A Better Way Of Locating; Advantages Of The Omnidirectional Antenna - RIDGID SeekTech SR-60 Manual

A Better Way of Locating

The SR-60 gives the operator a picture of the situation as the
receiver moves along the target area and makes it easier to un-
derstand where a target line's electromagnetic field is. With more
complete information, an operator can understand how things
stand underground and resolve complex situations, avoid inac-
curate mark-ups, and find the right line or cable more rapidly.
What the SR-60 Does
The SR-60 is used above ground to sense and trace electromag-
netic fields emitted from underground or hidden lines (electri-
cal conductors like metal cables and pipes) or Sondes (actively
transmitting beacons).
When the fields are undistorted, the information from the sensed
fields gives an accurate picture of the buried object. When the
situation is made complex by interference from more than one
line, or other factors, the SR-60 provides a display of information
that shows multiple measurements of the detected field. This
data can make it easier to understand where the problem is, by
providing clues as to whether a locate is good or bad, question-
able or reliable. Instead of just laying paint in the wrong place,
the operator can see clearly when a difficult locate needs re-
evaluation.
The SR-60 provides more of the critical information the operator
needs to understand the situation underground.
What It Does Not Do
The SR-60 locates by sensing electromagnetic fields surrounding
conductive objects; it does not sense the underground objects
directly. It provides more information about the shape, orienta-
tion, and direction of fields than other locators but it does not
magically interpret that information or provide an x-ray image of
underground objects.
A distorted, complex field in a noisy environment requires intel-
ligent human thought to analyze correctly. The SR-60 cannot
change the results of a difficult locate, even though it shows all
the information about those results. Using what the SR-60 shows,
a good operator can improve locating results by "making the cir-
cuit better", changing frequency, grounding or the transmitter's
location on the target line.

Advantages of the Omnidirectional Antenna

Unlike the coils used in many simple locator devices, the
Omnidirectional antenna detects fields on three separate axes,
and can combine these signals into a "picture" of the appar-
ent strength, orientation, and direction of the complete field.
Omnidirectional antennas offer definite advantages:
The Mapping Display
The mapping display enabled by the Omnidirectional antennas
provides a graphic view of a signal's characteristics and a bird's
eye view of the signal from underground. It is used as a guide for
tracing underground cables and pipes, and can be used to better
pinpoint Sondes. It can also be used to provide more informa-
tion for complex locates.
The use of lines (representing the signals sensed by upper and
lower antennas) and guidance arrows (pointing toward the cent-
er of the detected field) combine to give the locator a graphic
picture of the receiver's location, and where the target utility or
Sonde is. At the same time the operating screen provides all the
information needed to understand what is happening with the
field being located – its Signal Strength, continuous distance,
Signal Angle, and proximity to the target. The information avail-
able at one moment on the SR-60 would take multiple sample
readings with some conventional locators. A distorted or com-
pound field will be easier to interpret when all the information is
in a single display as it is with the SR-60.
Ridge Tool Company
SeekTech SR-60
Figure 69: Mapping Display
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