Ground Penetrating Radar for Hobby

I have been studying ground penetrating radar and the possibility of purchasing one. I started metal detecting to find and interpet historical sites.

My main question is what would be your price point to purchase a GPR?

New retail is about $20K, I am comfortable at $7K.

Here is a site with information about GPR and maps of soil type in the US that correlates to how a metal detector would work in those soils. [soils.usda.gov]

Basic Information: Antenna frequency ranges are 100Mhz to 1.2Ghz, low freq provides more depth less resolution/ high freq very shallow depth high resolution. The dielectric properties of the soil is the largest determining factor in depth and resolution. In moderate soil (#3) a 400Mhz antenna provides about 8 feet of depth.

My wish list for a Hobby GPR is:

Cart to carry the antenna, battery, and GPS
Wireless interface between antenna and controller (computer or tablet)
1 battery and charger
GPS included and interfaced
Basic software with the ability to download the raw data
400 MHz antenna

Is there enough demand for a manufacture to offer a hobby GPR?
Could an optional 1.2 Ghz antenna provide enough resolution (shallow depth) to literally show us what is in the ground?

Disclaimer: I am not associated with any manufacture or supplier of GPR equipment.

HH
Fred

I suggest you take a look on the Geotech1 website, there's a few possible homebrew solutions, I don't follow them, so I've no idea how experimental or otherwise the projects are. Regarding frequencies: water absorption is the killer that restricts the upper frequency and depth. 2.4GHz is the water absorption peak, hence it's the operating freq of microwave ovens. For practical purposes, GPR will be good to just over 1GHz before depth suffers. The 'resolution' of a system should be roughly related to the wavelength of the radio used, you can probably get 1/4 wavelength, so about 7cm at 1GHz. I think often the freq choice is determined by what equipment is available, eg. cellphone parts etc.

Pimento,

Thanks for your reply. I don't have the skills or desire to build anything, I want to be out playing in the dirt.

The biggest variable after the antenna operating frequency would be the software to interpret the data.

HH
Fred

Might it be possible to hire out this kind of equipment (machine+skilled operator) and help recover the cost of purchase?

Many hobbies out there from bird watching to basket weaving but imagine the initial cost would be counter productive for most. I like the idea of offering your services to help pay for equipment. For member of the hobby we don't see what we are digging and doubt many would join your hobby as something would be lost if we saw an image ahead of time..Cannot help in any way but wish you luck in your ventures and doubt you would have much competition...

Hi,,I really have my doubts about there being any demand for the current GPR to be used in any ordinary hobby application....It just don't show enough information that could be utilized in obtaining coins etc. in a park etc. type scenario ..The 1.2 Ghz antenna would not provide enough resolution to show you what is actually in the ground...It would show you anomalies and that's about it....Now IF it could actually show you, and be able to tell the difference between dimes,quarters,bottle caps,foil,iron and pull tabs etc. at a reasonable depth, then that's a way different story....There would be a long,long line of people waiting and wanting to purchase this new miracle device at just about any inflated price.....JJ

The main application (mine) for a GPR would be a total site survey. Civil war hut sites, privys, plantations, cemeterys and building foundations.

Hiring out the equipment, labor and interpreting service is very possible (but I already have a full time job.) Renting the equipment for multipule projects is also reasonable if I was an organized person.

As for shallow depth resolution, I really like the idea and thrill of the unknown coming out of the ground (and trying to figure out how it got there) but think with software and processing power that one day it will be possible to "see" what is in the ground at a very shallow depth.


HH
Fred

Hi,, Yes Fred, GPR would probably be a very valuable asset in your specialized hobby endeavor....I do however recommend that you get one to penetrate down to at least six feet and get a big,big shovel & lastly get a hold of Ben Gay cause your going to need him at the end of the day.. LoL.....JJ

jimmyjiver,

Been there and done that with the Ben Gay. I have a list of 40 volunteers that would like to play with me. Worst hole my son and I dug out was a 24 foot deep privy. Don't want to do that again. Oh my back!!!

400 MHz antenna shoud penetrate to 3 meters in my moderate soil. Just have to find a GPR that I can afford.

HH
Fred

should imagine a lor of civil engineers and utilities guys are desperate for a unit to establish whats burried underneath pavements in old towns like london where no record exists of what pipes are burried and where they are.\at present they do hit and miss digs until they hit the right spot .sometimes fracturing mains pipes when they get it wrong.
then the hobbyists can follow on when the price gets low enough .
theres a major market waiting for a breakthrough on GPR ,far more than the hobbyists .

Fred, before you drop 10k for a GPR I highly recommend you find a way to get some driving time with one. First, they are not the least bit easy to use and interpret, and second they don't do what most people wish they did. UT-ARL does archaeological surveys, you might be able to hang out with them on a site and see what GPR can do.

Thanks for the suggestion Geotech. I have read a lot but no real world experience.