There is a good chance that it is batteries, batteries, batteries. Most unit performance problems relate to batteries. Some units have battery test buttons on both the receiver and transmitter, others indicate battery condition on screen or with LED lights. Use them to verify battery power level before you spend the money to have us take a look at it. And we recommend that, even if the battery test reveals some power, we would change batteries for anything less than full power. Keep a set of extra batteries in the glove box just in case.
Tag: FAQ
What is an inductive clamp?
An inductive clamp is an accessory for locators with high-frequency capability. The clamp is designed to place a signal on a cable without disconnecting it. This is useful at midpoints or with AC powered lines. CATV and telephone companies often use Inductive clamps because they allow service to continue while the technician traces a line.
I have put in new “D” batteries in my locator transmitter and am getting no power. Why?
Armada locators utilize 8 “D” cell batteries. The battery compartment is designed to tightly hold the D cell batteries in place (you wouldn’t want them moving around, right?). When initially installed, they sometimes need to be adjusted to make that first connection. Once this has been accomplished, the tight control will keep them in place. However, do not adjust the batteries while the unit is on.
As a note, not all D cell batteries are created equal. There is actually a slight size difference between manufacturers. The larger batteries fit tighter and therefore may be the ones that need the initial adjustment.
When do I need to use a “True RMS” multimeter?
If you are dealing with systems like LED lighting, fluorescent lighting or special control systems like 2-wire irrigation, you will probably need a True RMS multi-meter for testing and troubleshooting. This is because the AC signals are variable and need the advanced meters to accurately measure them. As long as you are aware that the readings may be off in some cases, you can use a regular, average-responding RMS multi-meter. See our application note on True RMS.