Locating underground conduit
 

I know this is slightly off topic, but since I am intending to run
some RF cable in the conduit, and since there are a lot of intelligent
hams on this group, I will proceed anyway:

Last year at the beginning of construction of a new house I buried
about 50 feet of 3/4" Sched. 40 PVD between the house and a location on
the property perimeter. Now that I am ready to use it, I can not
locate the perimeter end.... it is somewhere in about a 10' area, and the
end curves up to probably about a foot underground.

The ground is nearly pure sand, and is well landscaped now to the
point that I do not want to randomly dig it up.

The end terminated in an elbow curving up and is well duct taped
shut.

Can anyone suggest a method or equipment I might use to locate that
far end?

Tnx.

Ed K7AAT

Locating underground conduit
 

Ed wrote:

I know this is slightly off topic, but since I am intending to run
some RF cable in the conduit, and since there are a lot of intelligent
hams on this group, I will proceed anyway:

Last year at the beginning of construction of a new house I buried
about 50 feet of 3/4" Sched. 40 PVD between the house and a location on
the property perimeter. Now that I am ready to use it, I can not
locate the perimeter end.... it is somewhere in about a 10' area, and the
end curves up to probably about a foot underground.

The ground is nearly pure sand, and is well landscaped now to the
point that I do not want to randomly dig it up.

The end terminated in an elbow curving up and is well duct taped
shut.

Can anyone suggest a method or equipment I might use to locate that
far end?

Tnx.

Ed K7AAT

Ed;

Run a metal snake into the conduit then get a metal detector and sweep
the area for the conduit. If this doesn't work there are wire tracing
detectors that might do the job. You hook the transmitter to the snake
and sweep with the detector.
If all fails you might try a metal probe. Stick the probe into the
ground and feel for the conduit. Or dig up a couple of feet of conduit.
Note the direction it is going then move in that direction and dig a
small trench where you thing the conduit is.
One of these methods should work.
If all fails install new conduit.

Dave WD9BDZ

Locating underground conduit
 

A suggestion for other folks who will be burying a conduit: Take a bunch
of pictures before the trench is filled. It's good to include distances
to some fixed reference points -- you can write them with a marker on
big pieces of paper laid on the ground to get them in the picture. I
haven't yet used the pictures I took of mine, but I sure have made a lot
of use of the pictures I took of the uncovered walls of a home addition,
showing the locations of all the studs and wiring.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

Locating underground conduit
 

Andy suggests:

Couple a garden hose to the end you can find and run water into
the PVC.... Go to the area surrounding the buried end and look for
the
sandy ground to be wet......

Andy W4OAH

Locating underground conduit
 

"Ed" wrote in message
. 192.196...

I know this is slightly off topic, but since I am intending to run
some RF cable in the conduit, and since there are a lot of intelligent
hams on this group, I will proceed anyway:

Last year at the beginning of construction of a new house I buried
about 50 feet of 3/4" Sched. 40 PVD between the house and a location on
the property perimeter. Now that I am ready to use it, I can not
locate the perimeter end.... it is somewhere in about a 10' area, and the
end curves up to probably about a foot underground.

The ground is nearly pure sand, and is well landscaped now to the
point that I do not want to randomly dig it up.

The end terminated in an elbow curving up and is well duct taped
shut.

Can anyone suggest a method or equipment I might use to locate that
far end?

Tnx.

Ed K7AAT

Stab an antenna rod down until you find it.

Locating underground conduit
 

On Oct 15, 1:17*am, Ed wrote:
* *I know this is slightly off topic, *but since I am intending to run
some RF cable in the conduit, *and since there are a lot of intelligent
hams on this group, *I will proceed anyway:

* *Last year at the beginning of construction of a new house I buried
about 50 feet of *3/4" Sched. 40 PVD between the house and a location on
the property perimeter. * Now that I am ready to use it, *I can not
locate the perimeter end.... it is somewhere in about a 10' area, and the
end curves up to probably about a foot underground.

* * The ground is nearly pure sand, and is well landscaped now to the
point that I do not want to randomly dig it up.

* * The end terminated in an elbow curving up and is well duct taped
shut.

* * Can anyone suggest a method or equipment I might use to locate that
far end?

* * Tnx.

* *Ed * K7AAT

Ive done this to locate wires in walls, might work for wires in
ground.

Make a buzzer form a relay by attaching the NC contacts in series with
the coil and battery.
Connect it to a wire running through the conduit making sure the wire
is not connected to power. The buzzer will generate enough hash you
can pick it up on a pocket AM rx.

Jimmie

Locating underground conduit
 

On 15 Oct 2008 05:17:22 GMT, Ed
wrote:

Last year at the beginning of construction of a new house I buried
about 50 feet of 3/4" Sched. 40 PVD between the house and a location on
the property perimeter. Now that I am ready to use it, I can not
locate the perimeter end.... it is somewhere in about a 10' area, and the
end curves up to probably about a foot underground.

If there is a wire in the conduit, just rent a "cable finder" from the
local rental yard. It's a low frequency transmitter and receiver
combination. If you have access to one end of the pipe, just shove a
metal "snake" into the pipe to provide a suitable conductor.

The ground is nearly pure sand, and is well landscaped now to the
point that I do not want to randomly dig it up.

That should be easy. Dry sand doesn't attenuate the signal much. Wet
sand is another story.

The end terminated in an elbow curving up and is well duct taped
shut.

Ummm... I think you'll find that the duct tape has dried out by now
and that your pipe is full of water and sand.

Can anyone suggest a method or equipment I might use to locate that
far end?

The cable finder is the right way. Ground penetrating radar will work
but is messy.

You can pressurize the conduit with an air compressor. That should
blow off what remains of the duct tape. Use your ears or a
stethescope to listen for the noise through the sand. If the end is
just below the surface, it should make a nice blow hole. Be prepared
to clean the sand out of your uncleable buried elbow.

If you think the pipe is clear, drop a small loudspeaker down the
other end and play rock music with a heavy bass beat. You should be
able hear that 50ft away. Use a stethescope.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Locating underground conduit
 

Roy Lewallen wrote in news:I8WdnRs5
streetonline:

A suggestion for other folks who will be burying a conduit: Take a
bunch
of pictures before the trench is filled. It's good to include distances
to some fixed reference points -- you can write them with a marker on
big pieces of paper laid on the ground to get them in the picture. I
haven't yet used the pictures I took of mine, but I sure have made a
lot
of use of the pictures I took of the uncovered walls of a home
addition,
showing the locations of all the studs and wiring.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL


Damn ! NOW you tell me ! :^)

actually, I did take a gazillion pictures of the house construction
and from foundation, through all framing, to completion... but I
neglected the outside !

Ed K7AAT

Locating underground conduit
 

AndyS wrote in news:58eba0a6-8107-40dc-85e9-
:

Andy suggests:

Couple a garden hose to the end you can find and run water into
the PVC.... Go to the area surrounding the buried end and look for
the
sandy ground to be wet......

Andy W4OAH




That's an excellent idea.... but I really hate water in my electrical
conduits.... I'll use that as a last resort. Thanks.

Ed

Locating underground conduit
 

"JB" wrote in
:


"Ed" wrote in message
. 192.196...

I know this is slightly off topic, but since I am intending to
run
some RF cable in the conduit, and since there are a lot of
intelligent hams on this group, I will proceed anyway:

Last year at the beginning of construction of a new house I buried
about 50 feet of 3/4" Sched. 40 PVD between the house and a location
on the property perimeter. Now that I am ready to use it, I can
not locate the perimeter end.... it is somewhere in about a 10' area,
and the end curves up to probably about a foot underground.

The ground is nearly pure sand, and is well landscaped now to the
point that I do not want to randomly dig it up.

The end terminated in an elbow curving up and is well duct taped
shut.

Can anyone suggest a method or equipment I might use to locate
that
far end?

Tnx.

Ed K7AAT

Stab an antenna rod down until you find it.




A definate consideration.... since the ground is sand. If the
antenna rod doesn't just bend around the conduit... may just work. Tnx.

Ed