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Trying to find Audio Cables behind Sheetrock

post #1 of 11
12/10/12 at 3:42pm
Thread Starter 
I have not been able to find an answer as to the best "tone generator" to connect to the ends of audio wires for locating wires installed prior to sheetrock. I can access one end of the wiring but have no idea where they run.
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post #2 of 11
12/10/12 at 4:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TallMinnesota View Post

I have not been able to find an answer as to the best "tone generator" to connect to the ends of audio wires for locating wires installed prior to sheetrock. I can access one end of the wiring but have no idea where they run.

I think that you are looking for something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Extech-40180-Generator-Amplifier-Circuit/dp/B00023RVNO

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post #3 of 11
12/10/12 at 5:13pm
Thread Starter 
Unfortunately this product does not read the sound through a sheet of sheetrock.
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post #4 of 11
12/11/12 at 4:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TallMinnesota View Post

Unfortunately this product does not read the sound through a sheet of sheetrock.

Stud detectors are actually a kind of metal detector. While they work best with ferrous metals, their inductive operating principle can work with metal wires that are not even hooked up.

Devices like the one I mentioned can sometimes pick up the signal injected into the wire by means of capacitance to their probe tip.

Unless you know that wires were orphaned in the walls, it is highly probable that both ends are exposed someplace.

The telephone and cable guys use tools like the one I pointed out.
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post #5 of 11
12/11/12 at 1:09pm

I can tell you from experience that a tone generator / probe will not work with shielded audio cable. The shield works in both directions!

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt



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post #6 of 11
12/11/12 at 3:14pm
Thread Starter 
The cable I am tracing is regular cheap two strand, stranded speaker wire. I found a $70 "Fluke 3000 Analog Tone & Probe Kit" at Home Depot which appears to be working quite well in reading the wire when connected on one end with the alligator clips. It reads through sheetrock and finished wood bookcase material. Thank you for your thoughts.
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post #7 of 11
12/12/12 at 4:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wayne A. Pflughaupt View Post


I can tell you from experience that a tone generator / probe will not work with shielded audio cable. The shield works in both directions!

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt




The common circumvention is to clip the signal generator to the shield.
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post #8 of 11
12/12/12 at 4:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TallMinnesota View Post

The cable I am tracing is regular cheap two strand, stranded speaker wire. I found a $70 "Fluke 3000 Analog Tone & Probe Kit" at Home Depot which appears to be working quite well in reading the wire when connected on one end with the alligator clips. It reads through sheetrock and finished wood bookcase material. Thank you for your thoughts.

If this is what you obtained:



Then you got a great deal!

Technically the same thing as I recommended but obtained quickly from a local source for a great price. I'll file that little piece of knowlege away... ;-)
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post #9 of 11
12/12/12 at 6:59am
Thread Starter 
That is the one. I bought it, installed two 9 volt batteries (one in each unit) and it works very well. I do not know how far behind the sheetrock the wire is but it reads the wire well.
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post #10 of 11
12/12/12 at 1:19pm

Ah, of course. Shoulda known that if Arny said it would work, that it indeed would! smile.gif

By the way, I was in the Grosse Point area in August. Nice place!

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt



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post #11 of 11
12/12/12 at 1:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wayne A. Pflughaupt View Post


Ah, of course. Shoulda known that if Arny said it would work, that it indeed would! smile.gif

I appreciate the confidence and hope I'll never let anybody down.

Quote:
By the way, I was in the Grosse Point area in August. Nice place!

Hate to be a perfectionist about it, but it is spelled Grosse Pointe. ;-)
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