ATEC carries a broad inventory of underground cable locators designed to discover cables, pipes, wires, and other structural anomalies, helping map out utilities before construction, excavation, or demolition.
What is an Underground Cable Locator?
An underground cable locator finds the precise location of buried cables, wires, pipes, and other objects. Locators are composed of two key components: transmitter and receiver. Transmitters send electricity into the cable and receivers pick them up, allowing the user to follow the signal path and visualize the cable within the test site.
Mapping out the landscape of hidden utility lines is essential for construction projects and excavations, as dig workers risk striking power lines and other facilities, which can lead to system failures and even endanger personnel. Discovering the location of utilities beforehand saves time, mitigates repair costs, and safeguards workers.
Call before you dig—this is the mantra of the Common Ground Alliance (CGA), the association dedicated to preserving subterranean infrastructure and protecting utility workers. The CGA has indicated in the past that locator operation errors are a leading cause of utility strikes, and that it is important to understand how locators work.
How Does A Cable Locator Work?
These devices send an electrical signal into the ground with a transmitting component and track that signal with a receiving component. The transmitter’s electromagnetic field is programmed to a frequency matching the cable conductor type, generally ranging anywhere from 1 kHz to 480 kHz. Operators begin testing at the lowest possible frequency and only adjust the frequency if necessary.
How to Locate Underground Pipes, Wires, and Cables
The most common test methods for transmitting electrical signals are as follows:
- Direct Connection: In this method, the tester attaches the transmitter directly to the wire, pipe, or cable.
- Induction: The transmitter is placed above the cable and then turned on, generating an electromagnetic field which will induce an electrical signal in any conductor nearby.
- Inductive Coupling: A ring-shaped coupler is placed on the cable, and emits the electrical signal into it, offering a more reliable method of induction.
Receivers are just as important. Being able to successfully follow the utility and get a precise estimate of the depth of the cable makes all the difference, as both are needed to determine where and how deep digs and excavations can take place. Having the ability to vary receiving techniques is crucial as well—receivers with a single mode may miss hidden cables, whereas having multiple modes gives the operator a comprehensive analysis of the underground landscape.
Modern systems will generally offer 3 common modes:
- Peak: As the antenna traverses the cable path, the receiver speaker volume gets louder.
- Null: Null mode is the opposite of peak mode, with the speaker diminishing its volume as the antenna goes down the cable.
- Differential: Determines the cable location in relation to the receiver location.
Choosing the Right underground cable locator rental Equipment
A reliable locator is essential, and ATEC offers affordable underground cable locator rental equipment from leading manufacturers such as Dynatel, Megger, and Amprobe. Consider whether you’re tracing pipes, cables, or wires to determine the best type of locator.