CAT Scanner

[Yorkshireman]

Cat scanner with a depth mode is good & I would advise a genny especially where you are doing urban street / open space trees

 

as the kit may not detect street light cable etc when not energised .....

 

also go on the one day operator course , because if you use it and you are not qual'd your liab insurers might look for the easy way out

[kev7937]

We've got two second hand ones made by c-scope and they're both very erratic,

even after calibration they give off random signals and do not inspire confidence.

 

(yes I have been trained)

 

Avoid this brand would be my advice, someone's got shot of them for a reason.

[likeitorlumpit]

we use radiodetection

Have to say I never have total confidence but the genny induction mode is good.

I know people on our local electric co. who hate it when the company recalibrate their scanners as they often come back not working so well.

We haven't had ours done for 10 years so it's a good time to have started this thread. I must send it off

[miker]

newish plastic pipe has a trace wire(or should have) attached so cat scanner should detect it

[sandy2210]

newish plastic pipe has a trace wire(or should have) attached so cat scanner should detect it

 

only if you find the pipe somewhere and attach the genny to it. some marker tapes now also have a tracer wire through it but again you need to find it first and attach the genny AND it will only work as far as the first break in the wire they are not always joined when laid originally or when repairs to pipe etc carried out

street light cable can be traced by attaching the genny to nearby lamppost ( it works through the earth wire )

for drains if you open a manhole and push a piece of wire along the pipe and attach the genny you can trace it -try electric cable tied to draining rods

you can get a "thingy" that goes on the end of a draining rod and gives off a signal but this needs 2 people as you can only pick it up directly above it and so easy to "lose" it

depth indicator also only works with the genny but NEVER EVER beleive it I will never write down a depth when marking out for digging it just gives the boys hand digging an idea where they might find it

genny will also work if you know where a phone or electric cable is and sit genny on ground above it it will put a signal into the cable that you can follow

 

erratic results from the cat can de for a number of reasons swinging it from side to side in front of you common mistake as can cat being set too sensitive also loops in bt or electric cables near where it goes up a pole can be very confusing

[csservices]

We used to use a ferret locator for tracing drains, put the collar inside a straight water fitting with a stop end and attach to the drain rods, then use the locator box to track it as its fed in odd times I've used the cat scanner it gives you a general idea of the location of the cable or pipe but never found them particuarly accurate especially if wearing your toecaps