I am a big fan of the Leatherman multi-tool, which has been riding on my left hip for the past 20 years or so. I find myself reaching for it at least three or four times a day, whether to tighten a loose screw, open a tight jar or popping the top on a frosty beverage. While it may not be the best screwdriver, file or knife for a particular task, the fact that it is instantly available without plowing through the “junk” drawer, (as my father called the place where he tossed flashlights, batteries, hand tools and other detritus) makes the Leatherman tool a must-have.

At a recent training class for a major Midwest life safety and security company I was asked whether there is a device or tester that can locate broken cables. I immediately thought of the Real World Certifier (RWC) testing kit from Triplett. This is an incredibly powerful tester for coax, Category cables and with one additional device and some Norwegian engineering, it can be used for find cable breaks in most any type of low-voltage wiring.