Schonstedt Locators Comparison Charts

Schonstedt is a leading manufacturer of top-quality Underground Magnetic Locators and Pipe & Cable Locators. To learn more about underground locating, you are welcome to review our Guide to Pipe and Cable Locating.

With the company’s magnetic locators, it is easy to locate iron pipes, steel enclosures, well casings, etc.

Principles of Magnetic Locating

Schonstedt magnetic locators operate on the principle of detecting the difference in the magnetic field present at 2 sensors spaced a fixed distance apart. In the absence of a buried object, the field at both sensors is the same. The presence of an object made of iron or steel results in a difference between the magnetic field at the top and the bottom sensors. That difference is called a gradient. The company’s locators indicate the detection of a gradient to the user by changing the pitch of an audio tone and, depending on the model, with a bar graph on a visual display.

	GA-52Cx	GA-72Cd	GA-92XTd	MAGGIE	Spot
Major Features	- Most Popular - Lower Cost - Highest Accurac	- Most Rugged - Most Popular for UXO and Demining Applications	Most Portable - Comes with Holster - Smallest - Most Ergonomic	- Pistol-grip - Visual Display - Highest Accuracy	Ultralightweight Lowest Cost Highest Accuracy
Audio Output	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Visual Output	--	Yes	Yes	Yes	--
Battery Indicator	--	Yes	Yes	Yes	--
Sensitivity Indicator	--	Yes	Yes	Yes	--
Sensitivity Controls	5 levels	4 levels	Continuous	Continuous	Continuous
Headphone Compatible	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	--

Locate buried gas lines, tracer wire, water lines, etc. with Schonstedt cable and pipe detectors.

Principles of Pipe and Cable Locating

There are 2 methods of pipe and cable locating: active and passive. In active locating, a transmitter is used to impose the circulation of an electric current on the pipe or cable, and the receiver is used to detect the field created by the current. Active locating requires an electrical circuit through which current can flow. How can you achieve this? There are 3 different types of connections (active modes) for it:

direct (conductive) - produces the largest amount of current;
inductive clamp - produces less current (a great option if you don’t have enough access to the pipe or cable);
inductive - produces less current than 2 other modes (should be used when other modes are not practical).

With the direct method, the direct connection to the pipe or cable must be made. In order to get a good signal, you need to apply the proper frequency. If conditions are good (conductor, connector, and soil conditions), the current will travel farther at the lowest frequency with less leakage to adjacent structures. It is recommended to start with the lowest frequency possible and increase as needed.

The inductive clamp method requires you to apply a clamp around the pipe or cable. At least one end (the far end), but preferably both, must be well-grounded.

In the inductive method, an antenna generates a signal that induces a current on the current pipe or cable. It is recommended to walk 15 to 10 feet away from the antenna before attempting to locate with the receiver.

In passive locating, the receiver detects a field created by the current that’s already circulating on the cable. No transmitter is required. The cable must be energized with a network distribution electrical current at a frequency of 60Hz or 50Hz. Passive locating should be used when other methods are not possible.

PIPE & CABLE LOCATOR COMPARISON CHART	Rex	Rex Lite	XT-512
Frequencies:
512 Hz	Yes	Yes	--
33 kHz	Yes	Yes*	--
82 kHz	Yes	Yes*	--
Sonde Mode:
512 Hz	Yes	Yes	Yes
Passive modes:
50 or 60 Hz	Yes	Yes	Yes
Passive Cathodic	opt	opt	opt
Batteries:
Receiver	9V	9V	9V
Transmitter	Recharge	10 AA	N/A
Other Features:
Manual Depth	Yes	Yes	Yes
Signal Strength	Yes	Yes	Yes
Directional Arrows	Yes	Yes	Yes
Good Circuit	Yes	--	--
Transmitter Power	Auto/Manual	Auto/Manual	--
Clamp	opt	opt	--
Inductive	Yes	Yes	--
Auto & Manual Gain	Yes	Yes	Yes