Volt sticks

[nothanks]

My trusty "Faithful" volt stick has died* after many years. There are a large number of devices available but I assume (always dangerous) that they all use a field-effect transistor on the input so the differences are branding and presentation of detection ... is it worth paying for a name (e.g. the Fluke 1AC II) or are the cheapies just as good?

*An illustration of the need to always test against a known live circuit before relying on it for an unknown circuit.

[Thomas Prufer]

I have a cheapie that beeps where the Fluke doesn't.

Can be very useful: Wedge in place, beeping. Go (within earshot, obv.) and unscrew fuses/throw MCBs/switch switches until it stops, and there you have your circuit.

I like that.

Thomas Prufer

[Brian Gaff]

How good are they at not indicating where long runs of cable induce a voltage into an unconnected wire though? This was always the problem I had. The old neon screwdrivers were rubbish at that one. Brian

[Mike Clarke]

It sometimes happens but the effect can be reduced by placing your hand over the insulated wire but without touching the tip of the detector. If it continues to flash or beep then it's very likely a live wire, if it stops it was just an induced voltage.

[David]

Just dug out my Volt sticks. LAP MS8907 gave me false positives on dead cable (13A). Fluke VoltAlert 1AC-E II was far more accurate.

Neither massively expensive.

HTH

Dave R

[John Rumm]

On my Fluke you can turn the beep on and off with a long press on the power button.

[John Rumm]

I have not used enough different ones to give a comparative answer. However I found with mine (Fluke Volt Alert) it is exceedingly difficult to get it to give a "wrong" - even when trying[1].

I suspect that there is a moderate amount of processing done in the devices - so the quality of the results may depend no software as much or more than the basic hardware platform.

[1] Given even the "high end" ones are still "cheap", I went with that!

[Jeff Gaines]

I need to track some cables in the ceiling above the lounge and kitchen. I have access upstairs which has a carpeted, wooden floor.

Will a "volt stick" or something similar help me track the cables? They might be lying on the ceiling so could be several inches away through wood/carpet. I have never had any success with things like stud/cable finders which always seem to be either on all the time or off all the time.

Many thanks.

[Thomas Prufer]

In my experience: no, absolutely not.

This (random first hit) rentable device says "up to 150mm" and may be better than a diy stud finder.

Other systems work with a signal injector, so the cable radiates something more easily tracked than 50 Hz, and unique to that cable.

See what's for hire?

[nothanks]

Thanks for the replies. FYI, based on the reviews, I went for a Hanmatek AC1 ... first indications (ho ho) are good. It claims 9 sensitivity levels and has a torch; detection is indicated by flash and beep. In a few quick tests it has been 100% correct. It seems to be able to trace (known) cables buried in plaster but once triggered on a known cable it stays triggered until moved away from the wall. So far, so good.

[John Rumm]

Not so much no...

The volt detecting stud finder devices are somewhat better at that kind of thing. You may also be able to use a tone injector / tracer of the type used for datacomms testing - but those also need fairly close proximity to work well IME.

[John Walliker]

How well they work at long range depends a lot on whether you inject the signal differentially or as common mode. With one clip of the injector connected to a conductor in the cable to be traced and the other connected to mains earth my cheap tone tracer detects cables more than a meter away. With both clips from the injector connected to different conductors of the cable to be traced the range may only be a few cm or even mm. Each mode has its uses. (I have an Extech TG20) John