atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Telephone Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring New toner

A friend sent me a brand new Fluke Pro3000 toner kit. So far it seems really nice, a step above the Progressive/Tempo I've been using.
Anyone else using this model?

I have both. Try toning a live pair with the 3000 :-(

I actually got, and love, a new Tempo 77GX https://www.greenlee.com/products/GENERATOR%2540c-TONE-77GX-%2877GX%29.html

It has a short jumper to plug into outlets, a 2-line polarity checker, and different tones on the face of the unit.

Carl

I've got two of them and love it.

Here's a hint that I may have told y'all about getting the best results when toning: In a multiple pair cable, split the pairs, that is, send tone on the Tip side of two pairs, instead of sending on a full pair. The unbalance allows the tone to be received / perceived much better at the other end.

Further, you can use a whole (shorted) pair on one test lead of the tone supply, and ground the other lead. That will allow a lot of spillage, but the signal will get through over great distances.

When trying to tone a data jack by plugging in the tone supply's modular cord, and getting nowhere, try using a chunk of 4-pair, with a 8p8c plug, and using the pairs (or split pairs) other than the Bl/W. Mr. Sparky may have only terminated the orange and green pairs, to save time, leaving the blue and brown pairs curled up behind the faceplate.

Carl, when you say a live pair, do you mean a pair with DT on it?

I use that model also Jeff. It is better than some of my older Tempo models.

I have this kit. Beware of the toner: the buttons are easy to push down accidentally in your toolbag and you'll have a dead toner just when you need it. Carry a spare 9V battery just in case. This has happened to me on several occasions.

The probe is kinda average. Not the greatest but not the worst. It gets *loud* which is nice in noisy CO environments. Also it (the tip) conducts electricity so don't touch across 66 blocks (I made that mistake once with a live T-1 circuit crossconnected through a 66 block). Sparked good and scared the crap out of me. T-1 circuit went down for 5 minutes but thankfully came back up on its own. Swipe across the wires on the outside of the 66 block. The tip is fragile (although I haven't broken it yet). There is a spare tip in case you break it off, behind the battery door if I remember correctly.

Jeff,

I do electrical wiring as well as telephone and computer wiring. A few years ago, I was toning some NM cable (Romex if you know the brand) in an older building. I was using a Progressive Electronics 77HP tones to find which cable I was working with. I forgot that the toner was still on the cable when I energized the cable. As I was walking back to the place where I was testing the cables, I got this "sinking feeling" that I goofed. I climbed the ladder expecting to find a puddle of solder and a burned out toner only to discover the toner now had a green LED and was still functioning perfectly. So, to answer your question, some toners will work on "live" circuits, some will not.

I have a Fluke Intelliprobe Pro 200 that has indicator LEDs that flash when you are on a "live" data line. Testing a data line connected into a switch will yield a short indication on all pairs, but the Fluke will let me know if the cable is patched through and, with Arthur's excellent trouble shooting hint, that Fluke will tone across ground (you can use an AC outlet ground) and any pair connected to the switch and you will get tone. The thing eats 9V batteries, but it has saved me a tremendous amount of time testing network cables, so I look at the batteries as just the cost of doing business.

Rcaman

Hawk82 the case has a rigid back. If you turn the probe and generator buttons towards the back it greatly reduces the times I've had a dead battery. Please don't ask how many years and batteries it took for me figure that out.

I switch the Fluke toner to cont and make sure the clips don't touch each other in my bag. This helps save the battery.