Rent underground cable locators from ATEC for affordable rental rates on products from Dynatel, Megger, SPX, Amprobe, and more leading manufacturers.
ATEC carries a broad inventory of locators designed to discover cables, pipes, wires, and other structural anomalies, helping test personnel to map out utilities in advance of construction, excavation, or demolition.
We offer:
- Underground Cable Locator Rentals
- Underground Wire Locator Rentals
- Underground Pipe Locator Rentals
- Cable Fault Locators and Other Utility Locator Rental Equipment
What is an Underground Cable Locator?
An underground cable locator is a test instrument that 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 our subterranean infrastructure and protecting utility workers, and it should be yours, too. 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 cable locators work.
How Does A Cable Locator Work?
A cable locator works by sending an electrical signal into the ground with a transmitting component and tracking 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
To discover the cable or pipe path, the tester generates an electrical receiver through the transmitter. Beginning with the lowest frequency possible is advantageous, as low-frequency electromagnetic fields follow utilities like wires more easily, simplifying the mapping process.
The most common test methods for transmitting electrical signals are the following:
- 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 that 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 one’s receiving techniques is crucial as well—receivers with a single mode may miss hidden cables that can interfere with results, 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 underground cable locator is essential, and ATEC offers affordable underground cable locator rental equipment from leading manufacturers like Dynatel, Megger, SPX, and Amprobe. Key factors that come into play when choosing to rent an underground cable locator include weight, design, software, display, and frequency. Consider, too, whether features specific to the utility you’re tracing, be it pipes, cables, or wires, could simplify the testing process for you.