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I decided,having lived with using a live circuit, to buy a proving unit. I opted for a Kewtech Prove 4 which covers 5 voltages between 690volts and 50 volts. The device starts at 690 volts which is ok for my Megger 2 pole tester. My fluke clamp meter has a limit of 600 volts. The second problem is that the unit spends only seconds in the low voltage ranges and it’s too fast to check the readings easily in these ranges.

Has anyone used this device with testers that have lower limits than the 690 volts ?
 
I think what he means is that the kewtech unit outputs 690V initially, which is above the maximum limit of his Megger voltage tester.

The Kewtech one starts off at 690V and if you hold the probes in it will step the voltage down every second or two. This is to do a full test of the kewtech voltage probe, so that you can confirm each voltage range is working OK
 
I have a socket and see unit that turned up cheaply somewhere. It lights up and squeals when stabbed with probes, which is more than adequate for my basic requirements.
 
My fluke clamp meter says don’t use if voltages greater than 600volts - and the kewtech starts at 690 volts and you can’t say “please start lower than 690 volts.
 
If the proving unit had started at the low end (50volts) and slowly rise to the higher voltages where you could halt before going to higher voltages by removing the probes surely would have been safer ?
 
I think suitable devices have been given in post 4 by nicebutdim.
 
It is odd to start high and go down, that is for sure. The one I have is this and it ramps up:

If you have a tester that is rated for 690V then I would use it for everything that might be live. Generally I prefer simpler as I don't like the continuity buzzer on mine, and it means yet another battery to remember and change before it leaks...

Next time I'm getting a simple one without battery requirement, or a Drummond if I'm feeling flush.
 
It is odd to start high and go down, that is for sure. The one I have is this and it ramps up:

If you have a tester that is rated for 690V then I would use it for everything that might be live. Generally I prefer simpler as I don't like the continuity buzzer on mine, and it means yet another battery to remember and change before it leaks...

Next time I'm getting a simple one without battery requirement, or a Drummond if I'm feeling flush.
I use the one that’s rated to 690 volts to test for dead circuit and use my fluke for accurate measurements of voltage and current.
 
In the ideal world everything is routinely calibrated, but in between you really want some "sanity check" that all is still OK. More so if you just dropped it, or someone else borrowed it, etc.

So if it is not for proving dead then you only need to check on something occasionally to see it is working OK. Just using the 230V mains is an option, but if it does DC then a check on a 9V battery is enough! If you have any other meter or a MFT then you can compare readings and see they agree to 1-2% or whatever the accuracy specifications of them is.
 
I emailed Kewtech and they stated that it does cascade up the voltages before cascading down. While this wasn’t what happened initially, it is doing that now and I don’t know what changed!
 
I emailed Kewtech and they stated that it does cascade up the voltages before cascading down. While this wasn’t what happened initially, it is doing that now and I don’t know what changed!

Strange - my kewtech starts at 690V, then after about 4 seconds it steps down to cover each band. Once all the voltage bands have been covered it tests the continuity function
 
Strange - my kewtech starts at 690V, then after about 4 seconds it steps down to cover each band. Once all the voltage bands have been covered it tests the continuity function
That's what my did but when I e to video it itvran upwards from 50 to 690 and rhen back down.

I found the following on Testerman’s web site
The Kewtech Kewprove 4 Proving Unit is a portable battery-operated unit capable of verifying the correct functionality of a voltage tester. Kewprove 4 Generates five stepped nominal output voltages from 50 to 690 volts.

When the Kewtech Kewprove 4 Proving Unit is turned on it first generates 690 volts, then slowly goes down through each voltage step until the device turns off

I see that the site notes that the device is discontinued. I hope it's not because of safety issues.
 

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