Fluke 1AC II VoltAlert - Non-Contact Voltage Detector Pen CAT IV 1000V

Excellent product. Safe and easy to use.

Great device

While tools of this type should only be used by those competent with main electrics, I found that cheaper versions of mains electricity testers can pose a risk in that they can fail to detect a live circuit. This can result in the assumption that the circuit is not live and safe when the opposite is the case. Fluke is a long trusted brand of electrical test equipment. This device is continuously self testing when turned on and emits audio detection of mains power. Cheaper testers are available and I have used them. I won't be using them again and think the higher price of the Fluke is well worth paying when safety can be at risk.

I received my Fluke VoltAlert (an 1AC-E II European one in April 2014 from Amazon) in a padded envelope with nothing more than a basic text instruction sheet. I was not disappointed with the lack of a box or proper packaging, but I was a little surprised. WARNING: To be fair the device is not intended for use by people unfamiliar with mains voltage wiring, so if you're expecting an illustrated manual on how to use it and are unsure - you SHOULD be calling a qualified electrician. Mains voltages kill and bad wiring can start fires. The BATTERY COVER is removed by squeezing the yellow part of the pocket clip and sliding the grey part away from it in the direction of the probe tip. I add this since there is no indication in the instruction leaflet on how to replace the batteries. It's very stiff, but at least unlikely to fall off accidentally. Naturally to check it's working it is the correct practice to test the device on wires you know are live first each time, immediately before using it to test wire you suspect or expect to be live. However, my VoltAlert is quirky. Sometimes it won't trigger when touching a wire supplying mains AC voltage to my monitor or amplifier UNLESS I use the left side of the tip. Yet oddly at other times the probe tip and all of the front part of the cone work. As you might expect, I have to check wires pretty darn thoroughly to be certain I am not dealing with an unexpected live. This fine level of detection has its uses. It is able to discriminate between adjacent wires in a lighting fixture, for example. On the other hand it will not find a wire through plasterboard in a month of sundays, but that's definitely not what the VoltAlert is for. This replaces an electrical screwdriver not a stud/metal/AC/Pipe wall detector. The tip of the VoltAlert needs to be very close (e.g. 5mm) and more frequently touching the cable sleeve to get a reading. To Sum Up: It works, but for goodness sake learn its quirks well before relying on it. So because of this caveat, I give it four stars.

This has given me so much more confidence when working on things at home - to be able to just put it near stuff to know if it's life, and to have its built in self-test is excellent.

Good

Great

Wouldn't be without it

I'm an electrician. I've used basically every other non contact tester on the market over the years, this is by far the best one available. Doesn't give nearly as many false positives on 347v circuits as any other tester. Robust design that lasts years being in my pocket every day. Don't bother with any other tester. This is the best one.

Working as intended

Excelente, hace su función de inmediato , el envío tarda unos 3 días pero vale la pena

excellent

Tester