FLuke Electricity Probe

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
15,813
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0
Seattle, WA
Sometimes you wait way, way too long to get a much needed tool. Such is the case here. I have been re-wiring our vacation house workshop garage, adding extra lights and such. Not trusting the idiot home owner who has made every mistake in the book in modifying said electrical circuits, I check and double check what should be, actually is, lest I want to get shocked and killed.

I have been doing that with my trusty voltmeter. But it is a pain to do that. Holding the meter up, trying to not short out anything with those long exposed probes, is difficult and dangerous in itself.

So I finally broke down and got this Fluke Non-Contact Voltage Tester:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EJ332O



With Prime membership, I got it in just two days. I unpacked it and thing way exceeded my expectations. The probe is designed to pick up electricity in a very narrow range. This means that you can actually tell which of the two wires are hot in a typical appliance cord! Touch the wrong one and nothing happens. Move it over 1/8 of an inch to the other wire and it will light up and beep.

There is a nice flashing light every so often, letting you know the unit is on. Despite costing just $22, it has wonderful construction and feel, much like my expensive Fluke meters. Nothing this cheap has any business feeling this nice!

The probe head is flat which means it can be inserted in wall outlets and detect if they are working too, with no direct electrical contact.

If you do any work around the house or ever in doubt that the power is on or now, do yourself a favor and order this thing now.

High Recommended!
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
4,698
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Portugal
Amir,
Good news! For more than 15 years I have been carefully locking my similar Volt Stick probe, after using it, as I did not know of a replacement. I also used it for checking my electrician work when we rebuilt the house some years ago - at the beginning the guy was fascinated how I could always know neutral and phase before him!
The device is fantastic for checking power cable polarity without switching off equipment.
 

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amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
15,813
37
0
Seattle, WA
How as in how you use it? If so, it couldn't be simpler. Push the on button and the tip will blink telling you the thing is working. The tip is plastic. Have it touch the wire all around and if the light goes solid and you hear a beep, then electricity is flowing (of course, read the manual for the warnings and such). The blinking is so that you don't think there is no electricity where in reality the thing is not on!

Again, due to low sensitivity, you need to make sure it touches the wires all around since if it is on the wrong side, it will say nothing but it doesn't mean the electricity is not on. Ditto for wall outlet. You need to stick it deep into both sockets.

If you mean how well, that was in the first post :).
 

The Smokester

Well-Known Member
Jun 7, 2010
347
1
925
N. California
How as in how you use it? If so, it couldn't be simpler. Push the on button and the tip will blink telling you the thing is working. The tip is plastic. Have it touch the wire all around and if the light goes solid and you hear a beep, then electricity is flowing (of course, read the manual for the warnings and such). The blinking is so that you don't think there is no electricity where in reality the thing is not on!

Again, due to low sensitivity, you need to make sure it touches the wires all around since if it is on the wrong side, it will say nothing but it doesn't mean the electricity is not on. Ditto for wall outlet. You need to stick it deep into both sockets.

If you mean how well, that was in the first post :).

Sorry. Thought you would disambiguate my question. Neither. My question is: "Upon what physical principal does it depend?"
 

garylkoh

WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
Sep 6, 2010
5,599
225
1,190
Seattle, WA
www.genesisloudspeakers.com
Sorry. Thought you would disambiguate my question. Neither. My question is: "Upon what physical principal does it depend?"

If it only works for AC, it's likely some form of inductive Electromagnetic Field Detector. These won't work for DC circuits - which require some form of Hall Effect sensor.
 

The Smokester

Well-Known Member
Jun 7, 2010
347
1
925
N. California
If it only works for AC, it's likely some form of inductive Electromagnetic Field Detector. These won't work for DC circuits - which require some form of Hall Effect sensor.

Yeah. But it also works for open circuits...No current flowing. At this frequency...and for other reasons, too...this implies that it is sensitive to the electric (not magnetic) component.
 

amirm

Banned
Apr 2, 2010
15,813
37
0
Seattle, WA
Yeah. But it also works for open circuits...No current flowing. At this frequency...and for other reasons, too...this implies that it is sensitive to the electric (not magnetic) component.
Actually the current *is* flowing. It is flowing through your body! The detection mechanism is usually a capacitor inside the tip. The capacitor is in series with the capacitor that is formed by the capacitor your body represents. Since the capacitor in the instrument is much smaller than the one formed by your body (relative to the ground), it picks up most of the voltage and hence is able to detect it.

You are right in your second part that it is an electric field being detected, not magnetic. It is coupling of the field into the capacitor.
 

The Smokester

Well-Known Member
Jun 7, 2010
347
1
925
N. California
Actually the current *is* flowing. It is flowing through your body! The detection mechanism is usually a capacitor inside the tip. The capacitor is in series with the capacitor that is formed by the capacitor your body represents. Since the capacitor in the instrument is much smaller than the one formed by your body (relative to the ground), it picks up most of the voltage and hence is able to detect it.

You are right in your second part that it is an electric field being detected, not magnetic. It is coupling of the field into the capacitor.

When it gets here I will experiment to see. A pretty neat device.
 

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