Rant: Dropped $400 on a 'professional' soil resistivity meter for a dig and it gave us totally useless data.

We used it at the new site near Tucson and the readings were all over the place, so now I'm stuck wondering if anyone has a reliable brand they actually trust for field surveys.

4 comments

4 Comments

aaron74018d ago

We had the same problem with a GeoScan unit last year on a rocky site in Nevada. I used to swear by the fancy digital gear, but that job made me switch back to the old clamp-on style meters. The analog ones just handle dry, uneven ground better in my experience. Our crew uses a Fluke meter now and it's been solid for three straight projects. It's not as flashy but the numbers actually mean something.

max22318d ago

That's interesting because some of the new gear actually has a 'rock mode' setting now, but it's buried in the menus.

evahenderson18d ago

Oh man, that reminds me of my buddy's crew. They had this brand new digital meter with all the modes. Tried to use it on this super rocky slope in Arizona. The "rock mode" was impossible to find, and the readings were all over the place. They finally dug out this old, beat up analog meter from the truck. It looked ancient but it just worked. Got the job done in half the time.

leehall18d ago

Four hundred dollars for a meter that can't handle basic field conditions is just crazy. The fact that it failed in Arizona dirt, which is basically the textbook place you'd need one, makes it even worse. It really seems like the new digital stuff is built for a perfect lab, not a real job site. Hearing about that old analog meter saving the day doesn't surprise me at all anymore. The simple tools just have less to go wrong when you're dealing with rocks and dry ground.