"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message .1...
On 15 Nov 2003 00:22:39 -0800, dave L wrote:

snip

I think you need to be more careful about your descriptions and where
you are actually measuring. "phase" I would take to mean the permenant
live loop through in the ceiling rose and this figures with the
Subject: "unswitched live". But this should be at full mains potential
at all times, if it went on/off with a wall switch then all the lights
in the house would go on and off with that switch (unless you have
some *really* weird lighting wiring).

Just to clarify, do you really mean the above or the switched live
that connects to the bulb?


Sorry about the ambiguity. What I was measuring was the 'live'
terminal of the pendant, ie, that which is connected to the output of
the switch, the switched live.

When the pendant is switched on, the phase terminal shows (in order
of the tool above):
1. LED lit very brightly

s/LED/neon/ I think you mean. B-)

2. 246-250v (depending upon pendant)
3. 220V.
snip
I'm a little intrigued that the two cheaper tools are showing the
the phase terminal is live when there should be no current.

Assuming you mean the switched live, they aren't. You need to
understand the tools you are using and how they interact with what
they are measuring. All of those tools are high impedance and are
voltage measuring devices. What you are seeing is induction from the
permenant live wiring into the open circuit switched live wire. With
high impedance voltage measuring tools it is normal to see this
induction.

Thanks (and to previous respondents); that makes things a bit clearer.
I've been a bit wary of the pendants as I thought they had voltage
when they were switched 'off'. But I couldn't figure where the
voltage was coming from or why the voltage didn't cause current to
flow when I put a bulb in. Very puzzling.
Thanks again.

As a matter of interest do people who know more about electrics than
me (that'll be all of you, then) use these neon screwdrivers? I read
a wiring book the other day which was quite sneery about them, without
being specific about why. I accept your comment that I didn't
understand what it was measuring. As they're sold as a
current-detecting device (ie, to show if a components is live and
likely to shock you) I think they're perhaps mis-sold.

Or is that -more likely, esp in my case- mis-bought?