LiveWire Innovation Power Prowler LW-PLR600 User manual

USER MANUAL
Revison 08/19/13
Power ProwlerTM
3-In-1 DMM/TDR Cable Fault Finder for
Energized and Unenergized Cables
LW-PLR600
LW-PLR600AV
LiveWireInnovation.com
TM

2
User Manual
Table of Contents
3-In-1 DMM/TDR Cable Fault Finder for
Energized and Unenergized Cables
About the Power Prowler............................................................................3
Features and Functions...........................................................................3
Physical Features.....................................................................................3
Optional Accessories...............................................................................4
Safety Information...................................................................................5
Power Prowler Description......................................................................6
Terms and Descriptions...........................................................................7
Types of Faults..........................................................................................7
General Operations..................................................................................8
On/Off.....................................................................................8
Automatic Power Down...........................................................................8
System Settings..........................................................................................9
Digital Multimeter Options (DMM)...........................................................11
Fault Location (TDR Operation)................................................................14
To Begin Test for Fault Location.............................................................14
Fault Location Display............................................................................15
Functions........................................................................................15
Changing VOP Values............................................................................16
Calibrating VOP Values..........................................................................16
Favorites......................................................................................18
Conducting a Test...................................................................................19
Live Event Detection.................................................................................20
Run a Live Event Detection Test..............................................................20
Maintenance.............................................................................................21
Batteries...........................................................................................21
Cleaning..............................................................................................21
Storage........................................................................................21
Customer Service......................................................................................22
Specications......................................................................................23
Patents/Intellectual Property....................................................................25
Warranty Information...............................................................................26
Registration........................................................................................26
Disposal........................................................................................26
Returns........................................................................................26
Power ProwlerTM

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Physical Features
ABOUT THE POWER PROWLER
The Power Prowler is used to accurately measure voltage and resistance
as well as to test voice, data, and video cables. The Power Prowler
determines cable length, identies cable faults, and quickly discovers the
Velocity of Propagation (VOP) for a cable using patented Spread Spectrum
Time Domain Reectometry (SSTDR).
Feature Function
Works on both energized and
unenergized cables
Discover cable events, including
those which can only be shown
under load
Digital Multimeter Prowler measures DC voltage, AC
voltage, continuity, and resistance
Fault Location Quick picture of existing cable
faults and condition
Displays length reading in feet or
meters
International applications
Live Event Detection Monitors the cable for events
(faults)
Feature Function
Large color LCD display Easy to see in all lighting
environments
Compact form factor Usable in tight spaces
Bench top, handheld, or hung up Easy to use for eld ight line and
production work
Banana style interface Connects to many types of
systems
Uses 6 AA batteries (included) Provides power for 20 to 30 hours
Multilingual English, French, or Spanish

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Power Prowler
Your Power Prowler comes in two different kits and has optional
accessories available.
Optional Accessories
Part Number Description
LW-CA009 Cable Assembly, Power Cord to 3 Banana Plugs
300V
LW-AD006 Multi-pin Adapter 1000V CAT III
LW-CA002 BNC (M) to Alligator Clips
Part Number Description
LW-PLR600
▪Power Prowler Main Unit
▪DMM Meter Leads 600V CAT III
▪Leader Cable: 5 feet 600V CAT II
▪Flanged Crocodile Clips:
red and black 600V CAT III
▪BNC (F) to Double Banana Plug
▪BNC (M) to F Connection (F)
▪Hanging Pouch
LW-PLR600AV
▪Power Prowler main unit
▪DMM Meter Leads 600V CAT III
▪Leader Cable: 5 feet 600V CAT II
▪Flanged Crocodile Clips:
red and black 600V CAT III
▪Multi-pin Adapters
▪BNC (F) Double Banana Plug
▪BNC (M) to F connection (F)
▪Hanging pouch

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Safety Information
To ensure safe operations of the Power Prowler, follow instructions
carefully and observe warning and caution messages in this manual.
Failure to observe warnings can result in severe injury or death and can
damage the equipment.
Notifi cation Defi nition
Warning: Potential for personal injury.
Caution: Potential for damage to or destruction of equipment.
Voltage! Voltage detection: Voltage on cable is unsafe or exceeds
safety maximums.
Conformité Européenne. Conforms to European Economic
Area directives.
Disposal information
▪Do not use the Power Prowler or Power Prowler accessories if they
appear damaged or the unit is not working properly.
▪Do not use with voltages higher than the Power Prowler’s rated
voltage (600V).
▪Use with caution with voltages greater than 30V AC RMS, 42V AC
peak, or 60V DC.
▪Disconnect circuit power and discharge high-voltage capacitors when
testing capacitance, continuity, diodes, or resistance.
▪Do not use around explosive or  ammable gas.
▪Use only test leads approved by a safety agency that have the same
voltage, amperage, and category as the Power Prowler.
▪Before opening the battery door, remove leader cables.
▪Always wear personal protective equipment when working with the
Power Prowler.
▪Use caution when handling the probes and cable connections on the
Power Prowler when the Voltage! icon is present.

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Power Prowler Description
LCD display
screen
Warning LEDs
Battery life
Banana jack connectors
Function keys
Test
Enter
Left/right arrows Up/down
arrows
Keypad
The four soft keys below the screen
operate each of the four functions on
the screen (just above each key). The
following graphics appear only in
home screen mode:
Multimeter
1. Multimeter
3. Live Event
Detection
Fault Location Live Event
Detection
Settings
Multimeter
Back
(to previous screen)
Fault Location
Power On/Off
On the LCD
screen, three
main functions
are displayed
2. Fault Detection

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Function keys
Up/down
arrows
Live Event
Detection
Terms Description and Uses
Velocity of
Propagation (VOP)
Speed of electric signal traveling through a cable;
measured as a percentage of speed of light
Safety Extra Low
Voltage (SELV)
International Electrotechnical Commission rating;
denes safe voltage standards of electronic devices
(60 volts DC or Peak AC; 45 volts RMS)
Spread Spectrum
Time Domain
Reectometry
(SSTDR)
Spread Spectrum Time Domain Reectometry
(SSTDR) is a measurement technique to identify
faults, usually in electrical wires, by observing
reected spread spectrum signals.
Terms Description and Uses
Open Wire connection is not continuous throughout cable
length
Short Two or more wires in a cable are connected (short
circuit)
Terms and Descriptions
Table 1 denes the terms used throughout the document and provides
information to assist with proper operation and understanding of the unit
and its functions.
Types of Faults
Table 2 denes two possible error conditions on a cable; Short and Open.
All detected cable faults will appear on the test results screen of the
Power Prowler.
Table 1. Terms and Descriptions
Table 2. Types of Faults

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GENERAL OPERATIONS
Follow instructions carefully and pay attention to warning and caution
symbols. Failure to observe warnings can result in damage to the Power
Prowler or cause severe injury or death.
On/Off
▪Turn unit on/off—press the red Power button .
Automatic Power Down
▪The Power Prowler automatically dims the backlight and powers off
to conserve battery power if no input or activity is performed on the
device. Press the Setup soft key to adjust the length of time
before the LCD screen dims and power off timeout.

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A setting is selected by pressing the up and down arrow keys. The
currently selected setting is indicated by the left and right arrow icons
appearing beside the function and the value of the function being
highlighted with a green background. Use the left and right arrows to
change the settings. To save any settings changed, press the Save soft
key or to exit without saving, press the Cancel soft key .
SYSTEM SETTINGS
▪Automatic Power Off – Automatic power off is adjustable
between 5 and 30 minutes in 1 minute increments.
▪Backlight Dimming – The dimming of the backlight to save
power can be set between 1 and 9 minutes in 1 minute increments.
Pressing a key restores the backlight to full brightness.
▪Audio/Visual Alerts – The alert signal is used by the DMM
continuity mode to indicate a low resistance. Various combinations
of the buzzer and LED are available – low frequency buzzer (B1),
high frequency buzzer (B2), B1 plus the alert LED (B1+LED), B2 plus
the alert LED (B2+LED) or LED only (LED). An example of the alert is
activated when selecting a different alert setting.
▪Feet/Meters and Leader Cable - The length units and leader
cable settings are selected by this function to either:
▪Feet with no leader cable
▪Feet with a 5 foot leader cable
▪Meter with no leader cable
▪Meters with a 5 foot leader cable .
m
m

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▪Power Line Frequency (DMM) - Use the Left/Right buttons to
toggle between 50 and 60Hz power line frequencies. Set to the local
line frequency to reduce noise sensitivity to power lines.
▪Language – English is the default language selected. Use the left
and right arrow keys to select either French, Spanish, or English.
▪Saving changes - Once the settings have been adjusted to the user’s
satisfaction, press the Save button to save the settings.
▪To cancel your settings: Either press Cancel at any time and return
to the previous screen , or by pressing the Back button .
▪Back button always returns to the previous screen whether it is the
home screen or one of the test modes.

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The Digital Multimeter Mode of the Power Prowler measures DC voltage,
AC voltage, continuity, and resistance. For voltage and resistance, the
Power Prowler will provide a measurement as well as minimum and
maximum values.
Using the Multimeter
▪Press the red Power button to turn the unit on.
▪Connect the appropriate adapter(s) for your application to the Power
Prowler, and then connect to the cable under test.
▪Select the Multimeter icon by pressing the Left/Right buttons, then
press the Enter button or press the DMM soft key .
▪Using the Left/Right buttons, cycle through the DMM functions to
read each measurement [Direct Current (DC) Voltage, Alternating
Current (AC), Low Impedance Alternating Current (LoZ AC), Continuity,
and Resistance (Ohms)].
▪DC mode measures direct current input voltage.
▪AC mode measures the RMS (root mean square) value of
alternating current voltage.
▪LoZ AC or Low Impedance AC Mode sets input impedance
to about 1,000 Ohms and measures the RMS value of alternating
current voltages. This reduces the chances of false readings due
to probes picking up AC voltage before they are connected to the
test circuit.
▪Continuity Mode identies continuity by measuring the resis-
tance between input probes and displays either OL (overload) for
DIGITAL MULTIMETER OPERATIONS (DMM)

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an open circuit or Low Resistance (LO). Maximum resistance to
detect continuity is 250 Ohms.
▪Resistance Mode measures and displays resistance between
input probes.
The display shows real-time input unless you press Hold or Min/Max.
When input exceeds your presently selected range, the letters OL
(overload) appear. When your input is out of range or over 60V (AC or DC),
the high voltage warning sign appears, alerting you to a potentially
hazardous voltage.
All DMM modes display a bar graph that approximates the percent of the
full range of the function selected.
Common Voltage Mode Functions
The following common voltage mode functions are used when DC Voltage,
AC Voltage, or Low Impedance have been selected (see above).
▪Hold (freezes display at current measurement)
▪Press the Hold soft key to freeze the display. The word Hold
appears in red on the screen.
▪Press the Hold soft key to resume real time measurement.
▪Range (manually select a Range or use the automatic range Auto
Range). The range is displayed to the lower right of the measurement.
▪Press the Range soft key repeatedly to cycle through Manual
Range options or Auto Range.
▪Auto Range is the default. Ranges available are: 0-4V, 0-40V,
0-400V, and 0-600V.
▪Min/Max (displays maximum and minimum values, as well as
average value)
▪Once range and the desired voltage measurements have been
selected, press the Min/Max soft key to display minimum/
maximums. If a new high or low measurement is encountered, the
Min/Max display changes.
▪To display an average measurement, press the Average soft key
(which changes to Min/Max). An average value will be displayed
and change according to continuing real-time input.
▪Press the Hold soft key to freeze the display. The word HOLD will
appear on the screen in red.

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▪Press the Hold soft key to resume real-time displays.
▪Press the Restart soft key to reset the AVG and VDC or VAC
readings and display new inputs.
▪Press the Min/Max soft key to switch back to the Min/Max
mode.
▪Pressing the Restart soft key will restart the accumulation of
Max/Min readings in the Min/Max mode.
▪Press the Back button to exit Min/Max and return to the
normal voltage display screen.
▪Press the Back button to exit the current DMM function and
return to the home screen.

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The Power Prowler determines the length of a variety of cable types and
calculates the VOP of a cable with known length.
When connecting to a cable, use proper adapters for the application.
When connecting to energized cables over 60V, you will need the leader
cable (CA008) rated at 600V CAT III. If a leader cable is being used, the
leader installed option should be selected for a more
accurate length reading. See Setting Options for more information on
leader settings (page 9).
Internal Power Prowler components are protected to 600V peak
AC or DC. Connecting the unit to cabling with voltages above 600V
peak AC or DC may damage the unit and pose a safety hazard for
the user.
To Begin a Fault Location Test
▪Press the red Power button to turn the unit on.
▪Connect the proper adapter for your application to the Power Prowler,
and then connect to the cable under test. Select the Fault Location
icon by pressing the Left/Right buttons, then press the Enter button
or press the Fault Location soft key .
▪Use the Left/Right buttons to scroll to the cable type being tested.
The cable type appears on the bottom of the screen.
▪Press the Test button to measure the length of the cable or the
distance to a fault.
FAULT LOCATION (SSTDR OPERATION)

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Fault Location Display
▪Press the red Power button to turn the unit on.
▪Connect the proper adapter for your application to the Power Prowler,
and then connect to the cable under test. Select the Fault Location
icon by pressing the Left/Right buttons, then press the Enter button
or press the Fault Location soft key .
▪Use the Left/Right buttons to scroll to the cable type being tested.
The cable type appears on the bottom of the screen.
▪Press the Test button to measure the length of the cable or the
distance to a fault.
Test leads
being used Battery Life
Cable Type
& VOP
Settings
Calibration
Favorites
bookmark
Cable Fault
(open or short)
Valid length
indicator
Functions
The following functions are used by pressing tthe appropriate soft key or button.
▪Favorites - activates favorites screen to select or bookmark
cable types and VOPs.
▪Calibration - activates calibration to calculate VOP for existing
cable.
▪System options - access system options such as length units
(feet or meters).
▪Left/Right Arrow Buttons - press to select cable type.
▪Up/Down Arrow Buttons - press to adjust VOP value.
▪Back - exit length mode and return to main screen.
Mode
Indicator

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▪The left/right cursor buttons scroll through preset cable types and
VOP values (as well as values you may have saved). This list includes
generic names (Custom Cable 1, for example) used to save custom
VOP values.
▪When performing a test, the valid length indicator (=) appears on the
top left portion of the screen. This shows that the displayed length
is based on a current cable type and VOP. The indicator is removed if
the cable type and/or VOP have changed until another test has been
performed.
Changing VOP Values
In the fault location mode, you can adjust the velocity of propagation (VOP)
value for any cable and save your adjustment.
▪Check to see if your Power Prowler is in the correct Leader/No Leader
setting (see system settings page 9).
▪Press the Up/Down buttons to change the VOP. The digits that are
changed will be displayed in grey. Hold the button down to repeat/
scroll.
▪A red Edit label appears on the screen when the  rst up/down button
is pressed.
▪Press the Test button to measure the cable with the new VOP
value.
▪Press the Default soft key to return to the default VOP for the current
cable type.
▪Press the Return soft key to exit editing with the current VOP
value. This does not update the cable type with the new VOP value.
▪Press the Save soft key to save your new VOP value for your current
cable type and exit editing.
▪Press the Cancel soft key to restore the VOP value you had
before editing and return to the main Fault Location display screen.
Calibrating VOP Values
To  nd the VOP value with a known length of cable:
▪Press the CAL soft key.
▪A red Calibrate label appears on the screen.
▪Use the Up/Down buttons to match the known cable length (hold the
cursor key down to rapidly change the length).

17
▪Use the +50 or -50 soft keys to increase or decrease the length by 50
feet (approximately 20 meters).
▪When calibrating a known cable under 50ft (15m) accuracy will be
low.
▪Press the Test button to calculate VOP from your known cable length.
▪Press the Save soft key to save the results, or to return to the
test screen without saving changes .

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To select a Favorite cable type:
▪Press the Up/Down buttons to scroll and highlight a cable type in
the list.
▪Press the Enter button to select the highlighted cable type as the
current cable type and return to the Fault Location screen.
To edit the favorites list:
▪Press the Favorites soft key .
▪Select one of the 6 locations on the table using the Up/Down
buttons to highlight a desired row in the table.
▪Use Left/Right buttons to locate a cable type to store in the
highlighted row of favorites or press the + soft key to add the current
cable type to the selected favorites slot. Press the Trash Can soft
key to clear the highlighted row.
▪The table contents are bookmarks to cable types (if you change the
VOP for a cable type, the table is updated automatically).
▪Press the Save soft key to save your changes.
▪Press the Cancel soft key to discard changes and exit.
Favorites
The favorites screen is accessible by pressing the Favorites soft key .
A table will appear with six user-selected cable types.

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Conducting a Test
Once your VOP and cable type have been selected, you can run a test.
▪Press the green Test button to run a Fault Location test.
▪The graphic on the left side of the screen will display an open or
short condition.
Short
Open

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Live Event Detection monitors a cable for changes. In this mode, the
Power Prowler detects, locates, and time stamps the fault.
How to run a Live Event Detection Test
▪Press the red Power button to turn the unit on.
▪Connect the proper adapter for your application to the Power Prowler,
and then connect to the cable under test. Use the right arrow button
to scroll to the Live Event Detection icon then press the Enter
button or you can press the Live Event Detection soft key .
▪Use the Left/Right buttons to select the cable type or edit the
VOP (as described in Fault Location, on page 15). When editing the
VOP you cannot use the Test button to verify the new VOP value.
▪Press the Test button to begin testing.
On the lower left side of the screen, a timer will appear displaying elapsed
time for the test. The Power Prowler will identify any changes (event) to
the cable condition (open or short condition). The test will stop when a
change is detected or if the cancel soft key is pressed .
LIVE EVENT DETECTION