Ever use a tool like this?

[mscher]

Looks pretty handy for the price, especially if your old farmhouse was rewired by D. R. Frankenstein

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/itemdisplay/displayItem.do?itemid=96934

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: Ever use a tool like this?

Never used one, but if they really do work it would be a wonderful one-time use item to label the outlets in your house to your breakers.

This ranks up there with stud finders. I got my dad one for fathers day. He was going all around the house watching it beep and tell him where wires were even though he had no plans on punching any holes. He was just tickled that they made a device like that.

 

[i386]

Re: Ever use a tool like this?

I use a similar too for tracking down network cables.

Similar to this...

The part with the leads connects to the cable. When you touch the probe to the cable, it picks up a tone and plays it through a speaker.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Ever use a tool like this?

I have one.
works if you have to track circuits down by yourself.

Works even better if you have someone else to help you, and a cell phone or walkie talkie to communicate with.

 

[rwise]

Re: Ever use a tool like this?

would be handy if they had a 480 volt model,,, I am always going into places that do not have there breakers marked or have anyone that knows for certain which one to turn off!

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: Ever use a tool like this?

I've used them before. They are good in old houses that have been wired by not so experienced electricians.

In our stores, we have many breakers. I will just short out the line using a plug with the hot tied to neutral and ground. It will trip the breaker making it easy to find. I picked this tip up from an electrician. Cuts down on time trying to locate the breaker to the line that your working on. This tip is not recommended on systems using fuses. You never know who put a penny behind the fuse

 

[ThumbPkr]

Re: Ever use a tool like this?

I have often thought about using an RF generator and a grid dip meter to see how that would work.I think you could inductively couple the signal to the wire in question with any problem.Lots of work though compared to the solutions they have nowadays.Ron G

 

[mthieme]

Re: Ever use a tool like this?

Yes.
IT would take the fun out of it.
My house was originally an old summer house built in 1928 which I'm convinced predates mass distributed electric amoung other things. I had a 12 spot breaker box with all electric appliances which of course were 220v. I had 2 piggyback 110 breakers. The kitchen ate up two. One fed both bedrooms, the bathroom, the living room and the garage - BTW all 15 amp breakers and BX wire. The last breaker went to the mud room to a subpanel. Talk about Dr. Frankenstein. Needless to say, we have a 150 amp box and have rewired and split out things much better over the years.
Since then I have added solar and am sorry I didn't have the foresight to string lamp cord throughout for 12v while I was at it.