Also, that depends if you come across either end of the split, if your POI is in the middle of the split you can be stuffed.

In the case of both the tone generator and my Christmas Card system, if they are not connected to the paired colour and white at the "near" end, the signal level at the far end would generally be obviously low, to anyone experienced in using such systems.

I'm sorry, I disagree ..... But then it should be noted that often where I'm listening is in a noisy environment, a roadside joint in a town for instance.

Oh, and despite ordering, they still don't issue musical christmas card guts as standard tool items in my line of business.

Fortunately, I was not normally working in such a noisy environment (and I sympathise with you and the many others I note at the PCPs etc), so my comment is valid generally for indoor and quiet environments, from several years of doing it, over substantial distances, between different buildings up to .5 mile apart, at heights up to 25 feet.

As the OP is apparently in a similar quiet environment ...

When you are faulting the few remaining unused pairs in a local main side, you get good at interpreting the mole or you get good at needlessly sweating off plumbs.

My tip for finding splits is the reflection will repeat on a mole. So if you get a split at 200m, you will get a reflection at 200m and also get a reflection at 400, 600 and 800m. Try it on a drum on the back of the van.

BTW, Only got old tools, if the JDSU and EXFO start graphing pressure, or detecting hydrogen, gimme a ring.

Edited by deleted (Fri 28-Oct-16 22:51:43)

Thank you, preaching to the converted somewhat.

I have the original mole I was issued with twenty years ago, still got the original leads too ! On it's third cover though.

By "mole", do you mean what I know as "Time Domain Reflectometer" or "my Pocket Radar Set"?

This would appear to be the case, given the multiple reflections at "constant pitches" of 200 M; and probably reducing signal/echo strengths.

With my TDR and an oscilloscope, I was able to demonstrate the in-phase reflections from open circuits; and the out-of-phase reflections from short-circuits, to others in my department, who had no experience of the phenomena.

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When preparing to extend thin Ethernet to about 1,000 Metres through U/G ducts, I first tested it up to 1,800 M, using both the TDR initially and also the DECServer that was going to be connected.

So I could confidently arrange the actual shorter working run, also having two cables pulled through - "just in case".

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Otherwise "mole" reminds me of the "mole-skin" cloths used for wiping the larger diameter joints, particularly in underground chambers, back in the 1950s.