Voltstick Question

[Hawkmoon]

These modern volt sticks don't work like the old ones sensing a magnetic field which pulls in a leaf contact they use a control circuit board to filter false signals etc they use capacitive coupling this allows it to use the voltage waveform of the Live wire to switch components in the dc circuit they are only looking for voltage level and its cyclic waveform not current flow this cyclic component of the voltage is only present in the live conductor at the voltages the pen is sensitive to.

Capacitive coupling could be done in a few ways as ive mentioned it can use the dc battery circuit or the capacitive effect of everything around the pen that is not within its voltage pick-up range.

This is slightly out of my field of knowledge but im just theorising and putting the pieces together with what i do know .... but eether-either-or the best place to put these testers is the bin!

Guessing you're right - just have to 'mull over it' until penny drops

 

[SPARTYKUS]

This link is interesting- What Do You Know About Capacitive Voltage Sensors? | content content from Electrical Construction & Maintenance (EC&M) Magazine

 

[Hawkmoon]

This link is interesting- What Do You Know About Capacitive Voltage Sensors? | content content from Electrical Construction & Maintenance (EC&M) Magazine

Yeah nice link - but it does imply that the voltstick (sensor) will not operate if you are not holding it...strangely that is not the case.

But it does make clearer what DW has been describing

 

[Badged01]

All so confusing! Having had a few sherberts watching a good Bath victory at the rugby, I shall read this with interest tomorow and fully digest the contents but I do like Darkwoods explanation :smiley2:

 

[jaypp]

They will, if the Neutral isn't connected at the source,, maybe a clue there.

Last week an appliance fed from double pole SFS wasn't working. Voltstick showed voltage at every point to appliance and, when on T&E from spur, indicated it on both 'edges'. Spur was faulty and was only switching on the line conductor.