Non contact voltage tester

[mervyn]

Mine has shat the bed. Push button and red light and buzzer stay on. Just put new batteries in it as the olde ones had leaked. Shocking.
What are y'all using ? Here's the dead one

 

[KnurledNut]

The only one I trust my life to is Fluke. But mine don’t have hieroglyphics all over it like mervyns.

 

[Winterborne]

Fluke 2AC Tic Tester

I always keep a spare in the event I drop my tester while working off a ladder.

 

[mervyn]

I had a Greenlee many years ago. No buttons at all. Just put in batteries and get it close to juice and it went off. Super sensitive. Lasted about 20 years.
One day it quit working. Of course they don't make em anymore

 

[rlitman]

The only one I trust my life to is Fluke. But mine don’t have hieroglyphics all over it like mervyns.

I had a Fluke back when they were round. It was ok until the batteries in it exploded, but you never knew if the batteries were good until you tested against a known source (always recommended anyway), because it had no on-button or power-on status light.

I like my Klein NCVT2 much more because of it's higher sensitivity, sound, and power-on status light.

Regards, I wouldn't trust my life with ANY non-contact voltage tester.

 

[PoorUB]

Regards, I wouldn't trust my life with ANY non-contact voltage tester.

Same here, I don't own one and will never buy another.

When I did HVAC service I went through 2 or 3 of them and I got so many false readings i stopped buying them. I fail to understand the need for a tool you can not trust.

 

[mervyn]

Tte greenlee I had worked flawlessly
This Fluke thing not so much.

 

[sparky 1971]

Because it isn't a replacement for a meter and isn't meant for testing. I use this. When I leave it in my pocket and it goes through the laundry, I couldn't care less

 

[d.mcfarland]

The Klein version with the flashlight is what I've been using for 5 or 6 years now without any issues.

 

[KnurledNut]

Mine has shat the bed. Push button and red light and buzzer stay on. Just put new batteries in it as the olde ones had leaked. Shocking.
What are y'all using ? Here's the dead one

Was it acting up before the batteries leaked?

 

[ronkz650]

They sometimes are handy. I have a couple of the Flukes. One time in particular where it paid for itself, out in front of the shop we had a sign that lit at night on a timer. You would assume when the light was not lit you'd be safe to work up there, but someone wired it backwards where 120v was up there all the time and the timer shut off the ground side. With the tester I could see power all the time, and we're working around a steel pole 15ft in the air.

 

[njride]

I had a Greenlee many years ago. No buttons at all. Just put in batteries and get it close to juice and it went off. Super sensitive. Lasted about 20 years.
One day it quit working. Of course they don't make em anymore

That was my favorite too, I had 4 or 5 of them over the years and finally can no longer piece together a working one as of a few years ago. Loved the loud audible sound too, and they were the most consistent type I ever had. Now I'm using a fluke, none of which I ever really liked.

 

[ecotec]

They are, absolutely, not a replacement for a real meter.

I have a couple Fluke 1AC2’s and a couple Santronics.

I turn the sound off on the Flukes when I don’t want comments.

 

[lardy1]

I have a Klein. I use it to determine if I have turned off the right breaker. I use it before I shut off so I know I'm getting a reading then flip breakers until I don't. I'm still cautious though. I'm aware of their faults.

 

[u2slow]

I have used the Fluke for over 20yrs.
I tried Klein and all it does is eat batteries.
ymmv.

 

[Steve W.]

I agree, they DON'T replace a meter, but when I feel the 'need' for one, I am really more interested on IF there is voltage in the line, not necessarily HOW MUCH voltage is in the line.

.

 

[35Ford]

I use the same Fluke you have. Non contact voltage testers have a purpose. They are not a replacement for a contact tester but in some applications they are better, or can do things a contact test can not. I carry spares. I can’t imagine working without one.

 

[bwringer]

You know, I had never really thought about this before. It's one of those low-level life irritations I just sort of forget about and then rediscover repeatedly.

To the OP's point, I've never met a standalone chicken stick that actually worked for very long. Not even THAT brand, or the OTHER brands.

Somehow those damn things manage to rot their batteries in a week or two, and/or the cheap crappy connections inside corrode and lose contact, or they just die for no damn reason.

I have had decent luck with NCV functions built into other meters.

You'd think there would be a good market space open for a RELIABLE, cost-no-object NCV tester. But even the mighty holy hallowed House of Fluke can't seem to be bothered.

And yes, OF COURSE we're all well aware that you can't trust your life to these things. No need to reiterate the bleedingly obvious. But they can be a handy way to save time and sometimes fingertips.

 

[mervyn]

Was it acting up before the batteries leaked?

No. I rarely used the thing but had a little job to do. Pushed the button and it made this odd sound. So was gonna put in some new batteries and surprise olde ones were leaking. Put in new ones and it worked fine. That was a couple weeks ago.

 

[mervyn]

I agree, they DON'T replace a meter, but when I feel the 'need' for one, I am really more interested on IF there is voltage in the line, not necessarily HOW MUCH voltage is in the line.

.

Exactly. I got my first one when I worked for a plumbing outfit. I wanted to know if wires were hot. Or not.

 

[rlitman]

...To the OP's point, I've never met a standalone chicken stick that actually worked for very long. Not even THAT brand, or the OTHER brands...

My round Fluke lasted me about 15 years before the ORIGINAL batteries leaked. It really had nothing else to fail. It was just a solid tube with an LED and batteries. No on/off switch. No noise. Just a Rudolph style red nose that lit up whenever it felt like. Which was quite a bit. Sometimes even in the presence of electricity.

My first Klein NCVT1 was replaced on warranty (one day it stopped turning on). It's replacement and the NCVT2 I got after that have served me well since. I routinely hear the familiar beeps of them turning on and off when they get jumbled around in my tool bag.

 

[cmandp]

I originally had a Klien NCVT2 but I think a battery leak killed it, regardless it died.

My wife lovingly got me a NCVT3 that also has a flashlight which I find useful. This reminds me I should replace the batteries before they leak and kill another thing.

 

[Beerhippie]

Somehow those damn things manage to rot their batteries in a week or two, and/or the cheap crappy connections inside corrode and lose contact, or they just die for no damn reason.

Maybe the batteries you use?

My Greenlee lasted for about fifteen years of regular use. My current Klein has been in my bags for at least five years.

 

[Bubba Fett]

Had a Greenlee one, but Duracell killed it with their leaky batteries. I have a Klein one that I like, and a no-name I got from Tractor Supply a while back. Not much difference, and I suspect most of them use the same components, but in a different casing.

I agree they are not a good replacement for a multimeter, but I use them to check power cables. If a unit won't power on, it's a quick way to see if it's getting juice or not. I can quickly test the power cable, the suppressor or UPS, and then the outlet.

 

[mervyn]

I originally had a Klien NCVT2 but I think a battery leak killed it, regardless it died.

My wife lovingly got me a NCVT3 that also has a flashlight which I find useful. This reminds me I should replace the batteries before they leak and kill another thing.

I've gotten to where I check stuff that has batteries regularly looking for leaky batteries

 

[Bert_]

I like my fluke. Same one you got.

The cheaper ones are too sensitive and go off even if they are somewhat near a hot wire.

In a box full of wires the fluke can identify which ones are hot.

 

[Bubba Fett]

I've gotten to where I check stuff that has batteries regularly looking for leaky batteries

I no longer use Duracell or Rayovac. If it's alkaline, it's Energizer. I've had remotes, flashlights, microphones, laser pointers, testers, die from leaking batteries, which were not even old. I've seen Rayovac batteries leaking in the package at the store.

Personal stuff gets Eneloops or something similar, but I don't have that option at work. Fortunately, they switched from Procell (Duracell) to Energizer Industrial. The Fire/Rescue guys I work with say they are no longer allowed to use Duracell in their radios, detectors, etc.

Duracell used to make good batteries, and Rayovac was a good but cheaper option at one point, but I simply can't trust either brand. For low-drain devices (remotes, clocks, etc.) it is better to run the cheap Carbon-Zinc batteries. They last a long time, and if they do leak, they are not as destructive. Been happy with Panasonic for those.

 

[Beerhippie]

I no longer use Duracell or Rayovac. If it's alkaline, it's Energizer. I've had remotes, flashlights, microphones, laser pointers, testers, die from leaking batteries, which were not even old. I've seen Rayovac batteries leaking in the package at the store.

Personal stuff gets Eneloops or something similar, but I don't have that option at work. Fortunately, they switched from Procell (Duracell) to Energizer Industrial. The Fire/Rescue guys I work with say they are no longer allowed to use Duracell in their radios, detectors, etc.

Duracell used to make good batteries, and Rayovac was a good but cheaper option at one point, but I simply can't trust either brand. For low-drain devices (remotes, clocks, etc.) it is better to run the cheap Carbon-Zinc batteries. They last a long time, and if they do leak, they are not as destructive. Been happy with Panasonic for those.

I use my Battery Club card at Radio Shack.

 

[rlitman]

I use my Battery Club card at Radio Shack.

Funny you mention that. I have a pen light that still has battery club batteries from the early 1990's in it, and the bulb still glows when I turn the knob every few years when I check up on it. Those alkaline AAA's still haven't leaked, so yeah, it's certainly possible to make something better than what Duracell is putting out.

 

[Dagny]

Fluke is good I use lithium in just about everything now for sure in anything over 500 dollars.

 

[klassenl]

I haven't had one in more than 16 years. At some point they earned the nick name deathstick.

My expensive meter has a NCV setting. I use that occasionally. Very occasionally.

 

[MichaelP]

I use my Battery Club card at Radio Shack.

Did you stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night?

 

[redwrench60]

Anybody notice the OPs variant is a
200-1000 VAC sensitivity range? Will that thing even make a peep if you get it near 120VAC?

 

[Beerhippie]

Did you stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night?

Hey-do I look like I'm made of money?

Motel Six!