I seem to go thru a filter probe (Tempo 200FP)every 8 months and it is getting expensive. Does anyone have any other probes they really like?

Also looking to replace the Tempo HP toner I have... Looking for high output and might spring for LAN light blinking if the price is right.

Thanks 4 any recommendations.

Aines toners/probes are also very good. That's what the telco's issue.
Jeff

And that's what I use too. :thumb:

Tempo (whatever that is) must be real junk if they only last 8 months.

-Hal

My Tempo probes (progressive electronic) probes seem to lose the ability to pick up tone after about a year. New batteries don't help. I called them for repair, and the repair cost was more than a new one.

The fluke probe is pretty nice.

My tempo probe/toner still work fine, but i'm sure it gets a LOT less use then yours.

Been through 2-sets of batteries and they are about 3 years old.

I like using the Ideal VDV tester as a toner. Works easily for voice, nework and video cabling. You can change which pairs you throw the tone onto at the touch of a button. I include it in the tool kit I give our students at the beginning of the program. I wish I had one when I was still in the field. One drawback is that it doesn't come with aligator clips.

I also have two types of Ideal probes. The basic probe works well enough, but I wouldn't expect it to survive much abuse. I would rather have my old Progressive probe. I also have the Ideal ABS tester, which I do like. You can plug it directly into a jack and listen to dial tone, so it gives you basic butt set functionality. The ABS probe came with a toner that I don't care for and don't use.

My Progressive 77HP toner and 200EP probe are pretty old, maybe 15 years or so. Neither seems to ever need the battery replaced. I have others, but that's my favorite. Left it on a job site one day and found it again about a month later on a return visit, still on and still generating tone! Amazing.

I have a newer Tempo 77HP/6A toner that needs a new battery about once a month. The Fluke Pro3000 toner needs a new battery about once a week (the probe battery lasts forever).

Can't remember the last Tempio (PEI - Progressive)toner or reciever I replaced. Last forever (at&t now issues them in this area). Try the 77GX....has high freq, multiple speeds, works good on CAT cable.

My two cents.....

I've got the same toner/probe as catfish. Only time the toner ate a battery is when I forgot to shut it off in my bag and didn't touch it for 2 months. It still made tone but it was pretty inconsistent at that point

I'm sure this is old news for a lot of you seasoned guys, but this might help out the younger technicians.

When trying to tone out Cat5 wire, the very nature of the wire construction, i.e. the tight twists, will cause the test tone to be very hard to hear with a probe.

To get much better tone, and get the job done more quickly, send the tone on two half-pairs (for instance the tip side of two pairs) instead of a full pair. The unbalance will allow the tone to bleed out along the jacket.

I have a little test cord I made up that has the ability to convert the usual T&R output of my toner, to the above scheme. It allows me to find wires right away in a big bundle of roughed-in wiring, or on a 66 block or jack panel.

You can pick up an Aines set (or similar) from Sandman . The tone has got to be one of the loudest ones out there. Actually, the one he used to carry has either been updated, or is different. The older one had two metal wings sticking out either side of the probe, and the toner had a toggle switch on the top, and LED on the side.

Justin

I have never had any problems with the Progressive toners/wands either, other than occasionally needing a new battery.
Justin, I think you mean the old yellow 'banana' probe. I looked at the one from Sandman, and it's actually not Aines. A search for EasyTest KE 300 brings a site that is in German, I think

Yes, but scroll down to the one you can see sticking out of the case that has the police-style clip. THAT'S the one I'm referring to, that was actually on his site as of last week. That one is INDEED an Aines (I just compared with a Google search of Aines toner). I'd not seen this new one until today.

Justin

Keep in mind also that your probe should have a metal tip, not plastic insulated. The metal tip works MUCH better.

-Hal

So it sounds like the Aines toners are louder than the Tempo 77HP, etc. Sandman doesn't know the make/model of the toner he carries...

I think my problem with Tempo filter probes is being dropped a few times per month... they just can't take the abuse. Any votes for most rugged probe?

Anyone have any experience with the Digital toners/probes?

I'm pretty sure the one on there is an offshore version that LOOKS like the Aines but isn't

I have a Fluke toner set and it works great. I really like it because if you short the pair it changes the tone so you know you are on the right one.

What's a "digital" tone/probe?

-Hal

I recently found a thread on the digital one. It was reportedly not impressive. Now I can't find the thread, though.

Justin

when I short my Aines or my tempo the TONE stops , if there is still a tone then Ive got the wrong pair

my tempo 200fps have held up well . best tone in my opinion

I have an Ideal toner & probe. They don't see much use, but they fill my needs quite nicely.

I've had my probes for 10 years or so, now. I have had to take them apart and resolder some wires, wrap some electrical tape around the volume wheel, and tape around just before the speaker. I've also sprayed some contact cleaner into the switch and contacts.

Always works better for about a year & a half or so---then I gotta do it again. Both of them are Progressives--a yellow & black one(older) and a grey and red one(newer).

I have the Fluke IntellitoneT 200. It has a selection for a digital output for the tone. I was told that it helped finding data cables were active. So far I'm not impressed.
My reason for buying this particular one is that it doubles as a 4 pair tester. I don't use it for that though because the is no way of telling on the tone end that the probe is plugged in. The probe has lights and sound, but the tone has no indication.
https://www.specialized.net/ecommerce/shop/seriesmaster.asp?series_id=Fluke+Networks

Yes ,I also tried the intellitone ,It is junk ,I gave it away

I was going to get one last year but I posted here first and you guys saved me some $$$

Yeah, that's an interesting feature of the Fluke, but if you short across the pair with any toner tone will stop. But the Fluke tone after being shorted is pretty cool. Can also use that feature if you're chasing tone with other folks doing the same in the same space, just short the clips before attaching to the pair. It's nice to have lots of different tone options in your bag.

I bought a Leviton quite a while ago that has varying tones, talk battery, and an ohmmeter built in. It works great except for turning off the tone when there is battery on the line :-(

I think it is a TS3...

Progressive is the only ones that I've ever used on a regular basis, and they seem to be the way to go. I've tried a couple of other kinds, but the performance was not very good. The only time I have any trouble toning a pair is when the pair is shorted together. I'm still able to tone it, if I take one of the leads and connect it to ground, and leave the other on the pair being toned. That tends to bleed all over the place at the distant end, but if it's punched down on a 66 block, or screw terminals, or anything that has bare metal, then it's still very easy to identify. That's one of the few drawbacks to 110 style blocks....no bare metal....oh well Anyways, Progresive is the best I've found so far.

I've been using the cheapest fluke set for about 8 months. It seems durable enough for heavy usage and works great. Home Depot had a good price on them.

I got one of the first Intellitone 200's and it never worked for me. I keep hearing the lady say "fluke networks" and that funky set of tones when searching for a digital signal.

It looked good in theory, but I still just use a pair of Progressive 77's and the probe. I also use my Microtest and Ideal for 8-pin jacks.

Carl

I normally fix my tonners and probes when they break. That's why I'm a phone guy.


My favorite is the Yellow Banna. A funky 9 volt goes inside it. I wire it with a clip on standard 9 volt.


These are the best.

I kicked out the big bucks for the intellitone and just like the rest of you guys i found out that it was junk

I have several Tempo/Progressive 200EP Probes that don't pickup tone. I seem to break them everytime I probe metal to metal on line that has DSL on it. Not sure if this is the cause but it seems to be a pattern. Has Anyone seen this or know what goes bad on these probes if it is something as simple as a blown capacitor maybe?