuit.
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Hurk,
Good Tip.

I have a set of houses to trouble shoot.
Somebody entered each house, and cut one cable.
My task is to trace the circuits, make the splice.
Accessible JB are ok, and the GC will repair the walls.

I have a telephone transmitter/receiver but this project requires something more sensitive (through the walls, depths of 12" maybe).

I have been going through procedures to Trace the Broken Circuits,
and looking into buying a real circuit tracer.

Any suggestions on procedures?
Any suggestions on tracers?

__________________
Glene77is Memphis, TN
Call it what you will . . .
As Long as the Functional Logic is right.
 
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