METREL T10K, R10K User Manual

Line Tracer

MI 2093

T10K, R10K

User Manual

Ver. 3.2, Code No. 20 750 717

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2

Supplier:

Kurth Electronic GmbH
Im Scherbental 5
D-72800 Eningen u.A.
Tel.: [phone]
Fax.: [phone]

www.kurthelectronic.de;

E-mail:[e-mail]

Mark on your equipment certifies that this equipment meets the requirements of the EU
(European Union) concerning safety and interference causing equipment regulations

© 2000, 2002 METREL

No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means
without permission in writing from METREL.

Subject to technical change without notice!

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1. Introduction................................................................................................................4

1.1. General Description ..............................................................................................4

1.2. Applied Standards.................................................................................................4

1.3. Warnings ...............................................................................................................4

1.4. Fields of Use .........................................................................................................5

1.5. Transmitter T10K ..................................................................................................5

1.6. Receiver R10K ......................................................................................................6

2. Operation principle....................................................................................................8

2.1. Fundamentals .......................................................................................................8

2.2. Tracing the electromagnetic field of lines ............................................................10

2.3. Tracing the electrical field of lines .......................................................................14

3. Typical applications ................................................................................................16

3.0. Detecting energized state of installation..............................................................16

3.1. Tracing Cables in Walls, Ceilings, Floor and Ground, and Defected Fuses........17

3.3. Determining Individual Wires, Fuses etc. ............................................................19

4. Tehnical characteristics..........................................................................................21

4.1 Transmitter T10K .................................................................................................21

4.2. Receiver R10K ....................................................................................................21

5. Meintenance.............................................................................................................22

5.1. Battery Replacement for Transmitter T10K .........................................................22

5.2. Battery Replacement for Receiver R10K.............................................................22

5.3. Cleaning ..............................................................................................................22

5.4. Service ................................................................................................................22

6. Ordering information...............................................................................................23

6.1. Standard Set .......................................................................................................23

6.2. Optional accessories...........................................................................................23

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1. Introduction

1.1. General Description

The Line Tracer is universal equipment intended for tracing hidden conductive paths
under plasters in walls, floors, and ground or for determining one wire in a tuft of wires.
Fuses or outlets belonging to a certain loop can be located. The Line Tracer helps the
operator to resolve hidden line problems easily (short-circuit, interruption).

It consists of a transmitting unit (transmitter) T10K, a receiving unit (receiver) R10K and
accessories. The transmitter injects emitted signal into the observed installation and this
signal is then traced with the receiver. Units are independent of each other.

Accessories, such as a test lead for direct touching of the traced conductor, a voltage
output current clamp, and a selective probe, make the Line Tracer even more useful.

The instrument is supplied with all the accessories necessary for carrying out the tests.
It is stored in a soft carrying bag together with the accessories.

Most of the electronic parts of the instrument are produced in SMD technology;
therefore almost no service interventions are needed.

1.2. Applied Standards

Safety: EN / IEC 61010-1 (instrument),

EN / IEC 61010-031 (accessories)

EMC: EN / IEC 61326

1.3. Warnings

In order to reach the highest level of operator’s safety while carrying out various tests
using the Line Tracer, as well as to ensure the test equipment to remain undamaged, it
is necessary to consider the following general warnings:

• If the test equipment is used in a manner not specified in this User Manual, the
protection provided by the equipment may be impaired!

• Do not use the instrument and accessories, if any damage is noticed!

• Only a competent and authorized person should carry out any service intervention!

• Consider all generally known precautions in order to avoid risk of electric shock

while dealing with electric installations!

• Use only standard or optional test accessories supplied by your distributor for this
line tracing system!

• Never make tracing loops from Line to ground or other accessible conductive
parts, hazardous live!

•

!

symbol on the instrument means “Read the User Manual with special care!”

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• Disconnect all test leads and switch the power off before opening the Battery

cover!

• Never touch metal tip of test probes or put fingers over protection barrier. See the

figure below:

Barrier

Correct and safety

Wrong and

Hazardous live

• Max tip voltage = 250 V ≅

1.4. Fields of Use

The primary fields of use are electrical installations but the

Line Tracer can be also a

useful tool in telecommunications, computer network installations and elsewhere.

The main activities that can be carried out:

• Tracing cables in walls, ceilings, floor and ground.

• Tracing live or voltage free cables.

• Locating cable interruptions and short-circuits in cables.

• Locating concealed sockets and distribution boxes.

• Locating fuses and assignment to circuits.

• Determining an individual wire in a bundle of wires.

• Detecting the energized state of traced installation.

• Tracing pipe installations and other conductive loops.

Note: when using the

Line Tracer MI 2093 for the first time, it is recommended to apply

it on known object, e.g. a known cable location in the wall, known fuses etc. In this way
the user gains the necessary skill for performing the measurements.

1.5. Transmitter T10K

The

transmitter T10K generates signal, which is connected to a traced object. The

state of an external voltage present at the output terminals selects one of the two
modes of generating the test signal.

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External voltage on terminals Test signal generating mode

30 V ÷ 264 V, a.c., 50 Hz or 60 Hz

Active load

d.c. or < 30 V a.c. Internal source

Fig. 1. Transmitter T10K

In both modes 10.6 kHz signal bursts are injected directly into the connected line or
coupled via an optional current clamp.

Led indicators on the

transmitter T10K have the following meaning:

All off

The transmitter is switched off

Low bat

The battery is empty and has to be replaced with a new one, see chapter 5.1.

LOAD

The transmitter generates signal as the active load

GEN

The internal source is activated

The transmitter T10K is supplied by 4 alkaline AA size (IEC LR 6) battery cells.

1.6. Receiver R10K

The highly sensitive hand-held Receiver R10K detects the injected signal around the
traced line. It generates sound and visual output relative to the signal intensity. Its
constructional designed points with its head detector to the maximum of detected signal
and the center of traced object. The slide switch of head detector enables the selection
between two built-in sensors.

Detector Sensor selector Recommendations
Inductive Slide switch

IND

- traced object is normally energized

- transmitter acts as active load

- loading current generates magnetic field around

conductor

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Capacitive Slide switch

CAP

- traced object is normally voltage free

- transmitter has its internal source activated

- object acts as electrical field radiator

External Rear connector

- for additional accessories like current clamp, electric

probe tip and selective sensor

- keep maximum distance to traced object in order to

avoid interference of received signals through sensor
head

Sound

opening

Low bat.

indicator

Inductive / Capacitive

switch

LED bargraph

Power ON

LED indicator

Potentiometer

for fine adjustment

ON / GAIN keys

Input conector

(probe, current

clamp)

Sensitive

area

Safety barrier

Fig. 2. Receiver R10K

You can choose between three sensitivities (low, middle and high). An extra
potentiometer is added for fine sensitivity adjustment. A buzzer sound and 10-level LED
bar graph indicator suffice to indicate the location of the traced object.

Notes:

Always select sensitivity that is optimal for individual tracing. The sensitivity can be
changed during tracing.
Do not connect imput connector to hazardous alive voltage

The receiver R10K is supplied by a 9V alkaline battery (IEC 6LR61).

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2. Operation principle

2.1. Fundamentals

Decision for tracing mode selection depends on the object, its structure, energized state
and many other reasons. Understanding the electric and magnetic field characteristics
leads to selecting the most applicable method. For most of the applications good
sensitivity is required, especially when the searched conductor is located far away.
Contrary to this the minimum sensitivity is required for selection of a searched
conductor in a group of similar conductors. The sensitivity will be in-between for finding
appropriate protective device (fuse) or conductors in the proximity.
The basis for all tracing of this kind is that the traced object is electrically conductive.

Current loops and electromagnetic field

Magnetic field is always present around current carrying conductors.

Example Basic circuit Description
Free conductor

H

~

I

- magnetic field (H) is distributed

around conductor

- current (I) is limited to internal

source capability

- INDuctive sensor is applicable for

tracing

Metallic loops

~

I

n

nI

CT

1

2

- current is transformed with a clamp

transformer (CT) n times to n

⋅I

- always the shortest path (e.g. 1)

carry maximum current and is
traceable

- INDuctive sensor is applicable for

tracing

Single wall
socket
connection

I

ALS

L

N

H

- active load source (ALS) generates

current

- major part of magnetic field (H) is

concentrated in a gap between
conductors

- rest of the field depends on wire

distance

- INDuctive sensor is applicable for

tracing (up to a few cm distance)
Two wall
sockets with
different
conduits to the
point of
common
coupling

I

ALS

L

N

I

- active load source (ALS) generates

current

- magnetic field is distributed around

each of current carrying conductors

- INDuctive sensor is applicable for

tracing