# Wire tracing tool made from old phone



## Billy_Bob (Sep 11, 2008)

A "tone generator" and "inductive pick-up" set is better because this will allow you to find wires in walls. Connect tone generator to a wire, then you can trace the wire through the wall with the inductive pick-up.

The old type did not have its own speaker. You would connect a telephone technician's handset to the inductive pick-up to hear the sound.

Set like this...
(Get at electrical supply)
http://www.tvcinc.com/products_details.aspx?product_id=1025

More...
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&safe=off&um=1&sa=1&q=wire+tracing+tool&aq=f&oq=&aqi=&start=0


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## hobbithead (Jun 29, 2008)

Thanks so much for the reply. I have some wires in a conduit from my shop to the upstairs of my shop. When I pulled them, I had them marked. Some of the kids thought the tape markings on the wires coming out of the box looked like fun to pull off, and that's where I'm at. I could use an ohm meter and have my son go upstairs to touch wires together(I do have a couple of wires that are still marked) but I also have a couple of old phone handsets that are laying around. I thought it would be neat to make my own and have around if I ever needed them.


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## Billy_Bob (Sep 11, 2008)

For that you can just short two wires together at one end, then test with an ohm meter on the other end. Only the two wires shorted would show a reading.

Using alligator test wires would be handy for this. Like these...


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## Billy_Bob (Sep 11, 2008)

How to test for continuity...
http://www.dinosaurelectronics.com/Test_Fuse.htm


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## Red Squirrel (Jun 29, 2009)

Billy_Bob said:


> For that you can just short two wires together at one end, then test with an ohm meter on the other end. Only the two wires shorted would show a reading.
> 
> Using alligator test wires would be handy for this. Like these...



Cheapest way to go. :thumbsup: I've done this countless times when tracing wire in my new house to know where it's going. Turn power off of course! (preferably the main)


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## pyper (Jul 1, 2009)

I was talking to an electrician and he told me that in the old days they used to use phone handsets like that to talk to the guy in the crawlspace (now they use radios). You could probably figure it out by opening a handset on a working phone and testing for voltage. I think you just power the part you talk into.


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## Billy_Bob (Sep 11, 2008)

Here is how to get two phones talking to each other...
(Disconnected from your phone line of course!)
http://www.epanorama.net/documents/telecom/telephone_intercom.html


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## pyper (Jul 1, 2009)

Billy_Bob said:


> Here is how to get two phones talking to each other...
> (Disconnected from your phone line of course!)
> http://www.epanorama.net/documents/telecom/telephone_intercom.html


But that's whole phones.

This is just the handsets connected with wires.


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## hayewe farm (Mar 15, 2009)

You have a red and green wire in the hand set. Cut the red or the green wire inside or outside of one of the handsets and insert the battery connections on the cut ends. Add alligator clips to the ends of the wires.


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## hobbithead (Jun 29, 2008)

What about the other handset? Cut same wires and add alligator clips to the same wires and attach them to the wires I'm testing, as long as I know one common wire?


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## hayewe farm (Mar 15, 2009)

Yes, once the hand sets are connected together you can talk back and forth.


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## hobbithead (Jun 29, 2008)

I leave Monday on a 4 day job in Columbus MS. Can't wait to get home and fix them up. Sure appreciate the advice and will let you know how it turns out.


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