Triplett Fox 2 & Hound 3 Probe Kit
Contents
1. Fox amp Hound 3 Instruction Manual iS TRIPLETT Fox and Hound 3 Instruction Manual Table of Contents T Introduction eorr 2 FOX Features 3 HOUND 3 Features 4 Safety Warnings and Cautions 5 5 0 8 6 Control Locations ET 7 Getting Started 8 Operating Instructions Detailed Information 20 49 9 Accessories and Replacement Parts 49 10 50 amp 51 1 Introduction The FOX and HOUND 3 wire tracing kit consists of a classic FOX Tone Generator Toner and a newly designed HOUND 3 Inductive Amplifier Probe The FOX is a battery operated handheld lightweight multi function Toner that can generate 3 different tones Hi Lo and Warble perform some basic telephone line tests loop mA and line polarity and pro vides a visual continuity test The HOUND 3 is a battery op erated handheld lightweight Probe with a thumbwheel Sen sitivity control and Signal Strength indicator LED It improves on previous designs the HOUND and HOUND 2 with built in LED illuminators a bandpass filter an earphone jack and an easy access battery cover An included convenient carry ing case with belt loop attachment provides ease of use and protective storage for the FOX and HOUND 3 84 863 2 When used together the FOX and HOUND 3 aids in identify ing locating and tracing wires2. 8 1 4 3 Telephone wires The floating method is usually used to locate a pair of wires in a telephone junction block If the wires are already termi nated into a modular telephone jack simply plug the FOX into the jack This method works with the phone line con nected or disconnected from the wires going to the telephone company A stronger trace is usually obtained if the wires are not connected to the telephone company If the wires are not connected to the telephone company the grounded method can be used to trace telephone wires through a wall or ceiling Use the green and red clips to con 31 nect to the phone line and ground To identify the wires if using the floating method momen tarily short the suspected wires together while listening to the FOX signal with the HOUND 3 If the FOX signal is com pletely killed not heard on the HOUND 3 the selected pair is probably the target pair If the signal is not completely killed the wrong pair has been selected or there is an open fault in the pair and crosstalk is being picked up from the other wires To identify the wires if using the grounded method mo mentarily short the suspected wire to ground while listening to the FOX signal with the HOUND 3 If the FOX signal is completely killed no heard any more on the HOUND 3 the selected wire is probably the target wire If the signal is not completely killed the wrong wire has been selected or there is an open faul
3. mal or Reversed Polarity To perform this test simply con 22 nect the alligator clips or the modular plug to the line to be tested The FOX will not seize the line on most phone sys tems 8 1 3 CONTINUITY TALK When the Function Switch is set to the CONTINUITY TALK position the FOX can perform basic Continuity tests or sup ply Talk Power to several talksets 8 1 3 1 Continuity Testing The FOX can be used as a visual continuity indicator Set the FOX s Function Switch to CONTINUITY TALK When the FOX s red and green alligator clips are touched together the LED will light indicating continuity To check continuity connect the red and green alligator clips to the circuit under test and observe the LED Continuity from zero to 10K ohms Will be indicated by the brightness of the LED The LED will be bright at low resistances and dim at high resistances Do not attempt to measure continuity on a powered line 8 1 3 2 Talk Power The FOX will supply power to operate handsets This fea ture is particularly useful when two installers are working at terminal panels that have at least one identified pair con nected between them but are not yet connected to the CO battery The FOX allows the installers to communicate us ing their handsets Set the FOX s Function Switch to Conti TALK and connect the handsets as shown in Figure 3 The FOX s LED will light when supplying Talk Power 23 NOTE Some handsets
4. and any other methods learned from your experiments to find the open fault 8 1 4 7 Cars Wires can be traced in cars or similar metal bodied vehicles using the grounded method The metal body of the car acts as a ground and as a shield This means that compared to tracing in a wood frame structure it will be necessary to place the HOUND 3 closer to the target wire to pick up a tracer tone Connect one clip of the FOX to the metal chassis of the car and the other clip to the wire to be traced As in other appli 42 cations the far end of the wire must be disconnected from any loads or any other wires or the tracer tone will be shorted out or it will migrate into other wires Because wires adja cent to the target wire will often acts as shields and be cause the wires in cars are often bundled together into har nesses it may be difficult to follow the target wire through i harness Try to locate the wire as it emerges from the 410655 Find open fault by tracing along the wire until the tracer tone drops dramatically in level Shorting the far end of the open wire to chassis ground may help If the wire is bundled in a harness it may be difficult if not impossible to locate the open without unbundling the harness In these cases it is sometimes more expedient to run a new wire to replace the open wire 8 1 4 8 Boats Wiring tracing on metal hulled boats is similar to tracing wires in cars see above If traci
5. 100VAC may be present during ringing Additionally tele phone lines may support dangerous levels of common mode voltages In some circumstances user injury may result 4 6 Use caution when working with any long unconnected wire or cable Under some conditions unconnected wires may float up to dangerous potentials and touching them may result in user injury 47 Use care when connecting the FOX to any wire or cable An unexpected dangerous voltage may be present which may result in injury to the user 4 8 Potentials applied to any connection of the FOX may appear on other FOX connections For example a potential applied to the RJ 11 plug may appear on the alligator clips This could pose a shock hazard to the user if for example a tele phone cable with 120VAC on it is connected to the FOX The 120VAC may appear on the alligator clips and shock the user 5 Specifications 5 1 FOX Specifications 5 1 1 Telephone Loop mA and Line Polarity Test Indication Red LED lights to indicate presence of Loop mA in correct polarity Load Approx 13mA at 50VDC usually less than off hook recognition current 5 1 2 Visual Ring Indication Indication Red LED flashes to indicate ringing 5 1 3 Tracer Tone with fresh battery Waveform Square Wave or Differentiated Square Wave Level Approx 8Vpp 14dBu 600 Ohm into an open circuit un terminated cable or telephone line Approx 5Vpp differentiated 2dBm into a 600
6. 9 Size 1 7 8 dia at speaker 1 3 8 dia at body 8 1 4 long with metal probe 9 1 4 with conductive plastic probe 5 2 10 Weight Less than 8 ounces including battery 10 6 Fox and Hound 3 Control Locations See Figures 1 and 2 B Function Switch Tone Switch D Modular Plug E Alligator Clips Figure 1 FOX Control Locations 11 Conductive Plastic Duckbill Tip Metal Conical Tip CO LED Lights Signal Strength Indicator Power Button FP Sensitivity Control 69 Earphone Jack 9 Battery Connector Battery Strap 4 KR Battery not included 2 Speaker Cover A 9 1 5 numer uL gt t 2 Hound 3 Control Locations 12 7 Getting Started 7 1 The FOX 7 1 2 Installing a standard 9 volt battery in the FOX Remove the screw on the back of the case Remove the case front Install replace the battery Reassemble the Case 7 1 3 Using a rechargeable battery in the FOX The FOX can recharge a 9 volt Nicad battery by using tele phone Loop Current CO power To use this feature simply replace the standard 9 volt battery with a 9 volt Nicad bat tery To charge the Nicad set the FOX to OFF LINE POLAR ITY and connect the alligator clips to the line in Reversed
7. actual ground is required to perform this test 35 It is not unusual for the loose turn able part of a coaxial connector to have poor electrical contact to the cable shield until it is screwed on to its mating connector Consider this when making connection to a coax Because of the way that coax is constructed it is not pos sible to find an open in the center conductor It is possible to find an open in the shield if the shield is not shorted to the center conductor or ground Connect the center conductor of the coax to earth ground Connect the shield and center conductor at the far end of the coax to earth ground Con nect one clip of the FOX to an earth ground Experimentally connect the other clip of the FOX to the shield of the coax While listening to the tracer tone on this clip with a HOUND 3 If the level of the tracer tone drops significantly when the clip is connected to the shield the shield is probably grounded and can t be traced to the open If the level of the tracer tone doesn t drop much leave the clip connected to shield Using a HOUND 3 follow the path of the coax by finding the strongest signal An abrupt drop in the tracer tone level will occur at the point of the open Keep in mind however if tracing unseen coaxes in the wall or ceiling that the coaxes may pass behind a metal object like a furnace duct that prevents the HOUND 3 from pick ing up the tracer signal or the coaxes may diverge from the path o
8. cables and other conduc tors When the FOX is used to apply a tone to a wire the HOUND 3 can usually locate the wire inside of or behind electrically non conductive surfaces plastic wood drywall etc up to 12 inches away The HOUND 3 does not have to contact a wire to identify it i e no stripping needed FOXs and HOUNDs have been used in the telephone electri cal security sound reinforcement video automotive and boating industries to name a few 2 Key Features of the FOX Generates 3 distinct tones usable for wire tracing Performs a variety of tests on telephone lines Line powered in Tone Mode LED Indicator for continuity Supplies Talk Power to allow communicating between handsets talksets or powering a telephone Alligator clips and modular plug allow for connection to stripped wires terminal panels or a standard modular jack single line Powered by a standard 9V battery not included One Year Warranty 3 Key Features of the HOUND 3 New Headlights to help light your way in dark areas and reduce florescent light noise Gtreamlined Design allows for better access in hard to reach areas New Shielded Design to suppress Feedback Squeal Bandpass Filter to suppress 60Hz and Hi Frequency Noise Earphone Jack for use in quiet or noisy environments Improved Sensitivity and Loudness Includes New Conductive Plastic Duck Bill Tip for Safer Easier Penet
9. experience Sounds that are not very loud in the Speaker can be very loud in the earphone While the HOUND 3 does provide some compensation for this the earphone loudness can varying greatly depending on the earphones actually used 47 In some situations the HOUND 3 may have a tendency to feedback at high Sensitivity settings The feedback may sound like a howling or squealing sound coming from the Speaker To suppress this effect the Sensitivity setting can be reduced or the user may find that touching an ungloved finger to the earphone jack may help 8 2 5 LED Lights The white LED Lights CC provide light for performing tests in poorly lit areas The LEDs do not interfere with the target signal If fluorescent lighting is causing a lot of interference With the target signal the user may find it helpful to turn off the lighting temporarily and use the non interfering illumi nation provided by the LEDs 8 2 6 Conductive Plastic AA amp Metal Probes BB Two probes are provided with the HOUND 3 They are easily changed by screwing and un screwing them from the tip of the HOUND 3 The metal conical probe is rugged and durable If working with low voltage wiring the metal probe can provide a sig nificant increase in signal loudness when the metal in the target wire or a metal contact connected to the target wire is touched This sometimes aids in identifying the target wire For example the metal probe is often used to
10. internal 9 volt battery is not needed To use this feature simply connect the FOX s alligator clips E or modular plug D to the powered line on which the tone is to be sent The FOX will not seize or capture the line of most phone sys tems 20 Helpful Hint Although the FOX does not require a battery when generat ing a tone when Loop Current is present if a battery is in the FOX it will be used as part of the FOX s power source Due to the FOX s internal circuitry less battery power is used if the FOX is connected to the line in Reverse Polarity i e Tip to Negative Ring to Positive Therefore for greatest battery life connect to a powered line in Reverse Polarity 8 1 2 OFF LINE POLARITY Telephone Loop Current and Line Polarity Testing Loop Current is provided by the Telephone Company the Central Office CO to power the typical telephone With out Loop Current a telephone won t work The FOX can test a telephone line for the presence of Loop Current and test for its proper polarity In telephone circuits the green and red wires are identified as Tip and Ring respectively Remember Ring is red In tele phone circuitry the red wire is negative polarity not posi tive Note The Ring just mention has nothing to do with a phone ringing The FOX s modular plug is wired in the standard polarity used in the telephone industry The alligator clips are also polar ized with the Red clip being
11. may not operate properly at the power level supplied by the FOX Figure 3 FOX supplying Talk Power 24 8 1 4 TONE Wire Tracing Identification amp Open Faults The uses of the FOX Tone mode can usually be divided into three categories tracing identification and locating open faults 8 1 4 1 General Wire Tracing Information The FOX and HOUND 3 will not trace live AC or DC power Wires The only type of live circuit that the FOX and HOUND 3 will trace is a telephone circuit The FOX s tracer tone will not penetrate electrically conduc tive materials like any kind of metal or wet earth This means that the HOUND 3 cannot pickup the tone if the target Wire is in a metal conduit or is underground The HOUND 3 will pickup the tone at locations where the target wire emerges from the conduit or the earth The FOX s tracer tone will penetrate wood frame walls and ceilings and plaster and drywall Under good conditions a HOUND 3 can pickup the tone from a foot or more away from the target wire The FOX s tracer tone will pass through any electrical cir cuitry connected to the target wire s Hence to identify a Specific Wire it will be necessary to disconnect all loads and circuitry from the wire This includes switches capacitors resistors coils transformers lights motors etc 25 The FOX s tracer tone can be shorted out by any loads on the target wire All loads mus
12. OX by sliding the Function Switch to the position Set Tone Switch C to the WARBLE position This is the position that most users prefer for wire location and tracing Rotate the HOUND s Sensitivity Control FF to its mid posi tion Turn on HOUND 3 by pressing and holding the Power Button EE Bring the HOUND 35 probe AA or BB near the FOX s alligator clips The warbling signal from the FOX should be heard in the HOUND 35 Speaker LL Adjust the Sensi tivity Control for the desired loudness Move the probe of the HOUND 3 closer to and farther away from the FOX s alli 15 gator clips Notice how the loudness of the warble sound increases and how the brightness of the Signal Strength Indicator DD increases as the probe approaches the alliga tor clips In general the HOUND 3 is used by bringing it into proxim ity with the wire cable that the FOX is connected to listening for the TONE signal from the FOX and moving the HOUND 3 in such a manner as to increase the loudness of the TONE signal from the HOUND 35 speaker i e searching for the loudest TONE signal The HOUND 3 Sensitivity Control is usually set to maxi mum when tracing wires through walls and ceilings and is set to a lower setting when in close proximity to the signal carrying wires In situations where there is a lot of acoustic noise observing the brightness of the LED or using ear phones may prove more useful than attempting to hear the signal
13. Ohm load terminated telephone line Frequencies 3 types LO approx 800Hz HI approx 1000Hz WARBLE alternates between LO and HI 5 1 4 Connections RJ 11 Plug for connection to telephone lines Color Coded Alligator Clips for connection to stripped wires or terminals 5 1 5 Visual Continuity LED lights when continuity is established Open Circuit Voltage 10v max Test Current 35mA max 5 1 6 Talk Power Open Circuit Voltage 10v max Current Short Circuit 35mA max Current with 1K Loop Typically 6mA with new 9v battery 5 1 7 Protection Will withstand 56V with 400 Ohms series resistance applied across outputs Will withstand 175V peak with 100 Ohms Series resistance superimposed on 56V for 100mS stan dard telco ring signal DO NOT CONNECT TO LIVE AC POWER LINES 5 1 8 Power Battery Standard 9v Alkaline Battery NEDA 1604A Eveready 522 Battery Life Approx 500 hours continuous Tone Generator mode Telephone Line Powered Operation Tone Generator operates without 9v battery installed Operates from standard telephone line 46 to 53v 400 to 1800 Ohms in normal or reverse polarity 5 1 9 NiCad Charging Current Approx 9mA 5 1 10 Dimensions Case 3 7 HX 24 Wx 1 1 T 93mm x 61mm x 28mm Leads Alligator Clips Typically 11 inches long RJ 11 Typically 9 inches long 5 1 11 Weight Less than 7 ounces including battery 5 2 HOUND 3 Specifications 5 2 1 Amplifie
14. Polarity Red to positive and Green to negative Connect ing to the line in Normal Polarity WILL NOT CHARGE the battery Approximately 16 hours is required to fully charge atypical Nicad battery refer to battery manufacturer specs Emergency Fast Charge The FOX s circuitry incorporates a fast charge mode This mode is not recommended for casual use because it exceeds the battery s nominal charge current and will shorten the battery s life Charging current could be as high as 90 mA To use this feature set the FOX to CONTINUITY TALK and connect the alligator clips to a powered line in Reversed Polarity fred to positive and Green to negative DO NOT charge the battery for more than 30 minutes Irreversible 13 shortening of the battery s life may result DO NOT connect to the line in Normal Polarity Damage to the battery may result 7 1 4 Testing the Battery in the FOX After installing the battery a basic test can be performed to verify that the battery is powering the FOX Set Function Switch B to its CONTINUITY TALK position Whiles serving LED A short alligator clips E together If the bat tery is OK the LED will light A bright LED indicates a fresh battery a dim LED indicates a Weak battery no light from the LED indicates a dead battery Helpful Hint Although a weak battery in the FOX may not provide adequate power to operate several talksets the TONE feature often Works with a weak batte
15. THE PRO VISIONS OF THE WARRANTY ARE EXPRESSLY IN LIEU OF ANY OTHER WARRANTIES EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED The purchaser agrees to assume all liability for any damages and bodily injury which may result from the use or misuse of the prod uct by the purchaser his employees or others and the remedies provided for in this warranty are expressly in lieu of any other liabil ity Triplett Corporation may have including incidental or consequen tial damages Some states USA ONLY do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages so the above limitation or ex clusion may not apply to you No representative of Triplett Corpora tion or any other person is authorized to extend the liability of Triplett Corporation in connection with the sale of its products beyond the terms hereof Triplett Corporation reserves the right to discontinue models at any time or change specifications price or design without notice and without incurring any obligation This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may have other rights which vary from state to state 51 AN TRIPLETT Triplett Corporation One Triplett Drive Bluffton 45817 800 TRIPLETT FAX 419 358 7956 www triplett com Triplett Corporation All Rights Reserved
16. aralleling wires still connected to their loads If the other wires do not have loads like when they are being installed it helps to temporarily connect one end of the wires to earth ground so that they do not interfere With the trace The loading effect can also be used when trying to locate an open fault in a wire in a multiwire cable By leaving the loads 44 on the unfaulted wires the tracer tone will be reduced in level on the unfaulted wires and make locating the open easier In fact if the other wires are unconnected it helps to temporarily connect them to earth ground so that they sup press the effect of the coupled signals It may also help to connect the far end of the open faulted wire to earth ground Doing this will produce the most distinct change in tracer tone level when the HOUND 3 passes over the location of the open 8 2 HOUND 3 Details refer to Figure 2 8 2 1 Power Button The Power Button EE is typically pressed and held while the HOUND 3 is being used When pressed the Amplifier and Speaker LL is activated and the LED lights CC are turned on Release the button to turn the product off 8 2 2 Signal Strength Indicator The Signal Strength Indicator DD is used to indicate the presence of a signal when it may be difficult to hear the sig nal coming from the speaker because of high ambient noise levels It will glow brighter as the received signal strength increases The brightness will be se
17. as a fake ground For example a large metal desk or a metal file cabinet can be used When tracing wires in a car trailer or RV etc the metal frame or body can be used as a ground When tracing wires in a boat that is in the water with a wood or fiberglass glass hull any piece of metal that comes in contact with the water can be used as a ground Simply connect one clip of the FOX to the ground or fake ground and the other clip to the target wire 29 Lf MULTI WIRE CABLE TERMINALS Figure 5 00000 000 000 pood 000000 0000000 2000001 M NN v g Grounded or Line to Ground Tracing 30 Helpful Hints Extension pieces of wire or long clip leads can be used to connect the FOX to a ground or fake ground The extension wire can be hundreds of feet long if necessary To test a fake ground to see if it can be used for wire tracing connect one clip from the FOX to the candidate object like a metal desk and the other clip of the FOX to the target wire Hold a HOUND 3 near the object A good fake ground will not radiate much tracer tone The tracer tone should be much stronger on the FOX s other clip If it is not the target wire may be shorted to ground or the fake ground may not be adequate Generally the larger the object used as the fake ground the better it works If the target wire is somehow connected to ground this will greatly reduce or kill the tracer tone
18. der normal use and service disclose the defect to be the fault of our manufacturing with no charge within one year of the date of original purchase for parts and labor If we are unable to repair or replace the product we will make a refund of the purchase price Consult the Instruction Manual for instructions regarding the proper use and servicing of instruments and test equipment Our obligation under this warranty is limited to repairing replacing or making refund on any instrument or test equipment which proves to be defective within one year from the date of original purchase This warranty does not apply to any of our products which have been repaired or altered by unauthorized persons in any way 50 as in our Sole judgment to injure their stability or reliability or which have been subject to misuse abuse misapplication negligence accident or which have had the serial numbers altered defaced or removed Accessories including batteries and fuses not of our manufacture used with this product are not covered by this warranty To register a claim under the provisions of this warranty return the instrument or test equipment to Triplett Corporation Service De partment One Triplett Drive Bluffton Ohio 45817 transportation prepaid Upon our inspection of the product we will advise you as to the disposition of your claim 50 ALL WARRANTIES IMPLIED BY LAW ARE HEREBY LIMITED TO A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR FROM DATE OF PURCHASE AND
19. drag along the contacts on a telephone punchdown block In situations where the metal probe may short a circuit leading to dis ruption of the circuit operation or may short a power cir cuit possibly causing equipment damage and user injury 48 use of the conductive plastic probe is recommended The plastic probe is only slightly conductive and usually causes no disruption of equipment operation An additional advan tage is its duckbill shape which allows it to penetrate deeply into a bundle of wires Helpful Hint When using the conductive plastic probe greater signal pickup will be obtained if the wire being probed is laid against the flat surface of the duckbill Laying the wire against the tip edge of the duckbill will not produce the strongest signal 9 Accessories and Replacement Items FOX HI 3380 HOUND 3 3392 9 Volt Battery alkaline 37 48 Duckbill Plastic Probe 19 798 Conical Metal Probe 2567 79 Speaker Cap 060 10 4292 Battery Cover for HOUND 3 10 4286 Instruction 64 863 Carrying Case 10 4291 1770 7 cs 13837 49 10 Warranty Info ONE YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY The Triplett Corporation warrants instruments and test equipment manufactured by it to be free from defective material or workman ship and agrees to repair or replace such products which un
20. e suspected wire to ground while listening to the FOX signal with the HOUND 3 Warning take care not 10 short together live wires If the FOX signal is completely Killed not heard on the HOUND 3 the selected wire is prob 37 ably the target wire If the signal is not completely killed the wrong wire has been selected or there is an open fault in the wire and crosstalk is being picked up from the other wires This will not work if a fake ground is being used An actual ground is required to perform this test 8 1 4 6 Resistance Heating Wires The FOX and a HOUND 3 can be used to trace the path of a resistance heating wire in a plaster wall or ceiling This is usually performed to find an open in the wire It is best if the user is familiar With resistance heating techniques particu larly in regard to the typical patterns used for the wire path The wire is usually in a serpentine pattern with the wire spac ing and orientation varying depending on the amount of heat needed in different areas of the room Finding the open can be a challenge Several techniques can be and should be used It helps if the user performs a few experiments before trying to find the open See Figure 7 Attach a few pieces of wire any kind more than several feet long to each clip of the FOX Lay the wires out on a non conducting surface a wood floor with no metal in the vicinity nails are OK but make Sure there s no metal furnace duct below t
21. en to pulsate with the characteristics of the received signal Helpful Hint The Signal Strength Indicator responds to any received sig nal Any sound normally heard in the speaker will cause the Indicator to light The user will note that the HOUND 3 will 45 pick up signals from electrical devices other than the FOX Probably the most notable signal a buzzing sound comes from fluorescent lights Other sounds can often be heard when the HOUND 3 is placed near a TV computer or other electronic device The Signal Strength Indicator can t differ entiate between these signals 50 if the user is observ ing just the Indicator without being able to hear the speaker he may mistake an interfering signal for the target signal This is where the earphone is handy By using the earphone the user can determine if the signal that the Indicator is re sponding to is the target signal 8 2 3 Sensitivity Control The Sensitivity Control FF adjusts the loudness of the sound from the Speaker Usually when initially searching for the target signal the Control is set to maximum At this maxi mum setting electronic noises from electrical wiring or de vices may be heard When the target signal is heard the user can track the signal to its source by moving the HOUND 3 in the direction that makes the sound of the target signal get louder As the loudness of the target signal increases the Control setting can be reduced which will reduce t
22. er if tracing unseen wires in the wall or ceiling that the wires may pass behind a metal object like a furnace duct that prevents the HOUND 3 from picking up the tracer signal or the wires may diverge from the path of the receiver Before assuming that the open has been located try finding the signal nearby or in an adja cent attached wall or ceiling Also keep in mind that it may not be possible to find the open in all situations because of the number of variables involved Helpful Hints If attempting to trace a telephone wire terminated in a modu lar jack but not connected to the telephone company through a wall or ceiling insert the FOX s modular plug into the jack and then connect either the red or green clip lead to a ground 33 or fake ground This will boost the tracer tone and may pro vide an adequate trace The strongest trace will be obtained when using the grounded method and the clips as described above but if the hint works the user won t have to open the modular jack housing to gain access to the wires Figure 6 Locating an Open 8 1 4 4 Coaxial Cable Coaxial cable like that used for cable TV satellite TV closed circuit TV early LAN systems etc is often connected to other cables through splitters combiners or amplifiers In order to trace the cable it must be disconnected from these loads Since coaxial cable is self shielding the floating method usually does not work well when tracin
23. es and the location of the open lends its to this approach lt a gt STRONG SEN Figure 8 40 Now attach one of the clips and the wire attached to it to a good earth ground See Figure 9 The HOUND 3 should pickup very little signal from the grounded wire Move the HOUND 3 along the length of the wire and note how a strong signal is picked up on one side of the open fault and very little signal is picked up on the other side of the fault STRONG c d WEAK SIGNAL Figure 9 41 For the most accurate simulation lay out a serpentine pat tern on the floor similar to that in the ceiling and locate the open in different places using the nulling and the grounding technique Have an assistant position the open fault while you are out of the room and then cover the wire with card board newspaper plywood etc and see if you can find the open You ll probably find that the open is sometimes found in the wrong place Notice what wire configuration causes this to happen and experiment with the nulling and grounding techniques to see if a method can be figured out that will work in these situations To test the actual resistance heating circuit disconnect the ends of the heating wires from the power source This can usually be done at the thermostat that controls the room Attach the clips of the FOX to the wires one clip to each wire and use the nulling and grounding techniques dis cussed above
24. f the receiver Before assuming that the open has been located try finding the signal nearby or in an adjacent at tached wall or ceiling Also keep in mind that it may not be possible to find the open in all situations because of the number variables involved 36 8 1 4 5 Power Wires The FOX and HOUND 3 cannot trace or identify live power wires To use a FOX and HOUND 3 to trace a power wire power must be removed from the wire and all loads must be removed from the wire This may be as simple as turning the circuit breaker off and turning off all of the loads NM B Non Metallic wires sometimes called Romex can be traced by putting one clip of the FOX on the ground or neutral and the other clip on the hot wire Trace the wires using a HOUND 3 in the usual manner If the target wires are in a metal conduit they cannot be traced until they emerge from the conduit To identify the wires if using the floating method momen tarily short the suspected wires together while listening to the FOX signal with the HOUND 3 Warning take care not to short together live wires If the FOX signal is completely Killed not heard on the HOUND 3 the selected wires are probably the target pair If the signal is not completely killed the wrong wires have been selected or there is an open fault in the wires and crosstalk is being picked up from the other wires To identify the wires if using the grounded method mo mentarily short th
25. from the speaker Helpful Hints It is normal to hear a humming or buzzing noise coming from the HOUND 3 s speaker when it is in an area with fluo rescent lights neon signs transformers etc In fact an easy test to verify the HOUND s is working is to move it toward an operating fluorescent light and note that the buzzing sound gets louder and the brightness of the LED increases If the buzzing sounds from fluorescent lights interfere with tracing locating wires the user may consider turning the fluo 16 rescent lights off and using the HOUND 3 s built in lights which do not produce any noise 7 4 Choosing a Probe Tip The HOUND 3 is supplied with 2 Probe Tips The metal coni cal tip provides the strongest signal in most cases because it can make a metallic electrical connection with a wire car rying the FOX signal In some cases the metal tip can be a safety hazard because it might short out a live circuit that the user is probing The metal tip is rather short and large in diameter making it difficult to insert into wire bundles while searching for the target wire The conductive plastic duckbill tip will not short out most electrical circuits The conductivity of the probe is very low compared to the metal tip Additionally the slender duckbill shape allows the tip to be inserted into wire bundles while searching for the target wire Most users prefer this tip al though it is not quite a rugged as the sol
26. g methods floating and grounded In the floating method also called Line to Line the tracer tone is applied to two wires a pair in the cable or wire har ness to be tested See Figure 4 The FOX s red clip is con nected to one wire and the green clip is connected to the other wire This method is often used on telephone inter com or alarm wires The floating method tends to cancel out some of the tracer tone so a HOUND 3 usually works best when the user has access to the wires and can place the HOUND 3 right against the wires This method identifies the wires as a pair It will not identify which wire is con nected to the FOX s green clip or which wire is connected to the red clip 27 utr caste _ 00000 00000 0 2000000 PEODODE TERMINALS ROG TARGET WIRES Figure 4 Floating or Line to Line Tracing 28 In the grounded method also called Line to Ground one clip of the FOX either the red or green is connected to earth ground or a fake ground and the other clip is con nected to the target wire The target wire can be one wire of a pair or a multiwire cable See Figure 5 This method cre ates the strongest tracer tone and is often used when wires are traced through walls or ceiling It is also useful for iden tifying a specific wire within a bundle of wires If connection to a true ground is not available a large metal object can be used
27. g the cable 34 It can be done but the HOUND 3 must be held very close to the end of the cable to pick up any signal To apply a floating signal to a coax connect one clip of the FOX to the center conductor of the coax and the other clip to the shield of the coax The grounded method often works better for tracing coaxial cables Connect one clip of the FOX to a ground or fake ground and the other clip to the shield of the coax This method will cause the coax to radiate enough tracer tone to trace the coax thru drywall To identify the coax if using the floating method momen tarily short the shield and center conductor together while listening to the FOX signal with the HOUND 3 If the FOX signal is completely killed not heard on the HOUND 3 the selected coax is probably the target coax If the signal is not completely killed the wrong coax has been selected or there is an open fault in the coax and crosstalk is being picked up from the other wires To identify the coax if using the grounded method momen tarily short the shield to ground while listening to the FOX signal with the HOUND 3 If the FOX signal is completely killed not heard on the HOUND 3 the selected coax is prob ably the target coax If the signal is not completely killed the wrong coax has been selected or there is an open fault in the coax and crosstalk is being picked up from the other coaxes This will not work if a fake ground is being used An
28. he loudness of the other interfering sounds Repeating this pro cess will lead the user in the direction of the wire with the target signal on it Helpful Hint The user can often track the FOX signal to its source without adjusting the Sensitivity Control When the target wire is in a group of wires adjusting the Control can help determine 46 which wire is the target wire In this situation it often helps to reduce the Control setting so changes in loudness are easier to discern Also the Control may be used to reduce the loudness of the HOUND 3 in quiet office surroundings 50 its use is less obtrusive to nearby workers 8 2 4 Earphone Jack The Earphone Jack GG accepts a standard 1 8 mini plug This type is often used with portable music playing devices The earphone may be either a stereo or mono type For best results the lead wire should be shielded to reduce the pos sibility of feedback occurring between the lead wire and the HOUND 3 s probe When the plug is inserted into the jack the HOUND 3 s speaker is turned off and the sound can only be heard through the earphone To use the earphone set the HOUND 3 s Sensitivity Control to minimum plug the earphone into jack and press the Power button Adjust the Control for a comfortable sound level in the earphone Helpful Hint Setting the Sensitivity Control to minimum prior to using the as previously described can often save the user from a jarring
29. he floor parallel to each other about 4 apart Using a HOUND 3 trace along one of the wires in normal fashion noting how the tracer tone becomes stronger as the wire is approached Now trace along the other wire noting that it behaves just like the pre vious wire Now slowing move the HOUND 3 from one wire 38 to the other wire Notice that at approximately the midpoint between the wires the tracer tone becomes very weak This is the null point the place where the signal from one wire cancels the signal from the other wire Notice how this null differs from simple loss of signal that is there s a very narrow zone where the null occurs and the signal gets stronger quite rapidly on either side of the null By waving the HOUND 3 back and forth while slowly moving along the length of the wire the path of the null point can be followed between the wires These wires can be thought of as being on either side of the open fault so by using this tech nique it will be possible to localize the area in which the fault occurs gt K Wh lt STRONG 7 _ SIGNAL SIGNAL 7 FADES Figure 7 39 Reposition the test wires so that they are inline with each other with a small gap between them 1 16 to 1 8 See Figure 8 Again trace along the length of the wire and note how a null point occurs at the gap This technique can be used to find the open fairly precisely if the spacing of the wir
30. id metal tip 7 5 Earphone Jack The HOUND 3 has a Jack GG for connecting external Ear phones Headphones When using the external earphones the HOUND s internal speaker is turned off The earphones are usually used when there is so much ambient noise that the speaker cannot be heard or when the sound of the Speaker may be annoying to others in the vicinity 17 Helpful Hint Almost any type of earphones whose plug will fit into the Earphone Jack will work Some types will work better than others An earphone with shielded wires is recommended Use of earphones with unshielded wires may cause a squeal ing sound to be heard 7 6 How it works The HOUND 3 works by capacitively sensing the electrostatic field radiated by wires carrying a signal from the FOX The greater the radiated field the better the HOUND 3 s ability to locate a wire Anything that reduces the intensity of the field will impair the HOUND 3 s effectiveness in locating a wire In general several things affect field intensity shielding signal tone amplitude on the wire and wire dress In in stances where a system is shielded shielded wires metal junction boxes metal conduit etc the effectiveness of the HOUND 3 is impaired In multi wire cables grounded wires or wires connected to low impedance circuits adjacent to the target wire can act as shields reducing the HOUND 35 ability to sense properly Spreading the wires apart will re duce the
31. ng wires in a boat with a non conductive hull wood or fiberglass that is in the water the grounded method can be used but the water will act as the ground Attach one clip of the FOX to a metal object that is in contact with the water and the other clip to the wire to be traced If necessary at tach an extension wire to the FOX so that the clip will reach the grounded metal object If there is no grounded metal object simply drop the extension wire overboard into the water 43 If tracing wires in a boat that is out of the water attach one clip of the FOX to the metal trailer frame or to a grounded metal object As before an extension wire can be used if necessary 8 1 4 9 Alarm Security Wires Alarm and security wires can be traced like other wires 8 1 4 10 Miscellaneous Multiwire Cables Some general principles are important to keep in mind when locating and tracing wires and cables Any wire with a signal on it which runs parallel to another wire or Wires tends to couple its signal to the other wires crosstalk The closer the wires are together and the longer the parallel run the more signal that is coupled This situa tion occurs in multiwire cables and when wires are bundled together when installed Luckily if the other wires are low impedance they have loads on them the coupled signal will be lower in level So in general its best to disconnect the wire being traced from its loads leaving other p
32. r High impedance bootstrapped FET input for high gain and sensitivity Incorporates a bandpass filter to improve sensi tivity to FOX signals while suppressing 60Hz 5 2 2 Sensitivity Detects FOX s tone up to 12 inches away 5 2 3 Speaker 1 1 2 mylar coned speaker with high strength alnico mag net is rugged and moisture resistant 5 2 4 Probes 2 provided a Solid aluminum conical probe for low resistance contact testing b Conductive Plastic duckbill probe with metal threads for Sensitive non shorting testing 5 2 5 Earphone Jack Accepts standard 1 8 3 5mm mini phone plug either mono or stereo For use with electromagnetic dynamic earphones from 8 Ohms to 2000 Ohms Automatically mutes loud speaker when earphone is used An earphone with a shielded cable is suggested to reduce the possibility of feedback from the cable to the probe tip 5 2 6 Signal Strength Indicator Bright red LED signal strength indicator maintains sensitiv ity even when the earphone is used 5 2 7 Power A standard 9 volt alkaline battery NEDA 1604A Eveready 522 provides power for all circuitry The battery is acces sible by removing a convenient snap on door no tools required The HOUND 3 is protected against the accidental reversal of the battery polarity 5 2 8 Illumination 2 efficient bright white LEDs powered from separate current sources provide constant illumination until battery is mostly depleted about 6 volts 5 2
33. ration in cable bundles Metal tip also included Easy Access Battery Door Adjustable volume sensitivity control LED gets brighter as the signal gets stronger LED indication even works when Earphones are used Contains a hi gain hi impedance amplifier Capable of identifying the Fox s tone up to 12 inches away Rugged moisture resistant mylar cone speaker Powered by a standard 9V battery not included One Year Warranty 4 Safety Warnings and Cautions 4 1 Do not connect FOX or HOUND 3 to any source of AC power AC voltages above 30 volts can be dangerous and may re sult in user injury The FOX and HOUND 3 is not intended to trace live AC power lines The FOX will be damaged if con nected to a live AC power line 4 2 Use care when using the HOUND 3 to probe any wire or cable An unexpected dangerous voltage may be present which may result in injury to the user 43 Potentials applied to the HOUND 3 s probe may appear greatly reduced at the earphone jack This could pose a shock hazard to the user if for example the probe is brought in contact with a high voltage potential 44 The HOUND 3 s metal probe can accidentally short out a cir cuit that is being tested Use care when testing live circuitry or an accidental short may result in equipment damage or user injury 4 5 Use caution when working with telephone lines They can Support dangerous voltages 50 00 is often present and
34. ry and the POLARITY test does not require a battery to work 7 2 The HOUND 3 7 2 1 Installing a 9 volt battery in the HOUND 3 Remove Battery Cover JJ by pressing the release tab to wards probe end of the case Remove Battery Connector HH and Battery Strap Il Snap Connector to 9 volt battery and slide Strap over battery Position Strap so that the finger tab is on the side of the battery Insert battery into HOUND 3 case placing bottom of battery against foam and compress ing the foam while completing the battery insertion Lead wires should be behind battery and dressed to allow bat 14 tery to be fully inserted The finger tab on the Strap should be sticking out of the Battery Compartment This tab is used to remove the battery Fold the tab over and secure the Bat tery Cover to the case by inserting the end near the Ear phone Jack GG first and snapping the opposite end of the Cover to the case 7 2 2 Testing the battery in the HOUND 3 The battery in the HOUND 3 will not last as long as the bat tery in the FOX The LED Lights CC can be used as a rough indication of battery charge With a fresh battery the Lights will be bright and the HOUND 3 s Speaker LL will produce aloud strong signal from the FOX As the battery is drained the signal from the FOX will not sound as loud in the HOUND 3 s Speaker When the Lights begin to dim the battery should be replaced 7 3 A Few Basic Tests Turn on the F
35. shielding effect and allow the HOUND 3 to work better Defects in a cable or wires such as shorts or opens will reduce the signal amplitude and hence the HOUND 35 ability to locate the target wire Terminating a wire or line in a low impedance also reduces signal amplitude and the HOUND 3 locating ability It is also possible for wire posi tion to cause nullification of the field 18 If the target wire is connected to other wires and circuits for example to switches lights relays transformers etc the FOX TONE will pass through these devices and out onto other wires connected to these devices making tracing of the target wire very difficult if not impossible In general the FOX and HOUND 3 cannot be use to trace wires buried underground or in concrete This is because the moisture content of the earth or of concrete allows the surface to be electrically conductive causing it to act as a shield around the buried wire Wet drywall wet cinder block walls or any wet wall surface Will also shield the FOX signal preventing the HOUND 3 from detecting its presence The actual wire being wet can shield the signal The wire can be wet internally shielding the signal This phenomena has been observed in Romex electrical wire The internal pa per separator can get wet from exposure to the Weather The exterior surface of the Romex can be dry but because the internal paper separator is wet it shields the tracer signal Ex
36. t be disconnected from the tar get wire Crosstalk may occur in multiwire cables in wires bundled together into a harness or in wires that run parallel to each other for long distances making identification of the tar get pair difficult Crosstalk is the bleeding of the tracer tone from the target wire onto adjacent wires A tracer tone applied to a target Wire or wires may crosstalk onto adjacent wires Some wires cables are constructed to reduce the crosstalk but other wire cables crosstalk readily So much crosstalk can occur that the tracer tone on the adjacent wires can be almost as large as the original tone on the target wire This can make it dif ficult to identify the target wire with the HOUND 3 A method of trying to determine if the tone being received is the origi nal tone or is crosstalk is to short out the wires with the tone at the location where the HOUND 3 is being used The FOX supports the Remote Tone Kill method Shorting the output of the FOX anywhere along the length of the target wire kills the tone everywhere along the wire If shorting the wires only reduces the tone s level but does not com pletely kill it then the shorted wires have crosstalk on them and are not the target wires If shorting the wires completely Kills the tone then its likely that the wires are the target wires Unfortunately this test is not 100 effective 26 8 1 4 2 Wire Tracing Methods There are two basic wire tracin
37. t in the wire and crosstalk is being picked up from the other wires This will not work if a fake ground is y used An actual ground is required to perform this test An Open Fault may involve either one or both wires of a telephone wire pair Finding the open will only work if there are no other faults like a short to earth ground in the pair If the pair is live disconnect the pair from the incoming telephone line before trying to locate the open Short the wires together at the far end and connect the shorted wires to a good earth ground a fake ground may not work well 32 At the other end of the wires connect one of the clips of the FOX to a good earth ground Experimentally connect the other clip of the FOX to one wire and then the other while listen ing to the tracer tone on this clip with a HOUND 3 If the level of the tracer tone drops significantly when the clip is connected to one of the wires this wire is probably OK and the other wire is open That is the open wire is the one that doesn t drop the level of the tracer tone If neither wire drops the level of the tracer tone they are probably both open or a good ground has not been used Leave the clip connected to the wire or wires that do not load down the tracer tone See Figure 6 Using a HOUND 3 follow the path of the wires by finding the strongest sig nal An abrupt drop in the tracer tone level will occur at the point of the open Keep in mind howev
38. the Ring and the Green clip being the Tip connection Referring to Figure 1 set the Function Switch B to its OFF LINE POLARITY position Plug the Modular Plug D into 21 the modular jack to be tested or connect the Alligator Clips E to the line to be tested Do not use the Modular Plug and the Alligator Clips simultaneously If Loop mA is present and in the correct polarity the FOX s CONTINUITY TALK LED A will light If the polarity is incorrect or Loop mA is not present the LED will not light Helpful Hints If using the Alligator Clips and the LED does not light try reversing the positions of the clips If the LED then lights Loop mA is present and in the polarity indicated by the clips Although the LED will light on a BUSY off hook line when performing the test the LED will light much more brightly if the line is CLEAR on hook The FOX also indicates line polarity when the line is CLEAR in the TONE Mode However the line polarity LED may or may not light in the TONE Mode on a BUSY line On analog phone lines reversed polarity seldom causes a problem Many modular cords and couplers reverse the po larity of the phone line passing through them 8 1 2 1 Ringing Current The FOX will signal the presence of ringing current by flash ing its LED This indication is obtainable in either the OFF LINE POLARITY or TONE mode Depending on the phone system the LED may indicate ringing current in either Nor
39. tremely high humidity will damp collapse the electro Static field reducing the effectiveness of the HOUND 3 in finding the FOX signal Condensing atmospheres may even cause the products to malfunction until they dry out The HOUND 3 will not trace wires through a metal conduit It can however identify the wires after they exit from the conduit 19 General Rules for Effective Tracing Do what works best Try both LINE GROUND and LINE LINE tracing see following text Separate wires when possible Move wires away from shielding when possible Un terminate wire if necessary Turn off noise sources to reduce buzzing OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS 8 Detailed Product Information 8 1 FOX Details Refer to Figure 1 The Function Switch B sets the basic operating mode The 3 positions each have several testing functions associated with them The follow text describes these test features in detail The Tone Switch C selects a LO or WARBLE tone The alligator clips E and the modular plug D allow the FOX to be connected to a variety of different wires and cables The LED A provides indication of line polarity and continuity 8 1 1 Telephone Loop Current Powering Line Powering On telephone lines the FOX s TONE mode can be powered from Loop Current Loop Current is provided by the Tele phone Company the Central Office CO to power the typi cal telephone When powered by Loop Current the FOX s
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