SafeGuard Compass User manual

USER GUIDE
Current as of: 05-03-2021
ALWAYS ON. ALWAYS AWARE. ALWAYS SAFE.
Personal Current and Voltage Detector

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION:
Introduction.....................................................................................................1
Primary Functions...............................................................................................2
DevicePositioning.........................................................................................3 & 4
Operating Instructions..........................................................................................5
Alerts/DetectionDistance.......................................................................................6
AlertDistanceTables............................................................................................7
SmartAdaptiveMode/MaximizingAlertAccuracy................................................................8
Self-TestMode/Troubleshooting..................................................................................9
LimitedWarrantyAndLimitationOfLiability...................................................................10
COMPASS® is a personal non-contact voltage and current detector that alerts users when they approach an
electried source. Its advanced notication system is designed to both warn the user that a source is present an
inform them of its approximate location.
The internal sensors in COMPASS® were designed to detect both electrical elds (voltage) and magnetic elds
(current). This advanced warning device can save lives and prevent serious injury for anyone working in or around
live AC sources.
COMPASS® can also be used as a portable non-contact voltage detector (NCVD) in live working conditions
above 1KV AC (IEC TR 61243-6: Type I), when mounted to the the end of a suitable hot stick.

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COMPASS®PRIMARY FUNCTIONS
DEVICE SPECIFICATIONS
Size 3.5”x1.2”x.04” (88.9 mm x 30.48 mm x 10.16 mm)-Body. Wt: 0.5 oz (14.2 g)
Power System Rechargeable Lithium-Polymer (LiPo) Battery (3.7V, 250mAh). Discharge rate
varies depending on number of alerts, full charge can last 10+ days (80+ hrs)
Charging Typically charges to 100% in 1.5 hrs on a USB 2.0 Micro B (5V) charger
Directional Accuracy Point source: Approximately ±20°
Detection Sensitivity Seven sensitivity levels + Smart Adaptive mode (see page 7)
Operating Frequency 50 Hz and 60 Hz options are available
Operating Conditions 20°C to 60°C (-4°F to 140°F): DO NOT charge Compass if <0°C (32°F) RH:
Max. 90% Non-Condensing @25°C.
Water Resistance Rated IP-67
Detection Voltage Ranges
High Voltage Model: 2400VAC-35kVAC RMS Line to Neutral, up to 500 kVAC
Low Voltage Model: 120 VAC – 2400VAC RMS Line to Neutral
*Detection distances vary depending on conditions, settings, and model.
Case Ratings
(Polycarbonate)
Flame Retardant: UL recognition 94 V-0 at 1.5 mm
Electric Strength (IEC 60243-1): 35kV/mm
Electric Volume Resistivity (IEC 60093): 1.0E+14 ohms*m
Certications CE (ROHS, WEEE, 2006/66/EU Battery Directive)
Standards
• EMC: EN 61326-1: 2013 Class B, CISPR 11:2015+A1:2016 Emissions and
Immunity for Measurement Equipment.
• Safety: EN 61010-1: Safety Requirements for Electrical Equipment for
Measurement, Control, and Laboratory Use.
• IEC TR 61243-6 (Type I) Guidelines on non-contact voltage detectors
(NCVD) for use at nominal voltages above 1kV AC.
• ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2014 Class E Hard Hat, Full Brim, Type 1; Tested
Accessory.
• Voltage Detectors: ASTM F3283 / F3283M –18; Standard Specication
for the Manufacturing of High-Voltage Proximity Alarm to be used for the
Detection of Overhead High Voltage Alternating Current (AC).
• Identify live conductors.
• Detect residual or induced voltage.
• Find energized lines underground or behind non-ferrous material.
• Detect energized threats after accidents, disasters, and power outages.

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DEVICE POSITIONING
HARD HAT MOUNTING
COMPASS® can be worn on the underside brim of a hard hat, directly in front of the user’s face. Make sure
the unit is within the user’s eld of peripheral vision to maximize the visibility and eectiveness of voltage and
current alerts.
1 2 3

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DEVICE POSITIONING
• COMPASS® should be used only by trained and qualied personnel.
• Always adhere to proper high voltage electrical safety practices.
• Extreme humidity may decrease voltage/current detection range.
• Before eld use, always conrm that COMPASS® is powered on and working (as indicated by the center light
blinking green every 5 seconds) and test with a known source of voltage/current.
• Always test and verify that the sensitivity settings on your COMPASS® are appropriate for the levels of volt-
age and current most likely to be present in your workspace.
• Some materials may shield electromagnetic elds from the detection circuits of your COMPASS®.
• For optimal safety, always verify a potential voltage source is de-energized before making contact.
• COMPASS® should only be used as a secondary voltage detection method.
HANDHELD OPERATION
SAFETY INFORMATION:
ALTERNATE OPERATING POSITIONS
If users are working with low voltage sources (120-2400 VAC)
COMPASS® can be used as a handheld device. For best results, sensitivity
should be set to high. Users should not attempt to detect voltage under
2400 VAC while COMPASS® is still attached to their hard hat.
When using COMPASS® in handheld mode, DO NOT obstruct the
front of the device as this will signicantly reduce or even eliminate
its detection capabilities. Refer to the photo and illustration at left for
details on proper holding technique.
NOTES ON HANDHELD MODE:
• Always wear voltage-appropriate protective equipment when holding COMPASS®
• Detecting current in-hand allows users to trace live wires through some walls.
• Shielding may cause limited alert range when detecting fuse box voltage.
• Do not allow COMPASS® to directly contact a live conductor.
In addition to hard hat and handheld use, COMPASS® can function on
a wrist strap, clipped on a lanyard, or mounted on a hot stick.

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Function Instructions Display
Charge
• Plug Charger into Micro USB Port:
• One RED LED indicates charging.
• One GREEN LED indicates fully charged.
• Press button during charging to display battery level. LEDs will turn
from RED to GREEN as device charges.
• Blinking RED corner LEDs indicate device should be charged ASAP.
Power On
Press Button, COMPASS® will display:
• ORANGE start-up animation.
• Center LED should blink GREEN every 5 seconds.
Mute
Alerts
Press button quickly:
• GREEN LEDs = audible alerts ON
• RED LEDs = audible alerts MUTED
• Audible alerts will resume after 5min
Battery
Life Hold button until corner LEDs turn WHITE, then release.
Change
Sensitivity
Hold button until corner LEDs turn BLUE then release. In this mode,
press button until your desired voltage sensitivity level is displayed in
RED (see below) then hold button down until LEDs turn GREEN to
select. Repeat for current sensitivity, which will display in BLUE.
Voltage/Current sensitivity settings display:
1-7 LEDs, 1 is lowest sensitivity and 7 is highest.
Smart Adaptive mode: LEDs move in and out. Current detection can be
deactivated by setting sensitivity to all BLUE LEDs o.
Power
Down Hold button until LEDs in both corners turn ORANGE, then release.
Sleep
Mode
If Compass does not move for 60 seconds, the unit will go to sleep to
conserve battery life (ORANGE corner LEDs will light up then fade,
center LED will stop blinking). When device is moved, corner lights will
turn ORANGE again and center LED blinking will resume.
Reset
Device
Hold button down as corner LEDs cycle from WHITE to BLUE to
ORANGE. Keep holding button for several seconds after ORANGE
lights fade, unit reset is complete after the start-up animation has
occured.
Low
Battery
If RED corner LEDs begin blinking periodically, COMPASS® should be
charged ASAP.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

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ALERTS/DETECTION DISTANCE
PROXIMITY ALERTS
DIRECTIONAL VOLTAGE NOTIFICATIONS
DETECTION DISTANCES
When COMPASS® detects voltage or current, it issues audio (beeping) and visual (ashing LEDs) proximity alerts.
As the user approaches an electried source, LED ashing and audio alerts will steadily increase.
When COMPASS® has gathered sucient information to approximate the location of an energized source of voltage, the LED alert
animation will change from PROXIMITY to DIRECTIONAL mode. In directional mode, the LEDs make a sweeping animation that
guides the user’s attention to the approximate direction of the source.
COMPASS® has been extensively eld tested to determine its detection range for both voltage and current. Our testing process is
described in the illustration below, and tables on the next page (page 7) display the results of these tests with explanations of how the
results were captured.
RED LED alerts indicate VOLTAGE BLUE LED alerts indicate CURRENT
Source to RightSource to Left
NOTE: If COMPASS® detects that both voltage and current are
present, voltage alerts will be given priority over current alerts.
DIRECTIONAL ALERTS
240° active bearing range.
Accurate to approx. +10° from
point source.

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(Sensitivity) LEDs 1A 10A 50A 100A 200A
1 X/X 1ft / X 2.25ft / 1.75ft 3.5ft / 2.5ft 4.5ft / 3.5ft
2 X/X 1.25ft / X 2.75ft / 2ft 3.75ft / 3ft 5ft / 4ft
3 X/X 1.5ft / X 3ft / 2.25ft 4.25ft / 3.5ft 5.5ft / 4.5ft
4 .5ft / X 1.75ft / 1.25ft 3.5ft / 2.75ft 5ft / 4ft 6ft / 5ft
5 .75ft / .25ft 2ft / 1.5ft 4ft / 3.25ft 5.5ft / 4.5ft 7ft / 6ft
6 1.125ft / .5ft 2.75ft / 1.75ft 5.5ft / 3.5ft 7ft / 5ft 9ft / 6.5ft
7 1.175ft / .75ft 3.75ft / 2ft 7ft / 4.5ft 9ft / 6ft 11ft / 7.5
ALERT DISTANCE TABLES
VOLTAGE DETECTION WARNING DISTANCES
CURRENT DETECTION WARNING DISTANCES
(Sensitivity) LEDs 2.4kV 4.2kV 7.2kV
1 X/X X/X X/X
2X/X 4/X 6ft / 2ft
3 4ft / X 7ft / 3ft 9ft / 4ft
4 6ft / 2ft 8ft/4ft 11ft / 6ft
5 9ft / 5ft 12.5ft/ 7ft 14ft / 8.5
6 12ft / 6ft 14ft / 8ft 18ft / 10ft
7 16ft / 10ft 19ft / 12ft 22ft / 14.5 ft
First Alert/Max Alert
(Lowest)
(Medium)
(Medium)
(Highest)
(Highest)
X = DO NOT USE! Alert distance too small or non-existent.
Distances were measured using a 4ft x 2in diameter busbar elevated 2.5 feet above ground, in an outdoor
setting (26°C and 35% RH), by a tester walking at a normal speed with a Compass mounted on a full-brim hard
hat. Distances will vary depending on conditions, always verify exact distances for a given situation.
* Data recorded testing 3 phase distribution lines from the
bucket of a boom truck moving directly toward outside co doc-
tor and tester wearing a hard hat mounted Compass. Voltages
shown are phase to ground, with 34.5kV and 24.9kV being the
phase to phase levels. 45deg = Hard hat at 45° downward from
outside conductor.
Level = Hard hat level with conductor.
LEDs 14.4kV 19.9kV Condition
1 12ft / 5ft 18ft/8ft 45deg
2 18ft / 8ft 20ft / 10ft 45deg
1 15ft / 5ft 7ft / 3ft Level
2 18ft / 7ft 8ft / 4ft Level
High-Voltage
First Alert/ Max Alert
(Lowest)
Absolute Distance First Alert / Max Alert
(sensitivity) LEDs 100A 200A
1 X / X X / X
2 X / X X / X
3 X / X 1ft / X
4 1ft / X 2ft / 2ft
5 1.5ft / 1ft 3ft / 2.5ft
6 2.5ft / 2ft 5ft / 3ft
7 4ft / 3ft 6.75ft / 4.25ft
Walkup Distance
First Alert / Max Alert
(Lowest)
(Medium)
(Highest)
Distances were measured using a cable carrying current 2.5 feet
above ground, outdoors at 21°C and 40% RH, by a tester with a
COMPASS® mounted on a full-brim hard hat. Absolute distances
were measured with the tester moving slowly, whereas walkup
distance was measured at a normal walking pace toward cable.
Detection distances will vary in dierent conditions. Always verify
exact distances for a given situation. Compass current sensors are
slower to react than voltage sensors, users should move slowly when
trying to detect current.
X = alert distance under 1ft.

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SMART ADAPTIVE MODE
MAXIMIZING ALERT ACCURACY
Smart Adaptive Mode is designed for users working in an environment where electric and magnetic elds are
known to be present. COMPASS® can quickly adapt to the ambient elds and pause alerts if the user is not moving
closer to a detected source. If the user then moves closer to the detected source, alerts will begin again.
• COMPASS® will adjust to a constant eld after 5 seconds and alerts will pause automatically.
• You do not need to press the button to adjust sensitivity once you have entered Smart Adaptive mode.
• The corner LEDs will periodically ash YELLOW once COMPASS® has adjusted to an environment, but keep in
mind that this means that a eld strong enough to normally trigger an alert is still nearby.
• If the user moves away from the energized source and the eld strength is reduced for approximately 5 seconds,
COMPASS® will re-adjust and regain sensitivity, indicated by corner LEDs ashing BLUE.
When using COMPASS®, always be aware of potential variables that could aect the accuracy of alerts:
• Warning distances can vary due to a live conductor’s exposed surface area, elevation above ground, and
proximity to any other grounded conductive objects.
• If the user is walking briskly, this may reduce initial warning distances by approximately two (2) feet.
• Warning distances can be reduced by large conductive objects such as a fence or vehicle as these objectS will
attract the electric eld of a nearby energized conductor.
• 3-phase systems can hinder detection accuracy by creating electric elds that eectively cancel out their overall
eld strength.
• Humid conditions will reduce detection distance.
• Always verify COMPASS® will function in each work environment before relying on it as a safety device.
• Smart Adaptive Mode should be used only by experienced electrical professionals.
WARNING: Smart Adaptive alerts are based on change in ambient electric or magnetic elds,
not proximity to the source. Alerts may not occur within the OSHA Minimum
Approach Distance (MAD) in this mode.

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SELF-TEST:
TROUBLESHOOTING:
TROUBLESHOOTING
COMPASS® is equipped with a Self-Test to regularly verify in the background that all sensors are working properly.
The unit automatically runs diagnostic scans approx. every 10 minutes and if any abnormality is detected,
COMPASS® will respond by locking out all user input and the corner LEDs will ash RED and YELLOW. If these
LEDs keep ashing RED and YELLOW, stop using COMPASS® and contact customer service. Self-test does not
test the visual and audible alert systems, so these should still be tested by user before each use.
If your COMPASS® appears to be unresponsive (e.g. the center GREEN LED is not ashing), it may have gone into
sleep mode. Move the unit several inches to see if the corner LEDs light ORANGE before the center LED
resumes its normal ashing. If COMPASS® remains unresponsive, you should:
1. Try charging on any micro USB power source for at least 90 minutes, OR
2. Reset by pressing and holding the button for 8-10 seconds until LEDs display start-up animation,
OR
3. If COMPASS® continues to malfunction or provides the RED/YELLOW “self-test” error warning
after you have attempted charging and/or resetting, stop using immediately and contact Safeguard
for service:
WARNING: DO NOT use COMPASS® if these lights are on or ashing.
If you have attempted all troubleshooting measures and COMPASS® continues to malfunction,
STOP using immediately. To resolve the issue, please ll out an RMA form at:
safeguardequipment.com/return
or call
208-773-9263