Active Line Tracing; Tracing The Target Line; Induction And Air-Coupling; Passive Line Tracing - RIDGID SeekTech SR-24LE Operator's Manual

Active Line Tracing

Note: For complete instructions on generat-
ing a locating signal with a transmitter, refer
to the operator's manual that came with the
transmitter you are using.

Tracing the Target Line

1� Set the transmitter to Direct Connect
Mode, Inductive Clamp Mode, or
Inductive Mode�
2� Set the transmitter's frequency and
press the Frequency Key
the receiver to the same frequency�
Note: Make sure you have selected
an Active Line Trace frequency
and not a Sonde frequency
3� Make sure the SR-24LE is detecting
the transmitter's signal� Position the
receiver approximately 1 m [3 ft] from
one of the transmitter's leads and ob-
serve the Signal Strength reading� If
the locating circuit is good, the Signal
Strength reading will be strong and
steady, with minimal fluctuation�
4� Center the Tracing Line to get an ini-
tial location of the utility� Orient the
Tracing Line and the SR-24LE to cor-
rectly utilize the Guidance Arrows�
5� In the absence of signal distortion,
balance the Guidance Arrows, ori-
ent the Guidance Line, and maximize
the Proximity Number and Signal
Strength to pinpoint the location of
the target line�

Induction and Air-Coupling

WARNING
Air-coupling can lead to false locates.
With Induction, the transmitter broadcasts a
signal in all directions� If the receiver is too
near to the transmitter, the signal broadcast
through the air will be stronger than the sig-
nal from the target line underground�
16 – English – SR-24LE/SR-20
Testing for Air-Coupling
There are two ways you can test for air-cou-
pling: the 45° tilt test and the depth verifica-
tion test�
To perform the 45° tilt test, follow these
steps:
1� With the SR-24LE aligned with the
target line, touch the Lower Antenna
to the ground and tilt the SR-24LE at
a 45° angle toward the transmitter�
2� Note the depth�
to set
3� With the Lower Antenna still touch-
ing the ground, tilt the SR-24LE away
from the transmitter at a 45° angle�
4� Note the depth�
.
If the tilted depth reading changes signifi-
cantly comparing the two cases, air-cou-
pling is occurring�
Note: The depth reading will not be an accu-
rate reading of the target line's depth.
To perform the depth verification test, view
the instructions on page 17�

Passive Line Tracing

Due to the nature of Passive Line Trac-
ing, measured depth may not be accu-
rate. Whenever possible, perform an Ac-
tive Line Trace to confirm your Passive
Line Trace results.
The SR-24LE has two types of Passive Line
Tracing frequencies: Power Frequencies
and Radio Frequencies�

Passive Power

Power Frequencies
signals from AC power lines�
CAUTION
are used to locate