OPTOGATE MICROPHONE CABLE TESTER - Phantom Powered
This handy tester is built in a male XLR connector and uses phantom power to check the integrity of the cabling to the mixer. If the cable is undamaged and wired correctly, a tone is sent to the mixer. If not, an LED mounted in the connector indicates the nature of the fault.
Although it can not diagnose every fault in a microphone line, the tester will fit in a pocket, and provide a quick and simple means of finding a large percentage of the common faults found on stage, avoiding the dash to get the multimeter from the tool box in the truck, and then that sinking feeling when the battery is found to be dead. The LED flashes to show defects in the twisted pair, either 2 or 3 times to indicate a fault on connector pins 2 or 3; if the LED does not illuminate, the phantom power is off or the cable screen is not connected. If the LED is on continuously, and tone is heard at the mixer, the cable 'might be ok', in the words of the manufacturer! Note that the tester can not detect a phase inversion, for example where the connections to pins 2 or 3 of either end of the cable are swapped.
Output: 100Hz sine wave or pink noise, 100 mV peak-peak, approximately. Power source: 9-48V phantom power. Dimensions: 74 × 19 (length × diameter)mm.
Usage note:
The output of the tester is approximately -27dBu, so it may be wise to reduce the channel gain, in certain circumstances, before connecting the tester.