Johnson Level and Tool Company has just added four magnetic locators to its product line. The Johnson Magnetic Locators are used to detect ferrous metal objects whether they are buried as much as eight feet deep or hidden on someone's person. Search for a valve box lid hidden under asphalt, steel pipes used as property corners, downed fencing along a property line, or detect weapons for security screening. These magnetic locators are tough too. They can take being dropped from the truck onto the street or submerged in water as deep as 75 feet.

 The Johnson Magnetic Locators are really easy and very simple to operate. Model Numbers 40-6410 and 40-6420 both have a three-button keypad (see right). The middle button is the On/Off Power Switch as well as the speaker volume. The user controls the speaker volume by holding in the button causing the volume to cycle up to a higher volume until the button is released. The Gain Buttons control the sensitivity. The Gain Up Arrow increases sensitivity; the Gain Down Arrow decreases sensitivity. Operating the locators’ settings are as simple as that making single-handed operation possible.

The keypad for Models 40-6430 and 40-6440 is similar.  These two models have four buttons:  The On/Off Button, the two Gain Buttons (Up/Down Arrow), and a Zero Button.  The Zero Button is used to adjust the locator if a magnetic gradient soil strata produces a magnetic anomaly.  These two models do not have adjustable volume settings; rather, the volume fluctuates as a iron or steel object gets closer or further from the end of the detector.

Models 40-6420, 40-6430, and 40-6440 each have an LCD display like the one to the left. On the top of this display are two sets of bar graphs indicating Signal Strength and Polarity. Signal Strength bars will fill from the center out as the signal increase. Polarity bars will also fill from the center out as the polarity goes from negative to positive. A Gain bar graph in the lower left hand corner will fill in from left to right as the Sensitivity is increased by the user with the Gain Button and visa versa. A Battery Icon comes on in the lower right hand corner when the battery strength becomes low. That’s all there is to operate Johnson Level’s new magnetic locators.

The 40-6440 Long Magnetic Locator is ideal in aiding the user to keep him/her further away from any dangerous metal object. The 40-6430 Short Magnetic Locator is perfect for security screening and other situations where one handed, close operation is required. All models are lightweight, tough, and indispensable in the field for surveyors and engineers.