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Get Wired! Pocket Cable Tracerby BruceMiller on July 17, 2009

Table of Contents

intro: Get Wired! Pocket Cable Tracer .............................................................................................

step 1: Parts ................................................................................................................

step 2: Internal Mods ..........................................................................................................

step 3: Open Notch ...........................................................................................................

step 4: Add Alligator Clips ......................................................................................................

step 5: Trace Time! ...........................................................................................................

step 6: Find Your Wires ........................................................................................................

Related Instructables ...........................................................................................................

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Comments ...................................................................................................................
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intro: Get Wired! Pocket Cable TracerGet wired with gigabit speed. Trace your network cables with this tiny tester.

Fast, cheap, and easy to build. No soldering needed.

To get gigabit transfers of video and other data, you need a wired home network.

This little oscillator will help you find both ends of your network wiring.

It sends a pulsed 90+ volt DC signal down your CAT5 and other wires so it can give you a harmless shock if you touch the leads. It is a similar circuit to the gag electrshock devices.

Then you can easily find the far end of the cable. Especially useful when you have a bundle of wires coming together in the basement or a closet from all over the hou

step 1:PartsYour local discount or dollar store probably carries this battery-powered alarm for about a buck.

You will also need a package of alligator clips, also about a dollar.

Get a neon voltage tester for a dollar while you are there.


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step 2:Internal ModsSlide off the battery door.Remove the batteries so you don't get shocked while clipping the leads.Remove the Philips screw which holds the case together.Cut the wires leading to the flat piezo buzzer disk.You will be using these wires as your test leads in the next step, so clip them right at the disk.

Image Notes1. Clip both wires right at the solder blobs.

step 3:Open NotchUse a knife to open up the notch in the edge of the plastic case.Feed the two loose wires around the tab out through the widened notch.

Put the circuit board back in place.

Close the case and screw it back together.


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Image Notes1. Widen the notch on both sides of the tab.2. Widen the notch on both sides of the tab.

step 4:Add Alligator ClipsThe alligator clips should have a screw terminal, or a crimp fastener.

Attach the bare metal ends of the two short wires from the circuit board to the alligator clips.

step 5:Trace Time!First test the tracer by connecting the alligator clips right to the leads of your neon voltage tester.

The neon bulb should glow brightly. Remember, if it can light a neon glow bulb, it can give you a harmless, electric sting if you grab both leads. Now you are ready to g

I like to unscrew the wall plate for network, telephone, or coaxial cables.

Then I attach the alligator clips directly to stripped ends of the pair (usually blue and white for Ethernet) I want to trace.

Another way, shown here, is to clip the to the red and green wires of an RJ11 standard telephone plug.

An RJ11 can be used with either phone or RJ45 Ethernet jacks for testing.


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Image Notes1. Ethernet CAT 5e RJ45 jack with a smaller RJ11 phone plug inserted.2. Clipped back onto the phone wire to keep it from accidentally shorting against the other alligator clip.

step 6:Find Your WiresAt the other end you have two ways to find the pair of wires with the signal on them.

Contact Method

Strip half an inch of insulation from the blue and white pair. Now test with a dollar store neon volt indicator

Non-Contact Method

Untwist the pairs as shown. Now any pocket radio will pick up the beeping tone.

Image Notes1. Neon tester touching bare ends of cable wires.


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2. AM transistor radio picking up beeping signal from UNTWISTED wire pairs.

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Comments

12 comments Add Comment

conrad2468 says: Jul 23, 2009. 7:35 AM REPI shocked the P*** outa my self touching the speaker while it was buzzing.....OUCH!

ooda55 says: Jul 23, 2009. 5:02 AM REPthis is simalar to the method used to trace cables at BT (british telecom)to check you have the RIGHT pair (not one correct wire and another wire of the same colour that is disconnected)you can touch both the wires together to short it outthis should stop the beeping indicating you have the correct pair

BruceMiller says: Jul 23, 2009. 5:23 AM REPGreat tip, thanks!

agis68 says: Jul 23, 2009. 2:52 AM REPthat's clever one!

fwjs28 says: Jul 20, 2009. 1:54 PM REPhmm, interesting.. i saw something simmilar to this using a wireless dog fence and an am/fm radio ...i think this i s the same principal

BruceMiller says: Jul 22, 2009. 2:46 PM REPYes I have seen the electric dog fence people use a radio. This is a little different because the twisted pairs in the network cable pretty much prevent itfrom acting like a broadcast antenna. That's why in the last step you have to either test the stripped ends, or untwist an inch or so of the wires so a radican pick up the signal.

fwjs28 says: Jul 22, 2009. 2:50 PM REPahh, i see...

BruceMiller says: Jul 20, 2009. 5:17 P(removed by author or community request)

fwjs28 says: Jul 20, 2009. 6:43 PM REPhmm, i see...i'll have to remember this next time i do some (re-)wiring around the house..

Whatnot says: Jul 22, 2009. 9:01 AM REPYou might have explained the theory of operation first.I'll do it for you:

You remove the reed relay (the magnetic switch) of a magnetic alarm doohickey so it always beeps when it's on, then remove the piezo disk (the speaker)and instead of that attach alligator clamps to the wires, then when you attach those to an unconnected telephone/network/coax cable on one end you can'listen' on the other side if you get the signal and on which cable you get that signal if there are many.
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janet_aj27 says: Jul 18, 2009. 5:39 AM REPFor a Good TechHead, making stuff is much more creative than buying off the shelf, it gives you a chance to customize and set you apart from the rest.

BruceMiller says: Jul 18, 2009. 12:21 PM REPYou are so right. Modding stuff to make it your own is a great way to learn. I find some of my best gear to mod at discount or dollar stores. I study how works and try to think of new uses for it, or for the parts. For instance the piezo disk in this burglar alarm has all sorts of fun uses.
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