DCI DigiTrak MFCB Operator's Manual

DIGITAL
CONTROL

INCORPORATED

[e-mail]

www.DigiTrak.com

MFCB

Multi-Function Cable Box

Operator’s Manual

DIGITAL CONTROL INCORPORATED

403-3400-00-C1, Oct 2013

© 2010–2013 by Digital Control Incorporated. All rights reserved.

Trademarks

The DCI logo, CableLink®, DataLog®, DigiTrak®, Eclipse®, F2®, F5®, iGPS®, MFD®, SST®,
target-in-the-box®, Target Steering®, and TensiTrak

®

are U.S. registered trademarks and

DucTrak™, FBC™, FBP™, F Series™, FSD™, FasTrak™, LWD™, SBP™, SE™, SED™,
SuperCell™, and TeleLock™ are trademarks of Digital Control Incorporated.

Limited Warranty

All products manufactured and sold by Digital Control Incorporated (DCI) are subject to the
terms of a Limited Warranty. A copy of the Limited Warranty is included at the end of this
manual; it can also be obtained by contacting DCI Customer Service, 425-251-0559 or
800-288-3610, or at DCI's website, www.digitrak.com.

Important Notice

All statements, technical information, and recommendations related to the products of DCI
are based on information believed to be reliable, but the accuracy or completeness thereof is
not warranted. Before utilizing any DCI product, the user should determine the suitability of
the product for its intended use. All statements herein refer to DCI products as delivered by
DCI and do not apply to any user customizations not authorized by DCI nor to any third-party
products. Nothing herein shall constitute any warranty by DCI nor will anything herein be

deemed to modify the terms of DCI’s existing Limited Warranty applicable to all DCI products.

The most recent version of this manual is available on DCI's website.

Compliance Statement

This equipment complies with Part 15 of the Rules of the FCC and with Industry Canada
license-exempt RSS standards and with Australia Class License 2000 for LIPD (low
interference potential devices). Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this
equipment may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this equipment must accept any
interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. DCI is
responsible for FCC compliance in the United States: Digital Control Incorporated, 19625
62nd Ave S, Suite B103, Kent WA 98032; phone [phone] or 800-288-3610.

Changes or modifications to any DCI equipment not expressly approved and carried out by

DCI will void the user’s Limited Warranty and the FCC’s authorization to operate the

equipment.

CE Requirements

DigiTrak receivers are classified as Class 2 radio equipment per the R&TTE
Directive and may not be legal to operate or require a user license to operate in some
countries. The list of restrictions and the required declarations of conformity are available on
DCI’s website, www.digitrak.com, under the Service & Support tab. Click on DOWNLOADS
and select from the CE Documents pull-down menu to download, view, or print the
documents.

ii DigiTrak MFCB Operator’s Manual

Contact Us

United States
DCI Headquarters

19625 62nd Ave S, Suite B103
Kent, Washington 98032, USA
+1.425.251.0559 / 1.800.288.3610
+1.425.251.0702 fax

[e-mail]

Australia

2/9 Frinton Street
Southport QLD 4215
+61.7.5531.4283
+61.7.5531.2617 fax

[e-mail]

China

368 Xingle Road
Huacao Town
Minhang District
Shanghai 201107, P.R.C.
+86.21.6432.5186
+86.21.6432.5187 fax

[e-mail]

Europe

Brueckenstraße 2
97828 Marktheidenfeld
Germany
+49.9391.810.6100
+49.9391.810.6109 fax

[e-mail]

India

DTJ 1023, 10th Floor
DLF Tower A, DA District Center
Jasola, New Delhi 110044
+91.11.4507.0444
+91.11.4507.0440 fax

[e-mail]

Russia

Molodogvardeyskaya Street, 4
Building 1, Office 5
Moscow, Russia 121467
+7.499.281.8177
+7.499.281.8166 fax

[e-mail]

DIGITAL CONTROL INCORPORATED

DigiTrak MFCB Operator’s Manual iii

DIGITAL CONTROL INCORPORATED

Dear Customer,

Thank you for choosing a DigiTrak locating system. We are extremely proud of the equipment
we have been designing and building in Washington State since 1990. We believe in
providing a unique, high-quality product and standing behind it with superior customer service
and training.

Please take the time to read this entire manual, especially the section on safety. Also, please
fill in the product registration card provided with this equipment and either mail it to DCI
headquarters, fax it to us at 253-395-2800, or complete and submit the form online at our
website, www.digitrak.com. We will put you on the Digital Control mailing list and send you
product upgrade information and our FasTrak newsletter.

Feel free to contact us if you have any problems or questions. Our Customer Service
department is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. International contact information is
available on our website.

As the horizontal directional drilling industry grows, we’re keeping our eye on the future to
develop equipment that will make your job faster and easier. Visit us online any time to see
what we’re up to.

We welcome your questions, comments, and ideas.
Digital Control Incorporated

Kent, Washington
2013

See our DigiTrak Training Videos on YouTube at www.youtube.com/dcikent.

iv DigiTrak MFCB Operator’s Manual

DIGITAL CONTROL INCORPORATED

Table of Contents

Safety Precautions and Warnings .................................................................. 1

General ........................................................................................................... 1

Equipment and Battery Disposal ..................................................................... 2

Pre-Drilling Testing .......................................................................................... 2

Interference ..................................................................................................... 2

Caring for Your Cable Box ............................................................................... 3

Caring for Your Transmitter ............................................................................. 3

Introduction ...................................................................................................... 4

MFCB Connections .......................................................................................... 5

Powering the MFCB ......................................................................................... 6

Connecting to the Remote Display ................................................................. 7

Connecting to the Cable Transmitter ............................................................. 8

Installing Transmitter in Housing ................................................................... 9

Cable Mode ..................................................................................................... 10

Cable Mode Display Screen .......................................................................... 10

Roll Offset ....................................................................................................... 11

Target Steering .............................................................................................. 12

Appendix A: System Specifications ............................................................. 13

Power Requirements ..................................................................................... 13

Environmental Requirements ........................................................................ 13

Appendix B: Transmitter Wire Repair or Replacement ............................... 14

Limited Warranty

DigiTrak MFCB Operator’s Manual v

DIGITAL CONTROL INCORPORATED

vi DigiTrak MFCB Operator’s Manual

DIGITAL CONTROL INCORPORATED

warnings and must review this operator’s manual before using a DigiTrak
Locating System.

Serious injury and death can result if underground drilling equipment makes
contact with an underground utility such as a high-voltage electrical cable or a
natural gas line.

Substantial property damage and liability can result if underground drilling
equipment makes contact with an underground utility such as a telephone, cable
TV, fiber-optic, water, or sewer line.

Work slowdowns and cost overruns can occur if drilling operators do not use the
drilling or locating equipment correctly to obtain proper performance.

DCI equipment is not explosion-proof and should never be used near flammable
or explosive substances.

In the event of electrostatic shock, the display screen may go blank. No data loss
will occur. Click the trigger to reset the receiver, or toggle down to reset the
remote display.

Hot surfaces can occur on cable transmitters if housing requirements are not met.
Always ensure the transmitter is installed properly in the housing during use.

Safety Precautions and Warnings

Carefully review this manual and be sure you always operate your DigiTrak locating system
properly to obtain accurate depth, pitch, roll, and locate points. If you have any questions
about the operation of the system, please contact DCI Customer Service for assistance.

General

Directional drilling operators MUST at all times:

 Understand the safe and proper operation of drilling and locating equipment, including

the use of ground mats and proper grounding procedures.

 Ensure that all underground utilities have been located, exposed, and accurately marked

prior to drilling.

 Wear protective safety clothing such as dielectric boots, gloves, hard hats, high-visibility

vests, and safety glasses.

 Locate and track the transmitter in the drill head accurately and correctly during drilling.
 Maintain a minimum distance of 8 in. (20 cm) from the front of the receiver to the user’s

torso to ensure compliance with FCC requirements.

 Comply with federal, state, and local governmental regulations (such as OSHA).
 Follow all other safety procedures.

DigiTrak MFCB Operator’s Manual 1

DIGITAL CONTROL INCORPORATED

This symbol on equipment indicates that the equipment must not be disposed of with your
other household waste. Instead, it is your responsibility to dispose of such equipment at a
designated collection point for the recycling of batteries or electrical and electronic
equipment. If the equipment contains a banned substance, the label will show the pollutant
(Cd = Cadmium; Hg = Mercury; Pb = Lead) near this symbol. Before recycling, ensure
batteries are discharged or the terminals are covered with adhesive tape to prevent
shorting. The separate collection and recycling of your waste equipment at the time of
disposal will help conserve natural resources and ensure it is recycled in a manner that
protects human health and the environment. For more information about where you can
drop off your waste equipment for recycling, please contact your local city office, your
household waste disposal service, or the shop where you purchased the equipment.

DigiTrak locating systems cannot be used to locate utilities.
Continued exposure of the transmitter to heat due to frictional heating of the drill head can

cause inaccurate information to be displayed and may permanently damage the transmitter.
Remove the batteries from all system components during shipping and prolonged storage;

damage caused by leakage may occur.

Equipment and Battery Disposal

The battery charger provided with your DigiTrak locating system is designed with adequate
safeguards to protect you from shock and other hazards when used as specified within this
document. If you use the battery charger in a manner not specified by this document, the
protection provided may be impaired. Do not attempt to disassemble the battery charger, it
contains no user-serviceable parts. The battery charger shall not be installed into caravans,
recreational vehicles, or similar vehicles.

Pre-Drilling Testing

Before each drilling run, test your DigiTrak locating system with the transmitter inside the drill
head to confirm it is operating properly and providing accurate drill head location and heading
information.

During drilling, the depth will not be accurate unless:

 The receiver has been properly calibrated and the calibration has been checked for

accuracy so the receiver shows the correct depth.

 The transmitter has been located correctly and accurately and the receiver is directly

above the transmitter in the drill head underground or at the front locate point.

 The receiver is placed on the ground or held at the correct height-above-ground distance,

which has been set correctly.

Always test calibration after you have stopped drilling for any length of time.

Interference

Interference can cause inaccuracies in the measurement of depth and loss of the
transmitter’s pitch, roll, or heading. Always perform a background noise check prior to drilling.

 Sources of interference include, but are not limited to, traffic signal loops, invisible dog

2 DigiTrak MFCB Operator’s Manual

fences, cable TV, power lines, fiber-trace lines, metal structures, cathodic protection,
telephone lines, cell phones, transmission towers, conductive earth, salt, salt water,
rebar, and radio frequencies.