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meter, or other point. Important: The connection between the transmitter and the conductor must be a clean, firm connection. The transmitter is also connected to a ground stake providing a strong open path to ground. Important: A weak ground connection is the most frequent cause of a poor tracing circuit. Make sure the transmitter is well connected to ground, and has enough exposure to the ground to allow current to flow through the circuit.
Inductive Clamp Mode: The transmitter is connected to an inductive clamp which is then closed around a pipe or cable. The transmitter energizes the clamp, which then induces a current in the conductor. Important: Make sure the
Inductive Mode: The transmitter is placed over the conductor. There is no direct connection; the internal coils of the transmitter generate a strong field through the ground which induces a current in the underground conductor of interest. Important: If the transmitter is too close to the
WARNING
Connect ground and power leads of the transmitter before powering the transmitter on, to avoid electric shock. See warning on page 4.
1.Energize the target conductor according to the transmitter manufacturer’s instructions, using one of the methods described above. Select the transmitter frequency. Set the frequency on the 
. Be sure the frequency has a
line trace icon
. Push the Menu Key 
to return to the operating screen. To activate frequencies not yet made active, see “Frequency Selection Control” on page 33.
Figure 20: Line Trace Frequency Chosen with the Frequency Key (This screen will flash briefly when a new frequency is chosen.)
2.Observe the Proximity Signal to ensure that the receiver is picking up the transmitted signal. The Proximity Signal should peak over the line and drop off on either side.
When tracing, the direction of the detected field will be shown on the screen by the Tracing Line. The Tracing Line will be a clear, single line if the field being detected is undistorted.
If other fields are interfering in some way, the distortion caused by those fields will be reflected by a blurring of the Tracing Line. The more distorted the detected field, the broader the cloud around the Tracing Line will be. This alerts the operator that the apparent axis of the line may be influenced by other fields, and requires careful evaluation.
The Tracing Line has three important functions. It represents the location, and the direction, of the signal being traced. It reflects changes in direction of the target utility — when the utility makes a turn, for example. And it helps recognize signal distortion. It does this by becoming cloudier as distortion increases. Disagreement between different indicators can also indicate distortion.
Figure 21: Tracing Line Showing Low Distortion
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