question on finding coax

[jags1]

Hey Sadoun!!

Nice piece of testing gear, however that still would not solve the problem. Cruzin does not need to find the end of the cable, he needs to find out which cable it is in the middle of the run along side 4 other cables. He wants to do it without cutting any of the cables.

Also I applied to be a reseller with your company but haven't heard back. Please follow up if you can.

Thanks!

Eric Jaeger

 

[Tron]

An induction probe can be used in conjunction with the toner to identify the cable without having to physically connect to it or cut it in any way. This is what telephone company linesmen use to identify copper wire pairs.

 

[Splicer]

An induction probe can be used in conjunction with the toner to identify the cable without having to physically connect to it or cut it in any way. This is what telephone company linesmen use to identify copper wire pairs.

That better not work...The cable is shielded...Telephone is not...

 

[brentb636]

The frequency is put on the shield, not the center conductor. So it does work, but if the cables are tightly bundled at any point, it can get confusing because of the "cross-induction" ( not a word ) .

 

[jags1]

Just stick it with a pin!!

 

[mbarnes]

The frequency is put on the shield, not the center conductor. So it does work, but if the cables are tightly bundled at any point, it can get confusing because of the "cross-induction" ( not a word ) .

I think the word you are looking for is cross-talk. But you've got the right basic idea. Pick up a line tracer set. It has a little box with clip leads and puts a strong tone on the cable. The other part is the "wand", usually about 8" or so with a point at one end and a small speaker at the other. This set should be in anyone's toolbox who deals with cables and wiring for phone, computer, video, alarms, etc.

In the case of a coax cable you want to be sure your cables are all disconnected at each end. On the desired cable, clip one lead of your toner to the connector's outer shell or to the braid. Clip the other lead to a good ground. You should be able to pull your cables apart a bit and rub the point of your wand along the cable. You should get a good tone on the correct cable. I've been doing this for over 35 years. It has worked well for me many times.

Tone tracer sets can be purchased at Lowe's, Home Depot, or a number of online sources.

HTH

 

[brentb636]

I don't use "crosstalk" except when talking about twisted pair.