RIDGID NaviTrack II - Manual (Page 14)

NaviTrack® II
13
Operating Tips for Locating a Sonde
Figure 21: Locating a Sonde
Tilted Sondes
If the sonde is tilted, one Pole will move closer to the sonde
and the other farther away so that the sonde location no
longer lies midway between the two poles. The signal strength
of the nearer Pole becomes much higher than that of the more
distant Pole.
As the sonde tilts to vertical, one Pole moves to a point directly
above the sonde and this Pole will also correspond to the point
of maximum signal strength. The other Pole will not be seen.
Therefore even if the sonde is vertical, as it could be if it fell into
a break in the line it can still be located.
What is seen on the screen when the sonde is vertical is a single
Pole at the point of maximum signal strength.
It is important to realize that a severely tilted sonde can cause
the pole locations and the equator to appear out of true
because of the angle of the sonde; but the signal strength will
still guide to the best location for the sonde.
Figure 22: Tilted Sonde, Poles and Equator
Note the right-hand pole is closer to the equator, due to tilt.
Floating Sondes
Some sondes are designed to be flushed or to drift down a
pipe pushed by water flow. Because these sondes swing much
more freely than a torpedo-shaped sonde in a pipe, they can
be oriented any which way. This means the equator may be distorted by tilting, and the
location of the poles may vary. The only guarantee of having
located a floating sonde is maximizing the signal strength and
double-checking that the signal falls away on every side of the
maximum signal location.
Normal
Maximum Signal Strength
Tilted
Normal
Max.
Tilted