Cable Integrity Tester
Quickly and easily determines
if a fault to ground condition exists
without the need to energize the cable
Works on any length of cable
Easy to understand and use
General: The CONTINUITY TESTER was originally designed as an aid to street light cable fault locating, where it is used to determine if a cable fault exists without requiring the circuit to be energized. Unlike traditional continuity testers found on most multimeters, the TIMCO CONTINUITY TESTER will show the user if a section of cable is faulted to ground or if the fault is located within a splice, an enclosure, above the ground, or in any other isolated circumstance. This information greatly reduces circuit diagnosis time and helps in the selection of the proper fault locating equipment needed.
Note – The CONTINUITY TESTER must not be connected to any energized cable, regardless of the voltage present. Doing so will permanently damage the instrument.
Simple Operating Procedure:
The first step in using the instrument is to completely isolate the section of cable to be tested. Any devices or equipment connected to the cable will provide a path to ground and therefore must be removed from the circuit. The cable must also be disconnected from any feed or source. The RED lead from the instrument can then be attached to the cable to be tested, and the BLACK lead from the instrument connected to a driven ground rod or other suitable ground. The reading on the analog display determines the condition of the cable being tested.
Generalized Interpretation of Readings:
0 – 30, the cable is clear and no part of the cable is contacting ground. If a fault exists it may be in a splice or in an above ground device. The SPITFIRE or any other fault locating instrument will not detect this fault.
30 – 60, the cable is dirty. This could indicate deteriorating insulation, old splices, or an underground fault. The SPITFIRE will easily detect a fault.
60 - FULL, the cable is faulted fully to ground, or is shorted and will be easily detected with the SPITFIRE. This reading could also indicate that the cable is not fully isolated, as a device or equipment still connected to the circuit will produce the same reading.
