The Armada testing equipment has proven to be the best solution for me and our service techs across the southeast US. There is a learning session that MUST take place with the user and the specific equipment. I force my techs to get engaged with the equipment and LEARN. These videos are a great resource and I appreciate your efforts here. Please keep them coming!
Excellent presentation. As a long-time, irrigation professional user of a very old Progressive 521, I can see some great advantages to upgrading to this newer, more comprehensive tool.
Thank you. The old 521s were work horses in their day. That was useful technology back in 1981 when they came out. Technology can make better things possible and that is what the Pro900 is.
Guy in the White Shirt looks like he wants to strangle the dude in the Gray Shirt, but guy in the Gray Shirt acts like knows his stuff and did his homework. Thanks Gray Shirt Dude.
I purchased one of the first ones availiable and it is all they say and more,I own and have used the greenele since 2007 ,because it's digital it uses more power that the greenele so the a/c feature if available is huge, however my located are quite faster so it balances.
Thanks for your feedback. The digital Pro900 is by far the best wire and valve locator out there and your experiences seem to confirm that. Again, thanks.
If you place the wand at an angle over the wire and pull it back you can get a depth on how deep the wire is. You found the wire, but where is the valve and showing the tone on a lost solenoid.
Nope, just plug her in and go. I would use the plug as much as possible because you not only save batteries but you get max power 100% of the time. Enjoy!
@ArmadaTech Thank you! I'm sorry I have one more question. Would I be able to use the inductive clamp to locate wifi cables? When I'm usually at a job I always hand pick along the wifi cable so I know where it is, and that takes time. Can I just clamp over and trace it?
The clamp will work on cables that ground on both ends and by placing the clamp between those 2 grounds. If by WIFI you mean the coax run to the house from the street, then yes, it will work great.@@Dirtyharold2cool
@ArmadaTech I'm sorry. Yes, that's what I was referring to. Thank you for answering my questions just finished my first test run and this thing tracks like butter! It's great
I recently purchased this tracker I really love it very easy to locate wire and track but I’m trying to understand what kind of sound it makes once I located a valve it seems to null over the valve Instead of go crazy like an old traditional tracker am I doing something wrong
You aren't doing anything wrong johnsee70 it may be a matter of adjusting to the behavior of the 3-antenna yellow arrow head. There should still be a very strong 'halo' signal around the box. You should also get a nice confirming signal when you select Peak versus Null mode. Are you using it with a specific vendor system or technology, like lightning-protected solenoids or even DC latching?
Based on my experience with the 600, you aren't mentioning at about 8:40 to disconnect the common wire. Otherwise the signal gives all kinds of false leads. So please clarify... yes, disconnect the common, or... leave it connected? Ok, at 9:56 you mention to "lift the common wire"... lift the common wire? I'm not familiar with that term, is that to say disconnect it? By the way, my 600 (which is a predecessor to the 700 and 800) is about 12 years old, and has never failed me to locate lost valves, though it has had issues at various times. I'm hoping to buy the 800 before the end of 2017, unless this video convinces me to go for the 900 instead. :-)
The Common wire should be disconnected to get the best track on a valve control wire. You are correct in pointing out that leaving it connected can lead to 'ghost' traces. Lifting a wire is just a term meaning to lift it off the controller terminal strip by unfastening it. We're glad to hear you have been taking good care of that Pro600 locator all of these years.
@@ArmadaTech Disconnecting the common wire at clock does not eliminate ghost signals. There is nothing in the clock that creates continuity between the common and the valve wire. The ghost signals are a result of the wires running together and there is continuity(albeit small) between ALL the solenoids because of the common wire and the nature of the design(a common wire, which runs to every solenoid). This is very easy to see with an ohm meter hooked up at the clock to two valve wires only, there will be a reading. This is also why the locator will fire up higher over just about any valve it gets over, yes it often be louder over the actual valve that the locator is hooked up to. But the differences can be quite subtle sometimes. I've been doing this for over 30 years btw. Yes, I like your product a lot.
@@doug2993 Thanks for your comments. You are right that "Ghost" or spurious track signals are mostly from magnetic cross-talk between adjacent zone wires. I noticed some time ago that the common wire itself gave a track that was greatly reduced by disconnecting it at the controller and since then I have done that for zone tracking. It may be that there is a virtual AC path to ground or zone wires through the controller circuits. I can think of some experiments to figure it out, but it would take some time. Also, you can spot specific valves more clearly if you move the transmitter lead from the ground stake and connect it to the common wire - you will lose the track, but the solenoid signal will be more distinct. - Jim @ Armada.
@@jimcarefoot9637 thanks for reply, I’ve never hooked up the ground wire to the common, I’ve always used the ground stake. Will have to check that out sometime, thanks!
Gas lines usually have trace wires or tape above them, so yes, the Pro900 will track either of those. Trace tape is more resistive so a higher power setting might be required.
I have one of these and no I wouldn't trust it - currently I am investigating getting a real locator even though it is a lot more money. Only luck I have had is if the wires are super shallow
I bought this bc of the no interference advertisement…… it’s not true at all. I’ve only used this pro900 at two commercial properties to no avail. I get too much static. A 500$ greenlee has served me better
Thanks for the comment. The Armada Pro900 is excellent at eliminating interference based on a plethora of contractor feedback, some of it below and numerous email communications. The design is excellent but there are other reasons for subpar performance. If you are experiencing static, possibly the Pro900 is not in working order as designed. While we love the design, sometimes they fail. Give us a call tomorrow at 616-803-1080. Set up an RMA and send it to us for review. The warranty is 12 months so it won't cost a thing. Seriously, we'll take care of you.
I bought one of these pro 900 as well as a pro65 "sonde" device. Short story - I want my money back, I do not recommend regardless of the coming reply from armada that you will likely find below offering assistance and possibly a number to call. responding here is just saving face, armada still hasnt helped me. I have emailed them weeks ago, there is no response, and even if put the effort in and get someone, im still stuck and I want my money back so I can go buy something better. I have 2k in them. Unlike a lot of tools that you can easily test and know right away if its good or not- such as a wrench or hammer- something electronic with a learning curve isn't so easy and by the time you learn to use it and realize it doesnt do the job you are past your return time. The guys in this video are very nice, im not faulting them, but this device does not do the job very well - and the pro65 sonde device is much worse. IF the pro 65 is laying on the ground you dont get a signal with the pro900 until its within about 3 inches, its certainly not going to work in a pipe in the ground.
Thanks for your feedback. As the guy in the video, I can say that you are correct, there is a learning curve. That's why we offer live, real first person support via phone to help folks through the purchasing process to match the locator with the client (or send them to someone who makes what they need if we don't) and afterwards, the learning process. Our offer still stands to call us, 8am to 4:30pm EST, or on off hours, we'll call you if we set up a time. We don't succeed in life and in business by saving face. I am the owner of Armada and understand/share your distrust of businesses in 2024. Corporations don't want the time and expense of supporting after the sale. That's not us. We are here when it is convenient for you to contact us at 616-803-1080. A live person will answer.
if you want to waste $1000 get the pro 900. you will end up smashing it in a million pieces and fedexing it back to them. their products are crap. 3 techs plus myself couldnt locate a balve with this. I got out the Greenlee 512 and found it in 5 minutes. Rep for Armada brought a wire locator out on a job to demonstrate their magic device 2 hours later he still hadn't found broken wire. SNAKE OIL!!!
We’re sorry if the Pro900 has not met your expectations to this point but let’s try to resolve this, if you wish. The Pro900 is our #1 locator, and as you’d expect, we have gazoodles of recommendation letters from contractors. Google it, they are out there. But occasionally, something goes wrong, for whatever reason. You have $1000 into it so let’s work on it from the factory perspective. Give us a call at 616-803-1080. Ask for Bruce. Or call our field technical support at 480-861-8062. Give us a shot rather than a sales rep as we built it so we know it best. We don’t ever guarantee perfection but we do guarantee that we’ll do our best to fix whatever the issue is.
@@ArmadaTech very simple exercise...using lo and hi and null and peak and yet the 900 failed to locate a valve...tech brought out his 521a and within 4 minutes the signal spiked over the valve....we then tried to figure what we missed the 900 was telling us...it didn't differentiate at all in peak or null being over the hidden valve.....want is too short...screen too difficult to read in bright sun..and difficult to operate..I regret spending that kind of money on something that absolutely will not be used by my techs...none of them want to use it
I'm thankful I'm not the only one out there!!! Now I can sleep tonight!!! Dang, I forgot I still have to pay a 200.00 service/repair fee on a unit that has been used a handful of times. Complex isn't always better.
The Armada testing equipment has proven to be the best solution for me and our service techs across the southeast US. There is a learning session that MUST take place with the user and the specific equipment. I force my techs to get engaged with the equipment and LEARN. These videos are a great resource and I appreciate your efforts here. Please keep them coming!
Thank you for the comment. We believe the Armada Pro900 is the best option for wire and valve locating. Your comments confirm that. :)
Excellent presentation. As a long-time, irrigation professional user of a very old Progressive 521, I can see some great advantages to upgrading to this newer, more comprehensive tool.
Thank you. The old 521s were work horses in their day. That was useful technology back in 1981 when they came out. Technology can make better things possible and that is what the Pro900 is.
Thank you, Billy Bob Thornton! Very educational 🫡
Guy in the White Shirt looks like he wants to strangle the dude in the Gray Shirt, but guy in the Gray Shirt acts like knows his stuff and did his homework. Thanks Gray Shirt Dude.
I love the humor. Nice to get this type of comment, brightens our day. No comment on if we strangled him or not. :)
I knew I saw you in Livonia, MI at the Expo yesterday. Lol.
very good info, thank you for the presentation on this new product.
You're welcome. We are trying our best to keep bringing new things to the table.
I purchased one of the first ones availiable and it is all they say and more,I own and have used the greenele since 2007 ,because it's digital it uses more power that the greenele so the a/c feature if available is huge, however my located are quite faster so it balances.
Thanks for your feedback. The digital Pro900 is by far the best wire and valve locator out there and your experiences seem to confirm that. Again, thanks.
If you place the wand at an angle over the wire and pull it back you can get a depth on how deep the wire is. You found the wire, but where is the valve and showing the tone on a lost solenoid.
Just came home with mine! Very excited for my next wiring job. Now when i plug into an ac outlet do i have to take out my D batteries?
Nope, just plug her in and go. I would use the plug as much as possible because you not only save batteries but you get max power 100% of the time. Enjoy!
@ArmadaTech Thank you! I'm sorry I have one more question. Would I be able to use the inductive clamp to locate wifi cables? When I'm usually at a job I always hand pick along the wifi cable so I know where it is, and that takes time. Can I just clamp over and trace it?
The clamp will work on cables that ground on both ends and by placing the clamp between those 2 grounds. If by WIFI you mean the coax run to the house from the street, then yes, it will work great.@@Dirtyharold2cool
@ArmadaTech I'm sorry. Yes, that's what I was referring to. Thank you for answering my questions just finished my first test run and this thing tracks like butter! It's great
I recently purchased this tracker I really love it very easy to locate wire and track but I’m trying to understand what kind of sound it makes once I located a valve it seems to null over the valve Instead of go crazy like an old traditional tracker am I doing something wrong
You aren't doing anything wrong johnsee70 it may be a matter of adjusting to the behavior of the 3-antenna yellow arrow head. There should still be a very strong 'halo' signal around the box. You should also get a nice confirming signal when you select Peak versus Null mode. Are you using it with a specific vendor system or technology, like lightning-protected solenoids or even DC latching?
Could you tell me the frequency you use for each the low and the high? I have a locator that has many different freqs and was curios of what you use.
The low frequency is 2 kHz and the high frequency is 33 kHz.
Based on my experience with the 600, you aren't mentioning at about 8:40 to disconnect the common wire. Otherwise the signal gives all kinds of false leads.
So please clarify... yes, disconnect the common, or... leave it connected?
Ok, at 9:56 you mention to "lift the common wire"... lift the common wire? I'm not familiar with that term, is that to say disconnect it?
By the way, my 600 (which is a predecessor to the 700 and 800) is about 12 years old, and has never failed me to locate lost valves, though it has had issues at various times. I'm hoping to buy the 800 before the end of 2017, unless this video convinces me to go for the 900 instead. :-)
The Common wire should be disconnected to get the best track on a valve control wire. You are correct in pointing out that leaving it connected can lead to 'ghost' traces. Lifting a wire is just a term meaning to lift it off the controller terminal strip by unfastening it. We're glad to hear you have been taking good care of that Pro600 locator all of these years.
@@ArmadaTech Disconnecting the common wire at clock does not eliminate ghost signals. There is nothing in the clock that creates continuity between the common and the valve wire. The ghost signals are a result of the wires running together and there is continuity(albeit small) between ALL the solenoids because of the common wire and the nature of the design(a common wire, which runs to every solenoid). This is very easy to see with an ohm meter hooked up at the clock to two valve wires only, there will be a reading. This is also why the locator will fire up higher over just about any valve it gets over, yes it often be louder over the actual valve that the locator is hooked up to. But the differences can be quite subtle sometimes. I've been doing this for over 30 years btw. Yes, I like your product a lot.
@@doug2993 Thanks for your comments. You are right that "Ghost" or spurious track signals are mostly from magnetic cross-talk between adjacent zone wires. I noticed some time ago that the common wire itself gave a track that was greatly reduced by disconnecting it at the controller and since then I have done that for zone tracking. It may be that there is a virtual AC path to ground or zone wires through the controller circuits. I can think of some experiments to figure it out, but it would take some time. Also, you can spot specific valves more clearly if you move the transmitter lead from the ground stake and connect it to the common wire - you will lose the track, but the solenoid signal will be more distinct. - Jim @ Armada.
@@jimcarefoot9637 thanks for reply, I’ve never hooked up the ground wire to the common, I’ve always used the ground stake. Will have to check that out sometime, thanks!
Can this be used in any way to locate underground gas lines?
Gas lines usually have trace wires or tape above them, so yes, the Pro900 will track either of those. Trace tape is more resistive so a higher power setting might be required.
I have one of these and no I wouldn't trust it - currently I am investigating getting a real locator even though it is a lot more money. Only luck I have had is if the wires are super shallow
Have you found one? Wish one do you recommend?@@dcbrunk
I bought this bc of the no interference advertisement…… it’s not true at all. I’ve only used this pro900 at two commercial properties to no avail. I get too much static. A 500$ greenlee has served me better
Thanks for the comment. The Armada Pro900 is excellent at eliminating interference based on a plethora of contractor feedback, some of it below and numerous email communications. The design is excellent but there are other reasons for subpar performance. If you are experiencing static, possibly the Pro900 is not in working order as designed. While we love the design, sometimes they fail. Give us a call tomorrow at 616-803-1080. Set up an RMA and send it to us for review. The warranty is 12 months so it won't cost a thing. Seriously, we'll take care of you.
I bought one of these pro 900 as well as a pro65 "sonde" device. Short story - I want my money back, I do not recommend regardless of the coming reply from armada that you will likely find below offering assistance and possibly a number to call. responding here is just saving face, armada still hasnt helped me. I have emailed them weeks ago, there is no response, and even if put the effort in and get someone, im still stuck and I want my money back so I can go buy something better. I have 2k in them. Unlike a lot of tools that you can easily test and know right away if its good or not- such as a wrench or hammer- something electronic with a learning curve isn't so easy and by the time you learn to use it and realize it doesnt do the job you are past your return time. The guys in this video are very nice, im not faulting them, but this device does not do the job very well - and the pro65 sonde device is much worse. IF the pro 65 is laying on the ground you dont get a signal with the pro900 until its within about 3 inches, its certainly not going to work in a pipe in the ground.
Thanks for your feedback. As the guy in the video, I can say that you are correct, there is a learning curve. That's why we offer live, real first person support via phone to help folks through the purchasing process to match the locator with the client (or send them to someone who makes what they need if we don't) and afterwards, the learning process. Our offer still stands to call us, 8am to 4:30pm EST, or on off hours, we'll call you if we set up a time. We don't succeed in life and in business by saving face. I am the owner of Armada and understand/share your distrust of businesses in 2024. Corporations don't want the time and expense of supporting after the sale. That's not us. We are here when it is convenient for you to contact us at 616-803-1080. A live person will answer.
if you want to waste $1000 get the pro 900. you will end up smashing it in a million pieces and fedexing it back to them. their products are crap. 3 techs plus myself couldnt locate a balve with this. I got out the Greenlee 512 and found it in 5 minutes. Rep for Armada brought a wire locator out on a job to demonstrate their magic device 2 hours later he still hadn't found broken wire. SNAKE OIL!!!
We’re sorry if the Pro900 has not met your expectations to this point but let’s try to resolve this, if you wish. The Pro900 is our #1 locator, and as you’d expect, we have gazoodles of recommendation letters from contractors. Google it, they are out there. But occasionally, something goes wrong, for whatever reason. You have $1000 into it so let’s work on it from the factory perspective. Give us a call at 616-803-1080. Ask for Bruce. Or call our field technical support at 480-861-8062. Give us a shot rather than a sales rep as we built it so we know it best. We don’t ever guarantee perfection but we do guarantee that we’ll do our best to fix whatever the issue is.
@@ArmadaTech very simple exercise...using lo and hi and null and peak and yet the 900 failed to locate a valve...tech brought out his 521a and within 4 minutes the signal spiked over the valve....we then tried to figure what we missed the 900 was telling us...it didn't differentiate at all in peak or null being over the hidden valve.....want is too short...screen too difficult to read in bright sun..and difficult to operate..I regret spending that kind of money on something that absolutely will not be used by my techs...none of them want to use it
@@universaldonor3100 Can we set up a training review via Zoom or other to investigate? Hard to do this over youtube.
I'm thankful I'm not the only one out there!!! Now I can sleep tonight!!! Dang, I forgot I still have to pay a 200.00 service/repair fee on a unit that has been used a handful of times. Complex isn't always better.