Sonde Locating; Locating The Sonde - RIDGID SeekTech SR-20 Operator's Manual

Sonde Locating

Sondes come in different shapes and sizes and are
often used to locate non‑con ductive pipes and conduits�
Some can be floated down a line and others can be at‑
tached to the end of a metal or fiberglass push cable�
Most SeeSnake camera reels have a Sonde installed
®
inside or just be hind the camera head on the push cable�
The SR‑24 can locate the signal of a Sonde within a
pipe, allowing you to pinpoint the Sonde's position and
depth underground�
How the Sonde Works
When the Sonde is activated, a dipole field similar to the
dipole field around the Earth forms around the Sonde�
The SR‑24 detects the Sonde's dipole field and uses the
field information to help the user locate the Sonde's po‑
sition and depth�
Sonde Axis
24 – English

Locating the Sonde

The primary means of locating the Sonde is by finding
the point where its signal is strongest� The SR‑24 also
has graphical icons that can be used to help find the
Sonde and map its position� Using the receiver's graph‑
ical locating features can often speed up the locate and
reveal additional informa tion about the Sonde's position
in the line�
To locate the Sonde, follow these steps:
1� Activate the Sonde and press the Frequency Key
on the SR‑24 to set it to the matching Sonde
frequency�
Note: Make sure you have selected a Sonde fre-
quency and not a Line Trace frequency
2� Before putting the Sonde into the line, verify that it
is functioning properly and that the SR‑24's Signal
Strength is registering a strong, steady signal�
3� Push the Sonde no more than 5 m [15 ft] into the
pipe�
You must be within range of the Sonde's signal to
locate it� The range varies depending on the Sonde,
pipe material, depth, and soil composition�
4� To find the Sonde's general direction, point the
SR‑24's mast in the suspected direction of the
Sonde and sweep the horizon in a slow arc� The
Signal Strength is highest when the Lower Antenna
is closest to the Sonde and drops off when pointed
away in any other direction� The SR‑24's sound may
be useful to find the highest Signal Strength�
5� Once you've detected the general direction of the
Sonde, lower the SR‑24 to its vertical operating
position and walk toward the Sonde� The Signal
Strength and audio tone increases as you move to‑
ward the Sonde and decreases as you pass its po‑
sition�
6� Continue searching for the highest signal by moving
the receiver left, right, forward and backward until
you have located the point where the signal is stron‑
gest and mark the Sonde's position at this point�
.