What % of your locates end up being inductive?

**RD_Wrangler** · February 13th, 2009, 09:07 AM

OH!!! And induction BAAAAAAAD! Unless it's cast iron main.

**ifinditunderground** · February 13th, 2009, 09:33 AM

In SUE you'll get fired if don't use induction in sections and on certain utilities, and of course perform blind grid sweeps by induction. Interesting how the two sides differ so widely.

**Mke** · February 13th, 2009, 10:18 AM

d'oh...

When I was first trained just short of 10years ago I was told by my Trainer " Induction is the last ditch effort to locate a utility and the results are not that reliable"

However, that same trainer switched ideologies when he changed companies and brought me over to from the dark side.

Induction is a god send when locating multiple utilities and in conjested areas, I know it sounds wrong but its not (depending on the situation- basement corridor in a hospital isn't the best of situations.)

Mke

**headcipher** · February 13th, 2009, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by RigidFreakTech

Induction will get you fired!!! If you can't locate it properly, ask your management for help and relieve yourself of the burden. If you take it into your own hands and induce and are wrong, good chance your back on the unemployment line.

Unless of course its approved in your company. It is not where I work.

Man, locators who don't know how to induce are sorely missing out on some needed skills.

You need to be competent at inducing utilities if you want to be able to work anywhere you might want to go.

All the best locators I've ever met were experts at locating inductively.

Want to know for sure? Then ask the SUE guys. They regularly locate crap that would make some techs quit.

Even if you're not supposed to put marks on inductive locates: Learn it. If you're in the business for a significant amount of time you will need it.

**RD_Wrangler** · February 13th, 2009, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by ifinditunderground

In SUE you'll get fired if don't use induction in sections and on certain utilities, and of course perform blind grid sweeps by induction. Interesting how the two sides differ so widely.

OK, you missed the winky face

Being SARCASTIC. SiMPle would've fired me in the first year if they'd have known the number of times I trouble-shot problem locates with induction. LOL!

**ifinditunderground** · February 13th, 2009, 07:41 PM

When I start a new project typically the first thing I do is DC to the nearest utility structure that will send a great deal of radio signal throughout the ground......yes, quite the opposite of what some of you would want. After performing some wandering about dotting out all of the signals I get, I will then come back and unplug and work by induction, carrying all of those dotted lines to their utility structures. When I am done chasing out all of my dots and painting the lines i've identified, I will then run some blind grid sweeps around the site problem solving all of the questionable signals that are left over. I will then go through and open every utility structure I have found and start the accounting process. I will account for everything I can in each structure, DCing if I have to. I will then move to any structure that I have nothing located in or out of and account for everything inside as well, through a combination of DC and induction. Every time I am DCed into a structure and I am done dotting lines out, I will perfrom several 360 degree sweeps around that structure looking for random lines I have missed, or to pick up new lines to again, resolve by induction. Once I am happy the work is complete, I will then perform blind grid sweeps of the entire site in any direction I possibly can to try to pick up any abandoned utilities, or utilities with no surface structures. No job is ever done without EVERY structure being opened, every manhole being pulled, and grid sweeps run across the entire site. Sometimes this take two hours, sometimes it takes 8 weeks, depending on the site and utilities.

**6feetunder** · February 14th, 2009, 04:53 PM

Once in a while I might direct connect, you know just for verification.

j/k. In all seriousness induction can be very useful when it comes to older gas , and or inside meters, at least with that you have prints with measurements that can verify your signal. 10 - 25%

**TBONE** · February 14th, 2009, 10:46 PM

Most my area is aerial with mostly water and sewer and pole dips so most of mine are all pipe horned

**DavidDodd** · June 10th, 2009, 01:15 PM

Need a vote Newbies!

**pipehorn hog** · June 10th, 2009, 05:47 PM

was always learry of induction until i went to staking university in manteno illinois . got some good training and now i use it for about 20 percent of my street stuff i cant groung on

**GPGrasshopper** · June 10th, 2009, 11:47 PM

I have always prefered direct connection. I have found that it is more reliable for me. I am a big believer in breaking all bonds and gounds, and isolating each leg/ cable. Of course you can't always do that on gas or power, so some of those have to be induced. I was always taught clip, clamp, and then drop, and made it habbit to appy them in that order. When all that fails, divine and/or bustout the shovel to verify.