Proper use of tone-probe kit

[geekinc]

Ok, so I know the basic use of a tone and probe kit, but do you guys have any tips or tricks to the proper use of the tool?

Best practices?

Identifying false positives?

Anything else?

I am trying to identify a prewired security system's wiring, and its taking forever, and I keep running into a few that I can't propery identify.

Thanks!

 

[tmbrown97]

Ok, so I know the basic use of a tone and probe kit, but do you guys have any tips or tricks to the proper use of the tool?

Best practices?

Identifying false positives?

Anything else?

I am trying to identify a prewired security system's wiring, and its taking forever, and I keep running into a few that I can't propery identify.

Thanks!

Shouldn't take you too long to get used to it... clip the leads to a pair of wires and at the other end if there's more than one wire, you should be able to separate the bunch and see which one gives you the loudest tone... but in some ways your own body will interfere... If I'm sorting through a bundle, I keep the bundle in one hand while separating the wires with the probe - that lets it hit a few sides of the wire and when I hear the loud one I tend to know it.

I've also heard of clipping one of the leads to the house ground then the other to the wire you're trying to trace... only tried that once, and it didn't matter where in the house I went - I was getting a tone everywhere. Not sure if I had 'em backwards or what...

I assume you're leaving your toner at the sensor end and taking the probe to the alarm panel? If so, just make sure you're clipped to both pairs, and if you think you've narrowed it down, touch the tip of the probe directly to the exposed wire - it should get considerably louder.

 

[jantonecchia]

I think some units are better than others at toning through walls. I bought the Fluke Pro 3000 and it seems to be easy to detect through walls