voltage detector pens

[Fred]

Hi,

What is the group's opinion on voltage detectors such as these:

it best to buy a branded one or are they all much the same?

TIA

[Harry Bloomfield]

Fred pretended :

They do vary quite a lot in quality and to some extent in usefulness/ usability. The Fluke is a particularly good example and looks very similar to the Farnell version.

Other than that, if you know how to use one, become adept at using one and know their limitations, they are an absolutely brilliant bit of kit.

[Fred]

Thanks. The fluke has been recommended here before. That say ebay is the place to buy them but I wasn't sure whether there might be an issue with fakes?

I guess I should say before someone else does that these devices do not replace care and attention and checking everything is switched off first, etc and should only be part of your precautions/checks.

[John Rumm]

I have a Fluke one and it works well. I have not used enough others to pass a comparative comment, but would expect that any CE marked item from a recognisable maker of test equipment should at least be adequate.

[Harry Bloomfield]

John Rumm formulated the question :

I have several others and the Fluke beats them hands down. It is nice and slim, robust and has a tone - which means you can leave it near a live cable some distance away and the tone stops when you isolate it.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

the general vicinity of live cables, but not much else.

I gave that one to a neighbour's kid and replaced it with a Fluke - much better.

[The Medway Handyman]

My first one had a tone which was great, but I lost it & replaced it with the TLC one - which annoyingly doesn't..

Silverline ones are total rubbish.

[newshound]

I have three or four cheapies scattered around so that I can usually find one when I need it. Some of them give a flash when knocked even in the absence of mains. I'm sure the Fluke is best, but I still think you are safe enough with cheap ones as long as you check against a known live before relying on them for proof of isolation. But I usually use them more for fault tracing than safety checking. Is there mains on the plug? Is it getting into the wire? Is it reaching the switch? Does it get past the switch? Also, I always start with the most basic "three light" tester plug to confirm that you are not missing a neutral, and that you have an earth.

[Harry Bloomfield]

No need, stroke it gently on your skin and it should light up. Good for diagnostics, but absolutely not to be used where safety is involved.