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Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
When testing a set of wires that go into a conduit, I
sometimes get a reading of 0 or 1. Why?
A:
If there is more than a foot or so of wires that are
physically separated before they enter the close confinement
of the conduit, this will look to the tester like an open at the
start of the cable. Remember that the tester reports the
FIRST failure that it finds. Try bringing the two wires of the
pair closer together for the path from the tester to the entry
to the conduit.
Q:
When connecting to a 6 foot piece of 50 ohm Coax with
the alligator clips, the tester reads 8 feet. What’s up?
A:
When measuring a low impedance small cable (less than
15 feet), the clip leads can add up to 2 feet of length. For
longer or high impedance cables, the clip leads have no
effect.
Q:
How does the tester react to a speaker or a transformer at
the end of a cable?
A:
A speaker or a transformer is actually a large coil of wire.
This will usually cause the length reading to be larger than
that of the cable alone. A moderate power speaker will add
500 feet to the length reading. Some combinations of
speakers and transformers connected to the cable may
prevent the tester from making a valid reading.
