Detecting 60hz AC Current?

[haxor12]

I'd like to build a handheld device which can detect a 60hz AC wire inside of a wall. Any advice/tips on how to do this would be much, much appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[pilko]

Take a look at this

Electromagnetic field sensor circuit | www.circuitstoday.com

 

[MikeMl]

Go to Home Depot and lay about $10 on the counter. They sell a "stud finder" which includes the 60Hz detector...

 

[Boncuk]

Go to Home Depot and lay about $10 on the counter. They sell a "stud finder" which includes the 60Hz detector...

What? So expensive?

They're 1.5 EURO in Germany (US$2.00)!

 

[MikeMl]

What? So expensive?

They're 1.5 EURO in Germany (US$2.00)!

Yeah, I bought mine about 10 years ago while they were made in the USA. The one that they sell today is made in CHINA.

 

[haxor12]

Thanks for the tips, I was most interested in learning to build one myself

 

[MikeMl]

Thanks for the tips, I was most interested in learning to build one myself

Get a small audio transformer. Chisel off the bar on one side of the core to leave an open E.

Hook it to an ic amplifier (opamp or audio amp) with a gain of several hundred, gain optimized at 60 Hz.

Hook it to headphones and/or a meter-rectifier detector circuit.

 

[fernando_g]

There are many ways to skin a cat.
Modify a transformer as Mike suggests, or use a linear output Hall efect sensor.

 

[RODALCO]

You can also use a 4017 ic.
wire up to 9 volt battery

Leave input (14) open circuit,
Put 15 cm wire on it as areal.
connect one led to one of the outputs and loop o/p 10 to 1.
The led will flicker at 1/10 of the frequency.

I see if I can find schema for it.