Portable device with electromagnetic noise measurement for inground transmitter frequency selection

A portable device for use in conjunction with a transmitter that is carried through the ground during an operational procedure while transmitting a transmitter signal having a transmission frequency in a region with electromagnetic noise, said portable device comprising:

• a receiver that (A) measures the electromagnetic noise at multiple frequencies without user interaction being required during the measurements, (B) provides for at least one of (i) displaying the measured electromagnetic noise at the multiple frequencies simultaneously for operator selection of the transmission frequency based on the noise measurement and (ii) automatically selecting the transmission frequency from the multiple frequencies based on the measurements, and (C) subsequently receives the transmitter signal at the selected transmission frequency during the operational procedure for tracking an inground position of the transmitter, the receiver including a user input arrangement for receiving one or more user interactions and wherein said receiver is configured to cooperate with the user input arrangement for accepting a user interaction to suspend measuring of the electromagnetic noise and, thereafter, to resume measuring the electromagnetic noise such that the electromagnetic noise that is present during the suspension is not factored into an average amount of electromagnetic noise at such measured frequencies.

A portable device for use in conjunction with a transmitter that is carried through the ground during an operational procedure while transmitting a transmitter signal having a transmission frequency in a region with electromagnetic noise, said portable device comprising:

• a receiver that (A) measures the electromagnetic noise at multiple frequencies without user interaction being required during the measurements, (B) provides for at least one of (i) displaying the measured electromagnetic noise at the multiple frequencies simultaneously for operator selection of the transmission frequency based on the noise measurement and (ii) automatically selecting the transmission frequency from the multiple frequencies based on the measurements, and (C) subsequently receives the transmitter signal at the selected transmission frequency during the operational procedure for tracking an inground position of the transmitter;
• and
• a display, and a processor, and
• wherein said processor derives a discrete noise level from the measured electromagnetic noise for each transmission frequency within a group of available transmission frequencies based on a time domain to frequency domain conversion and wherein said display indicates a noise level that is associated with each one of the available transmission frequencies.