Greetings Cableviners!

**irguy** · June 14th, 2011, 02:09 PM

I produce instructional content for SeekTech utility locators. I know our equipment well, have a good theoretical understanding of locating, and want to build my understanding of the work and the folks doing it so that I can produce better content. Judging from the threads I've read so far, I've come to the right place!

**Enjoythefall** · June 14th, 2011, 09:28 PM

My boss says he'd never use your locators, Which is a damn shame... they look pretty snazzy.

**irguy** · June 15th, 2011, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by Enjoythefall

My boss says he'd never use your locators, Which is a damn shame... they look pretty snazzy.

Glad you like 'em!

I'm curious - what do you like and what doesn't your boss doesn't like about them?

**yahoo** · June 15th, 2011, 09:45 PM

welcome to the vine dude!!!

**Enjoythefall** · June 15th, 2011, 10:15 PM

I think your antenna system is amazing. There's no reason that other brands still use the traditional setup. Streaming depth and current on the SR-60? Useful as all getout, I'd imagine. And the display (from what I've seen) can really help you visualize exactly what you're lookin' at and where it is going... all of that on top of programmable frequencies. It just looks like a homerun feature set. I was toying with the Idea of seeing about a demo unit, but I'm not really in a position to make a purchase like that for no reason, since my employer provides all the equipment that I need...

My boss says they're cheaply made and eat batteries. He's also under the impression that they are passive only. He's an RD man through and through, though... an RD-400, that is.

After reading this over, it seems like an advertisement, but it isn't. I just watched/read anything I could find on it, and was impressed. I've had no experience with the unit so You've gotta take my opinion with a grain of salt

**sprayandpray** · June 16th, 2011, 06:41 AM

How could anything eat more batteries than an 8000? I think that transmitter is made by Duracell !

**irguy** · June 16th, 2011, 12:26 PM

Enjoythefall - Great feedback, thanks! If you ever have an opportunity to use a SeekTech unit, please share your impressions in the SeekTech forum here. Also, if you have questions about the equipment, that would be a good place to post them.

**RD_Wrangler** · June 18th, 2011, 06:25 AM

Originally Posted by sprayandpray

How could anything eat more batteries than an 8000? I think that transmitter is made by Duracell !

I really don't get that. I hear it all the time. I change my transmitter batteries once every 2-4 weeks depending...

Maybe the fact that I hate the sound it makes and keep the volume off?

**UULC** · June 18th, 2011, 03:59 PM

The 7000 are in the same boat. They are anchors also. They eat batteries even with the volume and the power down.

**paintitnow** · June 18th, 2011, 07:56 PM

if you set it at 10 watts and induce you will drain the batteries quickly. i have a 7000 and started turning the volume off and i only use one bar which is good for most things and i get over a weeks of usage out of my batteries

**6feetunder** · June 18th, 2011, 11:22 PM

Originally Posted by RD_Wrangler

I really don't get that. I hear it all the time. I change my transmitter batteries once every 2-4 weeks depending...

Maybe the fact that I hate the sound it makes and keep the volume off?

I seem to think a lot of guys just change the batteries once it shows battery low. I've noticed , at least with mine, it will show battery low but then once turned off, then on again it goes back to working for quite awhile. Also keep in mind if you're using the 10watt unit , that's over 3 times the juice of a standard 3watt rd4000.

**paintitnow** · June 19th, 2011, 12:51 AM

i have also notice that. It might blink and show low battery but if you turn the machine off and turn it back on at next locate the batteries do recover, I also use the used batteries from my transmitter in my receiver and some more use out of the batteries

**Mke** · June 19th, 2011, 04:06 PM

when I tried out the RD 8k if you left the transmitter on full power it would drain pretty fast, but it didn't take me that long to figure out you don't need 100% to do most of the locates. The thing that I noticed on the reciever is that if you turned down the sound your batteries would last longer, but since i'm an 810 guy we almost need the sound. I worked with out it, with the RD, but couldn't imagine not having it with the 810.

mke

**Wingfoot** · June 20th, 2011, 07:05 AM

Originally Posted by irguy

I produce instructional content for SeekTech utility locators. I know our equipment well and have a good theoretical understanding of locating. I want to build my understanding of the work and the folks doing it so that I can produce better content. Judging from the threads I've read so far, I've come to the right place!

Hey SeekTech - Welcome to the'Vine! My thoughts are the same as Enjoythefall's; the SeekTech SR-20 looks pretty snazzy:

I've been a RD user for my entire 14 years of locating experience. I'm not as gentle with my locating equipment as I should, but I've never broken a RD receiver in half either............

I am not against the SeekTech. I am skeptical the SR-20 would withstand the physical rigors of high-volume, "real-world" locating. The only way to find out is SeekTech getting exposure with the high-volume locating companies.

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