Care and Maintenance 

The RD8100 Marker locator and transmitter are robust, durable and weatherproof. However you can extend your equipment’s life by following these care and maintenance guidelines.

General

Store the equipment in a clean and dry environment.

Ensure all terminals and connection sockets are clean, free of debris and corrosion and are undamaged.

Do not use this equipment when damaged or faulty.

Batteries and power supply

Use only good quality Alkaline or NiMH batteries.

When using an AC adapter, use only Radiodetection approved adapters.

Only use Radiodetection approved Li-Ion battery packs.

Cleaning

WARNING! Do not attempt to clean this equipment when it is powered or connected to any power source, including batteries, adapters and live cables.

Ensure the equipment is clean and dry whenever possible.

Clean with a soft, moistened cloth.

If using this equipment in foul water systems or other areas where biological hazards may be present, use an appropriate disinfectant.

Do not use abrasive materials or chemicals as they may damage the casing, including the reflective labels.

Do not use high pressure hoses.

Disassembly

Do not attempt to disassemble this equipment under any circumstances. The locator and transmitter contain no user serviceable parts.

Disassembly may damage the equipment and or reduce its performance and may void the manufacturer’s warranty.

Service and maintenance

The locator and transmitter are designed to minimize the requirement for regular calibration. However, as with all safety equipment, it is recommended (and may be required by law) that they are serviced at least once a year, either at Radiodetection or a Radiodetection-approved repair center.

Regularly check your locator for correct operation using eCert and the on-board Self-Test.

NOTE: Service by non-approved service centers or operators may void the manufacturer’s warranty.

Radiodetection products, including this guide, are under continuous development and are subject to change without notice. Go to www.radiodetection.com or contact your local Radiodetection representative for the latest information regarding the RD8100 Marker locator or any Radiodetection product.

Enhanced Self-Test

RD8100 Marker locators incorporate an Enhanced Self-Test feature. In addition to the typical checks for display and power functions, the RD8100 applies test signals to it’s locating circuitry during a Self-Test to check accuracy and performance.

We recommend that a self-test is run at least weekly, or before each use.

Running a Self-Test

As the Self-Test tests the integrity of the locate circuity, it is important that it is carried out away from large metallic object such as vehicles, or strong electrical signals. To run a Self-Test:

1. Press the key to enter the menu.
2. Scroll to the INFO menu using the or  keys.
3. Press thekey to enter the INFO menu.
4. Select TEST using the or .  
5. Press the key to select YES
6. Press thekey to begin the Self Test
7. Once the Self-Test is completed, the result (PASS or FAIL) will be displayed.

8. Restart the locator using thekey.

RD Manager™

RD Manager is the RD8100 Marker Locator PC companion and allows you to manage and customize your locator. It also allows software upgrades to both the locator and transmitter.

You can use RD Manager to register your products to extend the warranty to a total of 3 years, setup your locator by performing a number of maintenance tasks, such as setting date and time, activating and de-activating active frequencies, setting up custom frequencies, or setting-up functions like CALSafe or StrikeAlert.

RD Manager is also used to retrieve and analyze internal logged data (logging models only).

RD Manager is compatible PCs running with Microsoft Windows XP onward, including Windows 10.

For more information about RD Manager refer to the RD Manager operation manual.

To Obtain RD Manager:

• Go to radiodetection.com/RDManager
• Follow the instructions

Upgrading software

From time to time, Radiodetection may release software upgrades to enhance features and improve performance of the RD8100 Marker locator or transmitter.

Software upgrades are free of charge.

You can check if your products are up-to-date or upgrade them by using the RD Manager software upgrade screen. Refer to the RD Manager operation manual for further information.

E-mail alerts and notification of new software releases are sent to all registered users. 

NOTE: To upgrade your software you need to have created an account using RD Manager and have a live internet connection. An optional Radiodetection supplied power source may be required to update your transmitter software.

eCert

The RD8100 Marker locator should be regularly checked to ensure its correct operation.

eCert provides a thorough test of the RD8100’s locating circuitry and marker transceiver, and supplies a Radiodetection Calibration Certificate when a positive test result is obtained.

To run eCert, the locator should be connected to an internet-enabled PC, on which the RD Manager software is installed. Additional eCert credits may be required and purchased.

Refer to the RD Manager operation manual for further details.

NOTE: eCert is not presently available for transmitters.

Time and date error messages

RD8100 usage logging models feature an internal clock which is used to time and date survey measurements, the 1/second internal logging and for the CALSafe feature.

Every time the locator is switched on, it performs a check to verify its correct operation.

In the unlikely event of an issue with this clock the system will emit a warning audio tone and display the word ERROR, followed by a 3 digit error code.

Make a note of this code and contact your nearest service center or Radiodetection representative.

RF Markers

The RD8100 Marker locator is compatible with any RF marker tuned to the frequency shown in the table below:

*Use of the red Electrical Power (PWR) marker locate mode is subject to radio licensing restrictions for Short Range Devices in the EU and possibly other countries. It is the responsibility of the user to ensure that the red Power (PWR) marker locate mode is only enabled in countries where radio licensing restrictions do not apply at the operating frequency of 169kHz.