EICR Testing with 2 way Radios & RCBOs

[ForkEnigma]

Currently doing testing on an old building, with concrete walls everywhere, circuit finder dosnt work.
So using 2 way Radios, but they are opening the Protective RCBOs!

Using Motorla, has anybody else had this issue? Does anybody know of a 2 way Radio that will not open the RCBO?

Tia

 

[SJD]

What brand of RCBO, out of interest?

 

[littlespark]

The only reason I can see to use a two way radio is so you don’t have to shout at your mate who’s standing by the DB resetting breakers.

 

[Lister1987]

2 cans and string? Go old school

 

[DefyG]

We use a Mitex radios, never known them to cause any problems with RCBO's.

 

[ForkEnigma]

We use a Mitex radios, never known them to cause any problems with RCBO's.

Thank you, at last a decent reply
[automerge]1594399997[/automerge]

The only reason I can see to use a two way radio is so you don’t have to shout at your mate who’s standing by the DB resetting breakers.

As per the Op, the building is like a Nuclear bunker with 36 inch concrete walls. No DB charts or record drawings. We have accessories that are energised close to existing DBs, but are not fed from there. Its a freaking minefield.

 

[richy3333]

We use Motorola radios, the yellow ip rated ones. Never had an issue with them. What make of RCBO’s are they?

 

[ForkEnigma]

We use Motorola radios, the yellow ip rated ones. Never had an issue with them. What make of RCBO’s are they?

Eaton on this job
Had it before with Shneider as well

 

[Lucien Nunes]

What band and TX power on the radios? Could you select a lower power setting as you're in the same building?

 

[ForkEnigma]

What band and TX power on the radios? Could you select a lower power setting as you're in the same building?

Hhmm, too risky TBH, but thank you

 

[MJPD29]

The building sounds very interesting. What is it used for?

 

[Let me think]

Not sure if practicable for your environment, but if only two of you, possible workaround would be to do some sort of fixed wire comms system between yourselves.

If you both have laptops, could possible set each laptop up with a static IPs and ethernet ‘wonder’ cable connected between them, then run whatever audio/visual software takes your fancy to communicate between laptops.

Not ideal, but may get you out of hole. Modern day version of cups and strings.

Good luck.

 

[Paul L]

Oh my goodness this situation took me back. I used to work in a medium secure psychiatric facility and we had this exact problem. The nursing staff and maintenance staff used radios which I believe were Motorola and every time the buttons were pressed whole rows of Mem (Eaton) rcbo's just tripped out.
They were the pod type rcbo's and it turned out that we had the electronic type and we had to change them to the mechanical type of pod which alleviated the problem completely,costing us thousands of pounds though. Don't think these pods are easily available these days.We were told by our radio people that it was to do with the frequencies but I never fully understood the theories behind it.
I wouldn't imagine this situation would happen very frequently where you have a combination of that type of radio matched to that type of rcbo,just bad luck I suppose.
As others have said a different form of communication is probably the only answer.

 

[ForkEnigma]

Not sure if practicable for your environment, but if only two of you, possible workaround would be to do some sort of fixed wire comms system between yourselves.

If you both have laptops, could possible set each laptop up with a static IPs and ethernet ‘wonder’ cable connected between them, then run whatever audio/visual software takes your fancy to communicate between laptops.

Not ideal, but may get you out of hole. Modern day version of cups and strings.

Good luck.

Interesting, but don't really have the time.

 

[sinewove]

The way I,ve done it is connect load like fan htr at end of cct,switched on/off,then clamp mcb,s/rcbos till circuit is found.
Regards,S

 

[ForkEnigma]

The way I,ve done it is connect load like fan htr at end of cct,switched on/off,then clamp mcb,s/rcbos till circuit is found.
Regards,S

Yes that did cross my mind.
All boards located near to circuit have been tested now. Still cannot find it! Probably in an old cupboard or in the ceiling somewhere.
Been agreed with client to do out of hours, and shut down.
Thank you