Greenlee BLL-200 Manuel D'instructions page 9

BLL-200
Introduction
The BLL-200 Buried Line Locator consists of two components—a receiver and a transmitter.
The receiver can work alone, in Passive Mode, for tracing any current-carrying wires or cables.
When used with the transmitter, the receiver works in Trace Mode to pick up the transmitter's
unique signal on conductors such as wire, cable or metallic conduit.
The Receiver
The receiver is almost completely automatic, and provides three types of feedback to the
user — signal strength lamps, an LCD that displays signal strength as a numeric value, and a
speaker that produces a tone when the signal is near the maximum.
It also features a signal booster to pick up all but the weakest electrical signals. When the
booster is active, a plus sign appears on the LCD. The receiver can be used alone (Passive
Mode) or with the transmitter (Trace Mode).
The Transmitter
The transmitter produces a unique signal at 33.3 kHz that the receiver is tuned to. This unique
signal reduces the possibility of interference, and will not affect computers or other voltage-
sensitive equipment. The transmitter is versatile, providing three methods of transferring its
signal to the conductor: Direct Connection, Clamp, and Inductive Mode.
The most effective method is Direct Connection—using the leads included in the kit to connect
the transmitter directly to a conductor. The only disadvantage is that making a direct
connection isn't always possible, since the user doesn't always have access to the conductors
of the buried line.
When a direct connection is not possible, the next option is the clamp. Simply enclose the
conductor or conduit in the clamp and connect the clamp to the transmitter. This method
draws a higher amount of battery current, so the signal strength depends on the condition of
the batteries. Use fresh batteries for better results.
If it's not possible to use the clamp, the last method is Inductive Mode. This method sends the
transmitter's signal through the earth; the buried line acts like an antenna. This method isn't as
effective as the clamp or Direct Connection, but usually provides better results than using the
receiver alone.
Soil Type and Moisture Content
The performance of the BLL-200 is largely dependent on soil type and moisture content.
Moist, compact soil provides the best results. If the soil is dry, moisten it before tracing to
achieve better results.
Alkaline soil and soil with high iron content provide a poor tracing environment.
The best solution for poor soil conditions is to establish the best possible ground and use a
direct connection to the transmitter.
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