A system for “spiking”, i.e. exploring voltage, in electric cables, comprising:
- A) an exploring apparatus having:
- a first clamping jaw and a second clamping jaw, shaped to receive therebetween a portion of an electric cable to be explored,
- a reversible tightening device associated with the clamping jaws and adapted to allow an opening of the clamping jaws to receive the electric cable portion therebetween and to tighten the clamping jaws one against the other to clamp the electric cable portion in a clamping position,
- an elongated metal blade connected to the first clamping jaw and displaceable between a retracted position, in which the blade does not interfere with the clamping position, and an extended position, in which the blade extends into the clamping position, so as to penetrate the electric cable portion and to put individual conductors of the electric cable in electrical contact with one another,
- a hydraulic actuator connected to the first clamping jaw and configured to displace the blade, with respect to the first and second clamping jaws, from the retracted position into the extended position, in response to a pressure increase of a hydraulic liquid,
- a pump adapted to increase a pressure of a hydraulic liquid,
- a flexible pressure hose connected between the pump and the hydraulic actuator so as to communicate the hydraulic liquid pressure from the pump to the hydraulic actuator,
- a blade position detector connected to the first clamping jaw and configured to detect the arrival of the blade into the extended position and to provide an exploring confirmation signal confirming the reaching of the extended position of the blade, wherein the blade position detector comprises a movable member, directly or indirectly displaceable by means of an actuation piston of the hydraulic actuator so as to actuate, upon reaching the extended position of the blade, a pressure button of a pressure detector to generate the exploring confirmation signal, and
- exploring confirmation communication means connected to the position detector and comprising an exploring confirmation transmitter adapted to transmit the exploring confirmation signal, wherein a part of the displacement energy of the movable member of the blade position detector is used to power and actuate the exploring confirmation transmitter, and wherein the exploring confirmation transmitter is a wireless transmitter,
- wherein the blade position detector and the wireless transmitter of the exploring confirmation communication means are both battery-free, and
- wherein the voltage exploring system further comprises:
- B) a manual remote controller for a remote actuation and control of the pump,
- C) actuation communication means adapted to provide pump actuation signals from the remote controller to the pump,
- wherein:
- the manual remote controller is physically separate from the exploring apparatus and from any accessories physically connected thereto, so as to allow a positioning of the remote controller at a safety distance from the exploring apparatus, and
- the actuation communication means comprise a wireless connection exceeding said safety distance.