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If you find a pivot angle at which the meter reading picks up again, it means you've located a bend and can
resume tracing in the new direction.
If you pivot all the way around (360 degrees), without getting any noticeable meter reading, it means
you've reached a dead end.
5.9 Valves, Manhole Covers, Tees and Risers
If the meter reading suddenly increases and then falls back while tracing a pipe you have probably passed
over a buried valve, manhole cover, tee, or riser.
5.10 Common Bonded Conductors
Telephone, power, and CATV sometimes use a common ground bond. If other conductors are connected to
your target conductor, putting a signal on the target can cause all the conductors to carry the same signal,
making it difficult to identify the target conductor.
To verify that you are tracing the targeted conductor, note the field strength at a known location of the
conductor. As you trace, any change in field strength should be gradual. If either reading changes abruptly
you are probably no longer over your targeted conductor.
5.11 Congested Areas
If you suspect that coupling from adjacent conductors is causing interference in the signal picked up by the
Receiver try increasing the strength of the signal received from the Transmitter and decreasing the strength
of signal from the interfering conductors by:
1 Changing to a different transmitter coupling point or coupling mode.
2 Improving the grounding connection or moving the grounding point.
3 Determine the location of the adjacent conductors. Then check to be sure that neither the direct connect
cable or the ground cable cross over any of the adjacent conductors. Re-position them if necessary.
4 If you are using the Inductive (Indirect) mode, you may be able to decrease the amount of interfering
signal by changing the orientation of the transmitter to the targeted conductor. Determine the location of
the interfering conductor.
5.12 Pipes with Insulated Junctions
The high radio frequency signal of the 480BB Pipe and Cable Locator will jump pipe insulators, however,
the signal will proportionately decrease each time it crosses an insulator. When possible, such as when
tracing a pipe with a meter, bypass the meter (insulator) by using a jumper cable. Attach each end of the
jumper cable on opposite sides of the insulator.
5.13 Metroclamp Ground Requirements
If you are using the Metroclamp around a cable, both ends of the target conductor must be grounded to
insure sufficient field strength. Power lines and telephone sheaths are assumed to be grounded.
5.14 Grounding Safety