Sonde / trace

V8Druid

V8Druid

do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
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
's one thing putting it in the wrong way round briefly, but leaving it in there long term is testing the diode's performance capabilities
 
GazCro

GazCro

Well-known member
's one thing putting it in the wrong way round briefly, but leaving it in there long term is testing the diode's performance capabilities
Screenshot_20230104_214153_Drive.jpg
 
V8Druid

V8Druid

do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
Yeh, yeh, a diode's primary function is to protect against back EMF/ reverse polarity, but like all semiconductor based components, has a finite life .... deliberately subjecting it to reverse polarity for prolonged periods WILL shorten it's life
 
Gecko

Gecko

Well-known member
It's unlikely to be as simple "just a diode". That'd work, but you'd also get the voltage drop across the diode junction, typically 0.6V. Doesn't sound like much, but if you're starting with only 1.2V, it limits the electronics you can run on it.

If the sonde is built with this practice in mind, you can use a MOSFET to fake a "ideal diode' (in this case, 'ideal' means 100% isolating when off, lossless when on).
 
Danny

Danny

Well-known member
Furniss

Furniss

Well-known member
20230221_182317.jpg


It finally arrived after customs held it up needing xtra forms filling in 😡
What a cluster f**k it is now after Brexit.

Anyhow did we reach a conclusion as to whether reversing the battery would lead to a slow and painful death or not ?
 
V8Druid

V8Druid

do it as well as you can,but learn to do it better
View attachment 44335

It finally arrived after customs held it up needing xtra forms filling in 😡
What a cluster f**k it is now after Brexit.

Anyhow did we reach a conclusion as to whether reversing the battery would lead to a slow and painful death or not ?
just put an insulating strip between the battery and the contacts
 
S

Stroppymonkey

Well-known member
View attachment 44335

It finally arrived after customs held it up needing xtra forms filling in 😡
What a cluster f**k it is now after Brexit.

Anyhow did we reach a conclusion as to whether reversing the battery would lead to a slow and painful death or not ?
Old post Resurrection. Sonde is on my shopping list, have a buried chamber to locate. Are you using yours with CAT? How you getting on with it please?
 
Giles

Giles

Well-known member
I have one but prefer to use genie on snake to trace stuff, easier to follow from where you are etc than finding sonde as a one off on end of rods

Continues snake has two cable clips to clip genie too etc
 
S

Stroppymonkey

Well-known member
I have one but prefer to use genie on snake to trace stuff, easier to follow from where you are etc than finding sonde as a one off on end of rods

Continues snake has two cable clips to clip genie too etc
Yes I have one of them… I do find it hard to find the actual end of it though ? Maybe I need more practice.
 
S

Smiffy

Well-known member
We use a sonde all the time. Needs two people though as it's very easy to loose it on your own. For what we do which is usually short runs of pretty poor surface water drainage it's perfect on a set of rods and takes up far less room. The gangs work out of either double cab tippers or tippers with tool pods so carrying a cobra is impractical and drain rods need to be carried anyway.
 
Giles

Giles

Well-known member
Yes I have one of them… I do find it hard to find the actual end of it though ? Maybe I need more practice.

If I’m looking for a chamber I use it with my camera snake so I know the end is in the chamber then trace along and signal goes off keep reducing sensitivity changing orientation until you zero in on an area. I’ve also got the c scope metal detector for finding metal lids that are burried etc
 
S

Stroppymonkey

Well-known member
If I’m looking for a chamber I use it with my camera snake so I know the end is in the chamber then trace along and signal goes off keep reducing sensitivity changing orientation until you zero in on an area. I’ve also got the c scope metal detector for finding metal lids that are burried etc
Metal detector and camera snake also on the list . Which camera do you have ?
 
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