Drilling locators are a total different beast than underground cable locators.  

From: Josh Luthman 
Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2022 12:31 PM
To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group 
Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Underground Locating units

Carl, 

Our favorite locator is the ViperMag.  I think it was ~3000 retail.  As to its 
accuracy, based on my one time usage last week I spotted the drill sticks 100% 
and got the distance within inches.  My locator tech says it's 100x better than 
the old one when there's noise (nearby other utilities).

On Tue, Dec 27, 2022 at 6:21 PM Carl Peterson <cpeter...@portnetworks.com> 
wrote:

  How about this one?  Not sure what the new price would be. 

  
https://www.ebay.com/itm/225308461851?hash=item34756e4b1b:g:1Q4AAOSwsQpityvJ&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoGDhdpMkHwHcr%2BvCGwtdhgoKuhWkl29e3dky%2FBRCjSbcavCSO%2FxS%2FOj3ur8IMQrLU9nTSS5jxh1tGbzExnZkLl0ByukyENiu4m%2BjhsDyyBTYdqpHctfm3wplh6OljUR5p2r52f0ADK56LGN4R3c3XaKY8Jiv9Z0pQI4qClIVyOcGYD3Us3yHVvj3gtrWqqaeKNhiHdquQ9vLEuuTiiRWQvY%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-TFtduqYQ


  On Tue, Dec 27, 2022 at 5:18 PM Chuck McCown via AF <af@af.afmug.com> wrote:

    
https://www.ebay.com/itm/295441271797?hash=item44c9ac0bf5:g:FygAAOSwHUFjq0Fi&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA8EoM%2BACrrWy8doADxOvuYO6McooUnEQT32vIgmMCHxSNW7AFx45Ldlayxo1UF19OgeMhNeiXhx6aeua%2FVkOuaMh276DpXIFBRYOW6ZIHNDHI28906bMAomYZI8WsZJ%2Bze0pJtR1BsN7p7rVxkOUgvBwHQnbPRMW2etIqpj%2FAebmujtKv6pJsoyFexvukHQPKXGZDJB0OxJBapGnHc89pM7aeZtYBRxXE87946w1wr1Dl%2BoKiZI4mbQaCcAV%2FnOr8eRwqRkoApcPdjSO%2B%2FwYN%2FIqi%2BZnoXwN6jDfU420OM07xHxOsQBd0U4rkjQanZcsb0Q%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABFBMovD-3aph


    From: Carl Peterson 
    Sent: Tuesday, December 27, 2022 4:14 PM
    To: AnimalFarm Microwave Users Group 
    Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Underground Locating units

    Thanks Chuck, 

    That helps, I think.  I'm at the point where I just need to make a decision 
but 4K isn't enough to make the decision I want to make.  

    On Tue, Dec 27, 2022 at 5:07 PM Chuck McCown via AF <af@af.afmug.com> wrote:

      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)

              -- 
              AF mailing list
              AF@af.afmug.com
              http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com

            -- 
            AF mailing list
            AF@af.afmug.com
            http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com



          -- 

          Carl Peterson


          PORT NETWORKS

          401 E Pratt St, Ste 2553

          Baltimore, MD 21202

          (410) 637-3707 

          -- 
          AF mailing list
          AF@af.afmug.com
          http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com

        -- 
        AF mailing list
        AF@af.afmug.com
        http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com



      -- 

      Carl Peterson


      PORT NETWORKS

      401 E Pratt St, Ste 2553

      Baltimore, MD 21202

      (410) 637-3707 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------
      -- 
      AF mailing list
      AF@af.afmug.com
      http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com

      -- 
      AF mailing list
      AF@af.afmug.com
      http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com



    -- 

    Carl Peterson


    PORT NETWORKS

    401 E Pratt St, Ste 2553

    Baltimore, MD 21202

    (410) 637-3707 


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    -- 
    AF mailing list
    AF@af.afmug.com
    http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com

    -- 
    AF mailing list
    AF@af.afmug.com
    http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com



  -- 

  Carl Peterson


  PORT NETWORKS

  401 E Pratt St, Ste 2553

  Baltimore, MD 21202

  (410) 637-3707 

  -- 
  AF mailing list
  AF@af.afmug.com
  http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- 
AF mailing list
AF@af.afmug.com
http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com
-- 
AF mailing list
AF@af.afmug.com
http://af.afmug.com/mailman/listinfo/af_af.afmug.com

Reply via email to