Tilted Sondes - RIDGID SeekTech SR-60 Manual

• Mark the first Pole location found with a red triangu-
lar Pole marker. After centering on the Pole, a double-
line indicator will appear. This line represents how the
Sonde is lying underground, and in most cases also rep-
resents the pipe's approximate direction.
• When the locator gets close to a Pole, a zoom ring
will appear centered on the Pole, allowing precision
centering.
• The second Pole will be a similar distance from the
Sonde location in the opposite direction. Locate it
in the same manner and mark it with a red triangular
marker.
• If the Sonde is level, the three markers should be
aligned and the red Pole markers should be similar dis-
tances from the yellow Sonde marker. If they are not,
a tilted Sonde may be indicated. (See Tilted Sondes, be-
low.) It is generally true that the Sonde will be on the
line between the two Poles, unless there is extreme dis-
tortion present.
Step 3: Verify the locate
• It is important to verify the Sonde's location by cross-
checking the receiver's information and maximizing
Signal Strength. Move the SR-60 away from the maxi-
mum Signal Strength, to make sure that the signal drops
off on all sides. Make sure to move the unit far enough
to see a significant signal drop in each direction.
Figure 36: Sonde Locate: Equator
• Double-check the two Pole locations.
• Notice that the Measured Depth reading at the maxi-
mum Signal Strength location is reasonable and con-
sistent. If it seems far too deep or too shallow, recheck
that there is an actual maximum Signal Strength at that
location.
• Notice that the poles and the point of highest Signal
Strength lie on a straight line.
Being on the Equator does not mean one is over the
Sonde. Seeing two Poles aligned on the display is not
a substitute for centering over each Pole separately
and marking their locations as described above.
For best accuracy, the SR-60 should be held with the
mast oriented vertically. The antenna mast must be
vertical when marking the Poles and Equator, or their
locations will be less accurate.
It doesn't matter whether you locate the Poles first, or the Equator
first, and then the Poles, or one Pole, then the Equator, and then
the other Pole. You can even locate the Sonde using just the
Signal Strength, and then verify your result with the Poles and
Equator. What is important is that you verify all the data points,
and mark the Sonde's position where the signal is highest.

Tilted Sondes

If the Sonde is tilted, one Pole will move closer to the Sonde and
the other farther away so that the Sonde location no longer lies
midway between the two Poles. The Signal Strength of the near-
er Pole becomes much higher than that of the more distant Pole
if the Sonde is vertical (as it could be if it fell into a break in the
line); however, it can still be located.
If the Sonde is vertical what is seen on the screen is a single Pole
at the point of maximum Signal Strength. (The Ridgid Floating
Sonde is designed to have a single Pole "visible" and is weighted
to maintain the Sonde on a vertical axis. See Note below.)
It is important to realize that a severely tilted Sonde can cause
the Pole locations and the Equator to appear offset because of
the angle of the Sonde; but maximizing the Signal Strength will
still guide to the best location for the Sonde.
Floating Sondes
Some Sondes are designed to be flushed or to drift down a pipe
pushed by water flow. Because these Sondes swing much more
freely than a torpedo-shaped Sonde in a pipe, they can be ori-
ented any which way. This means the Equator may be distort-
ed by tilting, and the location of the Poles may vary. The only
guarantee of having located a floating Sonde is maximizing the
Signal Strength and double-checking that the signal falls away
on every side of the maximum signal location.
Ridge Tool Company
SeekTech SR-60
IMPORTANT!
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