Underground Cable Break Finder

A compass?

You can rent one for a day...

Cheap is easy if you are lucky - we used to find breaks in spools of 15000' multiconductor armored wireline because we knew when a conductor broke, (in our case - most likely abraded) it would also be grounded to the cable armor. A reading of resistance from each end made it quite a simple ratio solution to find how far down the line the bad spot was. You may not be as lucky and if you are concerned about only one of several conductors, the conductor may be opened, but not shorted to ground.

THANKS

Google your title.

Very simple. Try it.

I did.

• Google your title.
  Very simple. Try it.
  I did.

Or if you are REALLY lazy, click below...

http://bit.ly/1yFXnDI

Let's give muthuk10 a little credit.

On second thought no, let's not.

I bet he'll click and not type.

Great idea! Seems like that feature would be easy to add to a scope.

You can try Cable fault locator based on Pulse reflection and intelligent bridge testing method with full-automatic and manual testing functions .

The machine is not prohibitively costly and can be used when ends of the cable are terminated in a ground level terminal box .

Thank you sir

• You can try Cable fault locator based on Pulse reflection and intelligent bridge testing method with full-automatic and manual testing functions .
• 
  
• The machine is not prohibitively costly and can be used when ends of the cable are terminated in a ground level terminal box .

You have described a Time Domain Reflectometer, see post #2.

This is really helpful tips, Thanks a lot.

I think my version is not only the cheapest method, but probably the easiest as well.

If a signal generator is not available, a simple oscillator might be constructed, with a variable component, to allow for "tuning" away from local radio stations, in the medium wave band...

I have to admit up front that I have never done it myself that way, as even at school I had access to signal generators! Valve (Tube) ones then of course!!! But they were REALLY expensive then as well, thousands of UK pounds I believe!

If you look here you will see many DIY schematics for signal generation, maybe one could be adapted, then pick one with a strong signal output:-

DIY Sig Gen Schematics

it is really worth thank u very much.

You said cheap

Have you considered a Wheatstone bridge circuit.

You can build your own and they can be surprisingly accurate at finding break and short locations in very long circuit runs.

Google it and I am sure you will get more information

I was in the gravel driveway of a new construction when I noticed steam coming out of the ground in one spot. It turned out to be the damaged underground power feed to the building (Electric heating the primary load).

With that in mind, you get connect both ends of the damaged cable to a welder, crank it up and look for steam.

It will be a destructive test and damage remaining good part of the cable

Yes, It is a JOKE designated by SMILEY FACE! hah hah hah

If there is water and an escape hole. I once saw a big hole made by such a fault! It threw a ton of concrete around at Pitney Bowes car park in Harlow, UK.

Wire Tracers and Underground Cable and Pipe Locators

see:

http://www.amprobe.com/amprobe/usen/wire-tracers-and-cable-locators/at-7000-advanced-wire-tracers/amp-at-7030-kit.htm?PID=79195