Vivax Metrotech vLoc3-Pro, User Handbook Manual

Page 1: ...vLoc3 Series Receiver s User Handbook vLoc3 Pro vLoc3 XLF and vLoc3 ML English Edition Version 1 0 P N 4 04 000226 vLoc3 Pro vLoc3 XLF vLoc3 ML ...

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Page 3: ...e units similar to computers Generally they have a life of three to five years Under no circumstances should any attempt be made to charge these batteries Dispose of following your company s work practice environmental standards the prevailing laws or recognized best practice Always dispose of batteries responsibly 5 General Rules regarding Disposal of Batteries Never disassemble a battery or batt...

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Page 5: ...2 Broad Peak Mode 11 2 8 3 Null Mode 11 2 8 4 Delta Null Mode 11 2 8 5 Peak with Arrows Mode 12 2 8 6 Omni Peak Response Mode 12 2 8 7 Information Pushbutton Depth Current 12 2 9 Alternative Locate Screens 13 2 9 1 The Vector Configuration Screen 13 2 9 2 The Transverse Plot Screen 14 2 9 3 The Plan View Screen 14 3 Using the vLoc3 Series Receivers 16 3 1 Passive Locating 16 3 1 1 Detecting Power ...

Page 6: ...h Screen 42 5 3 6 Frequencies Page 44 5 3 7 Menu Settings 44 5 3 8 Advanced Features 45 5 3 8 1 Supervisor Lockouts 45 6 The Loc3 Series Transmitters 46 6 1 Loc3 Series Transmitter Overview 46 6 2 The Transmitter Display 46 6 3 Pushbuttons 47 6 3 1 Transmitter Information Pushbuttons 47 6 3 2 Transmitter Connections Block 48 6 4 Transmitter Batteries Li ion and Alkaline 48 6 5 Charging the Transmi...

Page 7: ...ber On both receiver and transmitter the software revision number is displayed on the LCD during the startup sequence or found in the About section of the user menu Receivers with the SD option installed will show this icon label on the blade where it meets the yellow upper housing Receivers with the Tx Link option installed will show this icon label on the blade where it meets the yellow upper ho...

Page 8: ...7 Website www vivax metrotech com Email LatinSales vxmt com Central South America and the Caribbean Vivax Metrotech AUS Unit 1 176 South Creek Road Cromer NSW 2099 Australia Tel 61 2 9972 9244 Fax 61 2 9972 9433 Website www vivax metrotechaus com Email sales vxmtaus com service vxmtaus com Shanghai Vimap Technology Co Ltd 9 F Building 89 Xinhuiyuan No 1122 Qinzhou North Road Shanghai China 200233 ...

Page 9: ... the receiver 2 1 vLoc3 Series Receivers Overview The below applies to the vLoc3 Pro and vLoc3 XLF receivers The vLoc3 ML and vLoc3 MLA are covered in section four of this manual What s in the box 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 vLoc3 Series Receiver 2 Mini USB cable 3 Li ion battery 4 Charger 5 AA Alkaline batteries Not supplied in all regions 6 Alkaline battery holder 7 Power cable for charger Provided base...

Page 10: ...o the mains and switch it on The LED indicator on the charger will illuminate red until the batteries are fully charged at which time the LED will change to green WARNING Rechargeable batteries are supplied with a mains or 12V DC charger The chargeris specific to the battery Only use the charger that is appropriate for the battery in the product If in doubt call the Vivax Metrotech customer servic...

Page 11: ...tive Features Are optional modes and physical add ons such as Bluetooth Marker Locator Adapter and other options that may have been ordered Informational Covers the receiver s configuration firmware version and regulatory information It is recommended that the setup section be done first It will be easier to finish the receiver s setup if it is done in the native language To enter the user menu pr...

Page 12: ...it can be set to switch off after a set time Options are 5 minutes 10 minutes or Never Note that when the accessory A frame is connected the timer defaults to Never 2 4 2 Setup Operational Frequency Press the Enter key to enter the Frequency sub menu Scroll up and down the table of available frequencies using the and keys TIP Simplify the operation of the receiver by selecting only the frequencies...

Page 13: ...re information see the section Remote Operation of the transmitter DFT Discrete Fourier Transform is a tool to help choose a frequency to apply to the target conductor The DFT feature will aid the user with nearby interference that may affect the locate quality 2 4 4 Setup Informational About This section holds the data about the locator such as software revision calibration data etc Regulatory La...

Page 14: ...urce of the signal is mainly radiating from above This alert is usually caused by the signal traveling along overhead cables 2 6 2 DFT Discrete Fourier Transform DFT is a tool to assist in choosing a frequency to apply to the target conductor The DFT feature will aid the user with nearby interference that may affect the locate quality Note the DFT feature should not solely be used to determine whi...

Page 15: ...r Frequency 491Hz 491Hz 512Hz 8 19kHz 32 8kHz 65 5kHz 131kHz 200kHz 80 dB 74 dB 62 dB 56 dB 49 dB 43 dB 37 dB NOTE Although frequency results appear to have less interference it still does not make it the best choice to locate certain utilities These include but are not limited to a conductor current output resistance and signal bleed over adjacent utilities 2 7 vLoc3 Series Locate Modes and Scree...

Page 16: ...maining charge 2 7 2 The Classic Screen The Classic Screen has all the functions normally seen on a classic cable locator The main functions being 0 39m 18 3 17dB 116mA SD USA 3 2 1 4 5 6 7 8 1 Percentage of signal strength mirrors 4 the bar graph 5 Signal Direction forward back arrows only active with Signal Direction frequencies 2 Peak level indicator 6 360 Compass line direction indicator turns...

Page 17: ...e using a single antenna can boost the received signal The compass line direction indicator aligns itself parallel to the cable available in Active modes 2 8 3 Null Mode The vertical Null antennas receive a minimum or Null response over the buried line The Null mode works well in uncongested areas but is more prone to inaccuracies due to the effects of field distortion This effect can be utilized ...

Page 18: ... screen the Omni feature is available in the Peak and Broad peak modes 2 8 7 Information Pushbutton Depth Current Log 0 50 42 59 90570 N 3 26 35 54358 W 27 50m 0 78m 233mA 0 SD When in a Locate screen a quick press of the i information pushbutton will display the depth and signal current The top left of the display shows Longitude Latitude positional information To the top right is the height abov...

Page 19: ...adjust with keys 6 Plan View of the target 7 Cross section view that shows vectors to target Using the Vector screen 1 Apply the signal to the target line in the usual manner and select the Vector screen using a long press on the Return button until the desired screen appears 2 Position the locator near the position of the target line Use the Plan View 6 screen to help guide you toward the target ...

Page 20: ...sponse Null response In non distorted fields the Peak and Null positions should coincide and the shape of the fields should be symmetrical about the centerline The picture below screen shows a slightly distorted field 3 9 33dB 14 1mA 8 19kHz To take a plot first locate the target using one of the other locate screens Then select the Transverse screen by a long press of the return button Repeat thi...

Page 21: ...ram lines are together the greater the confidence In addition to the tram lines the color of the target line also changes depending on the degree of confidence Green low distortion high confidence Blue minor distortion medium confidence proceed with care Red excessive distortion low confidence Treat all data and measurements with caution 4 If the target is off the screen an arrow will appear on th...

Page 22: ...en electrical power is distributed throughout the network some power finds its way back to the power station via the ground These stray currents can jump onto pipes and cables and also create power signals Note that there has to be an electrical current flowing to create a detectable signal For instance a live cable that is not in use may not radiate a detectable signal Also a very well balanced c...

Page 23: ...ower 50 31dB 7 Rotate the vLoc3 receiver on its axis to obtain the maximum signal The vLoc3 receiver is now directly over the line and with the blade across the line If using the Omni Peak mode there will be no change so switch to the Peak mode if the direction is required 8 The direction can also be found by rotating until the smallest signal is detected The blade is then in line with the cable p...

Page 24: ...d general purpose frequency is 33kHz and is a good starting point if in doubt When using Induction or the Signal Clamp the frequencies available are limited frequencies optimized for the equipment The full range of frequencies is available in the Direct Connection mode For frequencies below 45 kHz authorities such as the FCC allow higher power output to be used for frequencies of 45 kHz and above ...

Page 25: ...sometimes impossible to find a suitable projection to apply the connection clip to a ferrous material If this is the case use a magnet to contact the line and then clip the red clip to the magnet A good example of this is to make a connection to a street lighting circuit Usually it is the practice to connect the sheath of a lighting cable to a street lamp s metallic inspection cover Making a conne...

Page 26: ...off the rod To operate the clamp jaws when attached to the rod gently pull on the clamp cord which will open the jaws Release the cable to close them WARNING Always follow the appropriate safety requirements mandated by safety legislation safety practice and your company s safety procedures when applying a clamp coupler to a cable BEWARE that when placing a clamp around cables carrying high curren...

Page 27: ...on method a distance of at least 4 5m 15 feet is kept from the transmitter when pinpointing or taking depth readings When using the induction mode avoid placing the transmitter over metallic manhole covers Doing so will severely reduce the transmitter s effectiveness and in extreme cases cause damage to the transmitter s circuitry 3 3 Locating Active Signals These instructions assume that the Clas...

Page 28: ... maximum signal is detected Use the peak level indicator to assist With the maximum signal found and the compass running Forward Back the vLoc3 receiver is now directly over the line and exactly across it If the signal is not distorted and the maximum signal s position will coincide with the position as indicated by the arrows If these two positions do not agree it may be because there is signal d...

Page 29: ...cing a Buried Line Where possible trace out from the transmitter connection point Having pinpointed the line hold the locator vertically and in front of you with the compass line indicator pointing forward back Start by moving the locator left to right right to left over the line Keep the movement over the center of the line i e the largest meter response adjusting the gain when necessary Whenever...

Page 30: ...f possible distortion The Plan view screen has Tram lines on either side of the calculated position which moves further from the line as possible distortion is detected However when using the traditional screen the risk of an inaccurate location can be reduced further by doing the following Check to see if other radiated fields are distorting the signal Locate the cable first in the Peak mode and ...

Page 31: ...ller Peaks on each side of the large one A Null point will be between each small peak and the large peak The sonde is located under the center of the large peak The vLoc3 receivers detect the two Null signals and the position of the main Large Peak It uses this information to provide a reliable and efficient method of sonde location NULL NULL MAIN PEAK The vLoc3 Sonde Screen will display the Large...

Page 32: ...may be necessary to confirm the Sonde position when directly over the Sonde left to right Do this by moving the locator left to right to identify the strongest signal s position as indicated on the bar graph At this time the depth of the Sonde will be displayed at the top of the display 12 Having pinpointed the Sonde position it can now be pushed into a new location and the process repeated It is ...

Page 33: ...eliable results and maximize the next synchronization point s distance To synchronize the receiver to the transmitter at the beginning of a survey pinpoint the line very close to the transmitter be sure that it is the correct line Then standing facing away from where the transmitter is attached press the i pushbutton The unit will display the information screen showing the depth of line signal cur...

Page 34: ... pushbutton to re sync with the transmitter signal Log 0 0 78m 233mA 50 42 59 90570 N 3 26 35 54358 W 27 50m 0 SD 2 Continue to locate and pinpoint NOTE If several lines are commonly bonded the signal direction will carry through to the other lines This is useful for locating multiple line installations However be aware that if a non target line is commonly bonded to the target line that line will...

Page 35: ... vLoc3 ML Receiver vLoc3 MLA Marker Locator Adapter 1 Model Serial Number NOTE Software Revision Number On both the receiver and transmitter the software revision number is displayed on the LCD during the startup sequence or found in the About section of the user menu Receivers with the SD option installed will show this icon label on the blade where it meets the yellow upper housing Receivers wit...

Page 36: ...rrent measurements are not available in the Dual locate mode Switch to a line locate mode to view depth and current on the line 4 3 1 1 Dedicated Marker Mode Long press on the button to enter the Dedicated Marker Mode In this configuration the unit is dedicated to locating markers The screen of the vLoc3 MLA will look similar to the illustration below The Dedicated Marker Screen 19 1 12dB 1 2 3 4 ...

Page 37: ...Water 66 35kHz Power Europe 134kHz Tip Pressing and holding the button will shortcut you to the frequency screen Exit by pressing the button Detecting a Marker in the Dedicated Mode Switch on the locator and select the correct marker frequency Sweep the area where the marker is to be located Use a slow deliberate arm sweeping motion moving forward making sure no area is missed When in range of the...

Page 38: ...er volume Sonde Configuration Backlight Frequency Locate Perspective Marker Type Language Medium English Power 169 8kHz Water 145 7kHz Sanitary 121 6kHz Telephone 101 4kHz Gas 83kHz CATV 77kHz Non Potable Water 66 35kHz Note that both icons are now illuminated indicating that dual configuration is activated Energize the cable with an active signal as instructed in this manual Select the antenna co...

Page 39: ...c services or points of interest This manual covers all three mentioned receivers as the functions are the same across all three Still the locator screen will be slightly different in appearance 4 4 1 Set up the vLoc3 MLA Attaching the vLoc3 MLA Accessory 1 Take the vLoc3 MLA accessory and push fit it onto the end of the vLoc3 series receiver blade Ensure it clicks to lock into place 2 Now take th...

Page 40: ...t to use the thumb and middle finger to do this With the buttons depressed pull the accessory from the blade of the vLoc3 receiver 4 4 1 1 Operation of the vLoc3 MLA The operation of the vLoc3 MLA is the same as the vLoc3 ML receiver with the exception of Depth Measurement The following section will cover depth measurements with the vLoc3 MLA 4 4 1 2 Marker Depth Estimation with the vLoc3 MLA Note...

Page 41: ...ated by the animation Marker Locator Adapter 20cm 7 The depth estimation will be displayed similar to the one shown Log 0 1 25m 50o 42 59 90570 N 3o 26 35 54358 W 27 50m NOTE If the marker signal is not valid because it is very shallow or the signal is weak because the marker is very deep the depth indicator will be replaced by dashes Log 0 50o 42 59 90570 N 3o 26 35 54358 W 27 50m TIP The depth r...

Page 42: ...ess the i pushbutton In the depth and current screen press the pushbutton to save the data The Log number indicates the number of records stored To exit the screen without logging the data press the button Log 1 0 87m 261mA 50 42 59 90570 N 3 26 35 54358 W 27 50m 0 SD If the GPS function is enabled the GPS coordinates will also be displayed and attached to any saved file For more information on Da...

Page 43: ... cancel Are you sure 7 After the deletions are complete the vLoc3 will return to the locate accessory screen Deleting logs 5 1 Bluetooth As an option the vLoc3 series receivers can be upgraded by the user with a Bluetooth module to communicate with external GPS modules or Dataloggers vLoc3 Series Bluetooth Module ...

Page 44: ...oth module is installed A Black GPS icon indicates that the Bluetooth module is installed Bluetooth pairing with external devices 1 Switch on the external device 2 Switch on the vLoc3 series receivers and enter the user setup menu by a long press on the i button 3 Use the and keys to scroll to and select Bluetooth Pairing 4 Press the Enter key 5 Press the Enter key to start a Bluetooth search for ...

Page 45: ...dongle MyLocator3 is a free downloadable App available at www vivax metrotech com in the Apps section Follow the instructions to download and install the application A MyLocator3 icon will appear on the computer desktop after the app is installed Connect your vLoc3 series receivers to the computer via the mini USB connector which can be found under the battery cover flap Launch MyLocator3 by doubl...

Page 46: ...rsion from the Vivax Metrotech server which the user can install 5 3 2 3 Locator Firmware update Each time a locator is connected to the PC its firmware version is checked against the latest version available on the Vivax Metrotech server and the user is notified if an update is available as shown below This feature will only be available if the computer is connected to the internet Clicking on th...

Page 47: ...e stepped though by using the controls on the right hand side The user can upload a selection of logs from the locator to the PC using the upper right hand side controls The data in the data log can be configured before exporting The parameters that can be set are Distance units Date format Time format i e UTC or local time Files may be exported and saved locally as csv bin kml or shp files and ex...

Page 48: ...en the image is centered vertically and white bars are used as padding If the scaled image height is greater than the LCD height then the image can be re positioned vertically by clicking and dragging the left mouse button anywhere on the image To insert your startup screen first click on the Open button Then browse your files to select the picture required as the startup screen The application is...

Page 49: ...Data Logging The Splashscreen download area To remove a startup screen and revert to the default Vivax Metrotech screen click on the Clear button and download the cleared screen The default factory loaded splash screen ...

Page 50: ... user control over which menu items appear on the locator and the menu item s initial setting when the locator is first used after configuration The menu items with a right pointing arrow can be expanded to reveal additional sub menu items If the On Menu item is ticked then the item will appear on the locator menu The item displayed in the Setting column will be the initial locator setting after c...

Page 51: ...ur computer via a standard USB socket the icons for the Splash Screen page Frequencies page and the Menu Settings page will change color to green This color indicates the page is unlocked Levels of Dongle security 1 End user supervisors 2 Vivax Metrotech distributors repair centers and managers The Splash Screen page Frequencies page and Menu Settings page can be individually locked by double clic...

Page 52: ...tteries 5 watt x 8 10 watt x 12 5 Alkaline battery tray 6 Mini USB lead 25 Watt Transmitter 1 3 5 6 2 7 4 1 Loc3 25Tx Transmitter 2 Li ion battery tray 3 Carry bag 4 AC DC Adapter Loc3 25Tx 5 Direct connection lead Loc3 25Tx 6 Ground stake 7 Mini USB lead 6 2 The Transmitter Display 5 and 10 Watt Transmitter Display 1 2 5 6 7 8 3 4 8 19 kHz 1 0 2 mA 9 1 Mode indication icon 6 Output step bar graph...

Page 53: ...the transmitter is protected by a 4A 250V fuse in the event of excessive voltage or voltage spikes on the line 6 3 Pushbuttons 1 3 4 5 2 1 On Off button 2 Frequency selector 3 Information Volume Volts Ohms Multi frequencies LCD Contrast Receiver Link Frequency menu and About screen 4 Output decrease Navigate through the menu 5 Output increase Navigate through the menu 6 3 1 Transmitter Information...

Page 54: ...4 Battery charging DC input socket All connections to the transmitter are made through the connection block 6 4 Transmitter Batteries Li ion and Alkaline 5 and 10 Watt Transmitters The 5 watt transmitter uses 8 x D cell alkaline batteries while the 10 watt uses 12 x D cells 25 Watt Transmitter The 25 watt transmitter ships with a custom Li ion battery tray with a charger and power cable An optiona...

Page 55: ...er will glow red while charging and turn green when fully charged Charging Socket FUSE Charging Socket Plug the charger into the charging socket on the side of the transmitter or directly into the battery tray Battery Charger is supplied as standard equipment with the 25 watt transmitter Battery Charger is supplied with the optional Li ion battery tray Optional 12 volt DC Power Lead this 30ft 90m ...

Page 56: ... mate and not get damaged 1 Align the aligning post and lower the transmitter base into the battery tray 2 Press down on the locking catch until it clicks and locks in place Rotate the transmitter locking all the latches 6 7 Transmitter Modes WARNING Always connect the transmitter to the target line following your company s procedures These operations should only be performed by authorized personn...

Page 57: ...atts 10 watts or 25 watt output depending on your transmitter but frequencies over 45kHz are restricted to 1 watt Using direct connection and the higher power at the low frequencies helps significantly in achieving greater location distances Direct connections should not be made to cables carrying greater than 25V or as your safety practices allow The transmitter is protected 250V fuse from stray ...

Page 58: ...ce located with the Induction mode is generally much less than that achieved with a direct connection or clamp connection The Induction mode is only available from 8kHz and above Induction frequencies are available based on the user selection See section 6 8 2 for information relating to the Most Used Frequencies Frequency Selection Feature to add and remove frequencies from the favorite frequenci...

Page 59: ...l limit the current being transmitted therefore it is not unusual to increase the output level but see no increase in the currently displayed This is not a fault with the transmitter The transmitter will always revert to first level output when switched on as a power saving feature In most circumstances this output level is sufficient Increasing the output power unnecessarily will reduce battery l...

Page 60: ...he f pushbutton to select or deselect the frequency An x will appear in the box for a selected frequency Frequency Menu SD USA FF Low X FF High 5 and 10 Watt Transmitters Frequency Menu 4Hz 8Hz 98Hz X 4Hz 8Hz 128Hz X 3Hz 6Hz 512Hz 25 Watt Transmitter 5 After selecting the frequencies press the i pushbutton again to exit the Frequency Menu and return to the main display 6 A particular frequency in ...

Page 61: ...ress the i pushbutton to return to the main display On the main display Multi will appear indicating the multi frequency mode is active M U LT I 3 3 2 mA 6 The frequencies selected for multi frequency mode will be saved until changes are made even when the multi frequency mode is deactivated 6 9 Transmitter Link TX Link Currently the Tx Link feature is only available in the 5 watt and 10 watt tran...

Page 62: ...nk has not been activated 83 1 kHz L 2 5 While the icon on the transmitter is flashing indicating that it is waiting to connect to a receiver switch on the vLoc3 series receiver and enter the user menu by pressing and holding the information button Scroll down the menu options until Transmitter Link is highlighted Note that the transmitter and receiver sides of the radio links can be switched on i...

Page 63: ...ate exit back to the locate screen When in the Locate screen the status of the Link is displayed in the Status bar The various indications of the status are listed below No radio module or it is disabled Always disable in the User Menu when not in use No link and no signal No link and poor signal No link but good signal Is linked to the transmitter but the signal is poor Is linked to the transmitt...

Page 64: ...pipes the faults consist of coating defects In cables faults are usually caused by insulation damage allowing the metallic sheath or internal conductor to contact the earth 7 3 vLoc3 MLA Marker Locator Adapter The vLoc3 MLA Marker Locator Adapter is designed for easy fast and accurate location of buried EMS markers Once located the MLA will give the depth of cover to the buried marker with the tou...

Page 65: ...uried pipes or cables These signals come from various sources in the environment and couple to the buried overhead lines Typical examples 50 60Hz and LF VLF radio Peak A maximum response to a buried line Pinpoint Using a receiver to identify the exact position of a buried line Response The indication that the receiver gives which is caused by the signals it is receiving This can be visual audio or...

Page 66: ... Notes Vivax Metrotech Corporation 3251 Olcott Street Santa Clara CA 95054 USA Toll Free 1 800 446 3392 Phone 1 408 734 1400 Website www vivax metrotech com ...

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