Most if not all of them locate the signal based on current flowing on a
conductor. So you put a signal on a trace wire or cable shield. Ground the
far end. The transmitter is connected to the cable and a ground rod. That
flow of signal sets up the magnetic field and that is what the locator works
off of. If you have trace current then all of them will do a good job. The
type of soil doesn’t make much difference. The super cheap ones will find it
as easy and the super expensive units. Finding a reliable depth is more
difficult. The only brand I have every used where I could trust the depth was
a Metrotel. But even the cheapest unit can find depth by locating a null,
orienting the pick up coil at 45 degrees and then finding the null off to the
side of the of the cable. Distance from the center null to the side null is
the depth.
The higher the power the farther you can locate. But that just means you don’t
have to move the transmitter so much. In my experience I am generally within a
quarter mile of the transmitter or less and all of them will do that distance.
Some of them will also passively locate 60 cycle power. Some of them locate
based on radio signals picked up by wires and pipes and re-radiated. I have
had limited success with that on high pressure gas.
Many of them have an RF mode where you connect to some object to track but the
far end is not grounded. So you just have a capacitive coupling between the
thing you want to locate and the earth. Not much current flows so you do not
get much distance. For example a fish tape down a plastic duct is located this
way. But you will only get dozens or perhaps hundreds of feed if you are
lucky.
Multiple frequencies have their uses. Older units were down in the audible
range like 800 Hz. You can go a very long way with those frequecies. But they
also bleed off to other cables and pipes. Higher frequencies are better to get
finer resolution but they do not transmit as far. 82 or 84KHz is a popular
frequency.
Some brands put a coded signal out so only their receiver can pick up the
signal. Rycom is one of those.
From: Carl Peterson
Sent: Tuesday, December 27, 2022 3:30 PM
To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group
Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Underground Locating units
Thoughts on a used R7200 off of ebay vs something like a new Ridgid SR-24?
Trying to do this with a 4K budget. Is a locator either good or bad or is
there a middle ground where they don't work well.
On Thu, Dec 8, 2022 at 3:30 PM Steve Jones <thatoneguyst...@gmail.com> wrote:
there is also the vermeer lin of locators. massive option set, LM42 is
pretty efficient and can find most things in the ISP domain. SPX25 is good for
locating shallower thing. stuff like the 10x15 or 20x22 utility locator are
surprisingly accurate for it having to be pretty pinpoint. But if you really
want to be certain about finding the utilities on a smaller ISP budget, youd
want to look at Bobcat brand locators, those will find everything.
On Thu, Dec 8, 2022 at 3:17 PM Carl Peterson <cpeter...@portnetworks.com>
wrote:
Any consensus on locators? We need to buy a new one too. The only one I
really know is the T5. We don't do a ton of locates so it doesn't need to be
too high end.
On Fri, Dec 2, 2022 at 2:34 PM Jason McKemie
<j.mcke...@veloxinetbroadband.com> wrote:
I'm looking at getting one of these:
https://www.ridgid.com/us/en/sr-24-line-locator-with-bluetooth-and-gps
On Fri, Dec 2, 2022 at 8:59 AM Nate Burke <n...@blastcomm.com> wrote:
I'm looking to pickup a 2nd locating unit. Without visiting a bunch of
websites and wading through tech docs, does anyone have
recommendations? USIC around here uses a blue unit, but they're always
so covered with spray paint I can't see the name/model. We have an
Amprobe AT-3500 today. Looks like Amprobe has a newer model out,
that's
cheaper than the AT-3500
Mainly need to locate either a tracer wire (alligator clips) or
traceable fiber (Clamp)
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