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Posted By: brianslm tracing a speaker wire - 01/30/10 05:32 PM
I am trying to trace the surround sound wires in my tv room. I have one end of the wires exposed and i have a RD400pl locator. I know how to use it outside, but what is the best way to trace these wires with this machine. I dont have a way to use an earth ground. Thanks
Posted By: TexasTechnician Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/30/10 06:15 PM
I've never had much luck with a "hound dog" tracing indoor wiring.

What are you attempting to do by tracing the wires anyway? Trouble shoot or identify the cables?
Posted By: brianslm Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/30/10 06:39 PM
i just need to find the wires to hook up the speakers. They have been sitting on the floor for 6 months. i hoped to come home one day and find them hung up, but no luck.
Posted By: Ray01 Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/30/10 06:41 PM
Its going to be very difficult to use it inside. Set your locator to the HIGHEST possible setting. Take you ground lead on your transmitter and hook to a peice of copper wire,#14, long enough to get outside your house andground it that way. Go extremely slow with the receiver because you will definitly pickup the electricals wires. Again, the RD wasn't design for inside but thats the only way I know.
Posted By: brianslm Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/30/10 06:54 PM
do you know what setting i should use. 8 or 33 khz
Posted By: Arthur P. Bloom Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/30/10 06:56 PM
A ground is conveniently located at the center screw of any electrical outlet.
Posted By: Ray01 Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/30/10 06:56 PM
Is 33 your Highest? If it is, it will be very unlikely to trace.
Posted By: Ray01 Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/30/10 07:00 PM
Arthur - if he grounds to that, it will decrease his chances for finding the speaker wire. The electric will dominate already as is. This will intensify the conductivty for the electric over the speaker wire.
Posted By: brianslm Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/30/10 07:05 PM
is there a tracer that would be better for this application
Posted By: Ray01 Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/30/10 07:13 PM
Pipehorn Model 100 or 800 would be better. Very High frequency. Another is the Metro Tel MT99-0118 Cable Hound DSP Cable Locator [MT99-0118]
Posted By: Ray01 Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/30/10 07:18 PM
Something else that would be alot cheaper to do is to get a device in the electrical dept of a hardware store that sends out a signal. I can not remember what it is called but if you will look around there, you should be able to find it.
Posted By: hbiss Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/30/10 07:57 PM
i just need to find the wires to hook up the speakers. They have been sitting on the floor for 6 months. i hoped to come home one day and find them hung up, but no luck.

What the heck are you talking about??

-Hal
Posted By: EV607797 Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/30/10 08:15 PM
I must agree. Tracing wires has nothing to do with what is going to be connected to them, nor the frequency response for the connected speakers.

Quote
"The electric will dominate already as is. This will intensify the conductivty for the electric over the speaker wire. "
Now I am really confused.
Posted By: Silversam Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/30/10 08:23 PM
How about using what our ancestors used when they built the pyramids?

Get a battery and a bell and "ring them out" as the Sparkies say. Cost in any hardware store should be under $5.00.

Sam
Posted By: jeffmoss26 Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/30/10 10:05 PM
I would just use my toner...
Posted By: Jim Baldwin Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/30/10 10:45 PM
I think what he is trying to do is trace the wires so he knows which one will go to which speaker. why not connect all the speakers and connect one at a time and see which one it is, adjust at the amp or whatever as needed.
Posted By: hbiss Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/31/10 06:26 AM
Why don't you tell us what the situation is? One end is exposed, where is the other end? Did somebody cover it over during construction?

-Hal
Posted By: Ray01 Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/31/10 07:36 AM
Hal - thats the way I take it when he said he just has one end exposed.
Posted By: metelcom Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/31/10 08:58 AM
Test the cables with an ohm meter to make sure they are not shorted. If the wires are ok connect them to a music source and use the toner to locate the music. If you have an amp with 70 volt output this work real well I have located hidden wires in walls and ceiling this way.
Posted By: Arthur P. Bloom Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/31/10 10:30 AM
Get in your time machine, go back a few days, take a deep breath, and tell us precisely WTF you want to do. All these electrons have been wasted by the tooth-pulling and hand-waving to find out what you need.

I am going to hazard a guess, and suggest that you use a plain old orange toner, one side connected to ground (yes, Hal, to ground) and the other lead connected to the wire. Then use a plain old Aines probe, and start listening.

Assuming you know the general route of the wiring, and assuming you know roughly where they are supposed to terminate within the walls, you should have no problem hearing the tone.

Telling us that you are disappointed that the fairies haven't surprised you with a solution and hung up your speakers is not going to advance the solution to the problem.

[Linked Image from sciencecases.org]
Posted By: ffej010 Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/31/10 12:20 PM
Seems to me a simple toner/tracer would suffice.
Posted By: hbiss Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/31/10 12:26 PM
(yes, Hal, to ground)

The OP is a landscaper so that's something he should be familiar with...

-Hal
Posted By: brokeda Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/31/10 01:08 PM
I am really Cornfluuzzed now!!

:shrug: :shrug: :db: :db: call call
Posted By: Arthur P. Bloom Re: tracing a speaker wire - 01/31/10 01:28 PM
Quote
The OP is a landscaper so that's something he should be familiar with...
That remark is "grounds" for suspension for three minutes, Hal. Go to your room.
Posted By: Lightning horse Re: tracing a speaker wire - 02/01/10 08:24 AM
And you Arthur, are due an 'Honorable Mention' for the excellent pun! smile
And I have used a 77HP and dynamic pick up from Progressive Electronics more than once to locate a 'sheetrocked' phone jack box. It just has to be quiet, and connect the toner leads to 2 unshorted wires in the cable. And in my experience, if the cable is stranded random lay, it radiates even better, because all the wires pick up the signal. Just lay the pickup on the wall, don't try to trace with the point until you get to the end, then use the point to exactly locate the cable end.
Posted By: Rickman Re: tracing a speaker wire - 02/01/10 08:50 AM
I would just get Money Back and Buy a Wireless Surround Sound System. Then You can Put Your Speaker's anywhere in the Room You want. Hidden wires? (Old School).
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