Southwire Tester NCVD - Detects AC Voltage with Audible & Visual Alerts - Auto Power Off - Dual Flashlights - CAT IV 600V Safety Rating

After years of using multimeters to determine if a circuit is live, I finally decide to buy a non-contact voltage tester. Boy, am I happy that I did. The dangerous part of working on 110 V circuits is to try to get to the black (line voltage, hot wires) behind a light switch or plug, along with neutral (white). In my case, the yahoos who owned the house in the past did something beyond goofy, going into stupid territory. They spray painted the wires all white when they painted the walls. Now, imagine trying to probe the wires and not being sure what's what because they are all the same color! Even if it's different colors, there's always the risk of an electrical shock when you remove the wire nuts securing the connections. You're also holding the probes, plus the multimeter itself. If something slips, your instinct is to catch it, which means you might brush against a live wire. Having a NCVD makes life a lot easier. As always, test on a live circuit prior to each and every use, to make sure the tester still works.

Great unit. 5 stars. Very sensitive. It can give some short false postives but I am totally fine with that. I would rather have little short beeps than a false negative. (A false negative means there is no beep when there is voltage) If given the choice between really sensitive and not sensitive enough, I want really sensitive every time. The false postives are short little chirps and the real positives are a long string of beeps and lights flashing red. If you tap the tip on certain things you can force a very short false positive. (just like my beloved old unit) With this Southwire tester I can touch it to light switches and get an alarm. (with the cover on) Of course be careful and always test the wire before you work but I like the ability to sense from a distance too. Also test the unit to make sure it is working each time you use it. Before I bought this, I bought another brand, which I perceived as a top brand, and I paid more money but it was nowhere near sensitive enough. This Southwire unit is perfect. The price is amazing. I have a large DC adapter with a flat 3 wire AC wire feeding it. It does not beep on one side but does in the middle or the other side. I can't even say it is overly sensitive. It is just about perfect. If I had a potentiometer to set the sensitivity, I would lock it in place right where it is at. I lost my old unit that I had for many years. After buying another product that didn't work for me, I found some YouTube videos with reviews and decided this was a good choice. The light is just ok. It is powered by 2xAA batteries and has an LED. It is bright enough that you don't want it in your eyes. (you will see spots, don't ask me how I know this) The light is adequate for looking at wires in a box. That is just a bonus for me though. I have lots of bright flashlights. To power on the light, hold the red button on the end. To power on the unit for detecting voltage, hold the red button near the tip for a second or so. The tip will glow green while it is on. It flashes red and beeps when voltage is detected. (fairly loud) It can be turned off by single pressing the power button or you can let it time out. (a few minutes) It makes a different beeping sound when it turns off either way. So far I only wish that I had bought two of these. (keep one in a known safe place and use the other one) I believe I like it better than the one I lost.

I've owned a few of these inexpensive non contact voltage testers and this is by far the best and most reliable one I've tested and used. I haven't used or tested the Klein or Fluke models, but I honestly don't have any interest in even trying them now that I found one that I like that works well and is inexpensive.

I like it a lot better than the one I had already. It's simple and clear. Just an on/off switch; the tip lights green when it's on/red when it senses voltage. None of the 47 bells and whistles I don't need or want. It could be better in 2 ways, for my money. I wish it was bright orange or yellow; brown and black is practically camouflaged. And the flashlight should have an on/off switch instead of a momentary switch.

It's a tic tracer and works. No problems, good price, good quality.

I feel safe having this handy tool. That is what its all about. No guess work if you have a hot wire. This tester is what electricians use and if its good for them then its good for me. It works on A/C wire 110v and 240v. I think it can handle up to 600 volts. When you use this tool, it beeps letting you know the circuit is hot. If there is no beeping then it is not energized. Be sure to move the voltage detector all the way around the wire because you might miss detecting the hots.

Es perfecto y no se corre ningún riesgo de ser alcanzado por la electricidad. Como usuario uno queda protegido y aislado de la corriente alterna.

As a new construction/industrial electrician, I have a Klein Tools non-contact voltage tester that detects low and high voltage and use it for most of my work. I bought the South Wire non-contact voltage tester which only detects high voltage (anything 120 volts and up to 600 volts) for a back up. But it's simplicity makes it my "go to" voltage detector most of the time. And for the price, you can't beat it honestly. It is pretty well made too and easier to change the batteries as well. Very good product over all. Safe and simple to use.

Lo compré para el trabajo de mi esposo y me dice que lo lleva a todos lados. Él es ingeniero de Servicio y le da un buen uso, siempre lo carga y dice que es de los mejores.

Economical safety tool. Works good and easy to use. Device has to be quite close to live circuits to consistently detect them. Solid build.

Excelente sensibilidad para detectar voltaje y muy facil de usar, en adición la lampara que posee es de gran utilidad. excelente producto, presenta un apariencia muy ruda y ya teniendola en las manos, efectivamente esta muy bien construida.

Seems to do the job..no issues..changed a two and a 3 pole smart switch. Definitely helped to have it..!!!

I can't believe how long I have gone without have one of these in my toolkit. This was the cheapest I could find and that how I like them. Clear loud beeps and LEDs make it easy not to get electrocuted.