Proximity tester gremlin?

[theflyingpig]

I've a dead socket, but if I flick my proximity pen against the cables that feed it I can OCCASIONALLY get it to flicker.

It's freaky.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Does it do the same flicked against other things - like a bit of wood or tiles?

 

[bernardgreen]

It's freaky.

it is also hazardous to safe working

 

[terryplumb]

I've a dead socket, but if I flick my proximity pen against the cables that feed it I can OCCASIONALLY get it to flicker.

It's freaky.

If you rub it on your sweater sleeve it will flicker like a disco light. Don't worry ,your sweater isn't live !!!

 

[theflyingpig]

it is also hazardous to safe working

Indeed

 

[ericmark]

My non contact voltage tester (NCV) seems to do a reasonable job, it can also measure current with non contact, and one of these

work very well, seems to detect cables buried over 3 foot deep, there are a whole range of non contact tester, each designed for a different job, but the simple reed switch is well known for detecting even static, with the one I use it has four levels with buzzer and visual display, shown with all four bars showing, it can still mislead, but less likely to.

I think most assume you are talking about one of these, they are to my mind rather expensive, £25 when mine was £35 seems wrong, for £10 extra I get 4 levels, AC and DC current down to 0.001 amp, digital display, also measures with wired connection ohms and AC and DC volts. Some variants also measure frequency. Plus a hold feature.

 

[pcaouolte]

For less than £10 it is possible to purchase a 2 pole voltage tester which is a much better way to ensure that a circuit is safe to be worked on. https://www.screwfix.com/p/lap-ms8922b-ac-dc-2-pole-voltage-tester-with-rcd-400v/669hy