TEMPO COMMUNICATIONS 521E Wire and Valve Locator Instruction Manual

TEMPO COMMUNICATIONS 521E Wire and Valve Locator

FAQs

Q: How often should I replace the batteries?

A: It is recommended to replace the batteries when you notice a decrease in performance or when the low battery indicator is activated.

Q : Can the Wire and Valve Locator be used for applications other than irrigation troubleshooting?

A: While primarily designed for irrigation troubleshooting, the Locator can potentially be used for similar applications. However, be cautious of potential hazards and refer to the manual for guidance.

Description

Tempo Communications Inc. has designed the 521E “Wire and Valve Locators” to aid irrigation technicians and troubleshooting experts in diagnosing trouble with electronic irrigation control cables. The uses for this tool include fault identification, fault location, cable location, and valve location. 521E may be used for other similar applications but be aware of potential hazards.

Purpose of this Manual

The purpose of this manual is to familiarize you with the safe operation and maintenance procedures for the 521E Wire and Valve Locator.
Keep this manual available to all personnel. The latest manuals are always available for download from our website. We aim to keep this manual up to date with product changes.

Warranty

Tempo Communications Inc. warrants to the original purchaser of these goods for use that these products will be free from defects in workmanship and material for one year. This warranty is subject to the same terms and conditions contained in Tempo Communications Inc.’s standard one-year limited warranty. For all Test Instrument repairs, contact Customer Service at +1 800-642-2155 and request a Return Authorization. Or complete the form at: www.tempocom.com/returns. For items not covered under warranty (such as items abused, dropped, soaked, etc.), a repair cost quote is available upon request.Note: Prior to returning any test instrument, please check batteries are charged and follow any instructions given by Tempo’s customer support. All specifications are nominal and may change as design improvements and software updates occur. Tempo Communications Inc. shall not be liable for damages resulting from misapplication or misuse of its products. CableScout and TestWizard are trademarks of Tempo Communications Inc. Do not discard this product or throw it away! For recycling information, go to www.TempoCom.com.

Safety

Safety is essential in the use and maintenance of Tempo tools and equipment. This manual and any markings and indications on the tool including warnings, supply information for avoiding hazards and unsafe practices related to the use of this tool. Observe all the safety information provided.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
SAFETY ALERT SYMBOL

This symbol is used to call your attention to hazards or unsafe practices that could result in an injury or property damage. The signal word, defined below, indicates the severity of the hazard. The message after the signal word provides information for preventing or avoiding the hazard.

DANGER

Immediate hazards which, if not avoided, WILL result in severe injury or death.

WARNING

Hazards which, if not avoided, COULD result in severe injury or death.

CAUTION

Hazards or unsafe practices which, if not avoided, MAY result in injury or property damage.

WARNING

Read and understand this material before operating or servicing this equipment. Failure to understand how to safely operate this tool could result in an accident causing serious injury or death.

WARNING

Electric shock hazard: Contact with live circuits could result in severe injury or death.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
WARNING

Electric shock hazard

• Intended for tracing disconnected circuits. At higher output levels, tracing signal, if applied across electronic devices, may cause permanent damage.
• Do not touch the exposed end of the test leads or cable being traced unless the transmitter is off.
• Do not expose this unit to rain or moisture.
• Use this unit for the manufacturer’s intended purpose only, as described in this manual. Any other use can impair the protection provided by the unit.
• Use test leads or accessories that are appropriate for the application. Refer to the category and voltage rating of the test lead or accessory.
• Inspect the test leads or accessories before use. They must be clean and dry, and the insulation must be in good condition.
• Before opening the battery cover, remove the test leads from the circuit and shut off the unit.

WARNING

Fire / Explosion hazard:
Do not use this tool in an explosive atmosphere or connected to wires entering an area with an explosive atmosphere. Failure to heed this warning could result in severe injury or death.

CAUTION
Electric shock hazard:

• Do not connect the transmitter to any active circuits.
• Avoid listening to the receiver through the headset at high volume levels for more than a few seconds at a time. Use only the tempo-recommended headset.

Servicing:

• There are no user-serviceable parts within 521E, do not disassemble.
• High voltages can be present inside the transmitter.
• Contact Tempo’s Support Team (details below)

Failure to observe these precautions may result in injury and can damage the instrument or connected equipment.

Part Identification

Display Indicators

1. Headset
2. Ground stake
3. Transmitter
4. Receiver
5. Carrying case
6. Black lead
7. Red lead
8. Output level buttons
9. ON/OFF switch
10. Battery cover
11. 45-degree angle detector
12. Null
13. Low Battery Warning*
14. Output Level

Setup

CAUTION : The transmitter can produce hazardous voltages. Turn the transmitter OFF before handling the output leads. Disconnect all wires from the irrigation controller when a fault is found. Before starting you must ensure that the transmitter is set up properly.
IMPORTANT: To ensure that the transmitter is producing the optimum signal, check that the low battery symbol is not visible. Range may be impaired if the signal is low.

CAUTION
Electric shock hazard:

• Do not connect the transmitter to any active circuits.
• Live circuits can present hazards to the user and equipment.
• Tracing signals may present a hazard to connected devices. Disconnect all electronic devices where possible.
• Failure to observe these precautions may result in injury and can damage the instrument or connected equipment.

Where possible ground the far end of the cable to be found. You will need to use higher output levels if this cannot be achieved. With the transmitter OFF, connect the red lead to the wire to be located and the black lead to a good earth ground using the stake provided. Refer to Figure 1. If the clock/controller is indoors, the earth ground stake should be placed near the point where the cables leave the building. It may require temporarily running a length of wire to the outside. Never use a building ground such as a water pipe or electrical ground.

Now activate the transmitter by pressing the power button for about one second. Observe the transmitter current indicator and increase the output level (up button), setting levels 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 until the gauge reads somewhere in the middle (approximately 30% to 70% of full scale). If 30% is not obtainable, you may not have enough of a ground fault or leakage to the ground to locate the entire length of the wire (hence why grounding the far end is advantageous if it can be done). Plug the optional headset into the receiver if desired. Turn on the receiver and point the antenna towards the transmitter to check both are operating as normal. You should hear a pulsing tone through the speaker or headset and see signal strength on the scale.

Operation

Locating a Wire Path

With the probe pointed towards the ground, walk completely around the transmitter location. You will hear a peak as you approach the path of the wire, a distinct “null” directly over the wire and another peak as you pass to the other side of the wire. Follow the “null”; moving the antenna to either side of the wire will cause the level of the tone detected to increase. The null allows you to follow the cable precisely. See Figure 2.

Finding Wire Breaks and Nicks in Insulation (ground leakage)

When attempting to find breaks and nicks, you should decrease the sensitivity of the receiver when pointing it off to either side of the null. You will be able to notice the change in signal intensity immediately. Do not allow the meter to “peg” (show
full-scale). This will greatly help in the fault-locating process. Note: The wire must have a path to the ground to be successfully located. These paths exist in a great majority of all direct buried wires due to insulation imperfections, nicks, and bad splices. If not, create one by grounding the remote end.

• The end of a cut or broken wire can be located by following the path until the null becomes less distinct or disappears and gives way to a “hot spot”. Beyond the “hot spot”, no null can be detected. Back up until the null is detected, and this will be the approximate end of the broken wire. (Refer to Figure 3.)
• Larger nicks in the wire can be located in almost the same way as locating opens. Follow the null and strong signal along the sides of the wire until the signal becomes very weak along the sides of the null. This will occur within a relatively short distance. The transmitted signal bleeds to the ground at the nick and then wants to return to the ground stake along the outside of the wire itself. The majority of signals will stop at the nick indicated by the low receiver reading just beyond the nick. (Refer to Figure 4.)
• To more accurately define the location of an open or larger nick (ground fault), position the receiver tip on the ground near the point where the last strong signal was detected along the side of the path. The receiver tip should be pointing at the ground and be approximately 6 inches to either side from the null. Because you are so much closer to the path, the sensitivity knob must be adjusted down until the meter reads just below 100%. While maintaining the 6-inch distance from the null, move the receiver down the line, paying close attention to the meter reading. Once you pass the open or nick, the meter will fall off rapidly.

Determining the Depth of a Wire

To determine the depth of the wire, first mark the ground directly over the path. Turn the receiver sideways to the path, and tip it 45 degrees. When close to 45 degrees from the vertical the “45 degree” indicator will illuminate in the display. Move the receiver directly away from the pre-marked path, maintaining the 45-degree tip until a null is detected. Mark this spot. If possible, repeat on the opposite side of the route. The depth is the average of the distances between the path of the cable and each of the marks. (Refer to Figure 5.)

Two-Step Solenoid Valve Locating Process
Solenoid valves can easily be located provided all the wires leading to them are intact and the solenoid itself is still good.

• Step 1. Start at the clock. Connect the red transmitter lead to the station wire leading to the subject valve, and connect the black lead to the earth ground. Turn the transmitter on, adjust the output to the highest level, assemble the receiver, locate the path, and start tracing the wire following the null. The null will be present until you pass over a solenoid valve, and then the signal will become extremely strong. Mark this spot. Check around this hot spot for a null leaving the area. If the null continues, follow it and mark any additional hot spots. (Refer to Figure 6.) If only one hot spot or valve is located, it will be the valve in question.
• Step 2. If more than one hot spot is found, mark it and return to the transmitter and turn it off. Lift the black lead from the ground stake and connect it to the common wire. Turn the transmitter on, set the selector knob to the highest reading, and return to the first hot spot with the receiver. Touch the tip of the receiver antenna to the ground in the center of the first hot spot and set the sensitivity knob to read near mid-scale. Now go to the second spot and without touching the sensitivity knob, check the strength of the signal at each hot spot and determine which, out of all of them, is the strongest signal. This is the valve for the station wire you are connected to.

Digitally Addressable (Two-Wire) Systems

521E can be used with digitally addressable irrigation wiring but it is wise to apply a few rules to avoid damaging decoders. Decoders are designed to be tough enough to withstand normal surges and spikes that can be present on wiring buried in the soil, but the direct application of the 521E maximum output voltage may cause damage. Damage like this can be avoided by applying a few simple tips. When it comes to using locators on 2-Wire irrigation systems, whether you use the 501 Tracker II Cable Locator or 521E Wire and Valve Locator to trace the 2-Wire path, the best practice is always to disconnect from the controller and clip one transmitter lead to both decoder wires together, then clip the other transmitter lead to a ground stake pushed into the ground (ideally off to the side of the route of the cable). This ensures the best signal and is safest for decoders. When the output wire of the transmitter is connected to BOTH lines of the two-wire circuit, then the transmitter output is common to both wires and provided there are no significant faults, then the same voltage is seen on BOTH terminals of each decoder, effectively placing a completely safe ZERO volts across the decoder.

Note: When using the 521E Wire and Valve Locator to trace 2-Wire cable, it is always best to use the lower output levels on the transmitter as it can be damaging to decoders to go higher even when correctly connected if there are certain fault conditions present.

Specifications

• Transmitter frequency: 1750 Hz
• Maximum transmitter voltage: 2500 mW into 1 Kohm
• Case dimensions: 28” x 12.6” x 4.1” (711mm x 321mm x 104mm), 5.7 lb (2.6 kg)
• Transmitter dimensions: 10.4” x 6.7” x 2.3“ (263mm x 171mm x 59mm), 2.6 lb (1.2 kg) Receiver dimension: 26.1” x 10.1” x 3.5” (664mm x 257mm x 88mm), .75 lb (.3 kg)
• Headset sound pressure level: 96±3 dBA SPL max (when used with Tempo supplied headset) Transmitter battery: 6 x D cells (alkaline recommended), typical life, 50 hours
• Automatic shut off: 3 hours
• Receiver battery: 4 x AA cells (alkaline recommended), typical life, 50 hours.
• Automatic shut off: 1.5 hours

Maintenance
WARNING

Electric shock hazard: Contact with live circuits could result in severe injury or death.

• Before opening the battery cover, remove the test leads from the circuit and shut off the unit. Failure to observe this warning could result in severe injury or death.

Battery Replacement

1. Turn off the unit.
2. Disconnect any leads.
3. Remove the battery cover (see figure 7)
4. Replace the batteries (observing the polarity indications).
5. Replace the battery cover.
   • Recycle the old cells.

CONTACT INFORMATION

• Distributed by:
• Valuetesters.com
• sales@valuetesters.com
• Tel: 602-795-8292, Fax: 602-795-4624
• Read and understand all the instructions for use and safety information before you use this tool. To receive updates about this product and its use register at www.tempocom.com.

References

• Tempo Communications – Industry-leading Test and Measurement Solutions
• Returns – Tempo Communications

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