danglerb

Talking to some fellow tool junkies this sounds like it might be a very handy item for troubleshooting electrical issues on a 928.

About $100 shipped from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Power-Probe-Ul...1794959&sr=8-1

Its a probe with a 19 ft power cord that connects to 12v and ground. The probe end has a couple LED lights to help you see, a digital voltage readout, some indicator lights, and a speaker that makes tones and "sounds" from signal on wires (music from radio wires, semi sense making noise from things like crank sensors). The tip is "high impedance" which means it senses voltage and ground without drawing enough current to mess anything up.

It also has a spring loaded button (normally off) that allow the tip to supply your choice of 12v or ground via internal 8 amp circuit breaker to test the operation of most smaller motors and lamps etc. If I get this right, this means when you think something isn't working due to a bad ground, poke its ground connection and press the ground side of the button and it should "work" if indeed bad ground is the issue.

Its on my thinking about it list due to cost, but thinking pretty hard about getting one.

Charley B

I use mine a lot and wouldn't want to be without it now..

entropy_engineering

Damn I didn't know these have come down that much. I feel mine is worth it's weight in gold somewhat regularly.

Brett928S2

Hi

Its a copy of the Snap-On power probe...I have had mine for years and yes its extremely useful for our electrics

All the best Brett

soupcan

It's my second favorite tool to pull out and probe with.

Charley B

It's the little pleasures that can make your day.

Leon Speed

Sometimes testing electronics on a 928 is probing with a needle in a hay stack.

drwhosc

Mine too. Great tool, and at that price, you will not go wrone, but you also still need a volt meter to diag ground issues.

Love the woddy allen reference..

blown 87

One word of advice, always press the power or ground switch BEFORE touching the circuit you want to power or ground, I am on my third one because of that.

They are a really good tool to go along with a DVOM, and if you have a DVOM that has a recording digital scope in it, there are few electrical issues on a 928 that you can not test.

danglerb

I'm not that comfortable doing it that way, preferring to put the probe on whatever solidly, then hit the magic button.

What happens?

I noticed several places sell replacement switches for about $7, so assumed they were a wear item.

I guess one is on my "accquire" list now.

BTW I doubt Snapon is the copy, more like Snapon brands it like they do many other items. Made here in SoCal too, Brea Ca.

blown 87

Snap-On rarely does private labels in the regular sense, what they almost always do is buy the company and then put a Snap-On label if it meets the standards for snap on, if not it gets the Blue-Point label.


I am not really comfortable doing that most times either, well actually I just do not care if it breaks, so I pretty much always do it the wrong way and have burned the unit out, and a few switches.

Just passing along what i know about them.

danglerb

Visit Garage Journal, truck tool rebranding is a common practice, and who makes what a frequent point of discussion.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=34417

Quick look, and "Snapon" version is BluePoint, and seems like copy to me. CTS42v, but maybe not.

Brett928S2

Hi

As far as I know the Snap-ON probe IS the original...I have had mine for around 15 years...well before all these "copies" appeared...

Also the Snap-On one has a RESET switch on the side so you cannot blow it whatever you do.....

All the best Brett

blown 87

So does the Power Probe, and yes, you can blow them, I have done 2 and am working on a third.

Tampa 928s

I just received Probe-III kit with the wire chaser/toner AND a Smoke Machine for my birthday; my sister in Laws and Wife all chipped in. I guess helping them with all the cars paid off "or" they think I need all the help I can get!

The tool is great for checking relays and compressors "so-far", but the smoke machine is unbelievably helpful.