# Wire Toner



## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

The Progressive Tempo Basic kit (601K) is about the cheapest basic set with both tools.
It's around $115.

Fluke has a nice set also for around the same price.


----------



## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I use the Tempo also, but the same tool is now made by Progressive. I think Progressive bought out Tempo. I think they're all about the same nowadays. In times gone by, the receiver portion didn't have a speaker in it. You had to clip your butt set onto terminals on the speaker. I think anything you'll buy nowadays will have a speaker in the receiver portion.


----------



## GregS (May 22, 2007)

If you ever get into having to test phone and network runs, Tempo/Progressive also make a toner with a banjo on it.

I have this one and it comes in handy if you need to ring out specific pairs or test for continuity on specific pairs. It's just missing an F-connector..


http://www.twacomm.com/catalog/model_AT8K.htm?sid=1793EAF371C68E514AEE7482C717CCB6


----------



## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

GregS said:


> If you ever get into having to test phone and network runs, Tempo/Progressive also make a toner with a banjo on it.


I was checking that out last night.
I have the Basic kit, and also a separate banjo for troubleshooting. I like the idea of having both in one. I may splurge and get the combo banjo.


----------



## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

I like the HP Ink Jet 4100 Toner for my copier/fax/printer. OPPs WRONG THREAD


----------



## 3phase (Jan 16, 2007)

I have the Tempo also. Real life saver doing machinery control work .


----------



## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

I've had a "World's Best" from Mike Sandman for years. Never had a problem with it. The model I have isn't made any more, but I'm sure the new ones are just as good.

http://www.sandman.com/


----------



## beartard (Oct 30, 2007)

That seems a bit pricey. I wouldn't pay over $75 for one. I have three "senders" that always seem to get left around by the phone company because they can't be bothered to pick up after themselves. Too many breaks.  Luckily they all make different tones so I can trace three cables to the same location at once. I retired my home-made probe (inductive amplifier circuits are readily available on the net.) I have a cheap probe off ebay. Definitely shy away from the cheapest of the cheap. It does make a difference.


----------



## rivalshad (Jan 6, 2008)

For under $100, Tempo for sure. I have a expensive Fluke that rarely ever see's daylight unless I need to see how many feet a run is.


----------



## KayJay (Jan 20, 2008)

I think that Progressive/Tempo kit is definitely the best starter kit around for the price. I bought almost the same Progressive kit back in the early 1990’s. Tempo and progressive seem to have formed some kind of arrangement around 2000.

I know the OP said he didn’t want to spend that much, but I would only suggest that maybe later on, as your needs change, take a look at the Progressive/Tempo FP 200 filter probe. It filters out 60 HZ hum when working near live wiring and the buzz from fluorescent lighting. 
Also, look at the 77HP/6A toner with the piercing, angled bed of nails [ABN] clips that make it much easier to clip on to punch down blocks and pierce insulated wires so you don’t have to strip the ends of each conductor to connect the toner.
Personally, I wouldn’t recommend one of those toners with the modular breakouts, mainly because they usually only work with a particular type of wiring. There is one for 2-pair POTS, one for 3 and 4-pair Data and still another one for 4-pair LAN. 
I also wouldn’t recommend the [Harris] Fluke Banjo adapters because again, there are three different types, 2-pair, 3-pair and 4-pair. I have the 2-pair Harris Banjo that I bought years ago when I didn’t know any better and found out the hard way that they are cross-wired internally, which made checking polarity and continuity a royal pain. 
Instead, I would recommend the MODAPT modular adapter. It has a straight-thru design, so no internal cross-wired baloney to deal with for polarity checks when using it as an in-line adapter. 
It has a universal modular adapter cord that does everything from 1 to 4-pair, RJ-11 to RJ-45 with a built in breakout guide for POTS, 568A and 568B. 
I feel that this is the only one to get. 

JMHO


----------



## Wireless (Jan 22, 2007)

Speedy Petey said:


> The Progressive Tempo Basic kit (601K) is about the cheapest basic set with both tools.
> It's around $115.
> 
> Fluke has a nice set also for around the same price.


 
The nice thing about the fluke is if you short the conductors attached to the toner it will change tones, you can make sure you got the right pair.


----------



## gilbequick (Oct 6, 2007)

I didn't know Fluke had one around that price. If I had known that I would have gotten the Fluke a couple years ago instead of the Tempo I have now. The Tempo works good but I'm a huge Fluke fan. 

I recently picked up a Greenlee 2011 wire tracer. Now this thing kicks butt. Where the Tempo's inductive tone will leak into other wires and you'll get readings all over the place sometimes, the Greenlee doesn't. With the Greenlee I can trace wires all through the house and not worry about picking up the wrong wire. 

But for the money, I'd go with the Fluke.


----------

