Rant: That $300 'professional' ground penetrating radar rental was a total bust

Been digging test pits for a potential burial site near a creek in Ohio. Rented a GPR unit for a weekend from a local shop, cost me $300 plus gas. Thing kept giving false positives every time I hit a wet patch of soil. I wasted two days marking spots that turned out to be old roots and rocks. Did anybody else get burned by one of those rental gadgets? What do you use instead when you're on a budget?

3 comments

3 Comments

miller.paul1mo ago

Wet soil wrecks GPR readings, that's pretty well known.

the_leo1mo agoMost Upvoted

Man I gotta say, I used to think GPR was just about the machine and how good you are at reading it. I figured soil conditions were overblown by the guys selling expensive gear. But after fighting with a soaked patch of ground last month and getting nothing but noise, I finally get it. You're right, wet soil really does mess everything up. Changed my whole view on prep work for sure.

josephb3515d ago

Yeah, that soaked ground thing is no joke. I had a buddy who ran a GPR job on a site that had just gotten a week of rain and he swore the machine was broken until he let it dry out for a few days. @miller.paul is right, it's one of those things you gotta learn the hard way I guess.