Cable Detector / Locator

[DBriggs]

Hi all, can you recommend a good make and model of cable detector / locator please? We are thinking of building a double garage but I believe there may be some cables at that end of the yard. I've spoken to a few tool hire companies but none of them have one in my local area so I am now speaking to various survey equipment hire companies who seem to have a wider range. any help or advice will be most welcome!

 

[Guest111]

what area are you in?

 

[La Poste]

Jack I've not heard of that brand before, have you or anyone else tried it?

 

[mogga]

if you suspect there are underground cables there give your local electricity supplier a ring and ask them for drawings of the area or they may be able to come and advise if there are cables there and if they are live as the detection equipment isnt very easy to opperate and understand the sounds and what they mean it takes practice to get use to using these and I doubt that you would have the skills required
If you are going to give it a go then radio detection RD400 is a great tool BUT remember that it is an INDICATOR only and if any of the cables you susspect lye there are switched from elsewhere you may not get a reading
Also DONOT go digging with JCB ect if you susspect cables there hand digging only

 

[Guest111]

There was a reason why I asked for your location days ago,if you where near me I was going to offer to pop round with my cat and genny and scan area for you,sometimes I wonder if people actually want help!

 

[Paul Tuson]

if you suspect there are underground cables there give your local electricity supplier a ring and ask them for drawings of the area or they may be able to come and advise if there are cables there and if they are live as the detection equipment isnt very easy to opperate and understand the sounds and what they mean it takes practice to get use to using these and I doubt that you would have the skills required
If you are going to give it a go then radio detection RD400 is a great tool BUT remember that it is an INDICATOR only and if any of the cables you susspect lye there are switched from elsewhere you may not get a reading
Also DONOT go digging with JCB ect if you susspect cables there hand digging only

Thanks Mogga you mke a great point here.

I was the National Sales Manager for Radiodetection South Africa for many years and found many cables that other people could not find. However it is often more the operator rather than the machine that finds cables.

Most locators work the same way using the same technology, the problem is that operators tend to get in the habit of using only one or two of the many possible techniques for locating services.

The most common mistake is not using the signal generators. I find in the UK that way too often CAT's tend to be used almost exclusively in power mode and it is extremely easy to miss both power cables that are either not live or not loaded and other services such as telephone lines and water pipes.

Almost all services can be detected it just means making sure you use the appropriate technique.

Paul