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From: Dave on 6 Apr 2010 10:28 Need to rewire (to add a ground) several outlets in my house, which will require that I locate the breaker serving each outlet. Wondering if I couldn't build my own circuit breaker identifier out of a 9VDC wall-wart and some junkbox parts. Am thinking I could just use the wall-wart to run a 10kHz oscillator, whose output would be picked up by the transformer in the wall-wart and injected into the line thereby. A simple receiver with a small coil antenna could be used at the breaker box to locate the breaker with the signal going through it. The breaker with the loudest signal would be the most likely one to shut off, to see if the signal stops. Bingo. Leave that breaker off, test the outlet (just to make sure) and then unhook the old wires and hook up the new wires to it before putting it back in the wall. Sounds simple. Any obvious holes in my reasoning? I'm all ears... And yes, I could buy a breaker identifier, but all the reasonably priced ones seem to have questionable results with some people, or are cheaply made. Thanks, Dave
From: Tim Wescott on 6 Apr 2010 10:49 Dave wrote: > Need to rewire (to add a ground) several outlets in my house, which will > require that I locate the breaker serving each outlet. Wondering if I > couldn't build my own circuit breaker identifier out of a 9VDC wall-wart and > some junkbox parts. Am thinking I could just use the wall-wart to run a > 10kHz oscillator, whose output would be picked up by the transformer in the > wall-wart and injected into the line thereby. A simple receiver with a > small coil antenna could be used at the breaker box to locate the breaker > with the signal going through it. The breaker with the loudest signal would > be the most likely one to shut off, to see if the signal stops. Bingo. > Leave that breaker off, test the outlet (just to make sure) and then unhook > the old wires and hook up the new wires to it before putting it back in the > wall. Sounds simple. Any obvious holes in my reasoning? I'm all ears... > > And yes, I could buy a breaker identifier, but all the reasonably priced > ones seem to have questionable results with some people, or are cheaply > made. > > Thanks, > > Dave > > What's the matter with just switching off breakers one by one and seeing what stops working? You'll spend less time resetting all your clocks than you will making your fox & hound set, and it'll give you a chance to label the box properly, so you'll only have to do it once. -- Tim Wescott Control system and signal processing consulting www.wescottdesign.com
From: Ecnerwal on 6 Apr 2010 11:09 In article <RJKdnXzc5ulc1CbWnZ2dnUVZ_s6unZ2d(a)web-ster.com>, Tim Wescott <tim(a)seemywebsite.now> wrote: > Dave wrote: > > Need to rewire (to add a ground) several outlets in my house, which will > > require that I locate the breaker serving each outlet. Wondering if I > > couldn't build my own circuit breaker identifier out of a 9VDC wall-wart > > and > > some junkbox parts. Am thinking I could just use the wall-wart to run a > > 10kHz oscillator, whose output would be picked up by the transformer in the > > wall-wart and injected into the line thereby. A simple receiver with a > > small coil antenna could be used at the breaker box to locate the breaker > > with the signal going through it. The breaker with the loudest signal > > would > > be the most likely one to shut off, to see if the signal stops. Bingo. > > Leave that breaker off, test the outlet (just to make sure) and then unhook > > the old wires and hook up the new wires to it before putting it back in the > > wall. Sounds simple. Any obvious holes in my reasoning? I'm all ears... > > > > And yes, I could buy a breaker identifier, but all the reasonably priced > > ones seem to have questionable results with some people, or are cheaply > > made. > > > > Thanks, > > > > Dave > > > > > What's the matter with just switching off breakers one by one and seeing > what stops working? You'll spend less time resetting all your clocks > than you will making your fox & hound set, and it'll give you a chance > to label the box properly, so you'll only have to do it once. For any house smaller than stately Wayne manor, a plug in radio works perfectly. Crank it up, listen for the sudden quiet, know which breaker goes to that outlet. As Tim says, fix the labels - if you don't already *know* which breaker goes to an outlet (and then *verify* that with the radio) your box is *not* properly labeled. You can also label the other end (put breaker position numbers on the outlet plates.) Beware of split outlets where the top and bottom *may* be fed by different sources (ie, the typical outlet/switched outlet for a lamp arrangement.) If you live in stately Wayne manor, you can have Albert listen and call you on the bat communicator when the radio turns off. You can also use lamps if you have an assistant, or can use the exercise going back and forth - it would still take less time than the fox/hound foolishness, and no money at all. Shut down the bat (or otherwise) computer before you start flipping breakers. -- Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by
From: Dave on 6 Apr 2010 12:19 "Dave" <db5151(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message news:ZLGdnb6RZtCI2CbWnZ2dnUVZ_vCdnZ2d(a)posted.internetamerica... > Need to rewire (to add a ground) several outlets in my house, which will > require that I locate the breaker serving each outlet. Wondering if I > couldn't build my own circuit breaker identifier out of a 9VDC wall-wart > and some junkbox parts. Am thinking I could just use the wall-wart to run > a 10kHz oscillator, whose output would be picked up by the transformer in > the wall-wart and injected into the line thereby. A simple receiver with > a small coil antenna could be used at the breaker box to locate the > breaker with the signal going through it. The breaker with the loudest > signal would be the most likely one to shut off, to see if the signal > stops. Bingo. Leave that breaker off, test the outlet (just to make sure) > and then unhook the old wires and hook up the new wires to it before > putting it back in the wall. Sounds simple. Any obvious holes in my > reasoning? I'm all ears... > > And yes, I could buy a breaker identifier, but all the reasonably priced > ones seem to have questionable results with some people, or are cheaply > made. > > Thanks, > > Dave > > Fox & hound, stately Wayne Manor? I cannot respond seriously to THIS foolishness. I asked a reasonable question. Anyone who has serious input is welcome to reply. Others will be happily ignored. I'm off to get my Op Amp Cookook and my IC Timer cookbook out and raid my junkbox. I'll let you know how it turns out. Take it easy... Dave
From: Jon on 6 Apr 2010 12:23
"Ecnerwal" <MyNameForward(a)ReplaceWithMyVices.Com.invalid> wrote in message news:MyNameForward-E56363.11092306042010(a)h1744866.stratoserver.net... > In article <RJKdnXzc5ulc1CbWnZ2dnUVZ_s6unZ2d(a)web-ster.com>, > Tim Wescott <tim(a)seemywebsite.now> wrote: > <snip> > > If you live in stately Wayne manor, you can have Albert listen and call > you on the bat communicator when the radio turns off. > <snip> > -- > Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by Great except that the butler is named Alfred!!! :-) --- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: news(a)netfront.net --- |