Know Your Line Exciter
the
Blue BuzzBox
The BuzzBox
enclosure
is made
by Pelican
TM
of ultra high-impact
structural foam resin. It’s tough
and weather-resistant.
The
cables
are used for
conductive locating. 6
feet long with strong
clamps for secure
connection.
The 9-inch
stainless steel
ground rod
ensures a solid
ground
connection. And
it stores neatly in
the box.
Eight
LEDs
indicate
battery level
(green) as well
as signal or
ground quality
The
cable connector
jack is waterproof.
A choice of 4
frequencies
to optimize
your locating
job.
Battery
compartment
holds 6 “C” cells,
providing 4 watts of
long-lasting power.
The
track
up the center of the panel show you how to align
your BuzzBox with the line for inductive locating.
10
19
Sonde Locating
Your best locating success will involve moving the transmitter in small
increments. Push it 5 to 10 feet, locate it using all the steps, then repeat this
process until you have reached your final locate position. It’s easy to be fooled
about the route of a line when you can’t see it, and you can waste a lot of time
retracing your steps if you lose track of the transmitter.
Step 1. Locate the Peak Signal
The first thing to do is to find the general area of the transmitter. Starting with
the Peak screen, set the sensitivity to “FAR” by pushing the rocker switch away
from you until the little pointer points to FAR on the left side of the screen.
Walk around the general area where you think the
transmitter should be. Sweep the receiver slowly in
a 3 foot arc, turning your body as you go.
Select the right Transmitter
There are three main considerations when selecting a transmitter (or “sonde”)
to send into a line for a locating job:
• choosing the frequency that will work best in the pipe your sonde will be in
(which also must be compatible with your receiver). 16 Hz will work in just
about anything, including steel and ductile iron; 512 Hz is for cast iron and
nonmetallic; frequencies above 1 kHz are for nonmetallic only, but generally
have the best range for their size.
• choosing the size and shape that suits the line size and delivery method
• choosing one with enough signal strength, or “range”, to work at the
maximum depth you expect to encounter.
In the illustrations below, the “ball” around the transmitter represents the
maximum distance from the transmitter, in all directions, at which a signal can
be detected by a receiver. This is its “range”. The blue area, at ground level,
shows how far you can be from the Peak Spot (red X) and detect enough signal
to be able to home in on it. As you can see, as the depth of the transmitter
approaches its maximum range, you have to be right on top of the transmitter
to pick up any signal at all. When you have a choice, always choose the
transmitter with the longest range for easiest locating.
Always test your transmitter before sending it underground!
