Locating under 400KVA and higher lines

**underground quester** · July 31st, 2009, 12:37 AM

The other day I was locating a 12 bank power duct line that then turned and ran directly underneath 2 parallel 400KVA lines.

Son of a gun (roughly translated) could not get anything.

Was using 60 cycle and obviously, that would not work anymore.

Found a power transition down a pole and dropped my box... nothing.

Tried RF, nothing

Tried dropping the box on the duct near a manhole...nothing

Could not get anything. Phoned our auditor, he comes out with his VIVAX at 65KHZ and bingo finds it right away.

I use a metrotech 9860.

Anyone have any ideas on what else I might have tried with the Metro?

**RD_Wrangler** · July 31st, 2009, 03:56 PM

Find a direct connect point that feeds off the bank somewhere "downstream" from the distrbution side, and run in an audio frequency.

**yahoo** · August 1st, 2009, 11:04 PM

is there a ground copper coming down the pole near by????? within 10-15 ft??? try hooking on to it maybe....

**Wingfoot** · August 2nd, 2009, 01:30 AM

High-flow electrical transmission lines do have an unique quality about them. A contractor, putting up a new iron post traffic signal pole underneath a 161KVA line, had to wear gloves when jockeying the pole onto the base. The worker, Skip, told me static electricity was arcing from the base bolts to the pole as it was being lowered into place. The same arcing was happening when the iron extension arm was being positioned into place within 15' of the bottom 161 line.

Skip also said one of the new steel street light poles installed in the median got knocked down by a drunken driver. Skip said the replacement pole was never closer than 50' from the 161 lines. Still, when the replacement pole was lowered into place, Skip said the arcing was unbelievable between the pole and the base bolts.

The electromagnetic field surrounding these high-flow electrical transmission lines is real and does amazing things (lights up fluorescent bulbs, charges dead batteries, blows automobile fuses, shocks unprotected lineman, messes with locating frequencies). I have not experienced problems locating utilities underneath my aerial 400KVA lines.

Electromagnetic fields cause fluorescent bulbs to glow

These fluorescent tubes glow when an electrical voltage is set up across it. The high-flow electrical transmission lines generate the electric field set up inside the tube which excites atoms of mercury gas, making them emit ultraviolet light. This invisible light strikes the phosphor coating on the glass tube, making it glow.

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