United States-based equipment manufacturer Rycom Instruments is close to releasing its new 8879 V4-series electromagnetic field (EMF) cable and pipe locator.
The fourth series in the company’s digital range of instruments, the 8879 V4 will offer some new features, including a larger and easier to read display, a new receiver that has the ability to connect with the transmitter to control frequency and transmitter power selection, as well as the ability to connect with hi-accuracy GPS units for utility mapping and surveying.
According to Australian distributor Access Detection, several of the 8879 V4’s improvements were made following Australian customer feedback.
“The new seven and twelve watt transmitters offer the power and features to be able to locate accurately, even with difficult locates,” commented the company.
“Features include fault find abilities (with optional A-frame), target direction modes and a wide selection of frequencies for the different tasks locators may come across. The new unit has surprisingly high performance and it will make much more expensive units feel overpriced.”
Access Detection is the only authorised service centre and dealer in Australia for Rycom, with the distributor covering units with a standard three-year warranty with the option to extend for another year.
GPR locators
Late last year, IDS Corporation released its OPERA DUO ground-penetrating radar (GPR) locator and the unit has since gone from strength to strength. A professional utility GPR with some extremely powerful and easy to use software, the system is offered with a unique soil calibration mode that instantly monitors soil conditions and adjusts the system for best results.
Unlike GPR locators that have to be continually adjusted to compensate for different soil types, the OPERA software allows a locator unit to be adjusted to optimum settings by pressing a button.
The new, continually improved software also allows for professional reporting onsite, further reducing time-consuming office reports and increasing efficiency.
The OPERA also has a simple and robust folding system designed for extremely quick setup and acquisitions, allowing operators to obtain fast and reliable results.
Other utility location technologies
The ULTRA TRAC APL from Sensit has been designed and utilised in the US for over two years, with over 100 units sold to date. The system uses ultrasonic sound with both a sender and receiver that determines sound reflection in voids within pipes.
The ULTRA TRAC APL system was originally designed to locate non-metallic gas pipes. However, it was found to not only detect these services but also other services both metallic and non-metallic, with the system able to detect in clay-based soils – a particular advantage over traditional GPR locators.
Access Detection is the authorised dealer for Sensit in Australia and New Zealand and has a unit available for demonstration in Australia.
Non-metallic locating equipment
Access Detection can supply equipment to locate conduits for utilities such as telecommunications (including Telstra and the NBN), stormwater infrastructure and sewer infrastructure using traditional sondes and traceable rods along with locators to suit.
Traceable rods range from 80-300 m and range in diameters of 4-11 mm. Access Detection also has micro sondes for small conduits and midi sondes for larger conduits.
For locating pressurised plastic pipes, Access Detection has its small pulse wave generators, built locally in Australia, which are able to detect pressurised water pipes up to 100 mm. Lastly, the distributor also stocks several acoustic leak detection devices to locate the pulse underground.