Amprobe AT-6020 & AT-6030

Advanced Wire Tracer Kits

Training

Amprobe AT-6020 & AT-6030

Advanced Wire Tracer Kits
 Agenda

• Wire tracing applications and users • Special Applications

• AT-6000 series overview – GFCI-protected circuit wire tracing
• Basic wire tracing concepts – Find breaks, openings, and shorts
• AT-6000 Transmitter – Trace wires in metal conduit
– Overview – Trace non-metallic pipes and conduits
– Connection – Trace shielded wires
Agenda
– Signal generation – Trace underground wires
• AT-6000 Receiver – Trace low voltage wires and data cables
– Overview – Sort bundled wires
– Alignment for tracing – Map circuits using test leads connection
• MAIN APPLICATIONS – Trace breakers on system with light
– Tracing energized and de-energized wires dimmers
– Identifying Energized Breakers and Fuses – Signal clamp
– Non-Contact Voltage Mode (NCV)
 Applications and End Users

Main Applications:
• Trace Energized and De-energized wires
• Identify breakers and fuses
• Non-contact voltage mode and passive
tracing Applications and End Users
• Trace hidden wires behind walls, ceilings
and floors
• Works on energized wires connecting
working electrical equipment – no need
Special Applications:
to switch off the equipment or interrupt
• GFCI-protected circuit wire tracing
power • Find breaks, openings, and shorts
• Trace wires in metal conduit
End Users: • Trace non-metallic pipes and conduits
• Trace shielded wires
• Industrial Electricians • Trace underground wires
• Commercial Electricians • Trace low voltage wires and data cables
• HVAC Technicians • Sort bundled wires
• General Maintenance Technicians • Map circuits using test leads connection
• Repair Technicians • Trace breakers on system with light dimmers
• Contractors • Signal clamp

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 Product Overview

What’s Included:

Product Overview

Amprobe Wire Tracers Line:

AT-6000 Series AT-7000 Series

Smart Sensor – Wire orientation - x
Compact size receiver x -
CAT Rating CAT III CAT IV
MSRP $999 - $1,399 $1,499-$1,899

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 Principles of wire tracing

Wire tracer is a two-part system:

• Transmitter generates a tracing

signal in a wire. It is typically Principles of wire tracing
connected to the wire with a test
leads or a clamp

• Receiver picks up a signal along the

wire or from a connected breaker.
Signal can be detected even if wire is
hidden behind a wall, celling or floor

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 Transmitter buttonology

• ON/OFF: Short press to turn on. Long press

>2s to turn off
• Volume adjustment: VOLUME UP/DOWN
buttons. Mute and four volume levels are
available. If sound is muted, the MUTE LED
light will be on. Transmitter buttonology
• Voltage Warning light:
– ON for Energized circuits (30 to 600 V
AC/DC)
– OFF for De-energized circuits (0 > 30 V
AC/DC)
– BLINKING if an overvoltage is detected (>
650 V AC/DC).

• High mode: Short press on HI pushbutton

Second short press on HI button to turn off.
• Low mode: Short press on LO pushbutton.
Second short press on LO button to turn off
transmitting.
• Loop mode: Long press (>2s) on HI. Short
or long press on HI button to turn off Loop
mode.

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 Transmitter connection

Single connection to support tracing of Energized or De-

energized wires or to locate breakers

1. Connect the green and red test leads to the

Transmitter (polarity does not matter) Transmitter connection
2. Connect the red lead to the wire you want to trace
(on the load side of the system for energized circuit)
3. Connect the green wire to a separate ground (metal
building structure, metal water pipe, or ground wire
on a separate circuit)

*Note: If working with GFCI protected circuits, this

method will trip the GFCI. Refer to Special Applications,
section 4.1 of the users manual “GFCI-Protected Circuit
Wire Tracing” for tracing methods.

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 Transmitter - signal generation

Transmitter connection for energized and de-

energized circuits is similar, however the
signal will be affecting circuit branches
differently
Transmitter - signal generation
• Energized system - transmitter “draws”
low current at 6kHz, signal is present
between a transmitter and power source,
signal is not present in the circuit
branches

• De-energized system – transmitter

“injects” 33kHz signal affecting all the
braches

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 Signal cancellation problem
Signal cancellation problem with direct plug connection:
• This is the same cancellation effect that affects clamp meters from
reading current when clamped around both hot and neutral wires
• By connecting transmitter to two adjacent wires on the same circuit (for
example, hot and neutral wires on a Romax cable), the signal travels in
one directions through the first wire and then returns (with opposite
direction) through the second one.
• The electromagnetic fields around each wire with opposite direction
cancel each other making wire tracing difficult if not impossible.
Signal cancellation problem
Avoiding signal cancellation with a Separate Ground Connection:
• The electromagnetic field around hot wire is not being cancelled by a
signal on the return path that is routed through the ground to close a
circuit
• Separate Ground Connection creates maximum signal strength

Separate Ground Connection:

• The red test lead of the transmitter to the hot wire of the circuit
• The green lead to a separate ground, such as water pipe, ground stake,
metal grounded structure of the building, or outlet ground connection of
an outlet on a different circuit
• If hot wire is energized and the transmitter is properly connected to a
separate ground, the red LED on a transmitter will light up.

Note: It is important to understand that an acceptable separate ground is NOT

the grounding terminal of any receptacle on the same circuit as the wire you
wish to trace.

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 Connecting to working equipment

• Transmitter can be connected with

alligator clips to energized working
electric and electronic equipment
– there is no need to switch off, Connecting to working equipment
disconnect or interrupt power

• Transmitter will not affect any

sensitive electronic equipment and
can be used in power critical areas
such as hospitals or IT server
stations

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 Transmitter setup

Setting up a transmitter:

1. Press ON/OFF key to turn on the Transmitter

2. Verify that the test leads are properly connected; red
LED voltage status light should be on for circuits with
voltage above 30 V AC/DC, and it should be off for De- Transmitter setup
energized circuits below 30 V AC/DC.
3. Select HIGH signal mode by pressing HI for most
applications. The LED display will quickly begin to blink.

Note: The LOW mode function is rarely used for high

precision applications. LOW setting limits the signal level
and allows to more precisely pinpoint wire location. A lower
signal level reduces coupling to neighboring wires and
metal objects and helps to avoid misreading due to ghost
signals. It also helps to prevent oversaturating the
Receiver with a strong signal that covers too large area.

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 Receiver buttonology

• ON/OFF: Short press to turn on. Long press

>2s to turn off
• Volume adjustment: use VOLUME UP/DOWN
buttons. Mute and four volume levels are
available
Receiver buttonology
MODE BUTTON
• Quick Scan Wire Tracing Mode allows for
quick wire detection at a longer distance
• Precision Wire Tracing Mode precisely
pinpoints wires or faults located behind
walls, floors, or ceilings
• Breaker Identification Mode has an
automatic sensitivity feature that allows for
quick and easy breaker locating
• Non-Contact Voltage Detection Mode
utilizes passive tracing without the
transmitter to verify if a wire is Energized

+/- BUTTON
• Adjust sensitivity during wire tracing to
maintain ~50% of signal strength
HOT STICK (TIC 410A) attachment can be used
to make tracing more ergonomic and convenient.
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 Aligning a receiver

Tracing technique:

• While tracing Energized wires align

groove on the Tip Sensor with wire or
breaker direction Aligning a receiver

• Signal may be not detected if not

properly aligned.

• To verify wire direction, periodically

rotate the Receiver 90 degrees. Signal
strength will be the highest when wire
is aligned with the Tip Sensor groove.

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 Tracing wires - Quick Scan

Quick Scan Mode - detect wires at a longer distance

(between wire and Receiver) to verify that the tracing signal
is present and to quickly follow the path of the wire.

Tracing
Switch to Precision Tracing mode if you want to precisely wires - Quick Scan
pinpoint a wire, or to Breaker mode to locate a breaker.

1. Press ON/OFF push button to turn on the Receiver. It will

automatically start in Quick Scan mode, which is the
default.
2. Scan a target area with the Tip Sensor to find a signal,
then begin tracing the detected wire.
3. Increase or decrease sensitivity of the Receiver by
pressing + or - on the keypad as necessary.

Depending on the detected signal, the Receiver automatically

switches to either Energized or De-energized mode, and
displays this information on the LCD. No manual setup is
necessary.

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 Tracing wires – Precision Mode

Precision Tracing mode pinpoints the wire location or the

place of the fault. The Receiver indicates detected signal
strength using a two digit readout, bar graph and sound.

1. Press the MODE button until the Precision Tracing

function is selected.
Tracing wires – Precision Mode
2. Scan target area with the Tip Sensor to find the
highest signal level.
3. While tracing, periodically adjust sensitivity to keep
the signal strength near 50. Increase or decrease
sensitivity by pressing + or - on the keypad. If the
signal is too strong for precise locating, change the
Transmitter to LOW mode.

Depending on the detected signal, the Receiver

automatically switches to either Energized or De-
energized mode, and displays this information on the
LCD. No manual setup is necessary.

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 Breaker locating

Breaker mode automatically adjusts the sensitivity of the Receiver to pinpoint and
indicate just one correct breaker. This enhancement helps to remove signal
strength analysis from the breaker identification process that is typical for less
advanced wire tracers

1. Press the ON/OFF push button to turn on the Receiver and continue pressing
the MODE button until Breaker Locating mode is selected
Breaker locating
2. “Calibrate” a receiver. Scan a main breaker or scan all breakers in any order.
Breakers can be scanned multiple times. The Receiver sensitivity will be
automatically adjusted to indicate only breaker with a highest signal level.
The Receiver may beep and the green arrow may light up several times
during this step
3. Locate the breaker by scanning all breakers again; the Receiver will indicate
only one breaker. If more than one breaker is indicated continue scanning the
indicated breakers until only one is positively identified.

Important note: Differentiation in breaker designs, height and internal contact

structure may affect the precision of breaker identification. For most reliable
results, remove the breaker panel cover and perform a scan on the wires instead of
the breakers.

Before starting the next locating process reset the Receiver by either pressing +
button to select high sensitivity or switching the Receiver off and then on.

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 NCV and Passive Tracing

NCV (Non-Contact Voltage) mode - verify if the wire is Energized or

trace energized wires without the use of the Transmitter. The Receiver
will detect and trace any Energized cable if the voltage is between 90
V and 600 V AC and between 40 and 400 Hz. No current flow is
necessary.
NCV and Passive Tracing
Note: For safety, always verify that wires are De-energized with an
additional tester before working with them.

1. Press ON/OFF push button to turn on the Receiver. Continue

pressing MODE button until the Non-Contact Voltage function is
selected.
2. Passive tracing - Scan the target area with the Tip Sensor to find
the highest signal level. While tracing, periodically adjust the
sensitivity to keep the signal strength near 50. Increase or
decrease sensitivity by pressing
3. To verify if wire is Energized hold the Receiver with the Tip
Sensor against the wire. For precise pinpointing of hot wire
versus neutral wire, increase or decrease sensitivity by pressing +
or - on the keypad

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 Special Applications

Special Applications:
• GFCI-protected circuit wire tracing
• Find breaks, openings, and shorts Special Applications
• Trace wires in metal conduit
• Trace non-metallic pipes and conduits
• Trace shielded wires
• Trace underground wires
• Trace low voltage wires and data cables
• Sort bundled wires
• Map circuits using test leads connection
• Trace breakers on system with light dimmers
• CT-400 signal clamp (AT-6030 kit) to improve
accuracy and performance when there is no
access to bare conductors

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 GFCI-Protected Circuit Wire Tracing
Connecting a transmitter to an energized GFCI protected circuit using separate ground method will
trip the GFCI protection. Use following methods to work with GFCI protected circuits:

Method 1 – Bypass the GFCI circuitry to avoid tripping GFCI (for energized GFCI-protected outlets
only):
• Remove the protective receptacle wall plate
• Using the alligator clip attach a red test lead to the screw connecting the energized hot wire to

•
the receptacle GFCI-Protected Circuit Wire Tracing
Connect green test lead using separate ground method
• Perform tracing as described in one of the following modes: Quick Scan, Precision Tracing or
Breaker Locating.

Method 2 – Do NOT use separate ground to avoid tripping GFCI (for GFCI-protected outlets and
breakers):
• Connect transmitter test leads to Neutral and Hot wires.
• Perform tracing as described in the Quick Scan, Precision Tracing or Breaker location sections
Connection point to bypass
the GFCI protection
Note: This type of connection causes signal coupling and reduces signal strength. If the signal is too
weak or untraceable, use Method 3.

Method 3 - De-energize the circuit (for GFCI-protected breakers):

• De-energize the circuit
• Connect a transmitter directly to the wire
• Perform tracing as described in one of the following modes: Quick Scan, Precision Tracing or
Breaker Locating.
 Pinpointing breaks

It is possible to pinpoint the exact location where a

wire is broken or terminated using the Precision
Tracing mode, even if the wire is located behind
walls, floors or ceilings.
Pinpointing breaks
1. Use the steps described in the Precision Tracing
mode to connect the Transmitter and perform
tracing. For best results, ground all De-
energized wires that run in parallel with the
black test lead.
2. To find a fault, trace the wire until the signal
stops. The tracing signal is conducted along the
wire as long as there is continuity in the metal
conductor.
3. Verify the fault’s location, move the Transmitter
to the other end of the wire and repeat tracing
from the opposite end. If signal stops at the
exact same location, the fault has been located

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 Pinpointing shorts – Loop mode

• A place of the short can NOT be detected using HIGH and LOW Transmitter in
HIGH or LOW
modes because tracing signal is present in all open branches Mode

Pinpointing shorts – Loop mode

• Older wire tracers use external battery pack to trace shorted wires
by generating current flow in closed loop. The signal is not going
to be resent in open branches. The place of the short can be
detected by following a wire path until the signal stops.

• LOOP mode works the same as above method with external

batteries except it uses internal transmitter circuitry and batteries
to simplify connections. To pinpoint a short:
1. Turn the Transmitter to Loop mode by pressing HIGH button for Transmitter in
two seconds. Verify that the Loop LED is ON LOOP Mode
2. Setup the Receiver to Precision Tracing
3. Start tracing the cable until the signal stops. To verify the place
of the fault, move the Transmitter to the other end of the wire
and repeat tracing from the opposite end. If the signal stops at
the exact same location the fault has been located.

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 Tracing shielded wires

Shield prevents the Receiver from detecting a

tracing signal coming from wires inside the
cable. Instead, apply a tracing signal directly
to a shield:
Tracing shielded wires
1. Disconnect the ground on the near-end
of the shielded wire and connect the
shield to one of the terminals of the Transmitter in
HIGH or LOW
Transmitter (polarity does not matter) Mode
with a test lead. Connect the second
output of the Transmitter to a separate
ground
2. Setup Transmitter in HIGH mode if shield
is not grounded OR in LOOP mode if it is
grounded
3. Set the Receiver to a Quick Scan or Transmitter in
Precision modes LOOP Mode

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 Signal clamp

The clamp accessory is used for applications where

there is no access to a bare conductor to connect the
test leads. It induces a signal to the Energized or De-
energized wire through the insulation.

Signal clamp
• The signal generated by the clamp is the strongest
when used on wire connected in a loop. To create
a loop, ground temporally both ends of the wire. Transmitter in
LOOP Mode
1. Setup transmitter in LOOP mode by holding High
button for >2s
2. Conduct tracing using Quick Scan or Precision
Tracing modes

• For open wire tracing and circuit mapping setup a

transmitter in HIGH mode. Expect much weaker
signal. Consider direct connection with test leads Transmitter in
HIGH or LOW
if signal it difficult to detect. Mode

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 Mapping a Circuit

Mapping a circuit (locating connected

branches) can be only performed on a De-
energized circuit when using test leads
connection
Mapping a Circuit
1. Switch the breaker to the OFF
position.
2. Set up the Transmitter and Receiver as
described in the Quick Scan or
Precision Tracing section
3. Scan face plates of receptacles and
wires connecting loads with the Tip
Sensor of the Receiver

All the wires, receptacles and loads that

have a strong signal as indicated by the
Receiver are connected to the breaker

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 Other special applications

Check user manual for step by step instructions

related to the following applications:

• Tracing Wires in Metal Conduit - metal conduit will

completely shield the tracing signal, open junctionOther special applications
boxes and trace wires from one junction box to
another
• Tracing Non-Metallic Pipes and Conduits – trace
indirectly by placing a metal fish tape or a wire
inside
• Tracing Low Voltage Wires, Data and Thermostat
Cables - use standard Quick Scan or Precision
tracing method
• Tracing Underground Wires - trace Energized and
De-energized wires underground the same way as
wires behind walls or floors.
• Sorting Bundled Wires - Identify a specific wire in
a bundle

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