Yep. When we first got them I looked them up on amazon and at the time it was selling for twelve bucks (the base and wand combo). It's 27 now.

Here's a link if you're curious:

[Link: amazon.com]

I just took the batteries out of mine and threw it away. Based on the picture I saw and what he told me, we're pretty dern sure it was the tool itself.

So I need a new one. A set that tones and maps. And yes, I know, Fluke...but are there any other sets out there that tone and map that are reliable and SAFE? I checked amazon and markertek and mcm electronics but I'm not finding anything really...something that actually costs a little more because quality matters, but something that isn't as expensive as a fluke set. Do y'all know of anything? I'm going to email my boss about this in a bit.


Thanks y'all!!

J

I have a fluke, and I have a few ideals laying around.. This is my favorite piece that I've ever owned...I've had this thing forever and it's the first tool I start searching for when I needed to test data, Rg6, etc.

I bought this unit when I started doing a lot of data...Can quickly run through and make sure you've mucked something up, will tell you if your pairs are crossed etc...and will also just tone if needed...love it.

[Link: homedepot.com]

Caught on fire from a 9v battery? Damn...

Nice...looks like it does everything I want it to, including a coax adapter (which I won't use often given what I normally do, but, I may need to every now and then, so that's great). I'm going to send that link to my boss, actually...he may choose a different product (hopefully something similar from IDEAL or an equally reputable/reliable company) but hey at least I tried. And personally, I don't like the fluke wands with their fat tips, really. Thanks, dude!

He actually measured the voltage while I was texting him about it earlier, and the battery (brand) he was using measured 9.8 volts. I don't see that being a problem with a quality tool. Am I wrong about that? We think it was just a crappy tool. Worked fine for well over a year, but, eventually caught fire...

Even with a crappy tool, I don’t see how it had enough power to catch on fire

If you guys watch AVE (highly recommend if you don’t) on YouTube you will understand why something like this caught fire. You will also learn through many of his tear downs why you buy once cry once. The chineseum components in a lot of today’s tools and gadgets are downright scary.

What I have

[Link: triplett.com]

It doesn't take much. An under spec'd part, mounted next to a very flammable part, some clogged ventilation holes or dust accumulation that inhibit cooling ... .

We normally think of anything using small alkaline cells as being inherently safe -- until that battery in your pocket gets shorted by some keys.

Or coins. I walked into the back area at work one day and apparently, the little plastic cover came off of the battery. I felt intense heat and grabbed at everything in that pocket as I kind of danced across the floor. One of the other guys said "I've NEVER seen you move that fast!".

You reminded me of something. I threw a couple 3v button cell batteries (cr2032) in my pocket once. About 10 minutes later, I thought my leg was on fire because they had shorted. I was digging everything out of my pocket and throwing it as fast as I could

Customers kitchen drawer caught in fire from a 9v battery touching metal in the draw. Good lesson to take more caution on those things. I can and does happen!

Single cell standard type batteries don't catch fire only because the contacts are well separated. It takes quite some artwork to accidentally short one of those (AA, AAA, C, D).

It takes nothing at all to make a 9V battery start a fire. And we all should absorb the lesson that the little CR2032 stores A LOT of power. We're used to thinking of it as a low current device because it's used that way for its long life.


That's the lesson to take away from here today.

I rescued a client's kitchen before the fire once when I opened the drawer they stored batteries in and found more than one pair of 9V batteries with their contacts facing one another. I taped the ends and put a sign in there... hope it helps.

Rechargeables can be even worse. RC glider technology of a dozen years ago used the huge current output of a half dozen or more NiCd batteries to get the glider way up in the air in a couple of minutes. What brought this to my attention was the 12 GAUGE WIRE! in a remote control glider. Turns out that smaller gauge wire will melt or come unsoldered with the current from the C cells.... Don't put that in your pocket!

A coworker threw a 9V battery in the trash in his van once and the contacts shorted and started a fire. He wraps them in tape now (and that's why I do too now, always)

I had my coworker (he still had the wand) drop it off for me in our storage area and I'm going to pick it up tomorrow, take it apart and see what I can see. To be honest, it wouldn't surprise me if I found evidence that it happened because it had been abused...