# best circuit tracer?



## BuzzKill (Oct 27, 2008)

What should I buy? Greenlee?


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## ampman (Apr 2, 2009)

i've never gone wrong with greenlee


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

Amprobe.just believe it.If too many breakers signal,then you might be on a subpanel.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Depends on what you're trying to trace.

Phone lines & data cables?

Energized electrical conductors?

Buried cable s & pipes?


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## BuzzKill (Oct 27, 2008)

480sparky said:


> Depends on what you're trying to trace.
> 
> Phone lines & data cables?
> 
> ...


 indeed it does.
1) energized high voltage
2)buried cable next....I'd get a seperate phone tracer for data/com


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## McCaa (Sep 3, 2009)

This is what I have. Best investment I've ever made. I can map/identify an average house in less than 30 minutes. I charge $225 for the service and customer's love it.

http://mitchellinstrument.com/product/circuit-mapping-system.html


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## Magnettica (Jan 23, 2007)

Harbor Freight. :thumbsup:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

BuzzKill;155125 said:


> indeed it does.
> 1) energized high voltage


Ideal 61-958











BuzzKill said:


> 2)buried cable next....


Rycom 8869











BuzzKill said:


> .......I'd get a seperate phone tracer for data/com


Progressive (Now Tempo) 100B and 140A.



















Magnettica said:


> Harbor Freight.


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## BuzzKill (Oct 27, 2008)

McCaa said:


> This is what I have. Best investment I've ever made
> 
> http://mitchellinstrument.com/product/circuit-mapping-system.html


 that sounds pretty damn fine.


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## BuzzKill (Oct 27, 2008)

Ken's the man.
Okay both of those toys look great but which one is better? Looking for some serious short cuts on having to read through piles of documentation.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

BuzzKill said:


> Ken's the man.
> Okay both of those toys look great but which one is better? Looking for some serious short cuts on having to read through piles of documentation.


You're asking which is the best vehicle to buy: A pick-up, sedan or a van? There's no comparing them. I just gave you my choice in the three categories.

Opt for the Ideal outfit first. Then, decide if you need to locate more underground stuff or if you're doing more telcom work. Most likely, it's telcom wiring first, then the ug locator.


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## McCaa (Sep 3, 2009)

My choice for an underground cable/pipe locator. I don't own this but its the one I rent from my local rental company. Always works flawless and is very accurate.
http://mitchellinstrument.com/produ...receiver-ground-rod-plate-batteries-hard.html


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## BuzzKill (Oct 27, 2008)

480sparky said:


> You're asking which is the best vehicle to buy: A pick-up, sedan or a van? There's no comparing them. I just gave you my choice in the three categories.


 (heavy sigh)....okaaay. Picking up wires through walls sounds REALLY awesome. No more sitting on the floor taking devices apart and saying, "Well the wire goes this way or that way or down into the floor or..."


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

BuzzKill said:


> (heavy sigh)....okaaay. Picking up wires through walls sounds REALLY awesome. No more sitting on the floor taking devices apart and saying, "Well the wire goes this way or that way or down into the floor or..."


Both the Ideal and Tempo can do that. (Not sure if they can without sighing.)


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## BuzzKill (Oct 27, 2008)

Thank you guys for the input, now it's time to research.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

BuzzKill said:


> Thank you guys for the input, now it's time to research.


I'd suggest getting the ideal first. It works with energized and well as deenergized high-voltage circuits. Most phone tone sets will not work with energized 120v systems, but will work with operational phone & data lines.


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

McCaa said:


> This is what I have. Best investment I've ever made. I can map/identify an average house in less than 30 minutes. I charge $225 for the service and customer's love it.
> 
> http://mitchellinstrument.com/product/circuit-mapping-system.html


 your pictures don't coincide.


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## McCaa (Sep 3, 2009)

bobelectric said:


> your pictures don't coincide.


They are actually the manufacturer's pictures. It works very easy. Clamp the ground, neutral and phase clamps on the incoming feeders with the colored alligator clips, then clamp the yellow clamps on each of the wires coming out of the circuit breaker. I have 42 of them that I plug into the receiver. It puts out a digital signal so when you touch the probe on a wire (switch, outlet or wire itself) it tells you exactly what circuit operates that device and/or wire.
The pictures are just an idea of how it works.

The link can take you to the owners manual for more info.


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## TheBrushMan007 (Nov 21, 2008)

McCaa said:


> They are actually the manufacturer's pictures. It works very easy. Clamp the ground, neutral and phase clamps on the incoming feeders with the colored alligator clips, then clamp the yellow clamps on each of the wires coming out of the circuit breaker. I have 42 of them that I plug into the receiver. It puts out a digital signal so when you touch the probe on a wire (switch, outlet or wire itself) it tells you exactly what circuit operates that device and/or wire.
> The pictures are just an idea of how it works.
> 
> The link can take you to the owners manual for more info.


Do you use this device for trouble shooting shorts and opens?
Lets say you go to an older house or just a house that does not have the panel labeled right. 3 outlets are not working and a light and switch. There are no breakers tripped. You know that there is an open but where?


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## McCaa (Sep 3, 2009)

TheBrushMan007 said:


> Do you use this device for trouble shooting shorts and opens?
> Lets say you go to an older house or just a house that does not have the panel labeled right. 3 outlets are not working and a light and switch. There are no breakers tripped. You know that there is an open but where?


No. I use this one for strictly tracing (identifying) circuits. If its an open or short I have the Ideal 61-958 setup that I can use for that. The circuit mapper system is just for identifying which breakers operate which devices and/or specific wires.

Although the ideal kit will do this as well, in my opinion its nowhere near as fast if you need to identify a entire panel full of circuits. What is cool about the mapper though is that it will indicate which circuits share a neutral. Not always necessary but it does help for certain situations.


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## TheBrushMan007 (Nov 21, 2008)

McCaa said:


> No. I use this one for strictly tracing (identifying) circuits. If its an open or short I have the Ideal 61-958 setup that I can use for that. The circuit mapper system is just for identifying which breakers operate which devices and/or specific wires.
> 
> Although the ideal kit will do this as well, in my opinion its nowhere near as fast if you need to identify a entire panel full of circuits. What is cool about the mapper though is that it will indicate which circuits share a neutral. Not always necessary but it does help for certain situations.


So for switches or wires, you have to make direct contact with the hot. So that means you have to take of the cover plate?
So this service is only good if a home owners panel is labeled like crap and they have no idea what breaker controls what. Or in a commercial setting.
Do you like the idea tracer and was there a hard learning curve?


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## McCaa (Sep 3, 2009)

TheBrushMan007 said:


> So for switches or wires, you have to make direct contact with the hot. So that means you have to take of the cover plate?
> So this service is only good if a home owners panel is labeled like crap and they have no idea what breaker controls what. Or in a commercial setting.
> Do you like the idea tracer and was there a hard learning curve?


Not necessarily. The mapper has a sensitivity adjustment that will go through most wire insulation. Sometimes... you can turn the sensitivity down enough that it will pick up the signal without taking off the switch plate. If I had to put a percentage on it, I would say 80% of the time, it can do that. (Rough Guess). It has alot more uses though than just labeling, although 85% of the service work I do, nothing is never labeled correctly, ESPECIALLY on the older locations. 

As far as the ideal tracer, I do like it, especially if I have to find just one breaker quickly. That's probably how I use it 90% of the time. I didn't think the learning curve was that difficult. I read the instructions (multiple times) and spent a Saturday playing with it. I don't use it everyday so that's probably my learning curve issue I guess when it comes to more detailed features.


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## TheBrushMan007 (Nov 21, 2008)

McCaa said:


> As far as the ideal tracer, I do like it, especially if I have to find just one breaker quickly. That's probably how I use it 90% of the time. I didn't think the learning curve was that difficult. I read the instructions (multiple times) and spent a Saturday playing with it. I don't use it everyday so that's probably my learning curve issue I guess when it comes to more detailed features.


I really don't like to admit this but last year I went on a troubleshooting call that I could not figure out. At the sliding glass door there was a switch, that controlled the light fixture outside.
There was no power there. All breakers were on. So I knew there was an open somewhere. So I opened up boxes everywhere and I never could figure out where the open was.


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## McCaa (Sep 3, 2009)

TheBrushMan007 said:


> I really don't like to admit this but last year I went on a troubleshooting call that I could not figure out. At the sliding glass door there was a switch, that controlled the light fixture outside.
> There was no power there. All breakers were on. So I knew there was an open somewhere. So I opened up boxes everywhere and I never could figure out where the open was.


Been there. That's where a circuit tracer like the ideal version comes in perfectly!


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