Need convertor to using lan tracer for tracing hdmi and video cabling

General lounge
1

I’ve got this kit

http://www.greenlee.com/products/TONER-KIT%2540cLAN-(AT8LK).html

which I use for tracing network and phone cabling, now I’ve got a site where I need to trace hdmi, catv and vga cabling. Any recommendations for a reasonably priced and easily available convertor or add ons I can use with the current lan toner kit to allow me to trace av cabling?

Ideally I want something I can walk into a retail or wholesale store and buy today. Maybe Nedco on Terminal. Linhaw?

I originally bought the toner kit through ATI in Richmond

http://associatedtelephone.com/

and will give them a call also.

If anyone one has tips for a ghetto converter that’ll do the trick, that’ll work too in the short term.

2

Speaking to my rep at Linhaw, he indicates that for HDMI, there isn’t really
anything for toning the cables and using a continuity tester like this

http://www.linhawstore.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=ht851&cat=0

is really the only option.

3

I have a tone generator and tracer, the generator has an optional ethernet to alligator clips attachment. I would just attached an alligator clip to a pin and stick the pin in the end of the wire, or something like that.

Have you tried that?

4

My toner has the same alligator clips, that works fine for a one off, but for
regular usage that’s a PITA. Now if I could find an HDMI breakout connector
that’s big enough to use the alligator clips, that’d work nicely.

5

You could also just get a female hdmi connector and solder it to a board, connect some of the traces to an internet jack and then you’re done. even fit it in an altoids container or something.

6

Cut an hdmi cable and splice out a few pairs??

7

There is a pair of wires in the HDMI set dedicated to a +5 volt supply. You could get a female hdmi connector (Lee’s?) and feed a tone signal into that pair, then use your tone pick up to locate the cable. The +5 lines are not shielded like the signal cables, so the noise (tone) should leak.

8

This page has some good inspiration: The Etherkiller

9

Hmm, makes sense, but on the flip side what happens if that cable is plugged
in on the other end, is there a risk of frying anything?

Generally with ethernet wiring, at worst if you are plugged into to a live
line (active on the network) switch, you won’t get a tone signal. OTOH my
existing toner can blink the switch port to identify the cable under test in
a live environment.

10

You could test the +5 volt line first to see if there is a device at the other end providing power. However I don’t know enough about electronics to say if it is safe to pump a “tone” signal into a +5v rail without damaging electronics at the other end. I think there are enough EEs at VHS that could answer this.

11

Check the voltage coming out of the toner. (use a scope)
If it peaks under 5V, then you should be fine. If it’s significantly over 5v, then you’ve got a problem.

12

Mine is an older version of what you have and it appears to put out about 10 VAC Peak to Peak at around 1Khz…
So it may be capable of damaging anything polarity sensitive…