AMPROBE AT-8000 Advanced Wire Tracer User Guide

Quick Start Guide
AT-8000 Advanced Wire Tracer

Reliable, precise breaker identification
Tested by Fluke and safety certified by 3rd party labs

Intuitive Transmitter automatically senses whether the system is energized or de-energized
Most accurate wire tracing in its class with 10 sensitivity modes

AT-8000 Advanced Wire Tracer Special Applications:

• GFCI-protected circuit wire tracing
• Find breaks, openings, and shorts
• Trace wires in metal conduit: junction box method
• 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 a system with light dimmers
• CT-400 signal clamp (optional accessory) to improve accuracy and performance when there is no access to bare conductors See the user manual for further instructions regarding special applications.

Tracing Energized Wires – Smart Sensor™

1. Set-up: Test Leads

1. Plug the green and red test lead into the Transmitter.
2. Connect the green wire to separate ground.
3. Connect the red test lead to the wire being traced. For receptacles, make sure to connect the test leads to the line (hot) wire. For Energized systems, the signal will ONLY be transmitted between the load-side to which the Transmitter is connected and the source of power.

2. Set-up: Transmitter

1. Turn on the Transmitter.
2. Verify that the test leads are properly connected; the red LED voltage status light should be on for circuits with voltage above 30 V AC/DC.
3. Select HIGH signal mode by pressing HI.

Receiver:
Energized Smart Sensor™
ModeThe Smart Sensor™ enables easier wire tracing by showing the direction and position of the wire and is the recommended method for tracing Energized wires.

1. Turn on the Receiver and select SMART SENSOR™  mode using the directional arrows.
2. Hold the Receiver with the Smart Sensor™ facing the target area.
3. Move the Receiver in the direction indicated by the arrow on the screen. If the screen flashes a “?” in a red target then either no signal is detected or the signal is not adequate enough to display direction; increase the sensitivity using the “+” button on the Receiver.
4. Press ENTER when complete to return to the home screen.

TIP: For best results, keep the Receiver at least 3 feet from the Transmitter and its test leads to minimize signal interference and improve wire tracing results. Select the “Long”  Smart Sensor ™ Range in the Settings Menu if working with wires that are greater than 3 feet deep.

Amprobe ® | [email protected] | Fluke Corporation, Everett, WA 98203 | Tel: 877-AMPROBE (267-7623)

Tracing Energized and De-energized Wires – Tip Sensor

1. Set-up: Test Leads

1. Plug the green and red test lead into the Transmitter.
2. Connect the green wire to separate ground.
3. Connect the red test lead to the wire being traced.
   For receptacles, make sure to connect the test leads to the line (hot) wire. For Energized systems, the signal will ONLY be transmitted between the load- side to which the  Transmitter is connected and the source of power.

2. Set-up: Transmitter

1. Turn on the Transmitter.
2. Verify that the test leads are properly connected; the red LED voltage status light should be on for circuits with voltage above 30 V AC/DC, and it should be off for De- energized circuits below 30 V AC/DC.
3. Select HIGH signal mode by pressing HI.

Receiver:
Energized and De-energized Tip Sensor Modes
Use this mode for pinpointing a wire in a bundle or tracing in corners and confined spaces such as junction boxes and inside enclosures.

1. Turn on the Receiver and select either Energized or De-energized TIP SENSOR mode using the directional arrows.
2. Hold the Receiver with the Tip Sensor facing the target area.
3. Scan the target area with the Tip Sensor to find the highest signal level, then begin tracing the detected wire. Increase or decrease the sensitivity of the Receiver by pressing + or –  on the keypad as necessary.
4. Press ENTER when complete to return to the home screen.

TIP: In Energized mode, align the groove on the Tip Sensor with the wire direction for best results; the signal may not be detected without this alignment. The de-energized mode uses a different antenna in the Tip Sensor than Energized mode. Specific alignment of the Tip Sensor groove to the wire is not required. De-energized wire tracing results are based only on how close the Tip Sensor is to the wire.

©2020 Amprobe ®For detailed specifications and ordering go to amprobe.com 6012404 A

AT-8000

Connecting Transmitter to an Energized Working System

The Transmitter, with the red test lead, can be directly connected to the live wire of the working electrical equipment under load (motor, electronics, etc). Tracing can be performed without needing to turn off the equipment or switching the power off.

Identifying Energized and De-energized Breakers and Fuses

1 **.** Set-up: Test Leads

1. Plug the green and red test lead into the Transmitter.
2. Connect the green wire to separate ground.
3. Connect the red test lead to the wire being traced. For receptacles, make sure to connect the test lead to the line (hot) wire. For Energized systems, the signal will ONLY be transmitted between the load-side to which the Transmitter is connected and the source of power.
   Note: Simplified direct connection can also be used to connect the Transmitter (refer to the user manual for further instructions).

2. Set-up: Transmitter

1. Turn on the Transmitter.
2. Verify that the test leads are properly connected; the red LED voltage status light should be on for circuits with voltage above 30 V AC/DC, and it should be off for De- energized circuits below 30 V AC/DC.
3. Select HIGH signal mode by pressing HI.

Identifying Energized and De-energized Breakers and Fuses

Receiver:
Breakers Mode
Tracing breakers is a two-step process:

1. SCAN – Scan each breaker for one second. The Receiver will record tracing signal levels.
2. LOCATE – The Receiver will indicate the single breaker with the strongest recorded signal.

Step 1 – 1 SCAN

1. Turn on the Receiver and select either Energized BREAKERS mode or De-Energized BREAKERS mode using the directional arrows.
2. Align the groove on the Tip Sensor with the breaker lengthwise.
3. Scan each breaker by touching it with the Tip Sensor. To assure sufficient time between the scans, wait for an active green arrow and audible alert before moving to the next breaker. The order of scanning does not matter. You can scan breakers multiple times. The Receiver records the highest detected signal.

Step 2 – 2 LOCATE

1. Select LOCATE mode by using the directional arrows.
2. Rescan each breaker by touching each with the Tip Sensor for one second. The active red arrow indicates the scanning process. Scan all breakers until a solid green arrow and audible alert (continuous beep) indicates that the correct breaker was found.
3. Press ENTER when complete to return to the home screen.

NCV Mode

Receiver:
NCV Mode
The NCV (Non-Contact Voltage) mode is used to verify that a wire is Energized. This method does not require the use of the Transmitter. The Receiver will detect an  Energized cable if the voltage is between 90 V and 600 V AC and between 40 Hz and 400 Hz. No current flow is necessary.

1. Turn on the Receiver and press the NCV button.
2. Hold the Receiver with the Tip Sensor facing the target area.
3. Scan the target area with the Tip Sensor to find the highest signal level, then begin tracing the detected wire. For precise pinpointing of hot wire versus neutral wire, increase or decrease the sensitivity by pressing + or – on the keypad.
4. Press ENTER when complete to return to the home screen.

Note: For safety, before working with wires, always verify that they are De-energized with an additional tester.

Finding Breaks and Opens

1. Set-up: Transmitter

1. Turn on the Transmitter.
2. Verify that the test leads are properly connected; the red LED voltage status light should be off for energized circuits below 30 V AC/DC.
3. Select HIGH signal mode by pressing HI.

2. Set-up: Receiver

1. Turn on the Receiver and perform tracing in De-energized TIP SENSOR mode.

Tracing a cable to find breaks or opens

1. Start tracing the cable until the signal stops.
2. 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.

Note: For best results, ground all De-energized wires that run in parallel with the black test lead.

Finding Shorts

1. Set-up: Transmitter

1. Turn on the Transmitter.
2. Verify that the test leads are properly connected; the red LED voltage status light should be off for De-energized circuits below 30 V AC/DC.
3. Turn the Transmitter to Loop mode by pressing the HIGH button for two seconds. Verify that the Loop LED is ON.

2. Set-up: Receiver

1. Turn on the Receiver and perform tracing in EnergizedTIP SENSOR mode.

Tracing a cable to find shorts

1. Start tracing the cable until the signal stops.
2. 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.

Note: This method will be affected by the signal cancellation effect. Expect a relatively weak signal.

Specifications

**| AT-8000-R Receiver| AT-8000-T Transmitter| CT-400 Signal Clamp**
---|---|---|---
Measurement Category| CAT IV 600 V| CAT IV 600 V| CAT IV 600 V,
CAT III 1000 V
Operating Voltage| 0 to 600 V AC/DC| 0 to 600 V AC/DC| 0 to 1000 V AC
Operating Frequency| Energized: 6.25 kHz
De-Energized: 32.768 kHz| Energized/Loop: 6.25 kHz
De-Energized: 32.768 kHz| Loop Mode: 6.25 kHz
High / Low Mode: 32.768 kHz
AC current measurement: 45 Hz to 400 Hz
Hazardous Voltage Detection| See NCV detection| > 30 V AC/DC| N/A
Signal Indications| Numeric bar graph display and audible beep| LEDs and audible beep| N/A
Response Time| Smart mode: 750 mSec
Tip Sensor Energized: 300 mSec
Tip Sensor De-Energized: 750  mSec
NCV: 500 mSec
Battery monitoring: 5 Sec| Line/phase voltage monitoring: 1 sec
Battery voltage monitoring: 5 sec| Instantaneous
Current Output of Signal

(typical)

| N/A| Energized circuit:
HI mode: 60 mA RMS
LO mode: 30 mA RMS
De-energized circuit: HI mode: 130 mA RMS
LO mode: 40 mA RMS
Loop mode: 160 mA RMS| 1 mA/A for AC current measurement with multimeter
Signal Voltage Output

(nominal)

| N/A| De-energized circuit:
LOW: 29 V RMS, 120 Vp-p
HIGH: 33 V RMS, 140 Vp-p
Loop model: 31 V RMS, 120 Vp-p| De-energized circuit:
2.4 V RMS, 24 Vp-p
Range Detection (open air)| Smart mode
Pinpointing: Around 1.97-in (5 cm) radius (±2%)
Direction indication: Up to 5FT  (152.4cm) (±2%)
TIP Sensor: Energized
Pinpointing: Around 1.97-in (5 cm)  (±1%)
Detection: Up to 22-FT (670.56cm) (±1%)
TIP Sensor: De-Energized
Detection: Up to 14-FT (426.72cm)  (±5%)
NCV (40-400 Hz)
Pinpointing: Around 1.97-in (5cm)  radius (±5%)
Detection: Up to 4-FT (121.92cm)  (±5%)| N/A| N/A
Display Size| 3.5 in (89 mm)| LEDs| N/A
Display Dimensions (W x H)| 2.76 x 2.07 in (70 x 52 mm)| N/A| N/A
Display Resolution| 320 x 240| N/A| N/A
Display Type| Color TFT LCD| LEDs| N/A
Display Color| Yes| Operating mode LEDs: red
Battery status LEDs: green, yellow, red| N/A
Booting Time| 30 sec| < 2 sec| N/A
Backlight| Yes| N/A| N/A
Operating Temperature| -4 °F to 122 °F (-20 °C to 50 °C)| -4 °F to 122 °F (-20 °C to 50 °C)| 32°to 122 °F (0 °C to 50 °C)
Operating Humidity| 45%: -4 °F to <50 °F (-20 °C to <10 °C)
95%: 50 °F to <86 °F (10 °C to  <30 °C)
75%: 86 °F to <104 °F (30 °C to  <40 °C)
45%: 104 °F to 122 °F (40 °C to 50  °C)| 45%: -4 °F to <50 °F (-20 °C to <10 °C)
95%: 50 °F to <86 °F (10 °C to <30 °C)
75%: 86 °F to <104 °F (30 °C to  <40 °C)
45%: 104 °F to 122 °F (40 °C to 50 °C)| 95%: 50 °F to <86 °F (10 °C to <30 °C)
75%: 86 °F to <104 °F (30 °C to  <40 °C)
45%: 104 °F to <122 °F (40 °C to <50 °C)
Storage Temperature and Humidity| -4 °F to 158 °F (-20 °C to 70 °C),

<95% RH

| -4 °F to 158 °F (-20 °C to 70 °C),<95% RH| -4 °F to 140 °F (-20 °C to 60 °C),

<95% RH

Operating Altitude

Transient Protection

| N/A| 0 to 6561 ft (2000 m)

8.00 kV (1.2/50µS surge)

| N/A
Pollution Degree

IP Rating

| IP 52| IP 40
Drop Test

Power Supply

| 4 x AA (alkaline or NiMH rechargeable)| 8 x AA (alkaline or NiMH rechargeable)| N/A
Power Consumption(typical)| 4 x AA battery: 2W| Hi/Lo mode: 70 mA Loop mode with Clamp: 90 mA Consumption without signal

transmission: 10 mA

| N/A
Battery Life (typical)| Approx. 9 h| Hi/Lo mode: approx. 25 hoop mode: approx. 18 h| N/A
Low Battery Indication| Yes| Yes| N/A
Fuse| N/A| 1.6 A, 700 V, fast-acting, Ø 6x32mm| N/A
Maximum Conductor Size| N/A| N/A| N/A
Dimensions (L x W x H)| Approx. 10.92 x 4.43 x 2.55 in(278 x 113 x 65 mm)| Approx. 7.2 x 3.66 x 1.97 in(183 x 93 x 50 mm)| Approx. 5.9 x 2.75 x 1.18 in (150 x 70 x 30 mm)
Weight (batteries installed)| Approx. 1.20 lb (0.544 kg)| Approx. 1.25 lb (0.57 kg)| Approx. 0.25 lb (0.114 kg)
Certifications| |

Accessory Specifications

| TL-8000-INT
---|---
Measurement Category| CAT IV 600 V (test leads)
CAT IV 600 V (alligator clips)
CAT II 300 V (outlet adapters)
1000 V, 16 A max. (red/green leads)
Operating Voltage and Current| 600 V, 16 A max. (black lead)
600 V, 10 A max. (alligator clips)
300 V, 10 A max. (outlet adapters)
Operating Temperature| 32°F to 122 °F (0 °C to 50 °C)
Operating Humidity| 95%: 50 °F to <86 °F (10 °C to <30 °C)
75%: 86 °F to <104 °F (30 °C to <40 °C)
45%: 104 °F to <122 °F (40 °C to <50 °C)
Storage Temperature and Humidity| -4 °F to 140 °F (-20 °C to 60 °C), <95% RH
Operating Altitude| 0 to 6561 ft (2000 m)
Pollution Degree| 2
IP Rating| IP 20
Drop Test| 3.28 ft (1 m)
Red/black leads: 3.28 ft (1 m)
Green lead: 22.97 ft (7 m)
Dimensions| Red/black leads: 3.28 ft (1 m)
Green lead: 22.97 ft (7 m)
Alligator clips: approx. 3.74 x 1.77 x 0.94 in (95 x 45 x 24 mm)
Outlet adapters: 2.83 x 0.71 x 0.71 in (72 x 18 x 18 mm)
Weight| Approx. 0.88 lb (0.4 kg)
Certifications|

Included in Wire Tracer Kits

| AT-8020 KIT| AT-8030 KIT
---|---|---
AT-8000-R RECEIVER| 1| 1
AT-8000-T TRANSMITTER| 1| 1
TL-8000-INT TEST LEAD AND ACCESSORY KIT*| 1| 1
CC-8000 HARD CARRYING CASE| 1| 1
USER MANUAL| 1| 1
BATTERY CHARGERS| –| 3
RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES| –| 12
CT-400 SIGNAL CLAMP| –| 1
HS-1 MAGNETIC HANGER| –| 1
1.5 V AA (IEC R6) BATTERIES| 12| –

*TL-8000-INT test lead and the accessory kit include:

•  2 x 1 m test leads (red, black)
• 1 x 7 m test lead (green)
•  2 x Alligator clips (red, black)
• 2 x Outlet blade adapter (red, black)
• 2 x Outlet round adapter (red, black)

Optional accessories:
ADPTR-SCT Socket adapter
HS-1 Magnetic hanger
TL-8000-25M Test lead
CT-400 Signal clamp
Amprobe ® | [email protected] | Fluke Corporation, Everett, WA 98203 | Tel: 877-AMPROBE (267-7623)
©2020 Amprobe ® For detailed specifications and ordering go to amprobe.com 6012404 A

References

• Amprobe | Electrical Test and Measurement Tools

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