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05-07-2015, 02:51 PM
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#1
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de NO1PC
2004 30' Classic
1988 29' Excella
Campbell
, California
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 70
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Wire Tracing Made Easier
Somewhere along the line of posts about finding various wires in trailers it occurred to me to share a tip I've just naturally used as a consummate geek - using a wire signal tracer.
To that end, unsolicited as it may be, take it for what it may be worth, I created a basic how-to document with non-specific product suggestions.
It should help find orphan, dead-end, open, shorted and other mysteries of wires for anything from phone cabling, TV cable, speakers, lights, etc. with a few other pointers.
Attached here (I hope), and linked to my ham radio presence site NO1PC.ORG Home Page, where I'll be posting an incremental set of articles covering DC to 'light'.
WireTracingMadeEasier.pdf
__________________
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Enjoy the ride! Best 73!
de Jim, NO1PC
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05-07-2015, 02:55 PM
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#2
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Rivet Master ![](/ugala/forums/images/5rivet.gif)
1999 34' Excella
Currently Looking...
Hillsboro
, Texas
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 6,408
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Sweet
__________________
Peace and Blessings..
Channing
WBCCI# 30676
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05-07-2015, 03:00 PM
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#3
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Rivet Master ![](/ugala/forums/images/5rivet.gif)
2006 23' Safari SE
Biloxi
, Mississippi
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 8,278
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Thank you, good read.
__________________
MICHAEL
Do you know what a learning experience is? A learning experience is one of those things that says "You know that thing that you just did? Don't do that."
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05-09-2015, 07:19 PM
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#4
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4 Rivet Member ![](/ugala/forums/images/4rivet.gif)
1979 31' Excella 500
Charlevoix
, Michigan
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 350
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This is super helpful; thank you! This will save me a lot of time!
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05-10-2015, 11:20 AM
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#5
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1 Rivet Member ![](/ugala/forums/images/1rivet.gif)
1974 31' Sovereign
Society Hill
, South Carolina
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 12
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Thanks so much for this information. I do believe that it will help me with my tow vehicle and my Airstream.
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05-10-2015, 12:24 PM
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#6
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Always learning
1972 29' Ambassador
1962 19' Globetrotter
1951 21' Flying Cloud
Central
, Texas
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,881
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Thanks for sharing!
__________________
Lance
Work is never done, so take time to play!
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05-10-2015, 12:59 PM
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#7
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Rivet Master ![](/ugala/forums/images/5rivet.gif)
2015 25' FB Eddie Bauer
2013 25' FB Eddie Bauer
2012 20' Flying Cloud
Small Town
, *** Big Sky Country ***Western Montana
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 2,860
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Thank you for your efforts ...shared!
__________________
2015 25' Eddie Bauer Int'l FBQ / 2023 Ford Lightning ER
2022 Ford F350 6.2 V-8; equalizer hitch + Shocker air hitch
Honda Eu3200; AIR# 44105; formerly WBCCI 2015.1
Terminal Aluminitis; 2-people w/ 3+ dogs
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05-10-2015, 01:16 PM
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#8
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4 Rivet Member ![](/ugala/forums/images/4rivet.gif)
1991 35' Airstream 350
Austin
, Texas
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 298
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Thanks Jim for sharing this excellent worksheet..although i would like to buy a Tracer 200EP seems they are quiet expensive. so, I'm considering this model from Amazon (and others)..what do you think?
Thanks
chris
http://www.amazon.com/Extech-TG20-Wi...circuit+tracer
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05-10-2015, 01:23 PM
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#9
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3 Rivet Member ![](/ugala/forums/images/3rivet.gif)
1972 27' Overlander
Woodburn
, Oregon
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 131
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Thanks.
Thanks for the info , another tool for me to buy , I just ordered one from Amazon 😈
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05-10-2015, 01:48 PM
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#10
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Rivet Master ![](/ugala/forums/images/5rivet.gif)
1964 22' Safari
modesto
, California
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,097
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Great article!
Been in telecommunications since 1978. I have had and used many types. LOL, I still have the old yellow Banana (retired now). Invaluable tools in my business. Thank you for sharing this.
-Dennis
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05-10-2015, 04:09 PM
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#11
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Regular Guy
1978 31' Sovereign
Hot Springs
, Arkansas
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 603
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_____ . . . . _____ . . ______
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05-10-2015, 04:32 PM
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#12
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Rivet Master ![](/ugala/forums/images/5rivet.gif)
![](/ugala/forums/images/icons/contributing_member.gif)
2007 22' International CCD
Corona
, California
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 9,180
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Still have my old 66 block punch-down tool. (And a few 66 blocks here and there.) and other nice telecom tools in my kit.
Just be sure ALL power is off before hooking up the tone generator....they will smoke if you hook to AC by accident.
Sent from my pocket Internet using Airstream Forums
__________________
Rich, KE4GNK/AE, Overkill Engineering Dept.
'The Silver HamShack' ('07 International 22FB CCD 75th Anniversary)
Multiple Yaesu Ham Radios inside and many antennae sprouting from roof, ProPride hitch, Prodigy P2 controller.
2012 shortbed CrewMax 4x4 Toyota Tacoma TV with more antennae on it.
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05-10-2015, 08:16 PM
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#13
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2 Rivet Member ![](/ugala/forums/images/2rivet.gif)
1970 23' Safari
Torrance
, California
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 63
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Wire tracing
How well do the signal generators pass a signal through the aluminum skin? From your experience it sounds like it has not problem?
Great post....
Rob
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05-10-2015, 08:31 PM
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#14
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Rivet Master ![](/ugala/forums/images/5rivet.gif)
![](/ugala/forums/images/icons/contributing_member.gif)
2007 22' International CCD
Corona
, California
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 9,180
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Aluminum will probably attenuate the signal too much. These are primarily designed to trace wires in bundles or identify the ends of a particular wire in a group. It uses capacitance to pick up the signal, so aluminum skin will probably shield it out totally. Worth a try, however.
Sent from my pocket Internet using Airstream Forums
__________________
Rich, KE4GNK/AE, Overkill Engineering Dept.
'The Silver HamShack' ('07 International 22FB CCD 75th Anniversary)
Multiple Yaesu Ham Radios inside and many antennae sprouting from roof, ProPride hitch, Prodigy P2 controller.
2012 shortbed CrewMax 4x4 Toyota Tacoma TV with more antennae on it.
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05-10-2015, 11:24 PM
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#15
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de NO1PC
2004 30' Classic
1988 29' Excella
Campbell
, California
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 70
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The Extech is in the same genre, there's also "fox and hound". I think I have 4 or 5 variations on the theme. I think the original Bell System units were probably the best in terms of generated signal intensity, and there are models that you can select a steady tone or a warble. I'll have to look at which of mine has the weakest signal, as I remember doing a wire chase and being very frustrated, replaced battery, etc. Finally grabbed the old Bell System units and ba-zinga - WIRE!
__________________
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Enjoy the ride! Best 73!
de Jim, NO1PC
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05-10-2015, 11:31 PM
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#16
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Rivet Master ![](/ugala/forums/images/5rivet.gif)
![](/ugala/forums/images/icons/contributing_member.gif)
2007 22' International CCD
Corona
, California
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 9,180
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I'm not sure what kind mine is, but I know I have found wires buried behind plasterboard. I usually have to turn the tracer volume down a bit because the signal is so loud with a fresh battery.
Sent from my pocket Internet using Airstream Forums
__________________
Rich, KE4GNK/AE, Overkill Engineering Dept.
'The Silver HamShack' ('07 International 22FB CCD 75th Anniversary)
Multiple Yaesu Ham Radios inside and many antennae sprouting from roof, ProPride hitch, Prodigy P2 controller.
2012 shortbed CrewMax 4x4 Toyota Tacoma TV with more antennae on it.
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05-10-2015, 11:36 PM
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#17
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de NO1PC
2004 30' Classic
1988 29' Excella
Campbell
, California
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 70
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Great question about the signal getting through aluminum, and it probably won't do much until you get to a seam or other opening/cavity... and then there's a bit of 'magic' in whether or not the generator is noisy enough and you may find a wire two feet up behind a wall but you're sniffing at a water line coming out - how's that work?
A bit technical but if the generator sends out not only an audio tone but some higher, even into RF noise, some of the sniffers can pick up the artifacts enough to tell you you're close.
I've dug wires out of snow and slush, sort of like divining for water - and yes people do look at you like you're a witch and step back. Two wire phone stuff is easy compared to digging around in the multi-pair network cables that feed nearly everything today. I dig out the sniffer every now and then to find signals in radio circuits instead of using a scope... letting ears be the 3rd eye while the other two watch where you pick and poke.
Luckily most of what we need to find in a trailer isn't twisted or shielded, but it is frustrating when that elusive blue-yellow wire seems to come out no where, until you expose that unexpected light fixture and see the undocumented splice to a documented dark green wire - and wonder what they were thinking. :O
__________________
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Enjoy the ride! Best 73!
de Jim, NO1PC
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05-12-2015, 08:04 AM
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#18
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3 Rivet Member ![](/ugala/forums/images/3rivet.gif)
1972 27' Overlander
Woodburn
, Oregon
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 131
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Could someone post a photo of what the bell system tester looks like ? I'm curious and I think I want one for my tool collection
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05-12-2015, 11:17 PM
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#19
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de NO1PC
2004 30' Classic
1988 29' Excella
Campbell
, California
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 70
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Test Toner pics
I've rarely seen and never owned the 139C toner (rectangular unit), only the next-gen tone/continuity unit 'cube' (shown with my legacy yellow dial butt-in-sky)
No phone tool kit is complete without the 'can' wrench (nutdriver) and a box of toothpicks (to hold relays from closing or force contacts closed.)
If you've ever thought about climbing a pole with strap-on spikes - it's not as cool as it might look and certainly not good on the ankles and knees!
__________________
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Enjoy the ride! Best 73!
de Jim, NO1PC
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05-14-2015, 08:14 AM
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#20
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Rivet Master ![](/ugala/forums/images/5rivet.gif)
1964 22' Safari
modesto
, California
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,097
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Jim,
I notice you live in Campbell, CA. Did you work in that area?
I started working for Pacific Telephone in Sunnyvale, Kiefer RD. garage in 1978. Got my contractors license and retired from ATT in 2010. I still have all of my tools and climbing gear. I still use many of the tools, not the climbers much any more.
The rectangular unit is still my go to tone gen.
As we know, cell phone don't always work. I keep a spare Butt set as part of my emergency kit for the truck and trailer.
Tip and Ring, in search of dial tone!
-Dennis
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