Dead Circuit Tracer / Locator

[uksparks]

Hi,

Do any of you use a Dead Circuit Tracer / Locator?

I think I need to buy one, I have been looking at:

Dilog DL2080 Cable Locator Set
Dilog DL2080 Cable Locator Kit

CLS20 Cable Locator Set
CLS20 Cable Locator Set

Martindale CD1000 Cable Detector Kit
Martindale CD1000 Professional Cable Detector Kit

Socket & See DCF200 Dead Circuit Finder
Socket & See DCF200 Dead Circuit Finder From Test4Less & See DCF200 Dead Circuit Finder

Any thoughts on which one would be a good bet?

Thanks.

 

[Marvo]

Geez, they're not cheap are they? I have a live cable locater that just plugs into the live socket, it's handy for identifying which MCB a circuit is on without having to use trial and error and it cost about a tenner a few years ago when I bought it specially for a job. I also have a very very old Ex-GPO tone set for dead cables, must be 30 yrs old if it's a day. TBH I rarely use either in my line of work.

 

[Pete999]

Socket and see for me

 

[tazz]

If you are just trying to find breaks, or identifying cables, on dead circuits, a straight forward tone generator usually does the job

 

[uksparks]

I think I can justify £100 as it will no doubt be used again.

I have a live circuit tracer thing which is handy, admittedly it didn't help me the other day.

 

[Marvo]

How come the network cable locators are so much cheaper.

12 quid

18 quid

21 quid

I'm sure you could adapt one of these for use on electrical cables.

 

[tazz]

A tone tracer will only set you back £25, and do the job.....data cable guys use them daily...!

 

[uksparks]

I wonder why they are so much more, that's a valid question! I have got one you can plug network cables in but nothing else, I'll scour the internet for a cheap one.

 

[wozz]

I have the ideal industries one not the top of the line one the model down, handy but not always straight forward to use. Has helped a couple of times and confused me a little bit a couple of times! And it's for sale.

 

[7029 dave]

87g oscillator and amplifier (telecoms ) great for dead cable identification.

 

[Marvo]

I have the ideal industries one not the top of the line one the model down, handy but not always straight forward to use. Has helped a couple of times and confused me a little bit a couple of times! And it's for sale.

Lol, that's not much of an advertisement, I assume you wouldn't recommend it (apart from to a prospective buyer obviously )

 

[wozz]

Lol, that's not much of an advertisement, I assume you wouldn't recommend it (apart from to a prospective buyer obviously )

Ha, I can only be honest. Maybe I'm not very good at using it. I reckon it can do a lot more than the cheaper ones you have just got to patient when narrowing down the signal levels. I successfully used it to trace cables buried in the building fabric with no sign of them being there.

 

[jjjinx]

ive used the martindale cd1000 before, was so impressed I'm going to get one for meself, live or dead it does it all.
was missing a smoke cable, found it within a cm of where it was. no lifting floorboards!

 

[sparkdog]

I have used an old radio signal generator and long wave radio to trace an underground SWA.It did pinpoint it exactly.Very good if you are into that sort of thing.

 

[kellogs64]

is there anything on the market that u can get a 3 d image from in real time of a house or even a room ?

 

[GMES]

Who Are you Jack Bauer??

 

[topquark]

I use a CEM 1012/1012B ... works on live circuits as well, if needed. Three levels of signal generation enables location from about 2 Metres down to touch distance. Works well for following hidden cable routes/finding breaks etc.