BSL011 Non-Contact Voltage Tester (NCVT)

This is a review/comparison of 10 commonly available non contact voltage testers. A non-contact voltage tester is useful to check if voltage is present.
The NCVT reviewed are Extech DVA30, Fluke VoltAlert 1AC-A II, UniT UT11A (branded SCA), Milwaukee 2202-20, Klein Tools NCVT-2, Fluke VoltAlert 2AC, Ideal VoltAware 61-025, Hioki 3120 Voltage Detector, Fluke VoltAlert 1AC-A and the Fluke VoltLight LVD2.

[@quadracer392]

I'm an I&E tech and work for a global chemical company. We are not allowed to use NCVT that you have to turn on and off. On a sister site they had a guy cleaning an empty 13.8kv switch gear cabinet that had was getting ready to be installed. They had the cabinet heaters hooked up to keep moisture out. However they had the heaters hooked up it was back feeding the the transformer which made the bus bars hot. The guy had a NCVT in his shirt pocket that had an audible tone. When he climbed in the cabinet it started going off. He immediately got out to fine out what was going on. Needless to say the always on NCVT potentially saved his life. The one we use is Santronics Ultimate AC sensor. Been carrying it for the last two years and have yet to have to change the battery. It's held up really well and would definitely recommended it also.

[@blacksheeplogic5383]

+quadracer392 Thank you for taking the time to write this comment. I hope everyone who watches this review also reads this comment. I will add an annotation to the video tonight on this aspect.

[@fredgarvinMP]

Before climbing in, he should have held his NCVT at arms length near anything and everything that could possibly conduct electricity. Also sounds like the Santronics is too sensitive.

[@showstopper9696]

quadracer392 thank for the story

[@Z-Ack]

Too sensitive? Lol. Dont think the ncvt are rated for 13800 volts.. think it was just doing its job.. never have tried one on high voltage main lines though... i would think that they would cause a magnetic attraction tgat would attract the dragon if one ever jumped out at ya..

[@simongarfunkel4040]

thank you for taking the time to do this systematic review. i ended up buying the Hioki 3120-21 in feb, 2020. i wanted to mention the unit i received (-21 model suffix) is more selective than the one you review: mine does not indicate on neutral; only the live conductor.

[@fredgarvinMP]

Great video! Very to the point and you're not afraid to dislike some of the tools which I find frustrating on other tool review videos. Keep up the good work. And I agree with you, I find that aside from the Fluke 1AC the NCVT I've used are TOO sensitive.

[@yambo59]

I just bought the Ideal 61-025 Voltaware you show and it appears they must have fixed the sensitivity issue as mine is the best ive ever had regarding its ability to discriminate between live. neutral, ground etc. So far its been surgically accurate so to speak. I havent been able to produce any false positives on the neutral or ground of wall sockets or extension cords, it will also only read the hot side of a 2 wire extension cord, thats pretty good-! There was one exception in my testing on a certain oddly shaped extension cord block. If theres a multi-plug extension cord block with slots on both sides of a plug block it might read the hot lead on the back of the cords plug block if something is plugged in on the other side - depending on how close the parts are on a given cords plug block. So far I really like the Ideal Voltaware, its the best ive had so far and on sale for $14 at my local home center.

[@01110aDz01110]

Thanks for the review mate, just list my Wattmaster stick so this video has been helpful in looking for a new one. I think I might go with the UNI-T model as it seems the cheapest and works just as well as the others.

[@RatingARKReviews]

Great video!

[@rickchampagne5289]

I can’t figure what end of the tester comes off to replace the batteries on a Fluke 1AC-A.

[@alroback5328]

Why is the Milwaukee's power button in the rear a weakness? I specifically bought that model because my previous Klein kept turning itself on while in my shirt pocket, and beeping every time I moved. I've been rather happy with the rear power button.

[@Z-Ack]

Well my klein stopped taking batteries.. it would turn on then beep 4 times and back off like it does with low battery. The fluke i had just stopped working randomly.. no idea, no damage, new battery but no worky.. i gave up on em.. need a good one though for 480 cuz damn hair stands up trying to touch leads to transformers and im bald.. those transformers and switchgear are no joke when shorted.. they like to just sit there and buzz like normal then decide to go psycho and make 4 kinds of racket and put on a light show for ya but trying to avoid those dragons..

[@FixthisCD]

I bought the ideal today and seemed not sensitive enough. Live wire test was dependent on which way I had it turned.

[@AxxinTheSupernova]

I took mine back. It was not detecting live wire

[@KOT-ANGRY]

Hi! Im looking for tester and i found Malwaukee one like You reviewed 👍, but i want to know, if it shows wrong grounded wires (ground and minus as positive)? I know that only FLUKE dont show that bug, but what about others? 🤔

[@KOT-ANGRY]

Channel AllHandmade tested some of wire testers too and he made that wrong grounding (dont know how), but one time in my life i experienced that cheap tester showed minus and ground as positive wire, but there was NO current 🙄, multimeter didnt show any current in these wires, but cheap wire tester showed 🤯...

[@brazilcreative1063]

I bought one from hikari and also money thrown out is not reliable. My whistle on the cellular tv fan and 5v charger cable, does not identify all phases in the socket whistle and wire are equal to 20cm already whistle. The screwdriver pen is reliable.

[@sidewinderam9m]

Why is Hioki your favorite? What do you like about it more than the others?

[@billwilliams6338]

BLACKSHEEPLOGIC, can any NCV measure DC voltages in wooden walls and wires in metal pipes? not AC voltages but DC voltages

[@shajiibmshajihassan8360]

Which is the best how i will get it is it by on line order?

[@rpardz]

Great review, I have the Fluke 1AC-A II and a Klein with a torch. The Klein is IP67 but I don't like that it bleeps if you knock or tap the unit against an object, not sure if it's just faulty

[@blacksheeplogic5383]

+rpardz Thank you for your comment. My Klein sometimes does that as well. Never paid any attention to Klein outside of some of their hand tools, but now having the NCVT-2, Klein test measurement tools seem really nice and well made.

[@juniordantas4975]

Which one is the best I can go to unit

[@esleyu6065]

Why Hioki detects both phase and neutral?.

[@vikassudhera923]

How I know neutral is good or not.sume time neutral is brock

[@jagdishchawla29]

Which voltage detector takes between 11000 volts

[@john42654]

Hello Thanks for posting the video. It was very informative. I have the fluke voltalert 1ac-a but I cant get the yellow cap off to replace the batteries. Ive even tried pliers but the cap wont budge. If you have any ideas please let me know.

[@peters6070]

The yellow half slides out. You may need to lightly push in the yellow tab at the top of the clip.

[@richardmartini9784]

Thank you... Question,.. Are there any such non contact tools like the ones you displayed. That can be found to buy... As to use with a 12 volt DC system.. As in Automotive electrical trouble shooting..? Thanks again.. Richard

[@harveysmith100]

Yes, I have one. Not as accurate but they do work

[@richardmartini9784]

@@harveysmith100 where do I get one. I do automotive electrical work...????? Thank you...

[@mikeadler434]

👍👍

[@davidcastro3897]

will any of those work on a broken headphone extension cable? I don't know much about electronics, the thing is that one of the three internal copper cables in the extension is broken, I already know what cable is but I need to find the exact breaking point, my concern before I buy one of these pens is that the signal may be too weak for them to detect it.

[@shawn2108]

Naw something like this won't be able to detect headphone signal. There isn't really any way to see where in the cable it's broken unfortunately, your best bet is replacing the whole thing.

[@davidcastro3897]

@@shawn2108 okay thanks a lot.

[@Z-Ack]

Eh.. ill stick to a no2 pencil with an led instead of an erasor head.. the led lights up through the capacitance of the graphite. U just gotta make sure that neither of the leads on the led are touching the metal erasor housing or it'll nip ya here and there.. and when testing voltages higher than 220 obviously dont stick pencils in the godamn plug.. lol

[@user-en2oe8ym8x]

So which is best and more sensitive ?

[@John_Ridley]

You don't want one that's too sensitive. I'm here because I'm throwing out the Sperry unit that I have which is too sensitive. It goes off when it's within a foot of anything live, so you can't tell which wire is live out of a bundle. It's useless.

[@helalh9621]

How much riyal Saudi sir? You can sent me plz?