Amprobe 15XP-B User Manual, and Review. (Mode d’emploi; Bedienungshandbuch; Manual d’Uso; Manual de uso)
Amprobe 15XP-B
User Manual
[Multiple languages]
• Mode d' emploi
• Bedienungshandbuch
• Manual d' Uso
• Manual de uso
Amprobe 15XP-B User Manual [Multi Language] (*.pdf) - This file was downloaded from amprobe.com on 2015.10.15.
If you click that link, it opens the "Amprobe 15XP-B User Manual" either in a new browser tab/window, or in whatever application you have set as your default for *.pdf files.
If you want to download the *.pdf file to your computer, RIGHT-Click, the link above. And then in the drop-down menu, click 'Save Link As...' (if you are using Firefox or Chrome.); or click 'Save Target As...' (if you are using Internet Explorer or Chrome.)
This is the "Amprobe 15XP-B" user manual, and it contains all of the language translations available. I have it here at my website because I could not find it through Google. So, hopefully, I have saved you the trouble I went through to find it.
I did eventually find the "Amprobe 15XP-B Multi-Tester User Manual" at the amprobe.com website, but the *.pdf file for the manual is improperly named, and the link on their "Product Manuals" page mistakenly identifies it as 15XP-A instead of 15XP-B.
"Amprobe 15XP-B...", and "Amprobe TL35B Test Lead with Alligator Clips": at Amazon.com
- "Amprobe 15XP-B..." at Amazon.com
- "Amprobe 15XP-B..." Customer reviews at Amazon.com
- "Amprobe TL35B Test Lead with Alligator Clips" at Amazon.com
- "Amprobe TL35B Test Lead with Alligator Clips" Customer reviews at Amazon.com
Why I Bought (and recommend you buy) the Amprobe 15XP-B multi-tester
My house is more than a hundred years old, and some of the wiring is of the variety of single conductors through ceramic sleeves through the 2-inch joists; in places, without any insuration on the bare live conductors. Scary.
I had spent the better part of a day researching what brand and model multi-tester to buy. In particular, I read a whole bunch of user reviews at Amazon, and watched a hand-full of YouTube videos. I finally decided not to buy any off brand tester, which would break the first time I dropped it, or that would go out of calibration after a month. I was set to buy either a Fluke®, Greenlee®, or Klein® brand tester.
Later that night, my son came by to lend me his multi-tester from work, and I was very impressed with it. It was, of course, the "Amprobe 15XP-B" multi-tester. Here was a tester with very little information on it at Amazon, but which seemed very well built, was very rugged, and was well recommended where reviews could be found online.
Double-Insulated
The "Amprobe 15XP-B" multi-tester is double-insulated, which means you do not have to worry about getting shocked if you touch the body of the tester on a live curcuit.
Non-contact Voltage Detector
I was happily surprised because the "Amprobe 15XP-B" has a built-in non-contact voltage detector. I did not realize that feature had been avaiable in a tester, and I had been intending to order a separate tester for that capability.
The probes are Not used for non-contact voltage detecting with the "Amprobe 15XP-B", and the unit does not have to be switched on. Just press and hold a button designated for it, and hold the top of the unit close to the potentially hot source to be tested.
As I move the tester toward a live wire or connection, when a voltage is detected, a red indicator lights up on the front of the tester, and a buzzing is heard. In some cases, the buzzing starts about 2 feet (or more) away from a live source, as is the case with my covered light switches and wall outlets. The sound gets louder and louder as I move the tester closer and closer.
I find that the back edge of the top of the tester seems to be the most sensitive part of the unit. The buzzing gets quieter, and even stops, when I rotate the tester top in a direction away from, for example, a covered light switch. The buzzing even stops as I point the tester in the opposite direction away from the switch, even though the bottom of the tester is within inches of the switch.
I must admit that in one spot, a hot conductor of my ancient wiring did not register with the voltage detector until I had the tester practically touching it a couple of inches away from a bare spot on it; but that the very first time I started using the non-contact detector, and I did not realize the back edge of the unit top was more sensitive, and the back of the unit was facing the neutral conductor which is running parrellel to the hot conductor about 5 inches away, and maybe I had a light on down-line.
Some of my wiring has steel flexible metal cable protection conduit; and some of that does, and some of that does not register voltage with the non-contact detector.
So be careful. I like to test the vicinity of the conductors with the voltage detector, before removing any cover; first with the breaker on, and then off, to get a mental picture of what it sounds like, in each case. With breaker off, I testThen I remove a cover, head to the basement; and for each conductor and/or connection. ...if you know what I mean. Then, each time after I have walked away, when I re-approach the connections, unless I am 100% dead-sure the circuit is off, and that there is no voltage in any of the parts, I always, each and every time, pull out the tester and check for voltage before I touch anything. Being 'pretty-sure' can be deadly.
The non-contact voltage conductor seems to be plenty sensitive, and reads voltages through old plaster walls.
Ghost detection?
Earlier today, in one room, the dector was buzzing on and off in my hand at waste-level as I moved around a little, even though I was standing over 6-feet away from any wall with electrical circuits; and the room has a ten-foot ceiling. Weird, really weird. So, I just checked it again, wondering if the house's maze of old wiring could really set up such a strong magnetic field, and wondering if I can trust this tester, and wondering whether I should be recommending it to you. I now realize I was standing about a foot away from and old 21-inch CRT monitor on a shelf, which although it has not been plugged in for well over a year, must still have its capacitors alive and well, ready to knock the life out of an unsuspecting scrap collector who does not realize the danger of digging for scrap copper inside old T.V.s, and CRT monitors. I guess I won't put it in the alley. ...though it could be argued that if I did, regardless of which outcome, there could be a case in which I would be doing some poor devil a favor. ..just kiddin'. ...must be gettin' late.
Other Smaller or Adjustable Voltage Detectors/Sensors
I suppose a different volage detector, one of those slightly larger than a carpenter's pencil, with a thin pointed probe, might be handy if I wanted to poke inside of electrical boxes, without having to remove switches, for example. I don't know. Maybe. I can't really see the need. I'm good.
Some voltage detectors are voltage-adjustable, so remember that if you decide to go shopping for one. I recommend you read all of the available reviews for them as well, since I recall a couple that were notorious for having their tips readily breaking the first time they got dropped.
I do know that I like not having to juggle two testers in my pouches.
Safety First. (< There is an important 'period' at the end of that statement, as in, "Safety first. Period.")
Besides the fact that I am a poor juggler, I also know that the non-contact voltage detection capabilities of the "Amprobe 15XP-B" are sufficiently easy to use. And so I use it often. (Hey you. Double check before touching any wire/connection - Safety first!) It did warn me on one occasion when I thought the breaker was off, but it wasn't. I am glad I checked. It was somewhat distracting to have my half-inebriated tenant shout, "The light's on", or, "The light's off", everytime I went into the basement to switch the breaker; which was often; as I tried to figure out, for example, which of one box's eleven conductors did what. (and not a safety ground among them). Maybe my tenant thought he was doing me a favor, and so I yelled, "Thanks", each time. And though he had previously told me that he only fears electric and snakes, which could explain a true lack of any realization of the waste of his effort, he is intelligent enough that he might just have been playing over-dumb, and was just f-ing with me. I don't know, but he is 'good-pay', so I let it ride.
Hands-free Magnet on a Strap on Top
The "Amprobe 15XP-B" multi-tester also has a small but very strong magnet on a strap about 3-inches long at the top of the tester. It hangs nicely all by itself on ferris metals (those metals with iron in them): Hands free testing. As an example, I had it hanging on a vertical run of iron natural gas line (about a one-and-a-half pipe running up and down) near an electrical box in the ceiling. It was beautiful.
With an awareness that all decisions involve risk, I made one.
I ordered a new "Amprobe 15XP-B multi-tester" at Amazon (Shipped by Amazon itself, in fact) for around $68.00 USD, and now I am set to continue rewiring this old 3-story house. I also ordered the Amprobe alligator clips, that, unfortunately, cannot be ordered without a duplicate set of test leads; but the clips are great.
I think Amprobe® is owned by Fluke®?
I say that because after my new "Amprobe 15XP-B" arrived today, I went to the amprobe.com website to try and find the manual.
Although the tester came with a printed manual, I want to give the printed manual to my son tonight when I give him back his tester. He did not get a "Amprobe 15XP-B" user manual at work, and he is unfamiliar with its operation. He is a new employee at a company that services commercial printers in the field. He says he has yet to see a tester used on the job for the last 2-months, as he has been travelling with someone acting as his trainer.
Anyway, I finally found the manual online at amprobe.com, but it was miss-labeled. I wanted to contact Amprobe about their error, and when I clicked the link for their webmaster, the email address came up as "webmaster@fluke.com".
Happy, happy.
If, as I now assume, the "Amprobe 15XP-B" is made by Fluke, then I am even more confident I made the right decision to buy it.
Alligator Clips
I also bought the "Amprobe TL35B Test Lead with Alligator Clips" set, which I am very happy with. As mentioned above, the alligator clips come with a set of test leads identical to the ones that come with the multi-meter. I looked, and looked, but I could not find anywhere to buy the Amprobe alligator clips without having the test leads included.