In today’s digital age, technology is developing and innovating so quickly it can be hard wrapping your head around it. There’s always new products and equipment to consider and choose from. And while it may be overwhelming, they do end up making your lives and your jobs much more convenient.
Lucky for you, we’re here to talk about some of the latest tech all tradies should know about.
Inspection Cameras
A handy tool for any tradie is a good inspection camera as it can be used for a multitude of tasks. And in this line of work, you really need something that can give you a picture of hard-to-view spaces. The best kind of camera is built to be rugged, lightweight and compact — able to survive even the harshest of conditions. Aside from packaging, the camera quality needs to be clear and well defined to make sure videos and photos aren’t blurred or pixelated.
One such product is the vCam-6 HD inspection system — well packaged and a high-quality camera. The perfect match for any well-equipped tradie. It can create video inspections complete with timestamps and audio comments to be sent straight to customers.
Sonde Locator
You don’t want to compromise on the quality and ability of a sonde locator as it helps identify important cables and lines. The best kinds are flexible ones that can navigate bends and usually have a greater transmitting depth. A sonde locator that can also be used for passive location is also a preferable choice as it gives more variety in detection as opposed to just one singular type of cable/pipe/system.
One of the best and easiest to use sonde locators on the market today is the vLoc3-Cam. It includes multiple sonde frequencies and comes with not one, but two passive locator modes! And to add icing on this cake, there is even an optional Bluetooth capability that helps with GPS mapping. There’s even an apps, VMMAPS & MyLocator3, which can help you manage and control one or a fleet of these locators.
Dial Before You Dig
This savvy system set up by the government has been around awhile. However, if you haven’t yet used it you should definitely get on it as it is a requirement to use prior to digging. Lodge a free enquiry on the Dial Before you Dig website or call 1100 — this connects you to underground asset owners (Telstra, NBN) that can let you know if they have pipes or cables on your excavation sites.
This system must be used in conjunction with utility locators. The VM-550 is a great general-purpose locator that can be used to detect pipe and cable services to double check the information given to you from Dial Before You Dig.
Don’t be afraid to branch out and try new products to see which best fits your job scope. If you’re looking for somewhere to start maybe check out all the tools available on our website and go from there!
