# What is this AV tool that I need?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-av-tool-that-i-need/544052>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 21, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-av-tool-that-i-need/544052 "2010-06-21T21:53:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-av-tool-that-i-need/544052/1 "2010-06-21T21:53:26Z")

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My house was pre-wired throughout with coaxial cable with outlets throughout the house. The cables all meet up in a mechanical room in the basement. The cables are not labeled on the ends that are in the basement.

Currently the outlets in use for my satellite TV have all of the ends terminating into the satellite splitter that then runs off to the dish. I am wanting to move the location of one of my televisions from one side of my bedroom to the other, where an existing coaxial outlet is, however the ends for this cable just terminate in the basement along with the several other (approximately 30) from all over the house.

I believe there is a device that I can screw into the outlet in the bedroom and then using some sort of meter to put against the various ends in the basement to identify the correct cable I need to switch out on the splitter.

Anybody have an idea of what the tool I need to do this.

My alternative is to manually try each cable, but I don’t want to go through that much effort.

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-av-tool-that-i-need/544052/2 "2010-06-21T21:57:00Z")

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I’m pretty sure you can do this with a standard multi-meter, I believe. Short the center conductor to the outer ring\*, then just test for continuity between the center and the ring at the other end.

\*this will require a little piece of wire with some clips at each end, probably.

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**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-av-tool-that-i-need/544052/3 "2010-06-21T22:54:40Z")

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[This](http://www.amazon.com/New-Pocket-Toner-PT1-Included/dp/B000GDDPRG/ref=pd_bxgy_e_text_b) is a cheap and easy tool.

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**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\
**Post date:** [June 21, 2010, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-av-tool-that-i-need/544052/4 "2010-06-21T23:02:05Z")

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And [this one](http://www.amazon.com/Triplett-3274-WireMaster-Cable-Mapping/dp/B000F7TACW/ref=pd_sim_hi_4) will let you check eight at a time.

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**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\
**Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-av-tool-that-i-need/544052/5 "2010-06-22T05:45:30Z")

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Thanks