Short circuit finder

I just saw one of these in use by the guys at Real Fixes Real Fast, and had to have it.

[image: Posted Image]

It's a short circuit detector. You disconnect the fuse which is blowing and replace it with the circuit breaker provided. You just hold the ammeter up against the suspect wires, and keep moving it along the wire run until the needle stops moving when the circuit breaker resets itself, and you have found your short. Amazing!

Only $28 from Amazon!

Works best if you have the wiring diagrams handy of course, so you know which wires to run the ammeter down.

One of those things you hopefully won't have a need for!

Can't that be done with a muti-meter? Not that I know... It's a question.
Any of you elec techs have an answer?

Can't that be done with a muti-meter? Not that I know... It's a question.
Any of you elec techs have an answer?

You'd have to be able to poke the lead through the insulation along the wire at different locations to determine where the voltage was or wasn't present... otherwise, yes.

Can't that be done with a muti-meter? Not that I know... It's a question.
Any of you elec techs have an answer?

You'd have to be able to poke the lead through the insulation along the wire at different locations to determine where the voltage was or wasn't present... otherwise, yes.

Thx for the reply.

Can't that be done with a muti-meter? Not that I know... It's a question.
Any of you elec techs have an answer?

You'd have to be able to poke the lead through the insulation along the wire at different locations to determine where the voltage was or wasn't present... otherwise, yes.

Thx for the reply.

Not quite! This device also shows the direction of current through the wire, without probing. The needle swings left or right depending on which way the current is flowing when you hold it against the wire. The recommendation for use is to hard wire the fused circuit to the battery via the supplied circuit breaker so you are providing power to this circuit only.

Not quite! This device also shows the direction of current through the wire, without probing. The needle swings left or right depending on which way the current is flowing when you hold it against the wire. The recommendation for use is to hard wire the fused circuit to the battery via the supplied circuit breaker so you are providing power to this circuit only.

Direction?! Maagic!

Not quite! This device also shows the direction of current through the wire, without probing. The needle swings left or right depending on which way the current is flowing when you hold it against the wire. The recommendation for use is to hard wire the fused circuit to the battery via the supplied circuit breaker so you are providing power to this circuit only.

I watched the whole video the other day, and I like the SCF, but since I'm not the brightest bulb in a electric shop, I just wanted to know if there was something else to learn about using my multi-meter(which I have a long way to go).
Not only is the SCF a good tool but the video was educational, thought me how to read a electic diagram(better than before anyway).
Thx :fing02:

Love them little gadgets. The two I use are from Power Probe. I use the PPIII and the ECT (Electronic Circuit Tester). I have had them now for a bit and they have yet to fail me. Can be rough if going around metal like trunks and door panels, but if you are patient and move slowly you can trace exactly where you need to go.

Love them little gadgets. The two I use are from Power Probe. I use the PPIII and the ECT (Electronic Circuit Tester). I have had them now for a bit and they have yet to fail me. Can be rough if going around metal like trunks and door panels, but if you are patient and move slowly you can trace exactly where you need to go.

Yeah there are obviously better short circuit testers, probably ones with long probes on them and all sorts of guff. But for $28? It just couldn't be beat.

I hear ya on that price tag. If I only knew then what I knew now hehe. The Snapon guy who came around twice a week at the shop I worked in at the time had em on the truck so it was easy at the time to just slap it on a Truck Account and go for it. But that would have been a great alternative to what I bought.

Can't that be done with a muti-meter? Not that I know... It's a question.
Any of you elec techs have an answer?

You'd have to be able to poke the lead through the insulation along the wire at different locations to determine where the voltage was or wasn't present... otherwise, yes.

Thx for the reply.

Not quite! This device also shows the direction of current through the wire, without probing. The needle swings left or right depending on which way the current is flowing when you hold it against the wire. The recommendation for use is to hard wire the fused circuit to the battery via the supplied circuit breaker so you are providing power to this circuit only.

Direction... now that is cool. I've never seen these before. I have a wire tracker [image: Posted Image] but it doesn't show direction, just a warble if it's near the correct wire. Also works great for finding the burned out bulb on the old style Xmas lights where one bad bulb would black out the whole string. Who ever thought that was a good idea? :comp13: