Frequently Asked Questions relating to cable tracing as a method for locating cables.

Cable Tracing

Does the Lil Buttie LB110 have data lock out?

Submitted by araynor on Thu, 2010/09/16 - 08:19

Thank you for your question, however I'm sorry but we do not stock this item anymore. It may be worth you looking at an alternative higher specification phone tester which we have on special offer the link is Lil Buttie LB255

Can the Lancaster detect and locate distance to a sheath ground fault on shielded underground fiber optic lines?

Submitted by araynor on Fri, 2010/09/03 - 08:13

No, the Lancaster will only detect faults in copper cabling to detect faults in fibre cable you would need an OTDR (Optical Time Domain Reflectometer)

What is the total distance that a tone tracer 200ep can measure?

Submitted by araynor on Thu, 2010/07/22 - 10:23

Fluke do not provide this information in any Intellitone product literature, however, it is generally assumed that a tone generator and probe kit should be able to trace copper cable runs up to 10 miles in length with more powerful generators being able to trace further. Different parameters will affect this distance such as depth/density of material that you are tracing cable through, good connection and so on. I am unable to comment on cable tracker distance as this will depend on the manufacturer's specifications.

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Is a tone tracer and a cable tracker with tone generator the same?

Submitted by dlaverty on Mon, 2010/07/19 - 08:31

Tone and Trace kits consists of two components, the Toner and the Tracer. The Toner unit generates the signal on the cable and the Tracer detects it allowing you to trace the cable run.

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I can find one end of the cable but the other end is mixed up in a lot of other cables. Can I use the tone tracer to locate the other end of the cable?

Submitted by dlaverty on Fri, 2010/05/28 - 08:13

Yes. As the probe gets closer to the energised conductor the volume increases. In a connector block or bundle of cables the volume is at its maximum when you actually touch the cable or cable sheath. The probe comes with two tips, a flat one and a pointed one so that you can select the one that is most appropriate in your circumstances.

Does the Faultcaster work on standard telephone wire?

Submitted by dlaverty on Tue, 2010/03/02 - 09:09

Yes the Faultcaster can be used on any type of copper cable.

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Will this tracer work on twin and earth / household cable, and will the tone be traceable through plasterboard?

Submitted by dlaverty on Wed, 2010/02/24 - 09:17

Yes the Tone and Trace kit will work on any kind of copper cable. Obviously the twin and earth cable should not be powered. Both KP101 and KP105 produce a signal that can be traced through plaster, the Toner supplied wit the KP105 is more powerful and will penetrate a greater depth of plaster.

Would I be able to accurately determine the distance to a break in buried coaxial cable?

Submitted by dlaverty on Mon, 2010/02/08 - 09:27

Yes. The Faultcaster can determine the distance to fault on COAX cable, and on other cable types as well, up to a distance of 2000m (around 6000ft).

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Do your cable tracer products work with POE structured cabling?

Submitted by Jack Hughes on Wed, 2009/08/05 - 10:32

Tracing POE cabling does introduce a challenge, how do you make sure that the power flowing over your cabling does not interfere with the signal generated by the tone generator?

The Test-Um KP100 and KP105 both have a feature that enables you to mask out mains interference which would be very useful when tracing POE cabling.

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I have a need to trace a large number of CAT5E network cables, which may be connected to a network switch at the far end...

Submitted by araynor on Tue, 2009/05/12 - 11:49

There are two ways to achieve this. The first is to use the JDSU TP607 LanRoamerPro Kit. This will allow you to trace (and test) cables in batches of 8. You would need to disconnect 8 cables at a time from the network switch, place the numbered remotes on these cables and then detect and re-connect.

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