Triplett Fox & Hound Premium Tone and Probe Wire Tracing Kit Generates Multiple Tones with Adjustable Sensitivity for Electrical Wire, LAN Cable, Telephone, and More (3399)

1. You need two 9-volt batteries.2. Pay attention to the lock button (see instructions)3. Practice using the Fox and Hound in all of the possible configurations on known circuits. It will save you time when you can't see any cables.Unlike so many other testers, the flexible design of the Triplet Fox and Hound means you have to know the nuances in order to get the most out of it. I first saw a Fox and Hound used around 1960 to trace underground wires and pipes. I was fascinated, but I can remember the electricians and plumbers talking about how proud Triplet was of their tool. Also, only one of them knew how to use it. The others were clueless.It is still well made, and I expect years of service.Read the instructions--the operating instructions. The way RF works will surprise you even if you are a HAM. I had cables from two circuits running very neatly next to each other for about 7 feet, and the RF propagated from the circuit under test to the second circuit. Since it was all in the wall, it caused some confusion in the attic when I started looking down a cable that I was certain was a different circuit. Also, a magnetic contactless charging unit was plugged in to the circuit under test, and It put a signal on the cable for some distance back that completely obliterated the warble. Finding and unplugging it resolved the problem. There are also hints in the operations instructions about how to ground the tester for underground RF detection. Save yourself some time and read the instructions first.Also there are different testing modes, and the section on "finding the NULL" is highly useful.Lastly, on the Hot-Wire version of the Fox, note that the selector switch locks in the "OFF - Continuity" position and to move it one must press the tiny red button just above the switch to move it.I love this system. Just stay calm and think about what it is doing, then read the instructions again.

If you are looking for a product that was designed by an Engineer instead of a Marketeer, and with a manual that is written by an Engineer rather than a Technical Writer, then this is it!To be sure, it does have its flaws: The manual is the size of a credit card, with 62 pages of tiny text - I read the PDF on the web instead. The plastic housing lacks the finer fit and finish of more modern products. And, the spaces for the 9V batteries are cramped, making it very difficult to close the covers without a bulge remaining.I also have the $80 Extech 40180, and this product is in quite a different class, with the following additional features:1. It is provided with a conductive metal probe tip, in addition to the insulated plastic tip.2. Probe has a signal strength LED, in addition to the speaker / headphone jack.3. Probe also acts as flashlight, allowing probing in dark spaces without having to turn on noisy fluorescent lights.4. The injector box has a speaker, in addition to the speaker which is present in the probe.5. Continuity test has an Audible Tone mode, in addition to Lit LED mode.6. Tracer tone can be changed between Warble and Pulse without having to open case.7. TrueTrace feature allows detecting which pair of wires signal is injected in to, by shorting at far end and listening for a change in the pulse rate.8. It is designed to survive accidental connection across 120 Vac.9. Injector can be connected to the base-station of a cordless phone, to wirelessly send its test tone to the phone's headsets. This allows you to use the TrueTrace capability at a distant location, even if the probe would not pick up an adequate signal, or would be overwhelmed by 60 Hz related noise. (Though not mentioned in its manual, the Extech can also drive the base-station of a cordless phone, however, without the TrueTrace feature, this is not of much use.)Jumpers inside injector's case also allow: 1. Disable speaker. 2. Disable TrueTrace. 3. Change tone to a higher pitch. 4. Change Warble tone to Continuous tone (The Extech does have a slide switch inside the case to do this).The manual is very clearly written, by someone with a deep understanding and considerable experience in using this product under a variety of difficult test conditions. It would be the envy of Hewlett Packard, which was once known for its excellent user manuals! Note, though, if you are not technically inclined you may find the manual overwhelming, and may prefer the Extech's 4-page manual instead.

Worked great

I was able to trace wires inside my walls, which worked very well. I wish the tone was just a bit louder.