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RD1000

Operation Manual  

l

  Issue 1  

l

  May 2008

Portable Ground Penetrating  
Radar System

Summary of Contents for RD1000

Page 1: ...RD1000 Operation Manual l Issue 1 l May 2008 Portable Ground Penetrating Radar System ...

Page 2: ... place after this user manual was published Contact your local Radiodetection dealer or visit www radiodetection com for the latest information about the RD1000 including this manual and other product literature Important notices General This instrument or family of instruments will not be permanently damaged by reasonable electrostatic discharge and has been tested in accordance with IEC 801 2 Ho...

Page 3: ...om or contact your local Radiodetection representative Trademarks RD1000 is a trademark of Radiodetection LTD all rights reserved Copyright Statement This manual is Copyright 2008 Radiodetection LTD All rights reserved Radiodetection LTD is a subsidiary of SPX Corporation This manual may not be copied reproduced or sold in whole or in part without expressed written permission by Radiodetection Ltd...

Page 4: ...ection 3 Getting Started 12 3 1 Using the Display Unit 12 3 2 System Settings Screen 13 3 2 1 Scan 13 3 2 2 Language 13 3 2 3 Units 14 3 2 4 Scale 14 3 2 5 Date 15 3 2 6 Time 15 3 2 7 Power Off 15 3 2 8 System Information 15 3 3 Scanning Screen 16 3 4 Locating screen 17 3 4 1 Locating Cursor 17 3 4 2 Soil Type 18 3 4 3 Identifying Air Wave Reflections 22 3 5 Image Settings Screen 23 3 5 1 Scan 23 ...

Page 5: ...3 System Overheating 35 5 4 Display Unit Problem 36 5 5 Test Line 36 5 6 Contacting the Vendor for Service 36 Section 6 Care and Maintenance 37 6 1 Battery Care 37 6 2 Cable Care 38 6 3 Skid Pad 39 6 4 Odometer 39 Appendix A 40 GPR Emissions Interference and Regulations 40 FCC Regulations 40 Part 15 User Information 40 Operating Restrictions 41 FCC Interpretation of Operation Restrictions issued J...

Page 6: ...tory guide to cable and pipe surveying techniques Section 4 Also included is a troubleshooting guide in Section 5 1 2 About the RD1000 The RD1000 is a ground penetrating radar system that allows the user to see almost any underground feature Unlike a traditional locator the RD1000 uses radar technology specifically in the UHF VHF frequencies and produces a visual map with characteristic cone shape...

Page 7: ...n box remove the Accessory Box Cart Base and Sensor Box Open each box and lay out all the components 1 Figure 2 1 system components Attach the Cart Handle to Cart Base using the Handle Pins Ensure the Display Unit Mount is facing upwards Figure 2 2 cart assembled ...

Page 8: ...ng the Sensor Support Straps Ensure the Sensor is oriented the correct way with the connections toward the back of the Cart Using the Sensor Support Straps adjust the height of the Sensor so it s 1 2 cm 1 2 inch above the ground Figure 2 3 sensor box installed ...

Page 9: ...and slide the Display Unit back far enough so the clip catches and secures it firmly in place Adjust the angle of the Display Unit by loosening the hand screws underneath the Display Unit Mount rotating the Display Unit to the desired angle and tightening the hand screws This ensures the Display Unit does not rotate and damage the Display Cable 4 ...

Page 10: ...her end of the cable to the Sensor Ensure the cable is routed correctly above the lower cross arm on the Cart Handle and under the Battery tray 5 Figure 2 5 installing the battery cable Attach the Odometer cable to the Sensor It connects to the closest receptacle on the Sensor 6 Figure 2 6 installing the odometer cable ...

Page 11: ...ach the Battery Cable to the Sensor and the Battery The upper red light on the Display Unit will illuminate indicating that there is power available for the system 7 Figure 2 7 powering the sensor box The system is now ready to use ...

Page 12: ...n on the screen above the button indicates its function To operate the system The first screen displayed when the system is powered on is the System Settings Screen It has options to start scanning or change settings such as language measurement units date and time see Section 3 2 1 To start scanning press Scan to display the Scanning Screen When the scale appears on the right side of the screen p...

Page 13: ...s Scan or Pause again to continue If the Display Unit has Compact Flash disk pressing the Camera button saves the current screen image to the Compact Flash Later transfer images to a PC for re plotting and printing 3 2 System Settings Screen 4 5 6 Figure 3 2 system settings screen 3 2 1 Scan Press the Scan button to start scanning see Section 3 3 3 2 2 Language Select the language for the menus Cu...

Page 14: ...e Scale button toggles to four different Scale options Figure 3 3 units Lines means Depth Lines are plotted on the data image to assist with determining the depth of targets also see Section 3 3 Text means Depth Values are plotted in the center of the data image every 8 metres or 26 feet 1 Figure 3 4 depth lines Figure 3 5 text depth markers ...

Page 15: ...ime Opens the Time Screen to change the current date see Section 3 5 Images are saved with this time 3 2 7 Power Off Opens a sub menu to confirm powering off the system There is also an option to restore the system to factory default settings 3 2 8 System Information The top of the Systems Setting Screen displays the serial number of the GPR sensor the software version number the GPR Sensor freque...

Page 16: ...h option is selected Section 3 2 horizontal depth lines appear on the image to assist with determining the depth of targets Approximately 16 meters or 50 feet of data is displayed on one screen If the survey line exceeds this distance the image will scroll off the left side of the screen To save the current screen image to file press the Camera button on the Display Unit The image number appears o...

Page 17: ...ackwards while scanning The cursor moves over the image and menu options appear at the bottom of the screen Figure 3 9 locating screen 3 4 1 Locating Cursor The Cursor consists of 3 parts Position Indicator Vertical cross hair is tied to the odometer and corresponds to the location at the center of the GPR sensor As the cart is pulled backwards the Position Indicator moves to indicate the current ...

Page 18: ...n the GPR image a Soil Type Calibration must be performed Soil Type Calibration can be done 3 ways Matching the shape of a target arch Using a target at a known depth or Using the moisture level of the soil Matching a Target Arch Targets like pipes cables buried artefacts tree roots and rocks generate arch shaped responses on the GPR image Arches occur because GPR energy does not travel into the g...

Page 19: ...ne on a target arch produced at an oblique angle smaller that 90 degrees To determine the Soil Type using a Target Arch With a target arch visible on the image back the cart up until the Position Indicator is centered on the target arch in the GPR image preferably one with long tails because this provides the most accurate soil type calibration 1 As you slow down and stop the Indicator Arch will a...

Page 20: ...rough the five different soil types to find the one that roughly fits the shape of the Indicator Arch to the shape of the Target Arch 4 Use the Wide and Narrow Arch buttons to change the shape of the Indicator Arch to match the shape of the Target Arch on the GPR image The depth of the target is indicated on the bottom left 5 Press the Apply button to save the Soil Type and update the Depth Axis o...

Page 21: ...se the Wide and Narrow Arch buttons to change the shape of the Indicator Arch until the depth of the target displayed in red above the menu is correct Once the depth is matched save the Soil Type value by pressing the Save button Soil Moisture If a good target arch or a target of known depth is not available the user will have to estimate the Soil Type The soil type is most strongly affected by wa...

Page 22: ...r targets and differentiate them from the targets in the ground One way of identifying air reflections is to use the target arch method described above However arches from above ground objects are wider than objects in the ground and out of the range of the maximum Soil Type Therefore if the widest Indicator Arch is still not wide enough to match the target arch the target arch is from on object i...

Page 23: ... Scan button or the Pause button again to resume The Scanning Screen returns at the current location with the position information preserved If while paused in the Image Settings Screen the cart has moved more than a few centimeters when scanning is restarted a gap called a Position Break will appear in the image The position break is also indicated by a message on the bottom of the screen and the...

Page 24: ... Color GPR images are displayed in colors corresponding to a color palette In general stronger GPR signals appear in stronger colors A number of different color palettes are available to display the image Some color palettes may show the target better than others ...

Page 25: ...er targets appear stronger in the image The Gain varies from 1 to 9 with 1 being no gain and 9 being the maximum gain As the Gain changes the current image on the display updates so it is not necessary to re collect an image with a different gain setting Use the lowest gain setting that shows the targets Try to avoid over gaining as understanding the image may become more difficult Figure 3 21 gai...

Page 26: ... arches usually caused by targets It can also assist in identifying very shallow targets that might be masked by the strong signals at the top of the image The Filter defaults to ON so if you are looking for a layer or other flat lying target turn the Filter OFF The image below shows the same scan with the Filter OFF and ON Figure 3 22 filter adjustments ...

Page 27: ...lects data to a depth of approximately 8 meters but the Depth setting on this menu determines how much of the data is displayed on the screen It is possible to scan with a Depth setting of say 2 meters pause scanning and then increase the depth setting to re display the image to look for deeper targets 3 5 7 Quit Exits the Scanning and Image Settings Screens and returns to the Systems Settings Scr...

Page 28: ... is similar Use the Left and Right Arrow buttons to highlight the number to change in red Increase the number using the Up Arrow and decrease the number using the Down Arrow 1 Figure 3 24 time and date adjustment screen Pressing OK saves the new date or time and exits the screen Pressing Cancel exits the screen without saving the date or time 4 5 ...

Page 29: ...RD1000 Operation Manual 29 3 7 Screen icons 3 7 1 Systems settings menu Scan English Units Scale Date Time Power Off Def ...

Page 30: ...30 RD1000 Operation Manual 3 7 2 Locating screen menu Clear Image Very Dry Soil Dry Soil Moist Soil Wet Soil Very Wet Soil Apply 3 7 3 Image settings screen menu Scan Clear Image Gain Filter Depth Quit ...

Page 31: ...RD1000 Operation Manual 31 3 7 4 Date and time menus Cancel Ok ...

Page 32: ...or crosses the utility the image shows an arch The top of the arch is the position of the utility The depth to the top of the arch is an estimated depth By moving the GPR back and forth and marking the ground where the top of the arch is observed the alignment of the subsurface utility can be traced out as the X s in the figure indicate For example a concrete storm sewer alignment was located unde...

Page 33: ...V station not properly received To see the deepest possible targets with a GPR it is important to have a quiet highly sensitive system 4 2 Limitations GPR is not without its limitations GPR radio wave signals are absorbed by the ground with some soils clays saline greatly limiting exploration depth GPR effectiveness is thus site specific and varies greatly from place to place GPR also responds to ...

Page 34: ...t will flash or not illuminate at all Check that battery voltage with a voltmeter Try to do this while the system is still attached to the Cart to get a true measure of the voltage while under load it will be necessary to open the Cart battery case and connect the voltmeter to the positive and negative battery terminals If the battery has a low voltage or seems dead try the system with another bat...

Page 35: ...solve the problem Plug in the battery turn on the system and try scanning again If the battery Battery Cable and Display Cable are OK the problem is either a failure of the Display Unit or the GPR sensor These units have no user serviceable parts so it will have to the vendor for inspection and possible repair 5 3 System Overheating The GPR system is designed to operate to a maximum internal tempe...

Page 36: ... accessible location The line does not have to be too long but one screen 16 meters or 50 feet is a good guide This data line should be saved electronically and perhaps plotted out on paper and dated The test line could be collected say every 6 months and by reviewing the previous data system problems can be detected early As well if there is a suspected problem with the system this test line coul...

Page 37: ... maintenance will greatly reduce their life Sealed lead acid batteries should NEVER be left in a discharged condition for any period of time Charge the batteries as soon as possible after use Charge the battery at room temperature whenever possible The RD1000 has a voltage monitoring circuit that will turn off the unit when the input voltage drops below 10 2 volts If a battery has been deeply disc...

Page 38: ...sed make sure the connections are done up to prevent dust and moisture from collecting inside If the connectors are exposed cover them with some sort of dust cap Cables are designed to be as tough as practical Careless use of cables making them carry loads that they are not designed for can cause internal damage Connectors are weak points in any system With the use of this product in rough dusty a...

Page 39: ...d to take the majority of the abrasive wear If the pad wears down enough the less resistant plastic housing may start to wear If this occurs it is best to replace the skid pad It is easily removed with a screwdriver and a new one can be purchased from the vendor 6 4 Odometer The odometer is factory calibrated and does not require maintenance ...

Page 40: ... proximity to an electronic device interference may occur While there have been no substantiated reports of interference to date if any unusual behavior is observed on nearby devices test if the disturbance starts and stops when the GPR instrument is turned on and off If interference is confirmed stop using the GPR Where specific jurisdictions have specific GPR guidelines these are described below...

Page 41: ...ipheral devices The use of non approved or modified cables and peripheral devices constitutes a Change or Modification outlined in the warning above Operating Restrictions Operation of this device is limited to purposes associated with law enforcement fire fighting emergency rescue scientific research commercial mining or construction Parties operating this equipment must be eligible for licensing...

Page 42: ...one of the purposes described in the regulations but need not be operated directly by one of the described parties For example a GPR may be operated by a private company investigating forensic evidence for a local police department FCC Permitted Mode of Usage The GPR antenna must be kept on the surface to be in compliance with FCC regulations Use of the antenna is not permitted if it is lifted off...

Page 43: ...peration may be the state s or county ies in which the equipment will be operated The operator of an imaging system used for fixed operation shall supply a specific geographical location or the address at which the equipment will be operated This material shall be submitted to Frequency Coordination Branch OET Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street SW Washington D C 20554 Attn UWB Coord...

Page 44: ... AREA OF OPERATION COUNTIES STATES OR LARGER AREAS FCC ID E G QJQ PE PRO TLF A EQUIPMENT NOMENCLATURE E G PULSEEKKO PRO TLF A Send the information to Frequency Coordination Branch OET Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street SW Washington D C 20554 ATTN UWB Coordination Fax 202 418 1944 INFORMATION PROVIDED IS DEEMED CONFIDENTIAL ...

Page 45: ... Technical Standards Institute standard EN302066 Details on individual country requirements for licensing are coordinated with this standard For more information contact the GPR system vendor This GPR product offered for sale in European Community countries or countries adhering to ETSI standards is tested to comply with EN302066 ...

Page 46: ...r or amend any published specification without notice RD1000 is a Trademark of Radiodetection Ltd Copyright 2008 Radiodetection Limited All rights reserved Radiodetection Ltd is a subsidiary of SPX Corporation www radiodetection com To see the full range of products and services provided by Radiodetection visit ...

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