Looking for cable finder stud finder recommendations

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gzt

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#293237 8-Jan-2022 10:50

Cable finder stud finders. Any positive or negative recommendations?

I'm interested in cable finding for 240v. The stud finding is nice to have.

Btw, are they sensitive enough to find internal phone cables? That would be a bonus.

SirHumphreyAppleby

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#2845204 8-Jan-2022 11:02

I quite like the Franklin Sensors units. They make versions with power sensing.

Franklin Sensors receive generally positive reviews. I've not yet tried mine on insulated walls where I have seen reports of issues. They may also find cables or pipes which are near the wall surface (it does not tell you what they are, only that something might be there). You still need to have a rough idea of where you are looking so as to not drill a screw into a pipe. I feel the same is true for all stud finders, no matter the cost.

timmmay

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#2845222 8-Jan-2022 11:16

After reading many reviews I got a Franklin sensors unit from Amazon, cheaper than New Zealand. It is more effective than others I've tried but none of them are perfect.

raytaylor

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#2845258 8-Jan-2022 12:33

I use 3 cable toners/tracers

The "middle" range one is a MY6818 - The one i would recommend to you

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zspctImhksQ

About $180 on aliexpress

I have a bigger one for deep underground cables, but this one works really really well for finding a data cable inside a wall so we can cut a hole and pull it out.

Also does buried cables - not super deep, and can be direct connected to 240v cables too

Edit: just re-read your post. Mitre 10 sells stud finders with 240v warning identification, and even cheap multimeters come with a 240v warning sensor in them. My one which i cant remember the model of, can be held up against a wall and a light comes on if it detects AC current. Those are probably not what your looking for if you need an exact location. They are only accurate to about 30cm.

The MY6818 will get you down to about 5cm accuracy but requires direct connection to the cable, rather than just passively searching for AC current at 50hz frequency.

Ray Taylor

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gzt

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#2850940 14-Jan-2022 17:29

That is a nice looking device. A couple of things I'm unclear on - what is the process for finding 240v cables in wall with that one?

I see some good deals on the MS6818. Is there a difference compared to the MY6818 you recommend?

raytaylor

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#2851047 14-Jan-2022 23:01

I think MS = mastec brandname, MY = other brandname.

Double check the model number of the one i have within the video - if there are any differences the one i have in the video will be the one to get.

Here is a copy of the manual. Its in engrish though.

http://www.meterstesters.com/assets/js/upfiles/files/PDF/Cable-Locator-MS6818.pdf

Option 1) Passive 50hz detection. If you plug a heater into an outlet to create some current, the reciever can just pick up any 50hz signal - such as the mains voltage frequency used in NZ.

Option 2) See manual

But Option 3) The way I like to do it without needing to worry about discharging a circuit, or fiddling with a live one, is based on the principal of a loop.

Here is a short video i made explaining it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAXl1lYhufE

Ray Taylor

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SATTV

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#2851083 15-Jan-2022 08:57

The Zircon stud finders available at Bunnings I have been most impressed with, not sure about phone cables but they do find studs with accuracy I am stunned by and electric cables.

They are cheap, they out perform my expensive B&D one.

John

I know enough to be dangerous

raytaylor

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#2851088 15-Jan-2022 09:56

We got a bunch of zircon stud finders from M10 a few years ago. Would also recommend them.

Ray Taylor

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qwertee

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#2851120 15-Jan-2022 12:52

I have the Zircon i65 One step that i bought from Amazon.

It detects the presence of AC live wires but I have not used this function as OP wants to.
I would recommend the Zircon ones compared to the BD ones.

dt

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#2851145 15-Jan-2022 14:40

Have the Zircon L550 and would recommend, does stud/edge finding, metal finding and live AC. Has an audio toner, a nice little laser pointer and a little groove to help you easily mark where you need to as well.

insane

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#2851151 15-Jan-2022 14:57

qwertee:
I have the Zircon i65 One step that i bought from Amazon.

It detects the presence of AC live wires but I have not used this function as OP wants to.
I would recommend the Zircon ones compared to the BD ones.

I second this, mine is pretty good too, but wouldn't bet my life on it and risk working close to live wires.

There are other AC testers, I have a fluke pen tester that I trust more, and even that doesn't always work.