# Need to be schooled ASAP



## PrecisionPlumb (Feb 17, 2011)

ANY company I have ever worked for has subcontracted their camera work to other companies. Now having my own buisness I feel stupid hiring a plumber to do my job because I dont have the tools, so im in the market for a camera but need to locate or its kinda useless. Im so dense I just learned what a sonde is . but I have questions

Can any locator work with any sonde? or only same brands?

Are some locators better than others? Why?

Are some sondes better than others? WHY?

Can I buy a good sonde and put it on a cheap camera and be well off?

anything you can tell me That I dont know to ask? 

Thanks in advance. P.s. Im not spending $8k or anything near it


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

Good luck.


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

From what I've heard, this is the best deal out there for a new camera.

http://www.vu-rite.com/

Sewer camera sonde's transmit a 512 Hz signal so any locator that will pick it up will work. Some are better than others though. I used a Gator locator for 6-8 years and it worked well but can't compare to my Navitrack II. For the money, I think a Vu-Rite camera and a used Gator locator and you'll be in business. You could save your $$ for a Navitrack and then you'll be set.







Paul


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## PrecisionPlumb (Feb 17, 2011)

I dont mind putting money into buying a scout. But i do think I can save money on the sonde and camera. Hope im right. I have the money to buy whatever I wish but I will not spend more on this than what I can make back


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

Cameras are a great convenience. Unless you use it everyday, it would take forever to recover your money. The money for me, is using it as a tool to sell replacements. I would hate to be without one.


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## Nevada Plumber (Jan 3, 2009)

What kind of sewers are you going to be using the camera in? What lengths will you come across on a regular basis? These are the questions you need to answer before you buy a camera.

For instance, in my area, it's all 3" and 4" main sewer lines, all ABS or PVC, and almost never over 100 feet. I bought a Ridgid MicroReel, use the MicroExplorer for a monitor, and use a Ridgid Scout to locate with. The system works very well, and has payed for itself quickly.


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## waldrop (Dec 18, 2009)

Nevada Plumber said:


> What kind of sewers are you going to be using the camera in? What lengths will you come across on a regular basis? These are the questions you need to answer before you buy a camera.
> 
> For instance, in my area, it's all 3" and 4" main sewer lines, all ABS or PVC, and almost never over 100 feet. I bought a Ridgid MicroReel, use the MicroExplorer for a monitor, and use a Ridgid Scout to locate with. The system works very well, and has payed for itself quickly.


I have same setup works great ,it will take two years to pay for itself the way I use it


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

I have the Ridgid SR20. There isn't too much better.

That dig up I posted about last week, The electric co. marked the 4 kv line. I asked him how deep. He told me can't tell you, if you hit it, you could say I told you x inches deep. I whipped it off the truck, set it to 60 hz, and told him it was 34" deep, and his mark was off by 2" (it was). He told me that my eauipment was better than his. :thumbsup:

Anyway, a sonde emits a 512 signal. Any locator, set at 512, will pick up that signal. There are sondes that are attached to a pushstick, and also ones that you could flush down a pipe. Look at pollardwater.com. 

PS, you may be surprised at how much you will use a camera and locator, if you do any sewer and drain work.


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## 1703 (Jul 21, 2009)

I have a scout. Of the few locators I have used, it is by far the easiest. Darn near idiot proof.

If all you want to do is locate sondes, the scout will work fine.

However, if you think you might get into other types of locating, I think you'll want something like the RLP's SR.


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## PrecisionPlumb (Feb 17, 2011)

I do full service and remodel. Maybe need a camera once a month but right now im paying $250 everytime instead of making it. All homes here are 60% cast iron and 40% pvc. Orange burg has hopefully all been replaced. Majority of homes can be handled with 75'. 
I was thinking of buying a used scout $1000
New sonde $300
Make my own camera (BROTHER IN LAW DOES CUSTOM MEDIA) $600
So $1900 I believe I can have the best hope thats correct


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

You will find that the more you use a camera the more repairs and replacements you will be selling. Lines do clog for a reason and when you show the customer the reason you sell the work.

As far as the Scout it does have limitations on depth. The larger Navitrak II can locate deeper lines and I also prefer using it.


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## PrecisionPlumb (Feb 17, 2011)

ive never seen a sewer line deeper than 6 ft. here in texas are they not rated for 15'


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

I've had excellent success with our old Navitrack. Great for locating the 512 sondes, 512 camera, 33 brick signal, and the 60 signal for live electricity. I've been told by the Ridgid rep that anything over 10' gets sketchy. I have never missed anything up to 18'.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

I bought navitrak 11 back in summer, and have used it no less than once a week. More is not uncommon and I find it very helpful. Still learning it though. Thing is to learn how to charge for it, if I don't know where sewer is for sure I use it which is not uncommon, I used it on 2 jobs today. Thing is I payed a lot of money for something that will get me off the job sooner so less money. Hmmmm payed for something to make me less. Have to charge for it somehow.:blink:


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## PrecisionPlumb (Feb 17, 2011)

mpsllc said:


> I bought navitrak 11 back in summer, and have used it no less than once a week. More is not uncommon and I find it very helpful. Still learning it though. Thing is to learn how to charge for it, if I don't know where sewer is for sure I use it which is not uncommon, I used it on 2 jobs today. Thing is I payed a lot of money for something that will get me off the job sooner so less money. Hmmmm payed for something to make me less. Have to charge for it somehow.:blink:


Any time I use a closet auger I charge $8 fee
use a top snake $15.50
use a sink machine $28.50
use a large machine $34.50
Helps cover the cost of latex gloves and cables ect.
For the camera Im gonna charge $60.00
These prices are in addition to my labor rates


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

plbgbiz said:


> I've been told by the Ridgid rep that anything over 10' gets sketchy. I have never missed anything up to 18'.


I'll agree with that!

Here we have a lot of sewers that leave from under basement floors so they tend to be deep.

I also once looked down into a manhole that reminded me of looking down into a Titan Missile Silo...


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## PrecisionPlumb (Feb 17, 2011)

Well ive never seen a basement in my life, so typical depth is 3ft. to 6ft.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

PrecisionPlumb said:


> Any time I use a closet auger I charge $8 fee
> use a top snake $15.50
> use a sink machine $28.50
> use a large machine $34.50
> ...


That's the thing, I knew there was someone working cheap locally, I found him. They highest outfit in town has a guy out running drains only. He gets 60 an hr plus tax. No fees for machines. Is heck to compete much less charging fees for machines. Though I agree it is needed. This is a high end company is using him to get them in for other things is my thought.


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## Titan Plumbing (Oct 8, 2009)

PrecisionPlumb said:


> Well ive never seen a basement in my life, so typical depth is 3ft. to 6ft.


Come to Fort Worth.


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## Pipe Rat (Apr 5, 2009)

If you build your own camera for $600 post it up here for us to checkout. I haven't looked into it but I dont know if you could even get the push rod for that. Those things take a beating (shock, scraping, water submersion) might be a losing battle. I would like to see your results though, maybe your onto something.


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## PrecisionPlumb (Feb 17, 2011)

In his garage he has 7" tv for a car. LOTS of wire. Water submersable camera. stainless steel wire wheel. as far as the pushrod we planed on sealing the wire over fishtape. And make it to were you can record on thumbdrives


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## gitnerdun (Nov 5, 2008)

Spend the cash and get a quality tool. No offense, I have all that stuff and more in my garage, but I would be a little concerned with it failing in front of good customers. A camera will pay for itself in no time. Remember you aren't just putting your camera fee in your pocket, but also extra labor. Not to mention the repairs to the line you are sending the camera down.


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

PrecisionPlumb said:


> In his garage he has 7" tv for a car. LOTS of wire. Water submersable camera. stainless steel wire wheel. as far as the pushrod we planed on sealing the wire over fishtape. And make it to were you can record on thumbdrives


What is your billable hour rate? That is how much it is costing you to build a system. You may find the juice to not be worth the squeeze.


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## Maximumplumbing (Nov 6, 2010)

So as far as locators go, is the ridgid navitrack 2 the best there is? If I move into a camera I want the locating to be simple and accurate.

Sent from my iPhone using PlumbingZone


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## AssTyme (May 15, 2010)

PrecisionPlumb said:


> Well ive never seen a basement in my life, so typical depth is 3ft. to 6ft.



Around here the only homes without a basement are a few low dollar shacks. Weird how things are so different around the USA.


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## Nayman's Drain (Dec 17, 2010)

AssTyme said:


> Around here the only homes without a basement are a few low dollar shacks. Weird how things are so different around the USA.


Come NORTH, young man, I'll show you even weirder.


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## PrecisionPlumb (Feb 17, 2011)

AssTyme said:


> Around here the only homes without a basement are a few low dollar shacks. Weird how things are so different around the USA.


Here only mansions have a basement, but not a full basement like yall have but a mechanical room with a sump that pumps condensation up to the sewer


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## Western (Jan 25, 2011)

AssTyme said:


> Around here the only homes without a basement are a few low dollar shacks. Weird how things are so different around the USA.


I think that having all basements or no basements is based a lot on climate. In Wisconsin your frost depth is like 6 feet so when a contractor is digging footings for a new home by the time he gets them dug he's pretty close to done digging a basement. May as well throw out the extra dirt in the middle, pour a floor and use the space.

In warmer areas with a frost depth of 1 or 2 feet, a footing is just a shallow trench around the perimeter of the house. It takes a lot of extra digging and to get all that extra dirt out for a basement.


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## AssTyme (May 15, 2010)

Nayman's Drain said:


> Come NORTH, young man, I'll show you even weirder.


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## Titan Plumbing (Oct 8, 2009)

PrecisionPlumb said:


> Here only mansions have a basement, but not a full basement like yall have but a mechanical room with a sump that pumps condensation up to the sewer


We have full basements in Fort Worth.


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Most all basement homes here are all old historical homes,,,, if then.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Maximumplumbing said:


> So as far as locators go, is the ridgid navitrack 2 the best there is? If I move into a camera I want the locating to be simple and accurate.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using PlumbingZone


I believe they are.

I'm convinced that If I were to locate a line where the Navitrak II says the camera is at a depth of 4' and I had a 4' long drill bit I could drill a hole in the camera head. :thumbup:


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## Epox (Sep 19, 2010)

Redwood said:


> I believe they are.
> 
> I'm convinced that If I were to locate a line where the Navitrak II says the camera is at a depth of 4' and I had a 4' long drill bit I could drill a hole in the camera head. :thumbup:


I totally agree. I dug into a sewer line I located that was 73 feet away from c/o's with an excavator. Dug right down on top of it and actually pulled my sewer cable up with the bucket. I was a foot literally away from my root ripper. No sonde was used in this job. Used the Navitrak 11.:thumbup: And I'm still learning it. Hell yeah.:thumbup:


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## retired rooter (Dec 31, 2008)

I admit I am behind the times on some(alot) things but I am looking at a GEN-EYE picture(advertisement) on back side of the front page of the new CLEANER magazine I got today and it is showing a mini-cam going thru the right hand side of a kitchen sink. Is he putting it down thru the sink strainer? Please tell me what I missed by not going to the trade show this year???


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## PrecisionPlumb (Feb 17, 2011)

I am looking at purchasing a camera that says it comes with
-Inductive Locator Loop Terminal

What does that mean? Does that mean it has a sonde? Some one please explain


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## AssTyme (May 15, 2010)

http://cgi.ebay.com/SEWER-PIPE-DRAI...447?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aa91149ef


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## PrecisionPlumb (Feb 17, 2011)

AssTyme said:


> http://cgi.ebay.com/SEWER-PIPE-DRAI...447?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aa91149ef


My question is, What does that mean? Is that a sonde?


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## retired rooter (Dec 31, 2008)

if its from south coast equip ?? RUN RUN I am still wondering if gen -eye mini cams are so small that they can go thru sink strainers like its showing in ad ????


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## PrecisionPlumb (Feb 17, 2011)

Just an update, this camera is great!


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## Maximumplumbing (Nov 6, 2010)

What did you end up getting?

Sent from my iPhone using PlumbingZone


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## PrecisionPlumb (Feb 17, 2011)

Maximumplumbing said:


> What did you end up getting?
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using PlumbingZone


Probuilt camera 
Color 7" TV
Saphire lense
512 Sonde
Power from car, Wall plug, battery
Led light dimmer
$1650
Works perfect, has a great warranty


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## Prscptn Plmbng (Feb 15, 2011)

mpsllc said:


> I bought navitrak 11 back in summer, and have used it no less than once a week. More is not uncommon and I find it very helpful. Still learning it though. Thing is to learn how to charge for it, if I don't know where sewer is for sure I use it which is not uncommon, I used it on 2 jobs today. Thing is I payed a lot of money for something that will get me off the job sooner so less money. Hmmmm payed for something to make me less. Have to charge for it somehow.:blink:


You should be, charging flat rate for camera jobs...for any job for that matter.... Sounds like your selling your self short...

Prescription Plumbing Inc 
P.O.Box 6378 
Oceanside, CA 92502


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

Uh oh... F/R versus T/M... Drop the gloves boys. 

I'll be back to ref right after my union mandated break period...

:jester::laughing::thumbup:

Sent from my iPhone using PlumbingZone


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