Megger Sebakmt Digiphone+ Acoustic Cable Fault Pinpointing Receiver

The Megger Sebakmt Digiphone+ is the surge wave receiver used to acoustically and electromagnetically pinpoint cable faults on power cable, after the fault has been pre-located with a TDR or surge generator. Powerpoint Engineering supplies the Digiphone+ to Irish utilities, HV / MV cable contractors, and renewable site operators who need to convert a "fault is around 1,200 metres in" pre-location into a precise location on the ground that the excavator goes to first time.

Pre-location gets you close. Pinpointing gets you to the metre. Without a good pinpointing receiver, every cable repair turns into a long, speculative trench. With a Digiphone+, the same job is a planned excavation at a known mark on the ground.

How the Digiphone+ pinpoints a fault

Acoustic detection: a surge generator (thumper) discharges into the cable at regular intervals; the resulting acoustic pulse at the fault travels up through the soil and is picked up by the ground microphone on the Digiphone+.
Electromagnetic detection: the same surge produces an electromagnetic pulse along the cable; the receiver detects the pulse on a separate channel.
Combined acoustic and electromagnetic measurement: the unit measures the time delay between the EM pulse arrival and the acoustic pulse arrival, presenting a fault arrow that indicates the direction to the fault.
Walk and converge: the operator walks along the cable route, watching the fault arrow and listening to the fault noise on headphones, until both signals converge at the fault point.
Cable routing and expert cable tracing when paired with a transmitter, allowing the route of an unknown buried cable to be confirmed before any excavation starts.

Why combined acoustic plus EM matters

Acoustic-only methods can be fooled by traffic, weather, and noisy industrial environments. Electromagnetic-only methods can be fooled by parallel cables and crossings. Combining the two, with the time delay between them as the primary location indicator, is what gives the Digiphone+ the discrimination to find a fault under a busy footpath, a wet site, or a dense urban substation environment where simpler tools struggle.

Specifications: what to confirm before you order

Specification	What to confirm
Channels	Acoustic and electromagnetic, with combined fault arrow display
Sensors	Ground microphone and EM sensor accessories supplied for the cable types you locate
Surge compatibility	Trigger interface for Megger and Sebakmt surge generators (thumpers)
Headphones	Noise-cancelling headphones to hear the fault clearly on noisy sites
Sheath fault feature	Step-voltage receiver mode for cable sheath fault pinpointing
Calibration	Supplied calibrated; periodic recalibration through Powerpoint's lab

Target users and applications

Utilities and DNOs locating cable faults on MV and LV distribution networks
HV and MV cable contractors carrying out fault location campaigns on transmission and distribution cable
Industrial maintenance teams pinpointing faults on plant cable runs
Renewable site operators locating faults on wind, solar, and BESS collector cable
Cable-tracing specialists confirming buried cable routes before civil works

Typical applications include final pinpointing of cable faults after TDR pre-location, sheath fault pinpointing using step-voltage methods, cable routing and tracing for unknown buried cable, and verification of repair location after a joint or section replacement. As authorised Megger distributor in Ireland, Powerpoint Engineering supplies the Digiphone+ alongside the wider Megger Sebakmt fault location range and supports it with in-house calibration and repair.

FAQs

What is the difference between fault pre-location and pinpointing?

Pre-location uses methods like TDR, surge wave, ARM, and ICE to estimate the distance to the fault from one end of the cable. Pinpointing converts that distance into a precise location on the ground, usually within a metre, so excavation can be targeted. The Digiphone+ is a pinpointing receiver, used after pre-location.

Will the Digiphone+ work for cable sheath faults as well as conductor faults?

Yes, with the appropriate sensor accessory. The Digiphone+ supports step-voltage methods for cable sheath fault pinpointing in addition to acoustic and electromagnetic conductor fault pinpointing, covering both common fault types from one receiver.

Does the Digiphone+ need a thumper to work?

For conductor fault pinpointing, yes. The acoustic and electromagnetic events the Digiphone+ detects are produced by a surge generator (thumper) discharging into the cable. For cable tracing, the unit pairs with a low-power transmitter instead.

To match the right Digiphone+ kit to your fault location workflow and cable types, request a quote or speak to our team for compatibility advice.