GB instrument, circuit breaker finder question
 

Has anyone here ever used a an Electronic Circuit Breaker finder? More
specifically a GB instruments CB locator. This is a gizmo where you plug a
small signal generator into a live plug and with a receiver probe you can
find the associated Circuit Breaker at the panel.

Here is the question. How is it possible to get 2 different Circuit breakers
reacting with the same audio and visual ( LED) intensity? Does this mean I
have spaghetti wiring? Or is this common in or around the same wiring areas?
Or an induction effect? Perhaps a related problem here is that I have
wireless house intercoms, they use the house wiring to send signals around.
I can call the first floor from the basement or the first floor to the
second but I can never get a signal from the basement to the second floor?

I guess that we don't need fancy electronic circuits to get mysterious
effects!

Claude Charbonneau
Montreal Canada

GB instrument, circuit breaker finder question
 

In article , "claude" wrote:
Has anyone here ever used a an Electronic Circuit Breaker finder? More
specifically a GB instruments CB locator. This is a gizmo where you plug a
small signal generator into a live plug and with a receiver probe you can
find the associated Circuit Breaker at the panel.

Yep, got one.

Here is the question. How is it possible to get 2 different Circuit breakers
reacting with the same audio and visual ( LED) intensity? Does this mean I
have spaghetti wiring? Or is this common in or around the same wiring areas?

It means the device isn't perfect, that's all.

I've found that if I remove the cover of the panel, and run the wand over the
wires, instead of the breakers, that the difference in the audible signal
when it's over the right one is unmistakeable.

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

It's time to throw all their damned tea in the harbor again.

GB instrument, circuit breaker finder question
 

On Feb 12, 11:37 am, "claude" wrote:
Has anyone here ever used a an Electronic Circuit Breaker finder? More
specifically a GB instruments CB locator. This is a gizmo where you plug a
small signal generator into a live plug and with a receiver probe you can
find the associated Circuit Breaker at the panel.

Here is the question. How is it possible to get 2 different Circuit breakers
reacting with the same audio and visual ( LED) intensity? Does this mean I
have spaghetti wiring? Or is this common in or around the same wiring areas?
Or an induction effect? Perhaps a related problem here is that I have
wireless house intercoms, they use the house wiring to send signals around.
I can call the first floor from the basement or the first floor to the
second but I can never get a signal from the basement to the second floor?

I guess that we don't need fancy electronic circuits to get mysterious
effects!

Claude Charbonneau
Montreal Canada

Yeah, I got one but have never been able to get a clear indication as
to which breaker the transmitter is plugged in to. Of course, i can't
get those through-the-wall stud finders to work either, and I have two
different brands of those, so maybe it's just me.

GB instrument, circuit breaker finder question
 

Got one too. Mine is more like a divining rod than an instrument. I've gotta
try Doug's trick.
"claude" wrote in message ...
Has anyone here ever used a an Electronic Circuit Breaker finder? More
specifically a GB instruments CB locator. This is a gizmo where you plug a
small signal generator into a live plug and with a receiver probe you can
find the associated Circuit Breaker at the panel.

Here is the question. How is it possible to get 2 different Circuit
breakers reacting with the same audio and visual ( LED) intensity? Does
this mean I have spaghetti wiring? Or is this common in or around the same
wiring areas? Or an induction effect? Perhaps a related problem here is
that I have wireless house intercoms, they use the house wiring to send
signals around. I can call the first floor from the basement or the first
floor to the second but I can never get a signal from the basement to the
second floor?

I guess that we don't need fancy electronic circuits to get mysterious
effects!

Claude Charbonneau
Montreal Canada

GB instrument, circuit breaker finder question
 

"claude" wrote in message ...
Has anyone here ever used a an Electronic Circuit Breaker finder? More
specifically a GB instruments CB locator. This is a gizmo where you plug a
small signal generator into a live plug and with a receiver probe you can
find the associated Circuit Breaker at the panel.

Here is the question. How is it possible to get 2 different Circuit
breakers
reacting with the same audio and visual ( LED) intensity? Does this mean I
have spaghetti wiring? Or is this common in or around the same wiring
areas?
Or an induction effect? Perhaps a related problem here is that I have
wireless house intercoms, they use the house wiring to send signals
around.
I can call the first floor from the basement or the first floor to the
second but I can never get a signal from the basement to the second floor?

I guess that we don't need fancy electronic circuits to get mysterious
effects!

Claude Charbonneau
Montreal Canada



I've used the cheap ones and the expensive ones and you still get that
crossover to multiple breakers occasionally. Like Doug said you can better
results putting the receiver against the wires in the panel.

Before we had these high tech devices to confuse us a common way to find a
circuit was with a flasher button, pigtail socket, 100 watt light bulb, and
an analog ammeter. Connect the pigtail socket with the flasher button and
bulb inside to the wire or outlet you want to trace. Then go to the inside
of the panel and clamp the amprobe onto each wire until you see the needle
bounce up and down. You can find the neutral this way also.

GB instrument, circuit breaker finder question
 

On Feb 12, 7:48 pm, "John Grabowski" wrote:

Before we had these high tech devices to confuse us a common way to find a
circuit was with a flasher button, pigtail socket, 100 watt light bulb, and
an analog ammeter. Connect the pigtail socket with the flasher button and
bulb inside to the wire or outlet you want to trace. Then go to the inside
of the panel and clamp the amprobe onto each wire until you see the needle
bounce up and down. You can find the neutral this way also

Now you tell me. What other good ideas are you hiding?

GB instrument, circuit breaker finder question
 

On Mon, 12 Feb 2007 11:37:56 -0500, "claude" wrote:

Has anyone here ever used a an Electronic Circuit Breaker finder? More
specifically a GB instruments CB locator. This is a gizmo where you plug a
small signal generator into a live plug and with a receiver probe you can
find the associated Circuit Breaker at the panel.

Here is the question. How is it possible to get 2 different Circuit breakers
reacting with the same audio and visual ( LED) intensity? Does this mean I
have spaghetti wiring? Or is this common in or around the same wiring areas?
Or an induction effect? Perhaps a related problem here is that I have
wireless house intercoms, they use the house wiring to send signals around.
I can call the first floor from the basement or the first floor to the
second but I can never get a signal from the basement to the second floor?

I guess that we don't need fancy electronic circuits to get mysterious
effects!

Claude Charbonneau
Montreal Canada



Had a Commercial electric version of the GB. I thought it was ok, but
wasn't exact. I was hunting all over for a breaker supplying a
circuit, and found that many subpanels set off the device. I'm
looking for a better tool myself.

tom @ www.MedJobSite.com

GB instrument, circuit breaker finder question
 

"z" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Feb 12, 7:48 pm, "John Grabowski" wrote:

Before we had these high tech devices to confuse us a common way to find
a
circuit was with a flasher button, pigtail socket, 100 watt light bulb,
and
an analog ammeter. Connect the pigtail socket with the flasher button
and
bulb inside to the wire or outlet you want to trace. Then go to the
inside
of the panel and clamp the amprobe onto each wire until you see the
needle
bounce up and down. You can find the neutral this way also

Now you tell me. What other good ideas are you hiding?


Shhhhh. I'm an old school electrician. I started going to work with my
father who was an electrical contractor when I was around ten. This was in
the 60's. My only tester was a pigtail socket and a light bulb back then and
though I have some fancy high tech meters and stuff in my truck now, I still
use the pigtail socket and light bulb the most. Knowing when a light bulb
should be bright or dim is the key. For instance; Connect one end of a
light bulb to a circuit breaker and the other end to the circuit feed wire.
If the bulb is bright when the circuit breaker is on, you may have a short,
if it is dim everything is normal. If it doesn't light up there is nothing
(No load) on the circuit or you have a broken connection.


John Grabowski
http://www.mrelectrician.tv