i have a stud-finder that behaves very erratically, it will detect AC current everywhere in the walls and it will detect studs in different places on subsequent passes, if at all.
judging by the reviews this is a very common problem for this model and it's about five years old with no active warranty. is this a common problem with stud-finders or did i pick up a dud? is there a quick fix?
Oh yeah, as an experienced electronic repairman, all I need is a look at the case of something and to hear a vague description of a problem to know exactly what the trouble is.
Check resistor R26. Has to be 27Ω ± 0.5Ω
Make sure inductor L4 hasn't moved out of place (should be hot glued in, but you never know when someone from the LCD install dept had to cover for the inductor guy at the factory)
Probably change the batteries just to be safe.
Maybe clean the contacts while they're out.
Sprinkle some chicken blood around your workbench.
Probably couldn't hurt to fast for 3 days and then sacrifice a small animal to G'nothkar. Anything between a squirrel and a bunny should be pleasing to Him. Don't go overboard! He hates schmoozing in sacrifices.
If all that fails, you are safe to assume that G'nothkar has not smiled on you this day, and you'll be forced to go out and buy a stud finder that is not in the $2 or Less Bargain Bin at Aco. But, fear not! They can be had off Amazon for like 5 or 10 bucks.
Frick's sake, you can get a Ryobi one at HD for like $15-20.
>just replace it
this is the guy i was waiting to hear from. i don't want to replace it, i want to repair it. i posted here to see if anyone had a similar problem and if there was an easy fix. if you have nothing intelligent to add, kindly frick off
i've done all that shit. this is why i bought a stud-finder
i finally figured out you can just knock on the gipsum board with your hand and listen to the sound to find the studs...
this works at least if youre just going to be inserting nails and stuff... if you need a big hole and need to find the center of the stud use the same method and drill a hole then patch it up later.
>i have a stud-finder that behaves very erratically
my wife does too
Yup I've got a Stanley stud finder about the same vintage that acts funny too. Part of the trick is calibrating it to the right thickness when it turns on (check the manual), but it also seems to be kind of random. I still manage to get it working 1/3 time, so that's good enough for me. But yeah try just calibrating it on random spots on your wall until it works better, sometimes it takes several tries.
it's self-calibrating. the manual says to just hold it against a non-studed section of the wall and press the button. regardless of where i hold it, 9 times out of 10 the AC alarm will sound continuously. it does work somewhat but it's really annoying. i'm not sure what else i can calibrate without taking it apart
use your hand or one of those little steel balls or you can use a magnet(nails are magnetic) to find the studs. but really the hand works best i think... or maybe rent a radioactive one. the radioactive ones go for like 200$ h though so maybe not worth it xD
are you trolling? i honestly can't tell
About the magnets or radiation?
The magnets are super common.
The fact that you think he's trolling means you need to leave
i was trolling about the radiation but not the hand, the steel balls and the magnet. actually while thinking about it, maybe a tuning fork would be a good tool too.
I feel like all stud finders kinda suck. The magnetic ones are the only ones that don’t give a bunch of false positives and bounce all over the place.
I’ve learned to never rely on those things too much.
>it will detect AC current everywhere in the walls and it will detect studs in different places on subsequent passes, if at all.
Sounds like it's working correctly to me.
Stud finders have their use, but like any other tool, you need to learn to use it. It's kind of like a fish sonar, it detects changes in density. When it identifies something hollow on both sides, but something dense in the middle, that is when it will beep. But to perform adequately, most models require calibration by starting in a hollow spot. Since you cannot know, then what you do is you find a spot, start there, and if you feel like it's not picking up anything, then let go, start in a new spot a few inches away from the first spot and try again. Hold the detector firmly as your hand acts as a reflector. As for detecting wires, if there is a lot of interference in the room, you could be acting as an antenna. Touch a grounded surface and it might stop beeping.
t. professional installer.
i know how to use a stud finder. what kind of interference do you mean? it happens regardless of which floor i'm on