Sonde / trace

[Furniss]

Seem to be getting ask to sort out more and more issues separating foul from top water - my old sonde died ages ago and although experience makes you fairly handy it would be useful to be able to trace ...I have an old cable detector and genny (if genny still works )
Is a sonde on coiled fiberglass still the best or the continuous stuff you clip genny to ?
What are you lads using ? What's the best solution (within reason) - won't use it a lot but occasionally.
And where's best to buy it ?
Cheers

 

[Smiffy]

We use a sonde as it can go on drain rods so can push through a bit better. On a cobra it doesn't take much to stop it's progress.
We are almost entirely working on poorly maintained council drainage though rather than foul

 

[6feetdown]

We use a sonde as it can go on drain rods so can push through a bit better. On a cobra it doesn't take much to stop it's progress.
We are almost entirely working on poorly maintained council drainage though rather than foul

I looked at these a few months ago good idea especially if you don't need really long runs.
Do they work well?

 

[Giles]

Sonde on rods and I’ve got a cctv kit in a case on a snake and can also trace that.

 

[Smiffy]

I looked at these a few months ago good idea especially if you don't need really long runs.
Do they work well?

Yeah, as it's a single point rather than a whole pine it works best with two people. One pushing rods and one scanning as it moves. Otherwise you can spend ages walking round if you don't know what direction the pipe is going

 

[doobin]

Yeah, as it's a single point rather than a whole pine it works best with two people. One pushing rods and one scanning as it moves. Otherwise you can spend ages walking round if you don't know what direction the pipe is going

This! You only have to move it a few rods and you loose it on your own I find, especially with the dead zone right over the top of the sonde- much easier to keep tracing it. Cheap (ish) and cheerful (well, as cheerful as you can be wiping the s**t off afterwards)

 

[Furniss]

Thanks for the replies its another sonde on some rods job then, I fancied one of those fiberglass reels but haven’t used them , i thought they would pass through easier but if not wont bother......any recommendations on sondes and where to get one or all much of a muchness ?

 

[Lancs Lad]

Thanks for the replies its another sonde on some rods job then, I fancied one of those fiberglass reels but haven’t used them , i thought they would pass through easier but if not wont bother......any recommendations on sondes and where to get one or all much of a muchness ?

If you get a cobra reel don't make mistake I did and get the smaller 6mm one ,way to weak unless really clean ducts or internal.
Handy for stowing on truck etc but that's it.

 

[doobin]

Thanks for the replies its another sonde on some rods job then, I fancied one of those fiberglass reels but haven’t used them , i thought they would pass through easier but if not wont bother......any recommendations on sondes and where to get one or all much of a muchness ?

Only thing to be sure of is that it’s the same frequency as your cat!

 

[Furniss]

Any thoughts ?

 

[doobin]

View attachment 42862
Any thoughts ?

That’s what I have, it works well. Just have to unscrew it to put a battery in before use, and remove afterwards. It’s a totally sealed unit, switches would be a liability.

 

[GazCro]

That’s what I have, it works well. Just have to unscrew it to put a battery in before use, and remove afterwards. It’s a totally sealed unit, switches would be a liability.

But battery in wrong way round to switch it off that way you don't forget to have battery with you.

 

[Giles]

View attachment 42862
Any thoughts ?

mines very similar to this

 

[doobin]

But battery in wrong way round to switch it off that way you don't forget to have battery with you.

Genius!

 

[V8Druid]

Genius!

put a small piece of plastic film or insulating tape over the neg on the battery .... reversing polarity in electronic circuitry is never a good idea

 

[GazCro]

put a small piece of plastic film or insulating tape over the neg on the battery .... reversing polarity in electronic circuitry is never a good idea

C scope themselves told me to do it and it's been fine for must be 8 years now

 

[Smiffy]

C scope themselves told me to do it and it's been fine for must be 8 years now

As much as they cost I would hope that they have a diode in them to stop problems if you inadvertently put it in wrong anyway

 

[Lancs Lad]

C scope themselves told me to do it and it's been fine for must be 8 years now

Same with my Leica think it actually said on the instructions to do it...not sure I would have been bright enough to think of it otherwise

 

[sandy2210]

just tie the end of a cheap roll of single electic wire to the end of the cobra or rods and let it unroll as you push it through then attach the genny to other end of the of the cable then you can trace it all the way without losing it

 

[doobin]

just tie the end of a cheap roll of single electic wire to the end of the cobra or rods and let it unroll as you push it through then attach the genny to other end of the of the cable then you can trace it all the way without losing it

Sick of doing that, want a trace reel. Trouble is, every time I look one up and see the cost I change my mind!