General MSV100 User manual

Please read this manual carefully and thoroughly before using this product.
3-IN-1 STUD/VOLTAGE/METAL
DETECTOR
USER’S MANUAL
MSV100

TABLE OF CONTENT
Intro uction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 –3
Key Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Safety Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Pro uct Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 –5
Setup Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Install Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Operating Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 –8
Detecting Woo Stu s, Joists an Frames . . . . 6 –7
Detecting Metal Stu s, Pipes an Frames . . . . . . . 8
Detecting AC Voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Operating & Maintenance Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Warranty Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Return for Repair Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
INTRODUCTION
The MSV100 exploits two electrical phenomena to 1) accurately locate wood
studs and joists and metal behind walls or inside furniture and 2) detect
energized AC outlets and “live” wires carrying AC voltage behind walls or
ceilings.
The first phenomenon—the so-called fringing field effect—refers to the
change in the capacitance of a material produced by its slight spreading of a
local electric field. n the case of the MSV100 (and most pinless moisture
meters), this field is generated by the instrument itself. When you power on the
MSV100 (by pressing the PUSH button on its left side), two plates behind its
rear panel are charged with opposite polarity and pulsed at a high frequency.
This causes current to flow, creating a three-dimensional electromagnetic wave
that extends about 2 in. (50mm) perpendicular to the instrument. When the
back of the MSV100 is placed against a wall, ceiling or fabric, the increased
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capacitance of that material (as well as any material behind it) distorts the
wave’s electric field to a measurable extent.
The distortion of the field is sensed by a coil in the MSV100. nduction—the
second phenomenon—causes current to flow in the instrument in direct
proportion to how much the wave is distorted. The MSV100 uses the
relationship between current flow and the presence (or absence) of material
within the instrument’s local field to make two precise determinations. One is
the thickness of the surface behind the back of the instrument when placed
against it. This inferred measurement of thickness is used to adjust the
sensitivity of the MSV100’s induction circuit, in effect calibrating the detector to
the test environment. Different baseline sensitivities are used for wood and
metal.
Once you have calibrated the detector in this way, you continue holding the
back of the instrument against the surface and continue pressing the PUSH
button while slowly moving the detector to the left in an area where a stud, joist
or metal rod may be. There will be an abrupt change in the level of induced
current as you pass the edge of any hidden wood or metal. This is the second
determination—the position of the right edge of a wood or metal object.
Repeat the procedure, but now moving to the right, and the MSV100 will again
detect a change in induced current. However, this time the change will be at the
left edge of the hidden wood or metal. By using a pencil and the MSV100’s
marker slot and “peak” central arrow to mark the left and right edges, you can
precisely locate the center of any wood or metal stud or frame, wood joist, or
metal pipe or conduit.
Using induction alone, the MSV100 can also identify “live” (energized) AC
outlets and locate hidden “hot” wires and outlets. This is not only convenient,
but essential to safety. On jobs ranging from installing a through-the-wall air-
conditioner to renovating a house with new wiring and plumbing, it is vital to
know the locations of existing electrical cables and wires and metal pipes
carrying water or gas. Without access to the building’s construction drawings,
there is no way to be sure that an action as simple as driving a nail into a wall
will not produce an electric shock—or far worse.
Regardless of which mode it is operating in, the MSV100 will display the
familiar Ꮨicon whenever it detects AC voltage. t’s critical to realize that AC
voltages as weak as 50V can be hazardous to your health.
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KEY FEATURE
• Detects wood joists/studs, live wires and pipes/cables behind walls or
ceilings
• Also detects wood furniture frames
• Automatically compensates for wall thickness in all three detection modes
• n AC voltage mode, automatically compensates for distance to live wire
• Center arrow and beeper indicate edge of detected material
• Marking slot on top of unit
• Big, bright backlit LCD
• Powered by “9V” battery
• 1 year warranty
AFETY IN TRUCTION
• Before using the instrument to detect wood and metal on the same side of
a wall as a live AC wire, de-energize the appropriate circuit.
• Before penetrating a wall, ceiling or floor, detect whether there are wires or
pipes behind it.
PRODUCT OVERVIEW
The two figures below show the MSV100’s controls, indicators and display
icons. Familiarize yourself with their positions and functions before moving on
to the Setup nstructions and Operating nstructions.
A. Mar er slot. For inserting pencil
to mark left and right edges of wood
or metal structure. Mark is directly
above central arrow indicating peak
change in induced current.
B. Mode switch. Optimizes sensitivity
for detecting wood, AC voltage or
metal. Switch positions are labeled
STUD, AC WIRE and METAL.
ABED
C

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C. PUSH button. Activates backlight and powers on instrument. When on,
instrument generates local electromagnetic field and measures current
induced by distortion of field by wood or metal. When released, PUSH button
powers off instrument.
D. LCD. ndicates detection mode and strength of change in induced current.
E. Beeper holes. Enable beeper to be heard.
F. “Live” wire indicator
G. Indicator of a nearby object. The closer the object, the more bars will light,
from the outside in.
H. Wood detection mode indicator
I. AC wire detection mode indicator
J. Metal detection mode indicator
K. Central arrow. When lit, indicates that detector is at edge of an object
L. Low battery indicator
F
G
HIJ
K
L

ETUP IN TRUCTION
INSTALL BATTERY
To open the battery compartment, turn the MSV100 over and lift the tab on the
bottom of the battery compartment cover. Remove the cover and set it aside.
Then insert the included “9V” battery into the compartment, orienting the
battery so its + and – terminals (anode and cathode) line up with the + and –
markings in the compartment below the flanges. Don’t forget to place the black
fabric strap under the battery before you install it to make the battery easy to
remove later.
OPERATING IN TRUCTION
DETECTING WOOD STUDS, JOISTS AND FRAMES
1. Slide the Mode switch on the front panel (Callout B on p. 4) to the STUD
position. The Wood detection mode indicator arrow (Callout H on p. 5)
will illuminate.
2. Hold the back of the MSV100 against an area of the wall, ceiling or
upholstery behind which you would not expect to find a stud, joist or
frame. What you are looking for is a section of the surface with nothing
but air behind it.
3. Press and hold the PUSH button on the left side of
the instrument with your right thumb while moving
the MSV100 a few inches to the left and right, and
then a few inches up and down.
f the beeper sounds for several seconds and then
stops, you have chosen an area with nothing but
air behind it and successfully calibrated the
instrument’s sensitivity to the thickness of the
wall, ceiling or fabric. DO NOT release the PUSH
button yet.
f the beeper fails to stop sounding as you move the instrument, there is
something distorting the field behind the area that you have chosen.
Release the PUSH button, choose another area, and repeat this step until
you have successfully calibrated the MSV100 to the thickness of the
surface.
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4. Keeping the PUSH button pressed, hold the back of the MSV100 against
the surface while moving the instrument slowly to the left at the same
height. As you begin, the only icon on the green backlit LCD should be the
black Wood detection mode indicator arrow (Callout H). When the
instrument comes within 1.5 in. (38mm) of the right edge of a wood stud,
joist or frame, black vertical bars will begin appearing on both the left and
right sides of the display. The nearer you get to the wood object, the more
bars will appear, from the outside in.
5. Continue to press and hold the PUSH button while moving the MSV100
slowly to the left until the central arrow (Callout K) lights up and the
beeper sounds. The right edge of the wood stud, joist or frame is now
directly behind or below the center of the instrument. Mark this position
on the surface by placing the tip of a pencil in the marker slot on the top
of the MSV100 (Callout A on p. 4). To verify that an edge has been
detected, continue moving the instrument slowly to the left; the beeper
should stop sounding and the black bars should disappear.
6. Without releasing the PUSH button, repeat Steps 4 and 5 above, but this
time moving the MSV100 slowly to the right. When the instrument detects
the left edge of the wood stud, joist or frame, mark that position on the
surface with a pencil.
7. Draw a line between the marks representing the right and left edges.
The center of the wood stud, joist or frame is directly behind or below the
center of this line.
Notes:
• f you accidentally release the PUSH button during any step, you must
repeat the entire procedure, beginning with the calibration steps.
• For the calibration steps (#2 and #3), do not choose an area whose
surface is wet or freshly painted.
• f the “Live wire” indicator appears during any step, mark the position of
the MSV100 on the surface for later reference.
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DETECTING METAL STUDS, PIPES AND FRAMES
1. Slide the Mode switch on the front panel (Callout B on p. 4) to the METAL
position. The Metal detection mode indicator arrow (Callout J on p. 5) will
illuminate.
2. Repeat Steps 2 through 7 on pages 6 and 7. As with wood, you will
calibrate the MSV100 for surface thickness, mark the right and left edges
of detected metal, and locate the center of a hidden metal stud, pipe or
frame.
3. Read the three Notes below the procedure for detecting wood. They apply
to detecting metal as well.
DETECTING AC VOLTAGE
1. Slide the Mode switch on the front panel (Callout B on p. 4) to the
AC WIRE position. The AC wire detection mode indicator arrow (Callout )
will illuminate.
2. Repeat Steps 2 through 5 in the “Detecting Wood Studs, Joists and
Frames” section on pages 6 and 7. As with wood and metal, you will first
calibrate the sensitivity of the MSV100’s induction circuit to the thickness
of the surface. The difference in AC voltage detection mode is that the
detector’s calibration also takes into account the distance to the live wire
from the back of the wall or ceiling.
t is not necessary to perform Steps 6 and 7 of the wood/metal detection
procedure because pinpointing the right edge of a thin voltage-bearing
wire or cable is sufficient to locate it.
3. Read the first two Notes below the procedure for detecting wood. They
apply to detecting voltage as well.
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OPERATING & MAINTENANCE TIP
• The MSV100 requires a fully charged battery to function accurately. When
the battery becomes low on charge, the display icon will appear and
begin to blink continuously. To replace the battery, follow the instructions
on p. 6.
• To avoid affecting the operation of the MSV100, do not hold its upper half
in your hand. Hold the lower half of the instrument with one hand and keep
your other hand at least 6 inches away.
• The MSV100 will not detect DC circuits (doorbell and twisted-pair
telephone lines, for example) as live wires. t also cannot detect live AC
wires inside metal pipes or conduit.
• Walls covered with metallic wallpaper and drywall with aluminum foil
backing will prevent the MSV100 from detecting wood, metal or AC
voltage.
• Do not use the MSV100 near a strong electromagnetic field or in the
presence of high-frequency radiation.
• Remove the battery whenever you do not expect to use the MSV100 for an
extended period of time (months).
• Do not immerse or get water on the instrument. To clean its housing, use a
soft cloth.
PECIFICATION
Maximum Wall Thickness for Wood Detection: 3/4 in. (19mm)
Maximum Detection Range for ron or Copper Pipe: 1.5 in. (38mm)
Maximum Detection Range for AC Voltage: 2 in. (50mm)
Operating Temperature: 40° to 104°F (5° to 40°C)
Dimensions: 7.1 x 3.0 x 1.2 in. (180 x 75 x 30mm)
Weight: 7.3 oz. (207g)
Power Source: (1) “9V” Alkaline battery
Battery Life: 1 year normal use
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WARRANTY INFORMATION
General Tools & nstruments’ (General’s) MSV100 3-in-1 Stud/Voltage/Metal
Detector is warranted to the original purchaser to be free from defects in
material and workmanship for a period of one year. Subject to certain
restrictions, General will repair or replace this instrument if, after examination,
the company determines it to be defective in material or workmanship.
This warranty does not apply to damages that General determines to be from
an attempted repair by non-authorized personnel or misuse, alterations, normal
wear and tear, or accidental damage. The defective unit must be returned to
General Tools & nstruments or to a General-authorized service center, freight
prepaid and insured.
Acceptance of the exclusive repair and replacement remedies described herein
is a condition of the contract for purchase of this product. n no event shall
General be liable for any incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages,
or for any cost, attorneys’ fees, expenses, or losses alleged to be a
consequence of any damage due to failure of, or defect in any product
including, but not limited to, any claims for loss of profits.
RETURN FOR REPAIR POLICY
Every effort has been made to provide you with a reliable product of superior
quality. However, in the event your instrument requires repair, please contact
our Customer Service to obtain an RGA (Return Goods Authorization) number
before forwarding the unit via prepaid freight to the attention of our Service
Center at this address:
General Tools & nstruments
80 White Street
New York, NY 10013
212-431-6100
Remember to include a copy of your proof of purchase, your return address,
and your phone number and/or e-mail address.
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