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including the right of reproduction
in whole or in part in any form

Published by Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc.

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Printed in the United States

SIR, RADAN and UtilityScan are registered trademarks of Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc.
Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. SIR® System 4000
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Limited Warranty, Limitations of Liability and Restrictions

Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. hereinafter referred to as GSSI, warrants that for a period of
24 months from the delivery date to the original purchaser this product will be free from defects in
materials and workmanship. EXCEPT FOR THE FOREGOING LIMITED WARRANTY, GSSI
DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. GSSI's obligation is limited to
repairing or replacing parts or equipment which are returned to GSSI, transportation and insurance pre-
paid, without alteration or further damage, and which in GSSI's judgment, were defective or became
defective during normal use.
GSSI ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR INJURIES CAUSED BY PROPER OR IMPROPER OPERATION
OF ITS EQUIPMENT, WHETHER OR NOT DEFECTIVE.
Before returning any equipment to GSSI, a Return Material Authorization (RMA) number must be
obtained. Please call the GSSI Customer Service Manager who will assign an RMA number. Be sure to
have the serial number of the unit available.

FCC Class B Compliance

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two
conditions: (1) the device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any
interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation.
This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003
Contains FCC ID: VRA-SG9011089E
Warning: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device,
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment or residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with the introduction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation.
Shielded cables must be used with this unit to ensure compliance with the Class B FCC limits.

Canadian Emissions Requirements

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Cet appareil numerique de la classe B est conforme a la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

Notice
Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interference, and (2)
this device must accept any interference, including interference that may cause undesired operation of the
device.
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Table Of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................1
1.1: Unpacking Your System ............................................................................................. 1
1.2: General Description ..................................................................................................... 1
1.3 Cautions and Warnings ............................................................................................... 7
Chapter 2: Getting Started and Expert Mode Setup ..........................................................9
2.1: Hardware Setup ............................................................................................................ 9
2.2: Introduction Screen .................................................................................................. 11
2.3: Setup Collect/Playback Screen ............................................................................. 17
2.4: The Toolbar.................................................................................................................. 42
Chapter 3: Setting Up Your SIR 4000 for 2D Data Collection and Playback in
Expert Mode................................................................................................................................... 61
3.1: Setting Up Distance Mode Data Collection ...................................................... 61
3.2: Setup for Single Line 3D Collection in Expert Mode ...................................... 66
3.3: Setting Up for Time Mode Data Collection ....................................................... 67
3.4: Setting Up for Point Mode Data Collection ...................................................... 72
3.5: Playing Back Collected Data .................................................................................. 76
3.6: Saving an Image......................................................................................................... 76
Chapter 4: Using Quick3D Mode ............................................................................................ 77
4.1: Quick3D File Structure ............................................................................................. 77
4.2: Setting Up a Physical 3D Grid ................................................................................ 78
4.3: Setting Up Quick3D Collection ............................................................................. 79
4.4: Step By Step Quick3D Setup .................................................................................. 80
4.5: Collecting 3D Data .................................................................................................... 83
4.6 Modify the 3D Display during Collection ........................................................... 86
4.7 GPS Enabled 3D Collection ..................................................................................... 89
4.8 Quick3D Playback ....................................................................................................... 90
Chapter 5: Data Transfer and File Maintenance ............................................................... 97
5.1: Transfer to a PC via a USB Memory Stick ........................................................... 97
5.2: Deleting Data from the System ............................................................................ 97
Chapter 6: Using a GPS with your SIR 4000 ........................................................................ 99
6.1: Connecting a GPS ...................................................................................................... 99
6.2: Understanding GPS................................................................................................. 100
6.3 What is the DZG File? .............................................................................................. 101
6.4 What is WAAS? ........................................................................................................... 103
6.5 What is NMEA? ........................................................................................................... 103
Appendix A: SIR 4000 System Specifications ...................................................................105
A.1: System Hardware .................................................................................................... 105
A.2: Data Acquisition and Software ........................................................................... 106
A.3: System Includes ....................................................................................................... 106

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Appendix B: The How-To’s of Field Survey .......................................................................107

B.1: Site Selection ............................................................................................................ 107
B.2: Targets......................................................................................................................... 108
B.3: Data Collection Methods: 2D vs. 3D .................................................................. 110
Appendix C: Dielectric Values For Common Materials ...............................................113
Appendix D: Listing of Antenna Parameters ...................................................................115
D.1: Preloaded Setups .................................................................................................... 115
D.2: Parameter Listing for Older/Specialty Antennae ......................................... 118
Appendix E: Glossary of Terms and Suggestions for Further Reading...................123

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Chapter 1: Introduction
This manual is designed for both the novice and experienced user of ground penetrating radar. It is
intended as both a reference and a teaching tool and it is recommended that you read the entire manual,
regardless of your level of GPR experience. For information about GPR theory, please see the list of
general geophysics references that can be found in Appendix F.
If you experience operation problems with your system, GSSI Technical Support can be reached
Monday-Friday, 8:30 am - 5 pm EST, at 1-800-524-3011, or at (603) 893-1109 (International).

1.1: Unpacking Your System

Thank you for purchasing a GSSI SIR® 4000 (hereafter referred to as SIR 4000). A packing list is
included with your shipment that identifies all of the items included in your order. You should check your
shipment against the packing list upon receipt of your shipment. If you find an item is missing or was
damaged during the shipment, please call or fax your sales representative to immediately report the
problem.
Your SIR 4000 system contains the following items:
1- Digital Control Unit (DC-4000) with preloaded operating system.
1 - Transit Case
2 - Batteries
1 - Charger
1 - Sunshade
1 - Operation Manual
1 - GSSI Manual CD
1 - USB Drive
1 - Universal Mounting Bracket

Your choice of antenna, cables, and post-processing software is available for an additional purchase.

1.2: General Description

The SIR 4000 is a lightweight, portable, ground penetrating radar system that is ideal for a wide variety of
applications and designed to operate GSSI single digital antennas, single analog antennas, or dual
frequency antennas. The system will not support operating both a digital and analog antenna at the same
time. The various components of the SIR 4000 are described below.
The major features of the control unit are the keypad, control knob, 10.4 inch LED display with 1024 by
768 pixel resolution, connector panels (HDMI Video Out, USB 2.0, Ethernet, Serial Port I/O, digital and
analog antenna connectors, power, GPIO Connector, micro-USB), battery slot, and indicator lights. The
display screen allows you to view data in real time or in playback mode. It is readable in bright sunlight,
although a sunshade for the unit is available. Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight will cause the screen
to heat up and may affect screen visibility.
There are two latching panels on the sides of the unit that contain the battery slot, Micro-USB port, and
Ethernet port. To open the panels, rotate the locking pin until it is loose. To close the panel press it firmly,
push the locking pin in, and rotate the pin until it tightens. See the figure below for further detail.

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Left: Side panel when closed and locked. Right: Side panel when closed and unlocked.

The battery slot on the left side of the unit accepts the 10.8 V Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery provided.
Survey time with a fully charged battery is approximately two and a half (2.5) hours. Batteries are
recharged with the included battery charger or by simply leaving the battery in the unit and connecting the
unit to a standard AC source using the optional AC adapter. Time to recharge a battery is approximately
one and half to two (1.5-2) hours. Be sure to keep the right and left side panel covers on the unit closed
and secured while in use to ensure that no dust or dirt enters the unit’s interior.

Compatibility
The SIR 4000 is not compatible with the following GSSI software or systems.
StructureScan: When using either the black pad or the optical reader.
Terravision:
• Y Gain Equalization is not currently implemented in RADAN 7
• RADAN 7 will not properly import GPS for Terravision but will read Terrravision files that have
been opened in RADAN 6.
RADAN 5 or 6: Data collected with a SIR 4000 is also not compatible with RADAN 5 or 6. You will
need RADAN 7 in order to view and process data collected with this system.
Orange Control Cables: The SIR 4000 will not work with the short, orange attenuated control cable
that was sold with the SIR 2000. The SIR 4000 will only work with non-attenuated cables (blue or black
in color).

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Hardware Connections - Top

The SIR 4000 has seven connectors located on the top of the unit. Facing the unit from left to right the
connectors are: 13 pin Digital Antenna Connection, 19 pin Analog Antenna Connection, External Power,
GPIO Connector, HDMI Video Out, Serial Port, and USB 2.0.

HDMI
External Video USB
Digital Analog GPIO Out 2.0
Antenna Antenna Power
Connector Serial
Port

Digital Antenna Connector: The protruding 13-pin connector at the back of the system is for a GSSI
digital antenna control cable. You will notice the antenna connection on the SIR 4000 has five notches cut
from the metal. These mate with the five raised nubs on the control cable to ensure that the pins line up
properly.
• Screw the cable connector collar onto the SIR 4000 to make proper contact. The cable should
only be hand-tightened. Do not use a wrench to tighten the connection as over-tightening will
result in damage. The cable connector collar should be screwed down far enough to cover the red
line on the SIR 4000 connector.
• The only proper time to attach or detach an antenna is with system power off. Be sure to unplug
any external power and to remove the battery before attaching or detaching antennas.
Analog Antenna Connector: The large, protruding 19-pin connector at the back of the system is for the
GSSI analog antenna control cable. You will notice the antenna connection on the SIR 4000 has five
notches cut from the metal. These mate with the five raised nubs on the control cable to ensure that the
pins line up properly.
• Screw the cable connector collar onto the SIR 4000 to make proper contact. The cable should
only be hand-tightened. Do not use a wrench to tighten the connection as over-tightening will
result in damage. The cable connector collar should be screwed down far enough to cover the red
line on the SIR 4000 connector.
• The only proper time to attach or detach an antenna is with system power off. Be sure to unplug
any external power and to remove the battery before attaching or detaching antennas.
External Power Adapter: Plug in the optional AC power adaptor to run the system from 110-240 V,
47-63 Hz power.

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GPIO Connector: This is a General Purpose Input/Output connector. It will run a range of future
accessories and peripherals available from GSSI. Output signals include power and GPS among others.
HDMI Video Out: This will allow you to duplicate the screen on the SIR 4000 when connected to an
external monitor or projector.
Serial I/O (RS232): This is a standard serial connection that can be used to establish communication
between the SIR 4000 and a GPS as well as supply power. Please see Chapter 5: Using a GPS with your
SIR 4000 for additional information.
USB 2.0: This port is for connection to a variety of USB peripherals, including a mouse, keyboard, or
memory device.
• The internal memory capacity is approximately 32 gigabytes. Please see Chapter 4: Data Transfer
and File Maintenance for additional information on transfer.

Hardware Connections – Right Side

Micro-USB: The Micro-USB is used to connect an external USB memory device for data transfer.
Ethernet: The Ethernet connection is reserved for future functionality.

Ethernet

Micro-USB

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Hardware Connections – Left Side

Battery Slot: The battery slot features a release arm, or latch, to secure the battery when one is inserted.
The slot has an eject spring to eject the battery when the latch is released.

Battery Slot and

Release Arm

Keypad
A built-in keypad, as well as the control knob, will control the SIR 4000. The keypad has sixteen (16)
buttons, two (2) indicator lights, and a control knob. All of the keypad button functions will have
alternative keyboard implementation, except the Power Button.

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Power Button: This button turns the SIR 4000 on and off. To start up the system, insert a battery or
connect the optional AC power adapter and push the power button.
To turn the system off press and hold the power button for approximately four (4) seconds until the screen
turns black. Should a fault occur it may require ten (10) seconds for the system to respond.
Power Status LED: When the system is turned on the indicator light will flash red. When the system is
ready the LED will remain a solid red.
Control Knob: This knob is used to cycle through the menu tree, quickly change numeric values, and
make selections.
• Turning the knob clockwise moves down through a menu or numeric values. Turning the knob
counter-clockwise moves up through a menu or numeric values.
• Pressing the knob either toggles between On/Off options or enables a secondary menu. After
modifying the secondary option a second press of the knob locks-in the selection.
Directional Keypad: This grouping of five buttons is located right below the wheel. The Enter button is
in the center. These buttons allow you to navigate through the menu tree and make selections.
• Move through the menus by pressing the Up or Down buttons.
• Pressing the Enter button either toggles between On/Off options or enables a secondary menu.
• Modify the menu setting by using either the Up, Down, Left, or Right buttons.
• After modifying the secondary option a second press of the Enter button locks-in the selection.
Back Button: Returns to the main screen from whichever menu is currently selected or open.
Start Button: Begin data collection.
• Short press begins data collection.
• Long press during data collection ends collection of the current file and immediately opens a new
one or prompts you to save or discard the current file. The short press is disabled during data
collection.
Stop Button: End data collection or playback.
• Short press stops data collection.
• Long press ends data collection or playback and return to the main menu.
Marker Input Button: This button is located below the Stop button. Pressing this button while
collecting or playing back data will place a User mark in the data. User marks are used in post-processing
to evenly distribute the number of scans collected in Time Mode between two known points, or marks.
• User marks are helpful for noting distance traveled if you are not using a survey wheel and for
noting the location of objects or obstacles such as columns, trees, pits, etc.
• User marks will appear as long, dashed, vertical red lines through the data window.
• Add user marks by pressing either the Marker Input button on the SIR 4000 keypad or by
pressing the marker button on whichever cart of handle is connected to the system.
Software Control Buttons: Six (6) buttons are located below the display screen and change function
depending upon the current mode in use on the SIR 4000. For a list of each function see Chapter 2:
Getting Started and Expert Mode Setup.

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1.3 Cautions and Warnings

1 The Display Screen: Do not use alcohol to clean the display screen as this may damage the rubber
gasket around the screen and impact the IP rating. GSSI recommends using warm water or Windex
(or another ammonia-based) cleaner. There is not an anti-glare coating on this screen as there was
with the acrylic SIR 3000 screen protector. The screen is protected by a non-removable chemically
hardened glass.

2 Power off before connection/disconnecting an antenna: GSSI recommends turning off the
SIR 4000 before connecting or disconnecting an antenna. Failure to remove power may cause damage
to the SIR 4000.

3 Weatherproofing: When all of the doors are closed and connections are correctly made the
SIR 4000 is IP65 rated. However, if it does get wet internally, immediately power down the system,
open all of the doors and connections, and leave it for a minimum of 12 hours in a warm dry place.
The SIR 4000 is factory sealed and no attempt should be made to open it.

4 USB Ports: Do not plug two USB drives into the SIR 4000 at the same time. This includes the USB
2.0 Port and the Micro USM Port. You can have a USB device, such as a keyboard or mouse, plugged
in at the same time as USB drive.
Unlike the SIR 3000, the USB ports must not be used to connect the SIR 4000 directly to a computer.
This does not provide any additional functionality.

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Chapter 2: Getting Started and

Expert Mode Setup
In Chapter 2, you will find instructions for connecting all of the hardware inputs and an introduction to
the different menus and functions that are available to you in Expert Mode. Expert Mode allows total
control over all collection parameters and is the most versatile data collection method, usable for all GPR
applications. If desired, 2D profiles can later be transferred to a PC for processing in GSSI’s RADAN
post-processing software.

2.1: Hardware Setup

Hardware setup for the SIR 4000 is very simple. We will use the 400 MHz (Model 50400S) antenna with
single survey wheel for this example. Follow the steps below.

1 Single Survey Wheel Encoder: Attach the survey handle between the two vertical mounting plates
on the top of the antenna with the two removable pins, adjust the angle for comfort, and connect the
marker cable from the handle to the antenna at the MARK port.

2 For Use with the Single Survey

Wheel Encoder: Attach the survey
wheel to the brackets at the back of the
antenna (as shown below) and connect
the cable from the survey wheel to the
SURVEY port on the top of the antenna.
Be sure that the triangular plate
protecting the survey wheel encoder
faces down.

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3 Analog Antennas: Connect the female end of the antenna control cable to the antenna.
Then connect the male end to the 19 pin analog antenna connection on the back of the SIR 4000.
Connect the two protective caps together.

4 Digital Antennas: Connect the female end of the antenna cable to the antenna. Then connect the
male end to the 13 pin digital antenna connection on the back of the SIR 4000. Connect the two
protective caps together.

Digital Analog

5 Connect power source (battery or optional AC power adapter) to the SIR 4000 and push the power
button to turn on the system.

6 Existing carts may require mounting hardware to attach to the SIR 4000 universal mounting bracket
included with SIR 4000.

Note: If you purchased a SIR 4000 with a cart as in the UtilityScan System,
or purchased the cart system separately, please see Appendix C: Mounting
Your SIR 4000 on a Cart. The cart also incorporates a survey wheel that is
used in place of the survey wheel pictured here. For a StructureScan Standard
system, please consult the hardware setup instructions in the small, laminated
Quick Start Guide that came with the system.

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2.2: Introduction Screen

After the SIR 4000 boots up and goes past the splash screen, you will see the Introduction screen. This
screen allows you to select from the following options and modes. It also includes a toolbar at the bottom
and status information.

Modes
The following modes have different options available in the subsequent Setup display based upon
application and whether 2D or 3D data is being collected. Applications that are in development will be
greyed out in the Introduction screen.

Expert Mode
With Expert Mode the user has complete control over all 2D data collection parameters. All parameters in
this mode is customizable, whereas in an application specific mode some options are limited based on
what is necessary and customary for successful data collection.

Quick 3D
In Quick 3D Mode the user has all of the same controls from Expert Mode as well as options to setup,
collect, and playback data in a 3D grid.

StructureScan 2D (coming soon)

StructureScan 2D provides quick options for locating shallow structural features in concrete and marking
their location directly on the survey surface. The mode is preconfigured for use with high frequency (high
resolution) antennas.

UtilityScan (coming soon)

Similar to StructureScan 2D, UtilityScan provides quick 2D options for locating burial utilities in soils.

StructureScan3D (coming soon)

This mode is for collecting very high resolution 3D data over concrete. The data can be viewed in a
3D cube to identify targets at different depths to help note clear locations for cutting or coring.

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Last Used Settings, New Project, and Playback

These options allow you to either collect or playback data starting from different points.

Last Used Settings

Starts the system in the last used application mode and project. These may be inappropriate settings if the
antenna was changed.

New Project
Opens a new project in whichever application mode is currently selected and requires you to create a new
Project Name.

Playback
Starts the system in the currently selected mode and prompts you to select a file or multiple files for
playback from the last project selected.

Toolbar
The bottom toolbar provides access to change system settings and universal setup options. Selecting any
of the Software Control buttons, located immediately under each icon, will open and close each window.

Language
There are six (6) language options on the SIR 4000
including English, Japanese, French, Chinese,
Portuguese, and Spanish. Use the Control Knob or
the Arrow keys to move through the different
languages. Once a language is selected using either
the Control Knob or the Enter button the menu will
automatically close. You can also back out of the
menu by pressing the Back button.

Units
Select between Metric and English Units of measure. Once a unit of measure is selected using either the
Control Knob or the Enter button the menu will automatically close. You can also back out of the menu
by pressing the Back button.

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Antenna
This menu is available if you are using an older analog antenna without “Smart ID.” If a digital or “Smart
ID” antenna is connected the system will auto detect the antenna and display the appropriate Antenna
Model on the Antenna button and access to the menu will be disabled. This menu is also disabled when
no antenna is connected.

If an older analog antenna is connected to the SIR 4000 you will be able to select from a list of antenna
frequencies.

Antenna Type: Choose an antenna frequency from the list of available frequencies.
Antenna Model: If multiple models of the chosen Antenna Type are available, you can select which
model of antenna is connected.
Antenna Transmit Rate: The antenna transmit rate is in KHz, with a Custom rate capped at 100 KHz.
You can modify the antenna transmit rate if Antenna Type is set to Custom. A higher transmit rate
enables faster data collection or more stacking to reduce random noise. Some older antennas are not
capable of transmitting at high speeds and setting them at a high transmit rate may cause an error. Consult
your antenna documentation or call GSSI Tech Support if you have any question about transmit rate. All
GSSI 5100 and 52000 series antennas (2.6 GHz, 2.0 GHz Palm, 1.6 GHz, 1.5 GHz, 1.0 GHz, 400 MHz,
270 MHz, 200 MHz) can be operated at 100-200 KHz. Rates are limited per regulations of the region
where the unit is operated. If you are using another GSSI antenna, consult Appendix E for the proper
transmit rate.

GPS
Allows you to configure your SIR 4000 to collect GPS points during data collection. Make the following
selections to enable GPS collection.

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GPS Type: None is set when a GPS is not connected. Custom should be selected if a GPS is connected
and needs to be configured.
Baud Rate: Match the baud rate with the one you are using on your GPS. Available baud rates range
from 4800 up to 230400.
Format: Select which format to use when displaying point, Degrees Minutes Seconds, Degrees Minutes
Decimal Minutes, and Decimal Degrees.
Lat/Long: Displays the currents position in whichever format is currently selected.
Fix Quality: Shows whether or not a GPS or DGPS signal is recording.
Satellites: Displays the number of satellites that are currently in view of the GPS. These satellites are
displayed on the plot in the middle of the GPS Configuration window.
HDOP: The Horizontal Dilution of Precision is the relative accuracy of the horizontal position. The
system needs an HDOP of 2 or less in order to collect data.
Radius: This indicates the size of the Circular Error Probability which appears in the center of the GPS
window as a bull’s eye. This is the radius of a circle, which centers on the mean of the GPS accuracy in
seconds.
Steps to setup the SIR 4000 to match GPS Settings:

1 The external GPS needs to be pre-configured to operate with the allowable capabilities of the SIR
4000.

2 Connect your GPS to the SIR 4000 through the Serial Port.

3 Turn on your GPS.

4 Select Custom from GPS Type.

5 Select the Baud Rate that matches the one set on your GPS.

6 Press the green Start button on the right side of the SIR 4000.

7 Wait for the GPS to acquire enough satellites and accuracy so that the HDOP is 2 or less.

8 Select Apply to save the GPS configuration and exit the menu.

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Theme
Select from preformatted color
themes for the display on your
SIR 4000. Once a theme is
selected it will carry through
to any of the modules and
become the default for the
next time you turn the system
on. Scroll through the
different theme options using either the Control Knob or the Up and Down Arrows. Select a Theme by
pushing the Control Knob or the Enter key.

Settings
This button opens additional calibration and configuration options. The functions of the Software Control
buttons change to include the following:

Date/Time: Modify the current

Date and Time on the system. Use the
Control Knob to select and modify the
fields. Select Apply using either the
Control Knob or Arrow keys to accept
any changes.

Firmware: View the current

software and firmware
installed on the SIR 4000.
You can also update the
software and firmware from
this menu by selecting
Update.

Note: Verify on the GSSI Support

Website if there is an available
software or firmware update. You
don’t always need to update the
firmware when updating the software.

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Software and Firmware Update

1 Download the latest version of software from the GSSI support website.
https://support.geophysical.com.
Note: GSSI recommends using the
2 Save the downloaded files to the GSSI 2GB USB drive provided USB as not all USB drives
supplied with your SIR 4000. are formatted the same and some may
3 With the SIR 4000 powered on and on the Introduction
interfere with the system’s ability to do
automatic updates.
Screen, plug the USB drive into your SIR 4000. The
GSSI software will close and the file update upload will
automatically begin. Once the file upload is done the
SIR 4000 will reboot.

4 Once back on the Introduction Screen open the

Firmware menu from the Settings toolbar.

5 Use the Control Knob or the arrow keys to navigate

through the list of components.

6 Highlight GPR Control and then depress the

Control Knob. You will now see the word “update”
next to GPR Control.

7 Once it reads Update next to the GPR Control,

select Update at the bottom of the window.

8 An update status bar will appear. When the status

bar reaches 100% and disappears, the firmware
update is finished.

9 Reboot the SIR 4000 (Press and hold the green

Power button for 3 seconds to turn the unit off, then
press the Power button to turn the unit back on).

10 View the Firmware menu and verify that the

updated components (Radar Control, Boot Loader,
GPR Control, and GPR Antenna) match the
versions listed for the SIR 4000 on the GSSI
support website.

WiFi: The WiFi configuration is reserved for future

functionality.
Quit: Exits the current Settings menu and returns to the Introduction screen.

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Status
This real-time monitor is always visible during both setup and
data collection. It shows power, storage, and GPS status.

Battery
Shows the current status of the SIR 4000 battery.
AC Power Supply: 255 or more minutes of average run time remaining. This occurs when the SIR 4000
is plugged into AC power.
Green Battery: 30-255 minutes of average run time remaining.
Yellow Battery: 15-29 minutes of average run time remaining. At this level the Battery status icon will
begin to pulse.
Red Battery: Less than 15 minutes of average run time remaining. Battery status icon will continue to
pulse and the battery should be immediately replaced.

Storage
This status icon indicates the amount of used memory on the SD card. The SIR 4000 comes with 32 GB
of internal memory.

GPS
The GPS monitor indicates whether or not a GPS is connected and the quality of the GPS signal.
Green GPS Icon: The GPS is enabled, detected, and the data has an HDOP of 2 or less.
Yellow GPS Icon: The GPS is enabled, detected, and the data has an HDOP greater than 2.
Red GPS Icon: The GPS is enabled, but not detected.
Grey GPS Icon: The GPS is either not enabled in the GPS menu or it is not detected.

2.3: Setup Collect/Playback Screen

The SIR 4000 Setup Screen displays a preview of the data, an Information Bat, Setup Menu, and Toolbar.
Information Bar (top): An information bar appears at the very top of the screen and is updated based on
whether the SIR 4000 is currently in Collect or Playback Mode.
• The left-hand side displays the current mode (Distance, Time, Point, or Playback) and file
information (Project Folder – File Name).
• The middle displays GPS coordinates if the system is configured to collect GPS points.
• During collection the right-hand side displays either the scan number if in Time or Point data
collection mode or distance if the Collection Mode is set to Distance.

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Main Data Display (left): The main data display window shows a radar profile in linescan format.
Successive single scans are assigned color values based on amplitude change and displayed next to each
other in sequence to form a continuous image.
• The vertical scale on the left of this data display window shows time, depth, or height.
• New scans will be placed at the right side of the window and data will scroll from right to left.
• The horizontal scale will be in the units of measure selected in the Introduction Screen and with
the density set in the Setup Menu.

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O-Scope (middle): In the middle of the screen you will see a window that shows a single radar scan in
an oscilloscope-style (O-scope) depiction. This will show successive single scans as you move your
antenna across an area while in the Setup Screen.
• Time or depth increases down the screen at the same vertical scale that is selected from the Setup
Menu to the right of the Main Data Display.
• At the top of the window you will see
a color bar. This shows you the
distribution of colors across the range
of reflection amplitudes from
negative, on the left, to positive, on
the right. The exact color and
distribution depends on your choice
of Colormap, Color Stretch, and
Color Slide selected from the Setup
Menu.
• The red line that travels the length of
the O-Scope is the Time Variable
Gain Curve. Refer to the section on
Gain Mode under Setup Menu –
Process for more information on
modifying the gain curve.

Setup Menu (right): To the right of the O-Scope display is the Setup Menu. This window is where you
will navigate through the various commands, set system parameters, data paths, colors, and how to save
data. There are four (4) main menu options, Radar, Process, Output, and System. For more information on
each see the sections Setup Menu – Collect Mode or Setup Menu – Playback Mode.

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Toolbar (bottom): The bar across the bottom of the screen is the Setup or Playback Toolbar and
provides different options for modifying how the data appears during setup, collection, or playback.
Different Applications will have partially customized or completely redefined Toolbars based upon
necessity. In Expert Mode the Toolbar includes Init(ialize), Gain (Display Gain), Zoom (Horizontal
Zoom), Run Mode, Play Mode, and File Info. These commands are each explained in more detail later on
in this chapter when each button is defined.

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Setup Menu – Radar

Under Radar, there are fourteen (14) settings that can each be accessed by rotating the Control Knob or
using the Directional Keypad. The settings are:

Menu Option Collect Mode Playback Mode

Collect Mode X
Scans/Second X
Samples/Scan X
Scans/Unit X
Units/Mark X
Static Stacking* X
Dielectric X X
Soil Type X X
Depth Range X
Time Range X
Position Mode X
Offset X
Surface (%) X
Exit X X
*Available only in Point Mode

Collect Mode
Collect Mode allows you to collect either distance-, time-, or point-based data.
Distance Mode: Distance-based collection is performed with a survey wheel. The system records a
certain number of scans per unit of distance. Distance Mode is more
accurate than Time Mode and it is strongly recommended that you Note: Distance-based data
collect data in this mode if possible. To calibrate the survey wheel is required for 3D files.
refer to Section 2.2 Introduction Screen – Settings – Calibrate SW.
Time Mode: In time-based data collection, the system is recording a
certain number of scans per second. The data density over an area depends on the speed at which the
antenna is moved over the ground. The rate is set in the Scans/Second setting option. The option is often
used when it is not feasible to use a survey wheel during data collection.
Point Mode: Point-based data collection is commonly selected only for very deep applications or very
difficult terrain. The system will record one scan every time the external marker or Start button is pressed.
The antenna is then moved to the next location and the next scan is collected.

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Scans/Second
Scans/second is the number of scans the system will collect per second. The SIR 4000 will collect
minimum of 4 and maximum of 400 scans/second.
• If you are collecting data based on time, this is the number of scans that will be saved each
second.
• If you are collecting data based on distance with a survey wheel, this number represents the
maximum possible collect rate. If you exceed this maximum rate the over-speed beeps will sound.
It is recommended that the scans/second be set lower as lower scan rates will auto stack and
improve the signal to noise ratio.
For example if your Scans/Second is set to 60 and you have configured the system to collect 60 scans a
foot, and you move more than one foot per second, the system is going to attempt to collect scans which
are not available. Assuming your Antenna Transmit Rate is 200 KHz, the scans/second should be at least
240 whenever you are collecting with a survey wheel and are collecting a max of 512 Samples/Scan.
If you set scans/second higher than possible given the selected transmit rate and the number of
samples/scan, the SIR 4000 will automatically lower it to the maximum possible. However, it is
recommended that the scans/second be set lower than the maximum. This will allow the system to stack
points thereby improving the signal to noise ratio.

Samples/Scan
Each scan curve is made up of a set number of individual data points, called Samples. The more samples
you collect, the smoother the scan curve and the better your vertical resolution will be. The more points
collected, the lower the maximum scans/second is set.
• You can choose from a preset list of 256, 512, 1024, 2048, 4096, 8192, or 16384 samples/scan.
FIR filters should only be used with 256-2048 samples/scan.
• As sample number increases, maximum scan rate drops and file size increases.
• GSSI recommends sampling at 512 or 1024 samples/scan for most applications. More samples
will be required for deep geologic or polar ice thickness applications. Below is the equation to use
when choosing a sample rate.
Samples/Scan > (Time Range/Pulse Duration)

Antenna Model Frequency (MHz) Pulse Duration (ns)

4200S 2 GHz Horn 0.5
4100SA 1 GHz Horn 1
52600S 2.6 GHz 0.4
62000 2 GHz Palm 0.5
51600S 1.6 GHz 0.7
5101 1 GHz 1
3101A 900 MHz 1.1
50400S 400 MHz 2.5
50270S 270 MHz 3.7
5106 200 MHz 5
3207 100 MHz 10

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Scans/Unit
Scans/unit allows you to adjust the number of scans/unit of horizontal distance. This parameter is the scan
spacing when you are collecting with the survey wheel. A unit of measure will appear based on the Units
selected from the Introduction Screen and the Horizontal Units selected from the Output Menu.
• Smaller scan spacing produces higher resolution data, but larger file sizes, and may require
slower data collection. For example, if you see a 12 here and the system is set to English feet,
rather than Metric units, you will collect 12 scans per foot, or 1 per inch.
• Scan spacing will vary based on application. For example, 5-10 scans/inch (60-120 scans/foot) is
the optimal range for shallow structural features in concrete, but with lower frequency antennas,
like a 400 MHz, a coarser scan density of 12-24 scans/foot is typical.

Units/Mark
You can also set how many units (i.e., feet or meters) will be collected between system marks. These
marks will appear at the top of the data display along the horizontal scale.

Static Stacking
This option is only available in Point Mode. It takes the number of scans entered and averages them
together to output a single scan at each collection location. This is done to minimize high-frequency or
random noise.

Dielectric
Dielectric constant represents the velocity at which radar energy moves through a material.
• If you know the dielectric value of the material that you are surveying through, you can enter it
here and get an in-field time to depth calculation.
• Values range between 1 and 81.
• Higher dielectric values mean slower travel time and shallower penetration. For example, in air,
which has a dielectric constant of 1, radar energy will travel at 12 inches per ns. Since the time
range is in two-way travel time, 1 ns on the vertical scale translates to 6 inches if the DIEL is set
to 1. The distance traveled per ns is reduced by the square root of the dielectric constant. The
dielectric constant of water is 81, so that water slows down the radar wave by a factor of 9
(√81=9). The range in water is thus 6/9 inches per ns.
• Generally speaking, water raises a material’s dielectric constant, and surveys should be performed
on dry material whenever possible.
• Please see Appendix C for a chart of dielectric values of common materials and a deeper
discussion of dielectrics.

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Soil Type
Several different Soil Type options are included on the SIR 4000. Selecting a Soil Type will
automatically update the Dielectric with a value that is representative of that soil.
Material Dielectric Constant
Snow/Ice 3.0
Dry Sand 4.0
Pavement 6.0
Rock 8.0
Dry Soil 9.0
Ave. Soil 14.0
Wet Soil 20.0
Wet Sand 25.0
Water 80
Custom

Custom: Will automatically appear if the Dielectric Constant is manually changed or if either a
hyperbola fitting or ground truth are performed during data collection. For more information on hyperbola
fitting and ground truth see section 2.4 The Command Bar – Output in Collect Mode.

Depth Range
Depth Range is the vertical scale displayed in whichever units are selected under the Output -> Vertical
Units menu.
• Depth Range can be set from 1-10000 cm (0.4-3900 in).
• Modifying Time Range will automatically update the Depth Range.

Time Range
Time Range is the vertical scale in nanoseconds (ns) within which the SIR 4000 will record reflections. It
is proportional to depth viewed because a higher Time Range will allow the energy to penetrate deeper
and return deeper reflections.
• It is important to remember that the Time Range is two-way travel time, so that a range of 50 ns
means that the deepest possible reflector is at 25 ns.
• A very long range may require a greater number of samples in order to create enough data dots
for the scan curve. Refer to the section above about how to determine the appropriate number of
samples/scan.
• Time Range can be set from 1-20000 ns.
• Please see Appendix D for a list of common ranges for individual antennas.
• Modifying Depth Range will automatically update the Time Range.

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Effects of Changing Dielectric, Soil Type, Depth Range, or Time Range

Changing either Dielectric, Soil Type, Depth Range, or Time Range will affect other settings during
setup, data collection, and playback. Below are two charts showing how a change will affect the other
settings.
During Setup:
During setup when a value is being changed the effects will not appear in the other settings until Enter is
pressed. Prior to changing settings verify that you have the appropriate Vertical Scale selected.

Vertical
Changing the Changing the Changing the
Scale
Dielectric or Soil Type Time Range Depth Range
Setting

Dielectric changes and

Depth Range changes. Depth Range changes. Soil Type becomes
Custom.
Time
Time Range does not Dielectric or Soil Type does
change. not change. Time Range will not
change.

Dielectric changes and Soil

Time Range changes. Time Range changes.
Type becomes Custom.
Depth
Depth Range does not Dielectric or Soil Type
Depth Range does not
change. does not change.
change.

During Data Collection (Depth Calibration/Hyperbola matching) and Playback:

Vertical
Changing the Changing the Changing the
Scale
Dielectric Time Depth
Setting

Time Parameter cannot be Dielectric changes when a

Time No visual effect.
changed during collection. known depth is entered.

Depth Range changes as Time Parameter cannot be Dielectric changes when a

Depth
Dielectric is changed. changed during collection. known depth is entered.

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Position Mode
This option controls the position of Time-Zero. Time-Zero is the location of the beginning of the time
range, and thus the beginning of the scan. In ground-coupled applications this also corresponds with the
ground-surface reflection. Typically, having the system auto locate itself is sufficient to adequately set the
position during data collection. However, you can also manually adjust the location of Time-Zero. Toggle
between the two options, Manual or Auto, by pushing the Control Knob or the Enter button.
Manual: Allows you to set an Offset and Surface %. Offset is the time lag between the initial pulse and
when the signal first leaves the antenna. Surface % is a visual shift in the scan to begin at the initial
reflection. When switching from Manual back to Auto the system will automatically reset Time-Zero
based on the Surface % selected.
Auto: Anytime the antenna is re-initialized, as when pressing the Init button or first entering the Setup
Collect Screen, the SIR 4000 will set the Position automatically.
• For most applications and surveys the antenna should be placed on the ground surface or surface
to be scanned prior to entering the Setup Collect Screen in order to acquire an accurate Position
using Auto Mode.
• This choice is automatically set to Manual if you are using sample densities of 4096, 8192, or
16384.

Offset
This is an internal system parameter that describes the time lag (in ns) from the SIR 4000 triggering the
pulse inside of the control unit until we consider it to have transmitted from the antenna itself. Since there
is no way to accurately measure the exact moment the pulse leaves the antenna, we use the antenna’s
direct wave to determine the appropriate point to set the offset.
• The direct wave is the pulse that travels inside of the antenna housing, directly from the
transmitter to the receiver, and it is generally considered to be the first response in the data. As
long as the antenna dipoles are not very far apart, as is the case with a separated bistatic antenna
pair, the direct wave occurs sooner than any reflections from the ground. So if we make sure that
we have the direct wave visible in the data, we can be sure that we have 100% of our data and
most importantly, the ground surface to perform a depth calculation. The value is in nanoseconds
from trigger pulse inside the SIR 4000. If you need to adjust this parameter, use caution not to
lose the direct wave.
• Adjusting the Offset is only
available when Position Mode is
set to Manual. When it is set to
Auto, the SIR 4000 auto calculates
the Offset.
• In the associated image, the
antenna was moved up and down
over the ground surface. Notice
how the surface reflection moves
up to join the direct wave.

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Surface (%)
This is a display option that allows you to visually ‘cut out’ the flat part of the scan and begin at the direct
wave, thereby only showing the scan from the first reflected target, which should be the ground surface.
• The entire scan is still collected and saved, but not displayed during data collection. This allows
you to set the display to show an in-field time to depth calculation.
• It is set as a percentage of the total vertical window. The SIR 4000 will examine the offset and the
antenna type selected from the Introduction Screen to find the proper surface automatically. It
will set near to the first positive peak of the direct wave.

Setup Menu - Process

None of the filters used during data collection or playback with the SIR 4000 will be saved with the data.
When data is opened in the processing software RADAN it will come in without any applied filters.
Under Process, there are fourteen (14) settings that can each be accessed by rotating the Control Knob or
using the Directional Keypad. These settings are listed below as well as which modes they are available
in:
Menu Option Collect Mode Playback Mode
Gain Mode X X
Edit Gain Curve X X
FIR Low Pass X X
FIR High Pass X X
FIR Stacking X X
FIR BG Removal X X
Custom Filter* X X
IIR Low Pass X X
IIR High Pass X X
IIR Stacking X X
IIR BG Removal X X
Signal Floor X X
Filters Off X X
Exit X X
*Only available with an air-launched horn antenna.

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Gain Mode
Gain is the artificial addition of signal in order to counteract the natural effects of attenuation. As a radar
scan travels into the ground, some of the scan is reflected, some of it is absorbed,
and the remaining signal continues penetrating until it is completely absorbed in the
media. Therefore as the scan gets deeper, it also becomes weaker. Gain is applied to
the scan to make the subtle variations in weaker data more visible. It is applied
using a Time-Variable Gain Curve, visually represented by a red line in the
O-Scope window on the Setup screen. Values increase from left to right and the
location of gain points is shown by a change in the slope of the curve.
There are two Gain options to choose from and you push either the Control Knob or
Enter button to toggle between them.
Manual: Selecting Manual Gain allows you to change the number of gain points
and to add strength to the signal at your own discretion.
• Manual Gain is not recommended for inexperienced users as it is possible
to ‘create’ features in the data by over-gaining areas.
Auto: Selecting Auto Gain causes the system to re-initialize and adjust the time-
variable gain curve based on the quality of the current scan and the selected number
of gain points.
• This is useful if you find that your data is clipped (over-gained) or too weak
to see (under-gained) over a particular section of your survey area. Just
place the antenna on the area where the data is clipped or weak and either toggle the gain to
Manual, and then back to Auto, or press the Init button at the bottom of the SIR 4000 keypad.
This will cause the system to reset the gains to a lower level to prevent clipping or a higher level
to strengthen weak reflections.

Edit Gain Curve

This menu option allows you to modify the number of gain points along the time-variable gain curve and,
if in Manual Gain, strengthen or weaker individual points.
Pressing Edit Gain Curve with either the Control Knob or Enter button will activate the time-variable gain
curve for editing and open new button functions for the bottom of the keypad.
• With the time-variable gain curve activated, use the Control Knob or arrow keys to move between
different gain points.

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Add Point: Use this button to add up to eight

(8) gain points to the gain curve. These points
will be evenly spaced throughout the data scan.
Erase Point: Use this button to remove gain
points from the gain curve. The minimum
number of gain points is two (2). As points are
removed, the remaining gain points are evenly
redistributed throughout the data scan.
Revert: Returns to the main Setup Screen
without saving any changes to the time-
variable gain curve.
Save and Exit: Saves changes to the time-
variable gain curve and returns to the Setup
Screen.

Note: The SIR 4000 is only displaying about 25% of the actual amplitude range. This means that
even if your data appears slightly clipped, the SIR® 4000 is likely still recording the full amplitude
range of the reflection. If you use a –12 dB display gain, you will see an accurate representation of
the recorded scan. This also means that when you view your data in RADAN, it will appear under-
gained and you will need to add some display gain.

When using Manual Gain you can modify the individual gain points using the following steps. Use
caution when manually adjusting gain point values to not add too much gain to a single point because you
may create what will look like a layer in the data.

1 Press the Control Knob or Enter key to select a gain point and then use the knob or arrow keys to
adjust to strengthen or weaken the point.

2 Press the Control Knob or Enter key a second time to save and deselect the modified gain point.

FIR Low Pass and IIR High Pass

These options, and the following seven (7) allow you to set data collection filters to either remove
interference or smooth noise. A Low or High Pass filter is an antenna-specific frequency filter and should
be modified each time a different antenna is connected. These filters are used to downplay external
interference, and clean up the signal.
FIR filters have a finite-duration impulse response and, when encountering a feature in the data, are
guaranteed to output a finite filtered version of that feature. These filters will produce symmetrical results
so reflections will not be shifted in time or position.
By setting these at different ends of the antenna’s bandwidth, you are determining the range of
frequencies that the antenna is filtering out. Pressing FIR Low/High Pass with either the Control Knob or
Enter button will allow you to scroll through different frequencies.
• FIR Filters should not be used with 4096 samples/scan or higher.
• The maximum Low and High Pass filter values are 5000 MHz.
• Select Off to disable either filter.

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FIR Low Pass: The selected frequency in MHz is the upper limit of the filter. Any frequency lower than
selected Low Pass frequency will be allowed to pass through the filter and be recorded by the system.
FIR High Pass: The selected frequency in MHz is the lower limit of the filter. Any frequency higher than
selected High Pass frequency will be allowed to pass through the filter and be recorded by the system.

FIR Stacking
In addition to FIR frequency filters, another option is Stacking. Stacking is a high-frequency noise
reduction filter which operates in the horizontal direction. Each new scan has a 1/n influence in the data,
so this filter has a tendency to smooth high frequency targets and accentuate low frequency horizontal
features, such as layers. As the number of scans you stack (n) increases, the influence of each new scan
drops.
The FIR Stacking filter input is in number of scans. Pressing FIR Stacking with either the Control Knob
or Enter button will allow you to select a number of scans.
• High frequency noise generally has a ‘snowy’ appearance.
• The larger the number you put in here, the smoother the data will be. It is possible to over smooth
and ‘smudge’ out real data.
• A larger number also means that the system is performing a great deal of extra calculations and
data collection speed may be reduced.
• The Stacking filter maximum value is 1023 scans.

FIR BG Removal
Background Removal is a filter which removes horizontal bands of noise similar to those seen in the
image below. Sometimes these bands are caused by ‘real’ horizontal reflectors, but they can also be
caused by low frequency noise such as antenna ringing. These layers can obscure other ‘real’ horizontal
or point source reflectors.
Filter length should be set to the
number of scans equal to the feature Horizontal Noise to be
length to be removed. Any continuous Removed
feature within the data, such as a water
table reflector or a stratigraphic
boundary between two soil types, may
also be filtered out by performing
Background Removal. Be careful to
not filter out desired reflectors.
The FIR Background Removal filter
input is in number of scans. Pressing
FIR BG Removal with either the
Control Knob or Enter button will
allow you to select a number of scans.
• Determine the length in scans of the feature or noise that you want to remove from the data and
input that number in to the SIR 4000. Features, or horizontal reflections, of this size or larger will
be removed.
• The Background Removal filter maximum value is 1023 scans.

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• It is recommended that this filter be set last. When Background Removal is turned on the
previewed linescan data and individual scan will gradually be averaged out by the filter and only
noise will be visible. This makes it impossible to preview the effects of other filters.

Custom Filter
This filter overrides the FIR Low/High Pass filters with a custom filter provided with an antenna. Custom
Filters are only available with certain antennas and are sent with the antenna when it is purchased.

IIR Low Pass and IIR High Pass

IIR filters are a holdover from analog circuits. It is a simpler and potentially cruder type of filter than the
FIR filter. The IIR filter is used to remove noise, but may change the waveform shape. When an IIR filter
encounters a feature in the radar data, it produces an output that decays exponentially towards zero but
never reaches it, hence the name “infinite.” IIR filters are not necessarily symmetrical and while they
achieve excellent amplitude response, their phase response is non-linear and so they can cause slight
phase shifts in the data.
By setting these at different ends of the antenna’s bandwidth, you are determining the range of
frequencies that the antenna is filtering out. Pressing IIR Low/High Pass with either the Control Knob or
Enter button will allow you to scroll through different frequencies.
• IIR Filters should not be used with 4096 samples/scan or higher.
• The maximum Low and High Pass filter values are 5000 MHz.
• Select Off to disable either filter.
IIR Low Pass: The selected frequency in MHz is the upper limit of the filter. Any frequency lower than
selected Low Pass frequency will be allowed to pass through the filter and be recorded by the system.
IIR High Pass: The selected frequency in MHz is the lower limit of the filter. Any frequency higher than
selected High Pass frequency will be allowed to pass through the filter and be recorded by the system.

IIR Stacking
In addition to IIR frequency filters, another option is Stacking. Stacking is a high-frequency noise
reduction filter which operates in the horizontal direction. Each new scan has a 1/n influence in the data,
so this filter has a tendency to smooth high frequency targets and accentuate low frequency horizontal
features, such as layers. As the number of scans you stack (n) increases, the influence of each new scan
drops.
The IIR Stacking filter input is in number of scans. Pressing IIR Stacking with either the Control Knob or
Enter button will allow you to select a number of scans.
• High frequency noise generally has a ‘snowy’ appearance.
• The larger the number you put in here, the smoother the data will be. It is possible to over smooth
and ‘smudge’ out real data.
• A larger number also means that the system is performing a great deal of extra calculations and
data collection speed may be reduced.
• The Stacking filter maximum value is 1023 scans.

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IIR BG Removal
Background Removal is a filter which removes horizontal bands of noise similar to those seen in the
image below. Sometimes these bands are caused by ‘real’ horizontal reflectors, but they can also be
caused by low frequency noise such as antenna ringing. These layers can obscure other ‘real’ horizontal
or point source reflectors.
Filter length should be set to the
number of scans equal to the feature Horizontal Noise to be
length to be removed. Any continuous Removed
feature within the data, such as a water
table reflector or a stratigraphic
boundary between two soil types, may
also be filtered out by performing
Background Removal. Be careful to
not filter out desired reflectors.
The IIR Background Removal filter
input is in number of scans. Pressing
IIR BG Removal with either the
Control Knob or Enter button will
allow you to select a number of scans.
• Determine the length in scans of the feature or noise that you want to remove from the data and
input that number in to the SIR 4000. Features, or horizontal reflections, of this size or larger will
be removed.
• The Background Removal filter maximum value is 1023 scans.
• It is recommended that this filter be set last. When Background Removal is turned on the
previewed linescan data and individual scan will gradually be averaged out by the filter and only
noise will be visible. This makes it impossible to preview the effects of other filters.

Signal Floor
When Signal Floor is turned on it
overlays a green field on the Linescan
display. This green field is an estimate
of the effective depth of each scan
based on an analysis of the noise to
signal loss (attenuation). Real reflectors
may still be located beneath the Signal
Floor if they are strong enough.
Press the Control Knob or Enter key to
toggle Signal Floor On or Off.
This process does not affect the data
being collected. It is a visual indication
only.

Filters Off
This removes any FIR high pass, FIR low pass, IIR high pass, or IIR low pass filters that were previously
applied. After turning off the filters they can only be recovered by turning them on individually or by
recalling a previously saved or factory default setup.

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Setup Menu - Output

This menu controls the data display and file maintenance. There are fourteen (14) sub-menus to the
Output menu depending upon which collection mode is selected:
Collect Collect/Playback Playback
Menu Option
Mode Point Mode Mode
Select Datapath X X X
Vertical Scale X X X
Vertical Units X X X
Horizontal Units X X X
Scale Color X X X
Show O-Scope X X X
Show Hyperbola X X
Colormap X X
Color Stretch X X
Color Slide X X
Spacing X
Amplitude X
Fill X
Exit X X X

Select Datapath
This is the location in which your files are stored on the SIR 4000. There are two basic types of paths:
Common and User-defined.
• Common is the default file path and
files in this directory will be named
with the word FILE and then a number.
For example, the first data file will be
FILE___001, then FILE___002, and so
on.
• User-defined paths allow you to change
the location of your data. This is useful
if you are surveying multiple areas or if
you prefer to name your files during
collection with a site name instead of
doing it later after download. Files will
be named after the data path. For
example a data path named GRID will
contain files named GRID___001,
GRID___002, and so on.

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When Select Datapath is pressed using either the Control Knob or the Enter key it opens a list of the
different project folders saved on the SIR 4000. Use the Control Knob or Enter key to scroll the list and
select a new project folder by pressing the Control Knob or Enter key. After a new selection is made
you’ll return the Collect Setup Screen.
• You can only choose from existing data paths. In order to create a new data path, return to the
Introduction Screen and select New Project.
• When New Project is selected the Edit Project Name menu opens allowing you to change the
name of the data path. This name will also be used as the default filename.
You can also delete old project folders through this menu. To do so scroll through the list of project
names and when the project folder you wish to delete is highlighted press the Delete Path control button.

Vertical Scale
The Vertical Scale menu options allows you to choose how the vertical scale on
the left-hand side of the data display appears. It can be set to either Depth,
Time, or Height.
Depth: When Depth is selected the SIR 4000 performs a time to depth
conversion based on the dielectric value that you have set in Radar -> Dielectric
or Radar->Soil Type. It will then display the vertical scale in depth based on the
units of measure chosen under Output -> Vertical Units.
Time: Measured in nanoseconds (ns). When set to time, the vertical scale
displays two way travel time (TWTT).
Height: Inverts the screen so that time-zero is at the bottom. This can be a
useful display if you are scanning upside-down.

Vertical Units
Sets which units of measure are displayed based on which Vertical Scale is
currently selected.
• As an example if you are using a very high frequency antenna to scan
18 inches into concrete, you may choose to display depth in inches
instead of feet.
Time: Nanoseconds (ns) is the only option available.
Distance: Which units are available is based on the units of measure set in the
Introduction -> Units menu. If Metric, then centimeters (cm) and meters (m) are
available. If English, then inches (in), feet (ft), and yards (yd) are available.
Height: Which units are available is based on the units of measure set in the Introduction -> Units menu.
If Metric, then centimeters (cm) and meters (m) are available. If English, then inches (in), feet (ft), and
yards (yd) are available.

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Horizontal Units
Sets which units of measure are displayed based on the Units selected from the
Introduction Screen.
• As an example if you are collecting a long geologic profile you can display
the distance in kilometers instead of meters.
Metric: Horizontal units of measure available for Metric are centimeters (cm),
meters (m), or kilometers (km).
English: Horizontal units of measure available for English are inches (in), feet (ft),
yards (yd), or miles (mi).

Scale Color
Change the color of the text and background for the vertical and horizontal scales in data display. The
choices are either white or black text on a white, black, or orange background. This will change the
display in both the Setup Screen, during data collection, and during playback.

Show O-Scope
Toggles the O-Scope display On or Off for use
during data collection. Selecting Off will not turn
off the O-Scope display in the Setup Screen.
• During data collection you will not have
the option to turn the O-Scope display On
or Off. This choice is only made while in
the Setup Screen.
Toggle Show O-Scope On or Off by pressing the
Control Knob or the Enter key.

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Show Hyperbola
Toggles a hyperbola On or Off while in setup or during collection. The hyperbola appears at the
intersection of the vertical and horizontal cursor. By default the horizontal cursor is placed at the top of
the data display.
• The hyperbola is used during data
collection to do real-time hyperbola
fitting. Hyperbola fitting measures
the geometry of visible hyperbolas
in the data to generate an estimated
Dielectric Constant.
• During data collection you’ll also
have the option to turn the
hyperbola On or Off.
Toggle Show Hyperbola On or Off by
pressing the Control Knob or the Enter key.

Colormap
This menu option offers 30 available Colormap options (i.e. color tables).
Select the menu by pressing the Control Knob or Enter key and then scroll
through Colormap #0-29. The currently selected Colormap appears at the top
of the O-Scope display and indicates how colors are distributed between
negative (left) and positive (right) amplitude changes.

Color Stretch
Selecting Color Stretch allows you to adjust how the selected Colormap is distributed over a scan’s
amplitude range. A Color Stretch greater than one (1) compresses the colors towards zero (0). A Color
Stretch less than one (1) expands the colors towards the maximum negative and positive amplitudes.

Left Color Stretch = 0; Middle Color Stretch = 1; Right Color Stretch = 3

Color Slide
Selecting Color Slide allows you to shift the center point of the selected Colormap over a scan’s
amplitude range (amplitude zero crossing). A negative number shifts towards the positive amplitudes and
positive number shifts towards the negative amplitudes.
• Adjusting the Color Slide over a particular value range allows you to see more subtle variations in
the data.

Left Color Slide = -0.20; Middle Color Slide = 0; Right Color Slide = 0.20

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Spacing – Point Mode Only

This is the number of pixels displayed between each individual scan collected using
Point Mode. Values range from 1-50. You can select different spacing using the Control
Knob or the arrow keys.

Amplitude – Point Mode Only

Similar to Display Gain, Amplitude increases the amplification of each scan to bring out
the weaker reflections. It is in decibels (db) and can range from 1-100. You can select
different spacing using the Control Knob or the arrow keys.

Fill – Point Mode Only

This is the percent of the scan’s positive peaks that are filled in and will appear black
during data collection and playback.

Setup Menu – System

This menu includes general settings such as how files are saved and default setups. There are eight (8)
options under the System menu:
Menu Option Collect Mode Playback Mode
Brightness X X
Volume X X
WiFi X X
AutoSave X X
Save Setup X X
Recall Setup X X
Calibrate SW X X
Exit X X

Brightness
This controls screen brightness. The scale runs from 0-100% with 100% being
the brightest and the screen will be black when set at zero (0). The darker the
screen is, the longer the battery will last because the screen consumes more power when the brightness is
increased.

Volume
This controls the volume of the control unit. The system makes noise at certain points during setup, data
collection, and playback. The scale runs from 0-100% with 100% being the loudest and the sound entirely
turned off when set at zero (0).

WiFi
This menu option toggles the SIR 4000 WiFi On and Off. The WiFi configuration is reserved for future
functionality.

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AutoSave
You can toggle AutoSave to On or Off. When AutoSave is set to On each time you end data collection the
profile is automatically saved in the project folder under the filename shown at the top of the screen. If
AutoSave is set to Off you will be prompted each time you end data collection to either save or delete the
current file. If you choose to save the file it saves in the project folder under the filename shown at the top
of the screen.
• When collecting a manual 3D grid without using the SIR 4000 3D grid mode you should set
AutoSave to Off. When you finish collecting a transect of data, the file save prompt pauses data
collection so that you can reposition to start collecting the next transect.
Toggle AutoSave On or Off by pressing the Control Knob or the Enter key.

Save Setup
You can save all of the settings from the Radar, Process, and Output menus to be recalled at a later date.
When Save Setup is pressed using either the Control Knob or the Enter key a menu opens with sixteen
(16) available setups, Setup01 – Setup16. Setup00 is the current setup, which is automatically saved
anytime data is collected.
You can also create a New Setup from the control
button at the bottom of the screen. Pressing this
button opens the
Edit Setup Menu where you can customize the
name.
• Use the Control Knob or arrow keys to
select and modify letters.
• You can Add Letters to or Remove Letters
from the end of the Setup Name.
• To save the custom setup select Apply.

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Recall Setup
You can recall a setup that was saved by selecting Recall Setup. When Recall Setup is selected by either
pressing the Control Knob or the Enter key, a list of available setups will appear.
• Setup00, while not listed, is
always available and represents
the current settings whether or
not they’ve been saved.
• Setups for most antenna and
cart configurations are available
in addition to the user-created
setups, which will appear at the
bottom of the list.

Calibrate SW
You should calibrate the survey wheel when you change wheels or the ground surface changes. Begin by
selecting a Survey Wheel Mode, Quadrature or Pulse, and then following the instructions. Quadrature
Mode is intended for dual channel type encoders and will track the direction the encoder turns and the
number of rotations. Pulse Mode is intended for single channel encoders and tracks the number of
rotations of the encoder and not the direction. Once you’ve completed the calibration steps select Apply
to save the New Calibration Value or cancel to exit the Calibrate SW menu without saving.

1 Select calibration distance – The default distance is 10 meters or

feet. However this distance can be changed. The longer the
calibration distance the more accurate the calibration should be.

2 Position Antenna on the Start mark – The antenna or system can

be positioned anywhere at the start as long as you use the same
point on the antenna or system when you stop.

3 Press the Start button – This is the green Start button located on
the keypad of the SIR 4000.

4 Move antenna to the stop mark – This should match the same
location on the antenna or system where you started.

5 Press the Stop button – This is the red Stop button located on the
keypad of the SIR 4000.

6 Select Apply to save the current calibration setting.

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Survey Wheel Factory Default Calibration Settings

Note: These default values are provided for convenience, but it is always advisable to calibrate your
survey wheel to obtain a more accurate value. These values are recalled when a factory default
setting is recalled from Recall Setup.

Model 611 (3 5/6” wheel)

Single survey wheel designed for the 3101 Series (900 MHz)
antenna
• 2000 ticks

Model 613 StructureScan Cart

• 2000 ticks

Model 614/615 Survey Handcart

Blue metal StructureScan Cart with or without bar code reader
• 4030 ticks

Model 62000 Palm Antenna

2 GHz Palm Antenna with attached single survey wheel
• 22146 ticks

Model 620 (16” wheel):

400 MHz and 200 MHz tow-behind
• 417 ticks

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Note: These default values are provided for convenience, but it is always advisable to calibrate your
survey wheel to obtain a more accurate value. These values are recalled when a factory default
setting is recalled from Recall Setup.

Model 623/624/625 Survey Cart

2-Wheel or 3-Wheel UtilityScan Cart:
• -1785 ticks

Model 643/644 Survey Cart

Large 4-Wheel UtilityScan Cart:
• 3140 ticks

Model 652/653/654/655 Survey Cart

Small 4-Wheel UtilityScan Cart:
• 3850 ticks

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2.4: The Toolbar

The six keys across the bottom of the data display window have different functions depending on whether
you are in Setup Collect/Playback Mode, data collection, or data playback.

In Setup Collect Mode

In Setup Collect Mode, the Toolbar will appear like this:

Init(ialize)
This button stops and instantly restarts the transmitter. Through the Initialization process all settings that
are set to Auto, such as Gain or Position, will reset based on the current quality of the scan trace.
• To Initialize the system just press the Init control button one time.

Gain
This Gain option is also referred to as display gain. It increases the amplitude of your data by multiplying
every sample throughout your scan by a constant value. The result is that you will be able to better see
weaker reflections, but those already strong reflections may be over-gained. This function is useful for a
quick viewing of data that is attenuated or otherwise under-gained to guarantee that it was not clipped.
• You can change Gain from -12 to 60, with negative values weakening the entire signal and
positive values strengthening the signal by the value shown.
• To modify Gain press the Gain control button and use either the Control Knob or Right/Left
Arrow keys to adjust the gain amount.
• Display Gain is only for display and is not saved with the data.

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Zoom
This option allows you to modify the horizontal scale by zooming in or out by factors of ½x, 1x, 2x, 4x,
or 8x.
• The system defaults to 1x Zoom on initial startup and when data collection begins.
• This does not affect how the data are saved.

H Cursor
You can add a horizontal cursor to the screen during setup and data collection. The yellow line can be
toggled On or Off and moved.
• To position H Cursor press the H Cursor control button to change the H Cursor to Move. Then
use the Control Knob to adjust its position. Rotate the knob left (counter-clockwise) to move the
cursor down the time range. Rotate the knob right (clockwise) to move the cursor up the time
range.
• To set the H Cursor press the
Control Knob or press Enter. The
H Cursor control button will say
On.
• To turn the H Cursor off press the
H Cursor control button until it
says Off.

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Play Mode
Clicking this button while in the Setup Collect Mode the system will prompt you for a file to open from
the current project folder to playback. Use the Control Knob or arrow keys to select a saved file to
playback. You can select multiple files to playback in sequence.
Select All: Selects all of the files in the current
project folder to playback in sequence.
Choose Path: Allows you to select a different
project folder for playback.
Copy to USB: A way to transfer the files currently
selected to a USB drive. The files will be copied,
maintaining a copy on the SIR 4000.
Move to USB: A way to transfer the files currently
selected to a USB drive. The files will be removed
from the SIR 4000.
Delete Files: Deletes the currently selected files
from the project folder. If all of the files are selected
it maintains the project folder.

File Info
This control button opens a window showing the current settings including Radar Parameters, Positioning
information, and Processing History.

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In Setup Playback Mode

In Setup Playback Mode, the Toolbar will look like this:

Init(ialize)
This button initiates the auto gain, which will reset the gain curve based on the quality of the saved data.

Gain
This Gain option is also referred to as display gain. It increases the amplitude of your data by multiplying
every sample throughout your scan by a constant value. The result is that you will be able to better see
weaker reflections, but those already strong reflections may be over-gained. This function is useful for a
quick viewing of data that is attenuated or otherwise under-gained to guarantee that it was not clipped.
• You can change Gain from -12 to 60, with negative values weakening the entire signal and
positive values strengthening the signal by the value shown.
• To modify Gain press the Gain control button and use either the Control Knob or Right/Left
Arrow keys to adjust the gain amount.

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Zoom
This option allows you to modify the horizontal scale by zooming in or out by factors of ½x, 1x, 2x, 4x,
or 8x.
• The system defaults to 1x Zoom on initial startup and when data collection begins.
• This does not affect how the data are saved.

Select File
Opens a list of files within the current project folder to open into Playback Mode. You can navigate
through the list using either the Control Knob or the arrow keys. Select a file to open by pressing the
Control Knob. Then open the file by pressing the Enter key.
If two or more files are selected it will open the files in sequence from the lowest file number to the
highest.
Select All: Selects all of the files in the current project folder to playback in sequence.
Choose Path: Allows you to select a different project folder for playback.
Copy to USB: A way to transfer the files
currently selected to a USB drive. The files
will be copied, maintaining a copy on the
SIR 4000.
Move to Net: A way to transfer the files
currently selected to a location on the
network. The files will be removed from the
SIR 4000. This option will be available in a
future update.
Move to USB: A way to transfer the files
currently selected to a USB drive. The files
will be removed from the SIR 4000.
Delete Files: Deletes the currently selected
files from the project folder. If all of the files
are selected it maintains the project folder.

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Collect Mode
Clicking the Collect control button will bring you back to Setup Collect Mode. You’ll know which mode
you’re in by the text displayed in the top left corner of the screen.
Playback Mode: Playback Mode – [Folder] – [File name]
Collect Mode: Distance/Time/Point Mode – [Folder] – [File name]

File Info
This Command Key opens a window showing the current settings including Radar Parameters,
Positioning information, and Processing History.

In Collect Mode
To begin Collect Mode press on the green Start button while in the Setup Collect Mode. After the Start
button is pushed data will start to fill in from the left moving to the right at a rate dependent upon the type
of collection mode chosen. In Collect Mode, the Command Bar will change based on the method of data
collection; Distance, Time, or Point.

Distance Mode Control Buttons

Time Mode Control Buttons

Point Mode Control Buttons

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Focus On - Distance Mode Only

Focus On performs a migration, which is a processing procedure that reduces or eliminates hyperbolic
diffraction patterns in the data. It removes the tails of the hyperbolas to more accurately represent the
center location of a target. This makes the identification of point reflectors much easier.
Migration also offers a simple and accurate way of estimating the radar velocity (and thus dielectric) of
the material your target is in from the shape of the hyperbolas.
• If the dielectric constant is too high when Focus is turned on, hyperbolic reflections will still
appear as hyperbolas.
• If the dielectric constant is too low when Focus is turned on, hyperbolic reflections will appears
in a “U” shape.
• Adjusting the dielectric, using the
Dielectric control button, will change
how hyperbolic reflections appear during
data collection. The goal is for all
hyperbolic reflections to appear as dots.
• If you are on a homogenous material,
like concrete, this calibration is good for
all like material. If you are on soils,
know that the Dielectric Constant of the
soils can change drastically with depth
and across an area, so this is only an
approximation.

Pause/Resume - Time Mode Only

Temporarily pauses data collection when collecting in Time Mode. Press it once to Pause collection. The
Pause control button will change to a Resume control button when the system is paused. Press Resume to
continue data collection.

Next Point - Point Mode Only

This is the control button that allows you to collect multiple scans in one file when collecting data in
Point Mode. When the Next Point control button is pressed a subsequent scan will be added to the data
display starting from the left and progressing to the right.

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Gain
This Gain option is also referred to as display gain. It increases the amplitude of your data by multiplying
every sample throughout your scan by a constant value. The result is that you will be able to better see
weaker reflections, but those already strong reflections may be over-gained. This function is useful for a
quick viewing of data that is attenuated or otherwise under-gained to guarantee that it was not clipped.
• You can change Gain from -12 to 60, with negative values weakening the entire signal and
positive values strengthening the signal by the value shown.
• To modify Gain press the Gain control button and use either the Control Knob or Right/Left
Arrow keys to adjust the gain amount.
• Display Gain is only for display and is not saved with the data.

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Zoom
This option allows you to modify the horizontal scale by zooming in or out by factors of ½x, 1x, 2x, 4x,
or 8x.
• The system defaults to 1x Zoom on initial startup and when data collection begins.
• This does not affect how the data are saved.

H Cursor
You can add a horizontal cursor to the screen during data collection. The yellow line can be toggled On or
Off or moved.
• To position H Cursor press the H Cursor control button to change the H Cursor to Move. Then
use the Control Knob to adjust its position. Rotate the knob left (counter-clockwise) to move the
cursor down the time range. Rotate the knob right (clockwise) to move the cursor up the time
range.
• To set the H Cursor press the Control Knob or press Enter. The H Cursor control button will say
On.
• To turn the H Cursor off press the H Cursor control button until it says Off.

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Dielectric
You can adjust the Dielectric Constant during data collection from a value of one (1) to eighty-one (81).
• Changing the Dielectric Constant will change the vertical scale if it is displayed in depth based on
the Time Range selected during setup.
Distance Mode: Dielectric can be modified during distance-based collection when data are not actively
being collected, as when the survey wheel is stopped or backing up. Adjust the Dielectric Constant by
pressing the Dielectric control button and using the Control Knob or arrow keys to adjust the value. Save
the selected Dielectric by pressing the control button again, the Control Knob, or the Enter button.
Time Mode: Dielectric can only be adjusted when data collection is paused while collecting in Time
Mode.
• Press the Pause control button to pause data collection. Then press the Dielectric control button.
Use the Control Knob to adjust the Dielectric Constant between one (1) and eighty-one (81).
The vertical scale will update as the Dielectric Constant is changed.
• Save the selected Dielectric by pressing the control button, the Control Knob, or the Enter button.
Point Mode: Dielectric can be modified at any time during Point Mode collection. Adjust the Dielectric
Constant by pressing the Dielectric control button and using the Control Knob or arrow keys to adjust the
value. Save the selected Dielectric by pressing the control button again, the Control Knob, or the Enter
button.

Set Depth
This control button allows you to enter the depth of a known target and automatically adjust the Dielectric
Constant. This option is only available when Show Hyperbola is turned off. This can either be done from
Setup or while collecting through the Output control button.
1 Collect a file over a target with a known depth.
2 Back up so the vertical cursor is in line with the target.

3 Set Horizontal Cursor (H Cursor) to Move, and the Set Depth button appears. Position the H Cursor
at the top of the known target.

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4 Press the Set Depth control button and

the depth value for the position of the
H Cursor appears above Set Depth.

5 Adjust the depth value using either the

Control knob or arrow keys to match the
known value.
The vertical scale will change as you adjust
the depth value and once the known depth is
saved the Dielectric Constant is adjusted.

Output - Distance or Time Mode

This control button opens a menu with options for modifying the data display
during collection.
Focus: Focus On performs a migration, which is a processing procedure that
reduces or eliminates hyperbolic diffraction patterns in the data. It removes the tails
of the hyperbolas to more accurately represent the center location of a target. This
makes the identification of point reflectors much easier.
Migration also offers a simple and accurate way of estimating the radar velocity
(and thus dielectric) of the material your target is in from the shape of the
hyperbolas.
• If the dielectric constant is too high when Focus is turned on, hyperbolic
reflections will still appear as hyperbolas.
• If the dielectric constant is too low when Focus is turned on, hyperbolic
reflections will appears in a “U” shape.
• Adjusting the dielectric,
using the Dielectric control
button, will change how
hyperbolic reflections
appear during data
collection. The goal is for
all hyperbolic reflections to
appear as dots.
• If you are on a homogenous material, like
concrete, this calibration is good for all like
material. If you are on soils, know that the
Dielectric Constant of the soils can change
drastically with depth and across an area, so this is
only an approximation.

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Hilbert Txfm: A Hilbert Transform is used to display subtle properties of the subsurface. Reflector
amplitude and time are the primary types of information in GPR data used to make interpretations.
Another way of defining the data is by transforming it into frequency and phase (positive or negative
changes in the scan trace). This information is
sometimes more sensitive to important
subsurface (dielectric) changes in the amplitude
or geometric information.
A Hilbert Transform will change a radar signal
represented as a time series into its magnitude
(via envelope detection) phase). The Hilbert
Transform expresses the relationship between
the phase and magnitude of the signal, or
between its real and imaginary parts. It allows
the phase of a signal to be reconstructed from
its amplitude.
Toggle Hilbert Transform On or Off by
pressing the Control Knob or the Enter key.

Show Hyperbola: Toggles a hyperbola On or Off while in setup or during collection. The hyperbola
appears at the intersection of the vertical and horizontal cursor. By default the horizontal cursor is placed
at the top of the data display.
• The hyperbola is used during
data collection to do real-
time hyperbola fitting.
Hyperbola fitting measures
the geometry of visible
hyperbolas in the data to
generate an estimated
Dielectric Constant.
• During data collection you’ll
also have the option to turn
the hyperbola On or Off.
Toggle Show Hyperbola On or Off
by pressing the Control Knob or the
Enter key.

Colormap: This menu option offers 30 available Colormap options (i.e. color tables). Select the menu by
pressing the Control Knob or Enter key and then scroll through Colormap #0-29. To preview the different
Colormaps, if the O-Scope is not displayed during data collection, return to the Setup Screen->Output
Menu.

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Color Stretch: Selecting Color Stretch allows you to adjust how the selected Colormap is distributed
over a scan’s amplitude range. A Color Stretch greater than one (1) compresses the colors towards zero
(0). A Color Stretch less than one (1) expands the colors towards the maximum negative and positive
amplitudes. To preview Color Stretch, if the O-Scope is not displayed during data collection, return to the
Setup Screen->Output Menu.

Left Color Stretch = 0; Middle Color Stretch = 1; Right Color Stretch = 3

Color Slide: Selecting Color Slide allows you to shift the center point of the selected Colormap over a
scan’s amplitude range. A negative number shifts towards the positive amplitudes and positive number
shifts towards the negative amplitudes. To preview Color Slide, if the O-Scope is not displayed during
data collection, return to the Setup Screen->Output Menu.
• Adjusting the Color Slide over a particular value range allows you to see more subtle variations in
the data.

Left Color Slide = -0.20; Middle Color Slide = 0; Right Color Slide = 0.20

Output - Point Mode

This control button opens a menu with options for modifying the data display during collection.
Hilbert Txfm: A Hilbert Transform is used to display subtle properties of the
subsurface. Reflector amplitude and time are the primary types of information in
GPR data used to make interpretations. Another way of defining the data is by
transforming it into frequency and phase (positive or negative changes in the scan
trace). This information is sometimes more sensitive to important subsurface
(dielectric) changes in the amplitude or geometric information.
A Hilbert Transform will change a radar signal represented as a time series into its
magnitude (via envelope detection) phase). The Hilbert Transform expresses the
relationship between the phase and magnitude of the signal, or between its real and
imaginary parts. It allows the phase of a signal to be reconstructed from its
amplitude.
Toggle Hilbert
Transform On or Off
by pressing the
Control Knob or the
Enter key.

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In Playback Mode
This is what the Toolbar will look like in Playback Mode. This mode is accessible from the Playback
Setup screen by pressing the green Start button. After clicking Start button the data file will scroll to the
end of the file and stop.

Pause/Resume
Pauses the data as it is being displayed on the SIR 4000. When the Pause control button is pressed once it
stops playback and the control button changes to Resume. The Resume control button can then be pressed
to continue playing back the selected data.

Gain
This Gain option is also referred to as display gain. It increases the amplitude of your data by multiplying
every sample throughout your scan by a constant value. The result is that you will be able to better see
weaker reflections, but those already strong reflections may be over-gained. This function is useful for a
quick viewing of data that is attenuated or otherwise under-gained to guarantee that it was not clipped.
• You can change Gain from -12 to 60, with negative values weakening the entire signal and
positive values strengthening the signal by the value shown.
• To modify Gain press the Gain control button and use either the Control Knob or Right/Left
Arrow keys to adjust the gain amount.
• Display Gain is only for display and is not saved with the data.

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Zoom
This option allows you to modify the horizontal scale by zooming in or out by factors of ½x, 1x, 2x, 4x,
or 8x.
• The system defaults to 1x Zoom on initial startup and when data playback begins.
• This does not affect how the data are saved.

H Cursor/Cursor Dir
You can add a horizontal cursor to the screen during data collection. The yellow line can be toggled On or
Off or moved. When Playback is paused the control button changes to Cursor Dir. This option allows you
to use the Control Knob or arrow keys to move either the horizontal or vertical cursors. If repositioned,
the cursors will stay in place once playback is resumed.
Positioning the H Cursor during Playback:
• To position H Cursor press the H Cursor
control button to change the H Cursor to
Move. Then use the Control Knob to adjust
its position. Rotate the knob left (counter-
clockwise) to move the cursor down the time
range. Rotate the knob right (clockwise) to
move the cursor up the time range.
• To set the H Cursor press the Control Knob
or press Enter. The H Cursor control button
will say On.
• To turn the H Cursor off press the H Cursor
control button until it says Off.
Positioning the Vertical or Horizontal Cursor during paused Playback:
• To position cursors press the Cursor Dir control button to change the cursor to either Vert(ical) or
Horiz(ontal). Then use the Control Knob to adjust its position.
• Rotate the knob left (counter-clockwise) to move vertical cursor to the left. Rotate the knob right
(clockwise) to move the vertical cursor to the right.

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• Rotate the knob left (counter-clockwise) to move the horizontal cursor down the time range.
Rotate the knob right (clockwise) to move the cursor up the time range.
• To turn the H Cursor off press the H Cursor control button until it says Off.

Dielectric
You can adjust the Dielectric Constant during
playback from a value of one (1) to eighty-one
(81).
• Changing the Dielectric Constant will
change the vertical scale if it is
displayed in depth based on the Time
Range selected during setup.

Set Depth
This control button allows you to enter the depth of a known target and automatically adjust the Dielectric
Constant. This option is only available when Show Hyperbola is turned off. This can either be done from
Setup or while data playback through the Output control button.
1 Set Horizontal Cursor (H Cursor) to Move, and the Set Depth button appears. Position the H Cursor
at the top of the known target.

2 Press the Set Depth control button and the

depth value for the position of the H Cursor
appears above Set Depth.

3 Adjust the depth value using either the

Control knob or arrow keys to match the
known value.
The vertical scale will change as you adjust the
depth value and once the known depth is saved
the Dielectric Constant is adjusted.

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Output – Distance or Time Mode

This control button opens a menu with options for modifying the data display during
playback.
Focus - Distance Mode Only
Focus On performs a migration, which is a processing procedure that reduces or
eliminates hyperbolic diffraction patterns in the data. It removes the tails of the
hyperbolas to more accurately represent the center location of a target. This makes the
identification of point reflectors much easier.
Migration also offers a simple and accurate way of estimating the radar velocity (and
thus dielectric) of the material your target is in from the shape of the hyperbolas.
• If the dielectric constant is too high when Focus is turned on, hyperbolic
reflections will still appear as hyperbolas.
• If the dielectric constant is too low when Focus is turned on, hyperbolic
reflections will appears in a “U” shape.
• Adjusting the dielectric, using the Dielectric control button, will change how
hyperbolic reflections appear during data collection. The goal is for all
hyperbolic reflections to appear as dots.
• If you are on a homogenous material, like concrete, this calibration is good for
all like material. If you are on soils, know that the Dielectric Constant of the soils can change
drastically with depth and across an area, so this is only an approximation.

Hilbert Txfm: A Hilbert Transform is used to display subtle properties of the subsurface. Reflector
amplitude and time are the primary types of information in GPR data used to make interpretations.
Another way of defining the data is by transforming it into frequency and phase (positive or negative
changes in the scan trace). This information is sometimes more sensitive to important subsurface
(dielectric) changes in the amplitude or geometric information.
A Hilbert Transform will change a radar signal represented as a time series into its magnitude (via
envelope detection) phase). The Hilbert Transform expresses the relationship between the phase and

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magnitude of the signal, or between its real and imaginary parts. It allows the phase of a signal to be
reconstructed from its amplitude.
Toggle Hilbert Transform On or Off by pressing the Control Knob or the Enter key.

Show Hyperbola: Toggles a hyperbola On or Off while in setup or during playback. The hyperbola
appears at the intersection of the vertical and horizontal cursor. By default the horizontal cursor is placed
at the top of the data display.
• The hyperbola is used during data collection to do real-time hyperbola fitting. Hyperbola fitting
measures the geometry of visible hyperbolas in the data to generate an estimated Dielectric
Constant.
• During data collection you’ll also have the option to turn the hyperbola On or Off.
Toggle Show Hyperbola On or Off by pressing the Control Knob or the Enter key.

Colormap: This menu option offers 30 available Colormap options (i.e. color tables). Select the menu by
pressing the Control Knob or Enter key and then scroll through Colormap #0-29. To preview the different
Colormaps, if the O-Scope is not displayed during data collection, return to the Setup Screen->Output
Menu.

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Color Stretch: Selecting Color Stretch allows you to adjust how the selected Colormap is distributed
over a scan’s amplitude range. A Color Stretch greater than one (1) compresses the colors towards zero
(0). A Color Stretch less than one (1) expands the colors towards the maximum negative and positive
amplitudes. To preview Color Stretch, if the O-Scope is not displayed during data collection, return to the
Setup Screen->Output Menu.

Left Color Stretch = 0; Middle Color Stretch = 1; Right Color Stretch = 3

Color Slide: Selecting Color Slide allows you to shift the center point (point of zero amplitude) of the
selected Colormap over a scan’s amplitude range. A negative number shifts towards the positive
amplitudes and positive number shifts towards the negative amplitudes. To preview Color Slide, if the O-
Scope is not displayed during data collection, return to the Setup Screen->Output Menu.
• Adjusting the Color Slide over a particular value range allows you to see more subtle variations in
the data.

Left Color Slide = -0.20; Middle Color Slide = 0; Right Color Slide = 0.20

Output - Point Mode

This control button opens a menu with options for modifying the data display during
collection.
Hilbert Txfm: A Hilbert Transform is used to display subtle properties of the
subsurface. Reflector amplitude and time are the primary types of information in GPR
data used to make interpretations. Another way of defining the data is by transforming
it into frequency and phase (positive or negative changes in the scan trace). This
information is sometimes more sensitive to important subsurface (dielectric) changes in
the amplitude or geometric information.
A Hilbert Transform will change a radar signal represented as a time series into its
magnitude (via envelope detection) phase). The Hilbert Transform expresses the
relationship between the phase and magnitude of the signal, or between its real and
imaginary parts. It allows the phase of a signal to be reconstructed from its amplitude.
Toggle Hilbert Transform
On or Off by pressing the
Control Knob or the Enter
key.

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Chapter 3: Setting Up Your SIR 4000 for

2D Data Collection and Playback in
Expert Mode
In this chapter you will find instructions for configuring your SIR 4000 to collect single 2D profiles of
data that can be interpreted by themselves or stacked together in software to produce a 3D image.
The first section of this chapter includes a step-by-step checklist to set up your system. This refers to the
software setup only, not the hardware setup. If you are using a survey cart, please see Appendix C for a
hardware example, otherwise see section 2.1.
These first two parts also assume that you are collecting distance- Note: The largest single profile
based data with a survey wheel. If you are collecting data where you can collect is 2 GB.
the scan spacing is based on time (Time-based), see section 3.3,
and if you are collecting single Point data, please see section 3.4.

3.1: Setting Up Distance Mode Data Collection

Step 1 - Introduction Screen
Press the green power button and wait for the SIR 4000 Introduction Screen to appear.

General Settings: Once the Introduction Screen loads verify that you are using the appropriate
Language, Units of Measure, and Theme. These options are available in the Toolbar at the bottom of
the screen.

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Antenna: If an analog antenna without “Smart ID” is connected to the SIR 4000 you can select Antenna
from the Toolbar and select the appropriate antenna frequency. If a digital or “Smart ID” antenna is
connected that antenna frequency will appear in the Toolbar and you will not have access to the Antenna
menu.
• Select Antenna Type: Choose an antenna frequency from the list of available frequencies.

GPS: If you want to also collect GPS data, then you’ll need to configure the GPS from the Toolbar.
Ensure that the GPS is connected to the SIR 4000 and set the baud rate so that the GPS and the SIR 4000
are using the same one. For more information on configuring and trouble-shooting your GPS connection
see Chapter 5: Using a GPS with your SIR 4000.

1 Select GPS Type: None is set when a GPS is not connected and Custom if a GPS is connected and
needs to be configured.

2 Select Baud Rate: Match the baud rate with the one you are using on your GPS. Available baud
rates range from 4800 up to 230400.

3 Start: Press the green Start button on the right side of the SIR 4000 control panel.

4 Select Format: Select which format to use when displaying point, Degrees Minutes Seconds,
Degrees Minutes Decimal Minutes, and Decimal Degrees.

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Expert Mode: Select Expert Mode from the rotating list at the top of the Introduction Screen.
New Project: Select New Project and enter in a new Project Name. This will be the name of the folder
where all of your files will be stored and the default name of the files as well. Once you provide a name
and press Apply you will automatically leave the Introduction Screen and enter the Collect Setup Screen.

Step 2 – Expert Mode Setup

Once a new project is created you will see a split screen with the main data display window on the left,
the O-Scope window in the center, and the Setup menu on the right.
There are four (4) main menus in the Setup Menu: Radar, Process, Output, and System. To get started
collecting data you’ll need to check or adjust settings in all four (4) menus.

Recall Setup
If you’ve previously saved a setup that you want to use then you should recall it first before making any
changes. Otherwise when you do recall the setup it will overwrite any of your changes with those that
were saved. Setups can either be uniquely named or you can use one of the sixteen (16) available setup
names.

1 Open the System Menu and select Recall Setup.

2 Select your saved setup from the list using either the Control knob or arrow keys. Once the desired
setup is highlighted press either the Control knob or Enter button.

Radar Menu
1 Collect Mode: Set to Distance.

2 Dielectric/Soil Type: Choose a Dielectric Constant or Soil Type that best represents the area you are
surveying. For a list of Dielectric Constants see Appendix D: Dielectric Values for Common
Materials.

3 Depth/Time Range: There are two options for setting the depth or time range.
• Full Range: With the system in Collect Setup mode and data scrolling across the screen, drag the
antenna over the area. As you do so watch the scan trace displayed in the O-Scope window.
When the scan trace gets to a depth/time where there is more noise, or interference, than signal
strength, you’ll see the scan trace jump from negative to positive and appear craggy. To setup the
system so that you’re collecting the maximum range of data possible you’ll want to see some of
that noise in the scan trace. If no noise is apparent then you should increase your depth or time
range until about 25% of the scan trace consists of noise. The noise to signal ratio will change as
you move across your survey area. So keeping some noise on the screen will help ensure that you
always collect the full range of quality signal.
• Target Specific: With the system in Collect Setup mode and data scrolling across the screen,
drag the antenna over the area and find a target that you want to image. Note its position on the
screen and at what time/depth it occurs. Ideally, it should be halfway down the screen so that you
can image targets above and below it. If it is not properly located, change the depth or time range.

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4 Scans/Unit: Generally you need a minimum of 10 scans to draw a recognizable hyperbola. The rule
of thumb is to have 10 scans divided by the depth of the shallowest object. So if you want to image
something 10 feet deep, 10 scans / 10 feet = 1 scan/foot. For 5 feet deep, 10 scans / 5 feet = 2
scans/foot.
• For locating structural features in concrete with the 1.5/1.6 GHz antenna, we usually recommend
90 scans/ft. For utility and tank location, we usually recommend 6-24 scans/ft. While this is more
than the minimum rule of thumb, GSSI has found these densities work well in the widest variety
of situations.

Process Menu
1 Gain Mode and Edit Gain Curve: The thin, red line superimposed over the scan in the O-Scope
window is the gain curve. The centerline of the scan is zero and to the left of it is negative (decreasing
gain) and the right is positive (increasing gain). Gain is applied in dB along an exponential function to
model signal loss. Your goal should be to have a gain curve that creates a scan trace with balanced
amplitude changes from top to bottom.
• Select Auto Gain Mode: If Auto Gain Mode is already selected you can press the Init control
button at the bottom of the screen to apply an automatic gain curve to the current scan trace. This
will cause the system to re-initialize and add/subtract gain to produce a visible signal. Drag the
antenna over the area and look for evidence of clipping. If your data becomes clipped, leave the
antenna over the area where it is occurring and re-initialize by pressing the Init control button.
This will decrease the gains so that the data will not clip.
• If you plan to collect multiple profiles and wish to compare them, it is usually best to set the gain
to Manual Gain Mode, once you find gain settings which are workable (you can see targets and
the signal does not clip).
• If you are performing real-time locating, then leaving the Gain Mode set to Auto will allow you
to use Init when your signal quality changes between profiles.
• Edit Gain Curve: If portions of the signal are under- or over-gained after using Auto Gain Mode,
you can try increasing or decreasing the number of gain points. The number of gain points
selected are evenly distributed along the scan trace and changing the number of points can change
where along the scan trace amplification is increased or decreased.
o Select Edit Gain Curve.
o Add or erase points to modify the gain curve.
o Save and Exit to return to the Collect Setup screen.

Output Menu
1 Scale and Units: Verify that you are using the appropriate vertical scale, vertical units, and
horizontal units.

2 Colormap, Color Stretch, and Color Slide: Check that you are using your preferred color scale
settings.

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System Menu
1 AutoSave: How you set this is based upon whether or not you want to save all of the files you
collect or be selective. With AutoSave turned on you’ll automatically save every profile.
• If performing real-time locating turning this to On may be beneficial as it will decrease the
number of selections you have to make to clear your screen.
• If collecting individual profiles to build into a 3D grid using the software it is recommended to
turn AutoSave Off. As you finish collecting one line this pauses data collection while you get in
position to start the next line.

2 Save Setup: Once you’ve made all of the modifications to the settings listed above it’s a good idea
to save your setup. This way you can recall it later if you have to restart the system or if you know
you’ll use these settings on a regular basis.

3 Survey Wheel Calibration: If you’re switching between different carts or moving from one type of
terrain to another you should recalibrate the survey wheel in order to accurately track distance. In
order to manually calibrate the antenna, you will need to lay out a measured line on your survey
surface. It can be of any length, but the longer the line, the more accurate the calibration.
a) Begin by selecting a Survey Wheel Mode: Quadrature or Pulse.
b) Select calibration distance – The default distance is 10
meters or feet. However this distance can be changed. The
longer the calibration distance the more accurate the
calibration should be.
c) Position Antenna on the Start mark – The antenna or system
can be positioned anywhere at the start as long as you use
the same point on the antenna or system when you stop.
d) Press the Start button – This is the green Start button
located
on the keypad of the SIR 4000.
e) Move antenna to the stop mark – This should match the
same location on the antenna or system where you started.
f) Press Stop button – This is the red Stop button located on
the keypad of the SIR 4000.
If desired you can enter the calibration value in manually.
a) Use either the Control Knob or Arrow keys to navigate to
the New Calibration Value box.
b) Press the Control Knob of the Enter key to highlight the New Calibration Value box.
c) Rotate the Control Knob or use the up and down arrows to enter in the correct value.
d) Click the right arrow to save and exit.
Once the desired survey wheel calibration is achieved select Apply. The current value will be saved and
the Calibrate SW menu will close. Press the Quit Toolbar key to return to the main Introduction Screen.

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Step 3 – Data Collection

1 To begin data collection press the green Start button one time.

2 At the end of your profile, press the red Stop button one time or press and hold the green Start button.
This halts the collection of the current data file; you now won’t be able to scroll across the profile or
perform any of the functions on the command bar.
• If AutoSave is set to On the file will automatically be saved. And a new file will immediately
begin using the same collection parameters as the previous file.
• If AutoSave is set to Off a system prompt will pop up giving you the option to save or discard the
file. Choose to save or discard using the Control knob or the Directional Keys.

3 To continue data collection after choosing to save or discard a file, position yourself at the beginning
of your next profile. Then press the green Start button one time to begin the next data file. The
previous data will be cleared and a new file opened. New files will be collected with the same
collection parameters as the previous file.

4 To return to the Collect Setup screen if AutoSave is set to On, push and hold down the red Stop
button for two seconds. The current file will automatically be saved and you will return to the Collect
Setup screen. If AutoSave is set to Off, press the red Stop button one time. A system prompt will pop
up giving you the option to save or discard the current file. Once an option has been selected push
and hold down the red Stop button for two seconds and you will return to the Collect Setup screen.

3.2: Setup for Single Line 3D Collection in Expert Mode

Follow these instructions if you want to build a 3D area out of multiple individual survey profiles.
You will save each profile as a different file and create the 3D project in RADAN’s 3D Module. This
method does not use the Quick3D mode on the SIR 4000. For instructions on how to use the control unit
to aid in 3D data collection see Chapter 4: Using Quick3D Mode.

Step 1 – Distance Mode Setup

Follow all the above steps for 2D Distance Mode setup in order to set your SIR 4000 to local conditions
and antenna choice. The following setup options are also recommended for single line 3D collection.
Position: Set Position to Manual under the Radar Menu. This will ensure that you do not accidentally
auto-position over different ground surface conditions while collecting, which makes it impossible to
compare depth or time between multiple profiles.
Gain: After you have set the gains so that you are not clipping, set Gain under the Process Menu to
Manual. This will ensure that you do not accidentally auto-gain over a different area while collecting.
Gaining over a different area will produce data that is ‘mosaicked.’ Gain differences will mask features
and create edge-effects.
Select Datapath: It is recommended to create separate datapaths if collecting a bi-directional 3D grid.
Create a folder for files collected in the X-direction and a new folder when you start to collect files in the
Y-direction.
AutoSave: Set AutoSave to Off. This will pause the system between profiles allowing you to reposition
the antenna to start the next profile.

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Step 2 – Grid Setup

You must lay out your survey grid so that you can cross your targets with at least 3 profiles. Three
profiles will allow you to tell the difference between a point target and a linear target. For example, if you
are looking for graves 2 meters in length, your survey profiles should be spaced no more than 0.5 m apart,
and try to orient your survey grid so that you cross the graves perpendicular to their long axis in order to
have the greatest possibility of hitting them. If you have targets moving in multiple directions then you
should plan to survey the grid twice; once in the X-direction and once in the Y-direction.
Your grid length should be evenly divisible by your line spacing. For example, for a 30 m by 30 m grid
your lines in either the X- or Y-directions can be 0.5 m, 1 m, or 2 m apart, but they cannot be 4 m apart.

Step 3 – Takes Notes

In order for your data to be properly positioned in RADAN, you must be able to tell the software your
survey grid origin, line direction, and line orientation. You may begin your survey in any corner of the
grid and survey either in one direction, or zig-zig (i.e., back and forth). Be sure to keep accurate notes
showing the location of each file in relation to other files and immovable objects. You will assemble the
3D project in RADAN with the 3D Module after downloading the data to a PC.

Step 4 – Data Collection

Collect each survey profile as a separate file.

1 Position the antenna so that the center of the antenna is located on the baseline of your grid. The
antenna has black lines on it that mark the center or if you’re using one of the 4-wheel carts there are
lines on the black frame of the cart marking the center.

2 To begin data collection, press the green Start button one time.

3 At the end of each profile, press the red Stop button one time. You will be prompted to save the file.
Before saving the file. Reposition your antenna so that it is in place to begin collecting the next
profile. Once the antenna is in position select Save.

4 Repeat steps 1-3 until finished with the first direction of the grid.

5 At the end of your last profile in each direction, push and hold down the red Stop button to stop data
collection and return to the Collect Setup screen. The profile will be saved and can be viewed in
Playback mode.

6 If collecting a bi-directional 3D grid, create a new datapath and then repeat steps 1-5 in the new
direction.

3.3: Setting Up for Time Mode Data Collection

The scan spacing (horizontal resolution) of Time-based data profiles is a function of the speed that the
system is collecting data (Scans/Second) and the rate the antenna is moving over the survey surface. The
higher you set the Scans/Second and the slower you move the antenna, the denser the data will be.
Time-based data has no real distance tag, so the software has no idea how far you actually traveled. It is
extremely important to move the antenna at a constant speed and to add user marks (by clicking the mark
button) at consistent intervals. Time-based data requires additional processing in RADAN to create a 3D
image. If 3D imaging is your goal, it is ideal to collect Distance based data with a survey wheel.

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Step 1 – Introduction Screen

Press the green power button and wait for the SIR 4000 Introduction Screen to appear.

General Settings: Once the Introduction Screen loads verify that you are using the appropriate
Language, Units of Measure, and Theme. These options are available in the Toolbar at the bottom of the
screen.
Antenna: If an older analog antenna is connected to the SIR 4000 you can select Antenna from the
Toolbar and select the appropriate antenna frequency. If a digital or “Smart ID” antenna is connected that
antenna frequency will appear in the Toolbar and you will not have access to the Antenna menu.
• Select Antenna Type: Choose an antenna frequency from the list of available frequencies.

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GPS: If you want to also collect GPS data, then you’ll need to configure the GPS from the Toolbar.
Ensure that the GPS is connected to the SIR 4000 and set the baud rate so that the GPS and the SIR 4000
are the same. For more information on configuring and trouble-shooting your GPS connection see
Chapter 5: Using a GPS with your SIR 4000.

1 Select GPS Type: None is set when a GPS is not connected and Custom if a GPS is connected and
needs to be configured.

2 Select Baud Rate: Match the baud rate with the one you are using on your GPS. Available baud
rates range from 4800 up to 230400.

3 Select Format: Select which format to use when displaying point, Degrees Minutes Seconds,
Degrees Minutes Decimal Minutes, and Decimal Degrees.

4 Expert Mode: Select Expert Mode from the rotating list at the top of the Introduction Screen.

5 New Project: Select New Project and enter in a new Project Name. This will be the name of the
folder where all of your files will be stored and the default name of the files as well. Once you
provide a name and press Apply you will automatically leave the Introduction Screen and enter the
Collect Setup Screen.

Step 2 – Expert Mode Setup

Once a new project is created you will see a split screen with the main data display window on the left,
the O-Scope window in the center, and the Setup menu on the right.
There are four (4) main menus in the Setup Menu: Radar, Process, Output, and System. To get started
collecting data you’ll need to check or adjust settings in all four (4) menus.

Recall Setup
If you’ve previously saved a setup that you want to use then you should recall it first before making any
changes. Otherwise when you do recall the setup it will overwrite any of your changes with those that
were saved. Setups can either be uniquely named or you can use one of the sixteen (16) available setup
names.

1 Open the System Menu and select Recall Setup.

2 Select your saved setup from the list using either the Control knob or arrow keys. Once the desired
setup is highlighted press either the Control knob or Enter button.

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Radar Menu
1 Collect Mode: Set to Time.

2 Dielectric/Soil Type: Choose a Dielectric Constant or Soil Type that best represents the area you are
surveying. For a list of Dielectric Constants see Appendix D: Dielectric Values for Common
Materials.

3 Depth/Time Range: There are two options for setting the depth or time range.
• Full Range: With the system in Collect Setup mode and data scrolling across the screen, drag the
antenna over the area. As you do so watch the scan trace displayed in the O-Scope window.
When the scan trace gets to a depth/time where there is more noise, or interference, than signal
strength, you’ll see the scan trace jump from negative to positive and appear craggy. To setup the
system so that you’re collecting the maximum range of data possible you’ll want to see some of
that noise in the scan trace. If no noise is apparent then you should increase your depth or time
range until about 25% of the scan trace consists of noise. The noise to signal ratio will change as
you move across your survey area. So keeping some noise on the screen will help ensure that you
always collect the full range of quality signal.
• Target Specific: With the system in Collect Setup mode and data scrolling across the screen,
drag the antenna over the area and find a target that you want to image. Note its position on the
screen and at what time/depth it occurs. Ideally, it should be halfway down the screen so that you
can image targets above and below it. If it is not properly located, change the depth or time range.

4 Scans/Second: Your data density depends on the rate you move the antenna over the survey surface.
Typically this value is set much lower than the maximum.

5 Units/Mark: You can also set how many units (feet or meters) will be collected between system
marks.

Process Menu
1 Gain Mode and Edit Gain Curve: The thin, red line superimposed over the scan in the O-Scope
window is the gain curve. The centerline of the scan is zero and to the left of it is negative (decreasing
gain) and the right is positive (increasing gain). Gain is applied in dB along an exponential function to
model signal loss. Your goal should be to have a gain curve that creates a scan trace with balanced
amplitude changes from top to bottom.
• Select Auto Gain Mode: If Auto Gain Mode is already selected you can press the Init control
button at the bottom of the screen to apply an automatic gain curve to the current scan trace. This
will cause the system to re-initialize and add/subtract gain to produce a visible signal. Drag the
antenna over the area and look for evidence of clipping. If your data becomes clipped, leave the
antenna over the area where it is occurring and re-initialize by pressing the Init control button.
This will decrease the gains so that the data will not clip.
• If you plan to collect multiple profiles and wish to compare them, it is usually best to set the gain
to Manual Gain Mode, once you find gain settings which are workable (you can see targets and
the signal does not clip).
• If you are performing real-time locating, then leaving the Gain Mode set to Auto will allow you
to use Init when your signal quality changes between profiles.

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• Edit Gain Curve: If portions of the signal are under- or over-gained after using Auto Gain Mode,
you can try increasing or decreasing the number of gain points. The number of gain points
selected are evenly distributed along the scan trace and changing the number of points can change
where along the scan trace amplification is increased or decreased.
o Select Edit Gain Curve.
o Add or erase points to modify the gain curve.
o Save and Exit to return to the Collect Setup screen.

Output Menu
1 Scale and Units: Verify that you are using the appropriate vertical scale, vertical units, and
horizontal units.

2 Colormap, Color Stretch, and Color Slide: Check that you are using your preferred color scale
settings.

System Menu
1 AutoSave: How you set this is based upon whether or not you want to save all of the files you
collect or be selective. With AutoSave turned on you’ll automatically save every profile.
• If performing real-time locating turning this to On may be beneficial as it will decrease the
number of selections you have to make to clear your screen.
• If collecting individual profiles to build into a 3D grid using the software it is recommended to
turn AutoSave Off. As you finish collecting one line this pausing data collection while you get in
position to start the next line.

2 Save Setup: Once you’ve made all of the modifications to the settings listed above it’s a good idea
to save your setup. This way you can recall it later if you have to restart the system or if you know
you’ll use these settings on a regular basis.

Step 3 – Data Collection

1 To begin data collection, press the green Start button one time. The SIR 4000 will instantly begin
collecting scans at the rate specified during setup. Scans will fill the screen from left to right.

2 If adding user marks during collection to correct distance in RADAN, press the Mark button at the
appropriate interval.
• For example, if collecting single lines to build a 3D grid in RADAN, add a user mark when the
antenna crosses the baselines to indicate the beginning and end of each line.

3 At the end of your profile, press the red Stop button one time or press and hold the green Start button.
This halts the collection of the current data file; you now won’t be able to scroll across the profile or
perform any of the functions on the command bar.
• If AutoSave is set to On the file will automatically be saved. And a new file will immediately
begin using the same collection parameters as the previous file.
• If AutoSave is set to Off a system prompt will pop up giving you the option to save or discard the
file. Choose to save or discard using the Control knob or the Directional Keys.

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4 To return to the Collect Setup screen if AutoSave is set to On, push and hold down the red Stop
button for two seconds. The current file will automatically be saved and you will return to the Collect
Setup screen. If AutoSave is set to Off, press the red Stop button one time. A system prompt will pop
up giving you the option to save or discard the current file. Once an option has been selected push
and hold down the red Stop button for two seconds and you will return to the Collect Setup screen.

3.4: Setting Up for Point Mode Data Collection

The third data collection mode on the SIR 4000 is for Point mode data collection. This mode is most
useful for deep geophysical investigations or data collection over difficult, broken terrain.
In Point mode, we are recording single scans over an area. The scan spacing (horizontal resolution) of
Point-based data profiles is a function of how far apart you set your collection points.

Step 1 – Introduction Screen

Press the green power button and wait for the SIR 4000 Introduction Screen to appear.

General Settings: Once the Introduction Screen loads verify that you are using the appropriate
Language, Units of Measure, and Theme. These options are available in the Toolbar at the bottom of the
screen.
Antenna: If an older analog antenna is connected to the SIR 4000 you can select Antenna from the
Toolbar and select the appropriate antenna frequency. If a digital or “Smart ID” antenna is connected that
antenna frequency will appear in the Toolbar and you will not have access to the Antenna menu.

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Select Antenna Type: Choose an antenna frequency from the list of available frequencies.
GPS: If you want to also collect GPS data, then you’ll need to configure the GPS from the Toolbar.
Ensure that the GPS is connected to the SIR 4000 and set the baud rate so that the GPS and the SIR 4000
are the same. For more information on configuring and trouble-shooting your GPS connection see
Chapter 5: Using a GPS with your SIR 4000.

1 Select GPS Type: None is set when a GPS is not connected and Custom if a GPS is connected and
needs to be configured.

2 Select Baud Rate: Match the baud rate with the one you are using on your GPS. Available baud
rates range from 4800 up to 230400.

3 Select Format: Select which format to use when displaying point, Degrees Minutes Seconds,
Degrees Minutes Decimal Minutes, and Decimal Degrees.

4 Expert Mode: Select Expert Mode from the rotating list at the top of the Introduction Screen.

5 New Project: Select New Project and enter in a new Project Name. This will be the name of the
folder where all of your files will be stored and the default name of the files as well. Once you
provide a name and press Apply you will automatically leave the Introduction Screen and enter the
Collect Setup Screen.

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Step 2 – Expert Mode Setup

Once a new project is created you will see a split screen with the main data display window on the left,
the O-Scope window in the center, and the Setup menu on the right.
There are four (4) main menus in the Setup Menu: Radar, Process, Output, and System. To get started
collecting data you’ll need to check or adjust settings in the first three (3).

Recall Setup
If you’ve previously saved a setup that you want to use then you should recall it first before making any
changes. Otherwise when you do recall the setup it will overwrite any of your changes with those that
were saved. Setups can either be uniquely named or you can use one of the sixteen (16) available setup
names.

Radar Menu
1 Collect Mode: Set to Point.

2 Dielectric/Soil Type: Choose a Dielectric Constant or Soil Type that best represents the area you are
surveying. For a list of Dielectric Constants see Appendix D: Dielectric Values for Common
Materials.

3 Depth/Time Range: There are two options for setting the depth or time range.
• Full Range: With the system in Collect Setup mode and data scrolling across the screen, drag the
antenna over the area. As you do this watch the scan trace displayed in the O-Scope window.
When the scan trace gets to a depth/time where there is more noise, or interference, than signal
strength, you’ll see the scan trace jump from negative to positive and appear craggy. To setup the
system so that you’re collecting the maximum range of data possible you’ll want to see some of
that noise in the scan trace. If no noise is apparent then you should increase your depth or time
range until about 25% of the scan trace is made up of noise. The noise to signal ratio will change
as you move across your survey area. So keeping some noise on the screen will help ensure that
you always collect the full range of quality signal.
• Target Specific: With the system in Collect Setup mode and data scrolling across the screen,
drag the antenna over the area and find a target that you want to image. Note its position on the
screen and at what time/depth it occurs. Ideally, it should be halfway down the screen so that you
can image targets above and below it. If it is not properly located, change the range under the
Scan menu.

4 Scans/Unit: This is the number of scans that will be collected every foot or meter. This number will
affect how the horizontal scale is displayed during data collection.

Process Menu
1 Gain Mode and Edit Gain Curve: The thin, red line superimposed over the scan in the O-Scope
window is the gain curve. The centerline of the scan is zero and to the left of it is negative (decreasing
gain) and the right is positive (adding gain). Gain is applied in dB along an exponential function to
model signal loss. Your goal should be to have a gain curve that creates a scan trace with balanced
amplitude changes from top to bottom.

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• Select Auto Gain Mode: If Auto Gain Mode is already selected you can press the Init
Command key at the bottom of the screen to apply an automatic gain curve to the current scan
trace. This will cause the system to re-initialize and add/subtract gain to produce a visible signal.
Drag the antenna over the area and look for evidence of clipping. If your data becomes clipped,
leave the antenna over the area where it is occurring and re-initialize by pressing the Init
Command key. This will decrease the gains so that the data will not clip.
• If you plan to collect multiple profiles and wish to compare them, it is usually best to set the gain
to Manual Gain Mode, once you find gain settings which are workable (you can see targets and
the signal does not clip).
• If you are performing real-time locating, then leaving the Gain Mode set to Auto will allow you
to use Init when your signal quality changes between profiles.
• Edit Gain Curve: If using Auto Gain Mode still leaves portions of the signal under-gained, you
can try increasing or decreasing the number of gain points. The number of gain points selected
are evenly distributed along the scan trace and changing the number of points can change where
along the scan trace amplification is increased or decreased.
o Set Gain Mode to Manual.
o Select Edit Gain Curve.
o Add or erase point to modify the gain curve.
o Save and Exit to return to the Collect Setup screen.

2 Static Stacking: Point data is typically collected with some static stacking. A good default value
here is 64. The system will take 64 scans at each scan location and average them together to output a
single scan. This is done to minimize high-frequency, random noise.

Output Menu
1 Scale and Units: Verify that you are using the appropriate vertical scale and units. The horizontal
scale will appear in number of scans during collection.

2 Spacing, Amplitude, and Fill: Check that you are using your preferred display settings for Point
Mode.

Step 3 – Data Collection

1 To begin data collection press the green Start button one time.

1 The screen will appear with one scan trace already collected on the left side of the data display screen
and the rest of the data display will be blank.

2 Press the Next Point control button to collect subsequent scans. The Scan number will update in the
Information Bar at the top of the screen as additional scans are added.

3 At the end of your profile, press and hold the red Stop button for two seconds. If AutoSave is set to
On the profile will be saved and you will return to the Collect Setup menu. If AutoSave is set to Off a
system prompt will pop up giving you the option to save or discard the current file. Once an option
has been selected press and hold down the red Stop button again and you will return to the Collect
Setup screen.

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3.5: Playing Back Collected Data

You can playback and review data collected in either Distance, Time, or Point Mode. Playback can be
accessed either from the Introduction Screen by selecting Playback or from the Collect Setup screen by
pressing the Play Mode control button. Either method will open a list of files stored in the currently
selected folder.

1 Use the Control Knob or Arrow keys to navigate through the list.

3 Select a file or files to Playback by pressing with the Control Knob.

4 Once you’ve made your selections press the Enter key to open the selected files. The selected files
will scroll across the screen in numerical order.

5 When the file scrolls across that you wish to view in full screen, press the green Start button. This will
open the Playback Screen with only the current file displayed.

6 The file will scroll across to the end and you can pause and resume the scroll using the Pause/Resume
control buttons.

3.6: Saving an Image

The SIR 4000 operating system includes a feature called Screen Capture. Screen Capture allows you to
save a screenshot of the entire SIR 4000 screen and save that image automatically to the SIR 4000
memory as a Portable Network Graphics (.PNG) file. A .PNG file is a “picture” file that you can email to
the client or print off. You do not need RADAN to see a .PNG file and any PC or Mac computer can view
a .PNG file. Screen Capture is available in any mode and in Collect or Playback.

How to Use Screen Capture:

2 Button sequence: Press and hold the down arrow, then
press the Up arrow once. Screen Capture works in either
Collect or Playback mode. You will hear an audio
indication that the SIR 4000 has saved the screen
capture.
3 Screen Capture Image: The SIR 4000 screen capture
feature will save the entirety of the image that is currently on the screen. This means that for longer
data files, you must scroll left or right to capture images from an entire file. It is stored as the file
name with a letter designator. For example, an image from FILE___036.DZT will be saved as
FILE___036A.PNG. Multiple .PNG files can be captured from a single .DZT file.
4 Transfer the File: Transfer the data file (DZT) file to your computer following the steps in the next
section. The .PNG file(s) will transfer automatically along with the associated .DZT. There is no way
to transfer the image without transferring the data.

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Chapter 4: Using Quick3D Mode

This mode is designed to help you easily collect 3D data on an area of any size and surface with some
obstacles. By entering the grid size and profile spacing the SIR 4000 can show the current survey location
and guide you through 3D data collection. During the survey, each individual radar profile is saved as it is
collected. At the end of the grid, the SIR 4000 creates a special folder and file which contain positioning
information. This information is then used by RADAN to quickly build and display the 3D data. You can
also view the 3D data on the SIR 4000 after collection and perform some processing functions such as
applying FIR/IIR Filters or performing Hyperbola Fitting. In essence, Quick3D allows you to skip the 3D
file creation process in RADAN and allows you to analyze your 3D data in the field.
The next section explains the file structure of a Quick3D file. The subsequent sections explain the field
use and implementation in RADAN of Quick3D files.

4.1: Quick3D File Structure

Quick3D data collection mode creates a folder on your SIR 4000 with the name of the grid followed by
the extension 3DS. Inside of that folder are all of the DZT files, DZX files, and a file with the extension
BZX. The individual profiles are the DZT files and each one has a corresponding header filer, the DZX.
The BZX is a grid assembly file that tells RADAN how to assemble the individual files into a grid.
• In the screenshot, a 50x50ft foot area was surveyed in one direction only with profiles spaced
every 2 feet. This survey created 26 DZT and DZX files (1 every 2 feet including the line at 0)
and 1 BZX file. The Grid was named
GRID__003.3DS. The grid name was
automatically generated by the
SIR 4000 within the project folder,
COMMON.PRJ.
• The BZX file is an information file
which tells the RADAN software
where each DZT file is positioned and
directs the software to create a 3D file
with the proper positioning
information. Opening the grid in
RADAN is as simple as opening the
BZX file.
• The project folder will also contain a
subfolder called Proc. This folder
contains DZP files that are used to
playback the 3D data on the SIR 4000. Note: You must keep that BZX file
They are not necessary for 3D viewing and all of you data files together in the
or processing in RADAN. same grid folder.

• When transferring data from the SIR 4000 to a PC running

RADAN, the entire Grid folder is transferred. In order for the BZX file to work all of the DZT
and DZX files must be kept in the same folder as the BZX file.
In summary each grid is saved in a separate folder under the project folder. Inside each folder are all of
the individual radar profiles (DZT and DZX files) and one BZX file. The BZX file tells RADAN where to
put each profile to create a 3D grid.

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4.2: Setting Up a Physical 3D Grid

Collecting data for 3D processing and interpretation is easiest when there is a physical guide grid laid out
to follow. Grids can be laid out using chalk, paint, measuring tapes, ropes, or some other method. A grid
can be any size, but data quality is better if the grid corners are square. The grid itself does not have to be
a square, it can be a rectangle, or can be irregularly shaped.
Follow the tips below to help ensure successful grid setup and data collection.
The graphic below illustrates how to put together a square, 10×10 grid and you can use the following
method to setup grids of any size including rectangular grids. Make sure to assign the X and Y axis.

1 Locate the origin point (0,0) and pull a tape measure 10 to

find the point 10,0 (blue line a). This is your baseline.

5 Pull one tape measure 10 from 0,0 (green line b) to 0,10.

6 Pull one tape measure from 10,0 to 0,10 (green line c).

7 Move both green tapes together so that 10 on line b

connects to 14.14 on line c. The point that they connect is
the grid corner. You will know that the corner at 0,0 is
square because this method produces a right triangle.

8 Repeat for the corner 10,10.

9 Once the grid corners are set you’ll need to mark the starting and ending point of each line you’re
going to collect. You could either leave the baselines on the ground or put markers, such as pin flags,
along each baseline. In the example to the right you would put a flag at the beginning and the end of
each orange arrow.

10 Photograph or make a sketch map of the grid.

Notes to include in the sketch map:
• X and Y axis
• Starting corner
• Direction of the first and second line in each
direction
• Obstacles located within the grid
• Location of trees inside and outside of the grid
• Features that are visible on the ground surface

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4.3: Setting Up Quick3D Collection

Quick3D mode on the SIR 4000 has the same menus as Expert Mode described in Chapter 2, plus an
additional menu to setup the size and collection parameters for a 3D grid.

Grid Menu
X/Y Start Value: These two items tell the system the coordinate of your origin
point. Typically these will both be 0. If you are working on a pre-existing site grid
and you want your survey grid origin to have that coordinate, you may add it here.
X/Y End Value: The SIR 4000 uses this coordinate to figure out the size of your
grid. In the example menu, the numbers for both the X and Y are 10. This means
that the X axis and the Y axis both end at 10, and since the origin is at 0,0 the grid
is 10×10.

Note: These numbers are coordinates, not line length. So if you have
a 20×20 grid and X/Y START is 10×10, then X/Y END is 30×30.

X/Y Line Spacing: This is the spacing between your survey lines. X lines are
parallel to the X axis and Y lines are parallel to the Y axis. The X spacing can be
different from the Y spacing, but the spacing must be regular. For example, you
cannot start your grid at one interval and change halfway through to another. If you
need to change the line spacing, you must start a new grid with the new parameters.
If you only want to collect on the X or the Y, set the line spacing of the direction
you are not collecting to 0.

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X/Y Line Order: This controls the survey line direction.

• Forward: Profiles are surveyed in one direction from the starting
baseline to the ending baseline. At the end of each profile, you must
move the antenna back to the starting baseline before moving to the
next line and collecting in the same direction.
• Zigzag: Allows you to collect data in both directions. At the end of a
line, turn the system around and begin data collection in the opposite
direction.
• Reverse: Profiles are surveyed in one direction from the ending baseline to the starting baseline.
At the end of each profile, you must move the antenna back to the ending baseline before moving
to the next line and collecting in the same direction.

Reset Grid: Changes the X/Y Start and End Values as well as the line spacing back to the system default
which is a 10x10 grid with 1 increment spacing in each direction.

4.4: Step By Step Quick3D Setup

Prior to starting a 3D grid you should perform a general survey of the area to determine the best settings
to use during 3D data collection. You should already know which settings to adjust in the Radar and
Process menu as well as how you’d like to change them.

Step 1: Start System

After system boot-up, select Quick3D from the modes listed at the top. Then select New Project to create
a new project folder. After selecting Apply you will see the Setup screen with the menu on the right, o-
scope in the upper middle, data preview in the upper left, and a grid preview in the bottom center of the
screen.

Step 2: Setup
If you’ve previously saved a setup that you want to use or would like to start with a default setup then you
should recall it before making any changes. Otherwise when you do recall the setup it will overwrite any
of your changes with those that were saved. Setups can either be uniquely named or you can use one of
the available setups.

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1 Open the System Menu and select Recall Setup.

2 Select your saved setup from the list using either the Control knob or arrow keys. Once the desired
setup is highlighted press either the Control knob or Enter button.

Step 3: Survey Wheel Calibration

This is a critical step in 3D file collection because proper positioning of your data is important.
If you’re switching between different carts or moving from one type of terrain to another you should
recalibrate the survey wheel in order to accurately track distance. To manually calibrate the survey wheel,
you will need to lay out a measured line on your survey surface. It can be of any length, but the longer the
line, the more accurate the calibration.

1 Select Calibrate SW from the System Menu.

2 Begin by selecting Quadrature as the Survey Wheel Mode.

3 Select calibration distance – The default distance is 10 meters or

feet. However this distance can be changed. The longer the
calibration distance the more accurate the calibration.

4 Position Antenna on the Start mark – The antenna or system can

be positioned anywhere at the start as long as you use the same
point on the antenna or system when you stop.

5 Press the Start button – This is the green Start button located
on the keypad of the SIR 4000.

6 Move antenna to the stop mark – This should match the same
location on the antenna or system where you started.

7 Press Stop button – This is the red Stop button located on

the keypad of the SIR 4000.

8 Repeat steps 3-6 at least twice to ensure that the calibration

distance is consistent.
If desired you can enter the calibration value in manually.

1 Use either the Control Knob or Arrow keys to navigate to

the New Calibration Value box.

2 Press the Control Knob of the Enter key to highlight the New Calibration Value box.

3 Rotate the Control Knob or use the up and down arrows to enter in the correct value.

4 Click the right arrow to save and exit.

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Step 4: Set Grid Limits

Under the Grid Menu, set your grid limits, line spacing, and orientation.
Start/End Values: Typically the X Start Value and the Y Start Value should both be set to 0. If the grid
does not start at 0,0 put in the coordinates of the origin point. This occurs when the grid is part of a larger
site grid. If combining grids in RADAN using Super3D, you can just leave this number at 0,0 and add
real coordinates later. Enter your X End Value and Y End Value coordinates and remember that these are
not line lengths.
In the example below, the grid is part of a larger site and the grid measures 50x50. It’s starting
coordinates are X Start Value = 50 and Y Start Value = 0. This means that the X End Value = 100 and the
Y End Value = 50.
Line Spacing: If collecting data in both the X and Y direction then include line spacing in each direction.
If only collecting in one direction then only include line spacing for the direction in which you’re
surveying and set the other to 0.
Line Order: Decide if you’re going to collect the lines using Forward, Zigzag, or Reverse Line Order.
Forward and Reverse will take longer to collect. However, it has the potential for fewer offset errors
created by uneven ground surface or a slightly misshapen grid. Potential offset errors created by
collecting in Zigzag can be corrected in RADAN.

Step 5: Enter Collection Screen

Once you are satisfied with the grid and settings press the green Start button on the SIR 4000. This will
open the 3D Collection Screen.

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4.5: Collecting 3D Data

Step 1: Position Antenna
Once in the 3D Collection screen,
after pressing the green Start button,
you will see a grid layout in the
center of the screen. The grid
coordinates are displayed at the
bottom left and top right corners of
the grid. The X and Y line lengths
appear on the bottom and left side of
the grid.
At the top of the screen the total
number of lines is displayed along
with the number in both the X and Y
directions.
The estimated file size for the grid is
also displayed at the top.
A yellow line and red box appear at
your starting coordinate. Position
the center of the antenna over the
starting coordinate for your grid. Typically that will be at 0,0, where the center of the antenna is centered
over both the X and Y baseline at the same time.

Step 2: Begin Collection

Once the antenna is centered over the starting coordinate press the green
Start button. This initiates data collection of Line 1. Nothing will happen
until you begin to push or pull the survey wheel. Once the survey wheel
starts moving in a forward direction (or whichever direction was used
during SW calibration) you will start collecting data and see the yellow
line progress across the screen.
After traveling the distance that you specified in 3D Setup, the SIR 4000
will automatically stop collecting data. The file will save and the system
will automatically increment to the next line.

Orientation – Positioning the next line.

Forward or Reverse Line Orders: Move your cart back to the baseline that you started from.
Zigzag Line Order: Turn your antenna around and position the center over the next line, but going in the
opposite direction.

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Start/Stop Buttons
The Start and Stop buttons offer different functions depending upon how long you press them.
Green Start Button: Long and Short presses both start collection of a single line or continuation of a
paused line when using Add Segment.
Red Stop Button: Short press ends data collection along a line. Long press saves the grid and exits data
collection.

Step 3: Recollecting or Skipping Lines

If you need to skip or redo a line, use Next Line or Previous
Line to move around the grid. You will see the yellow line move
to indicate your current position. Once the yellow line matches
your current location press the green Start button to collect or
recollect the line.
The new data file will be stored with the proper positioning info
and any old data will be overwritten.

Step 4: Adding a Line Segment

You can collect portions of a line or stop and start collection along a line by using the Add Segment
button. There are two ways to use this button.
Offset the starting position: You can
choose to start away from the baseline if
needed.

1 Position the antenna along the line

where you’d like to start.

2 Press Add Segment and then the green

Start button.

3 Move antenna to the end of the line and

position the center of the antenna over
the opposite baseline from where you
started.

4 Press the red Stop button. This will end

the line and shift it so that it lines up
with the opposite baseline.

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Skipping a Section of the Line: You can skip a section in the middle of a line to avoid an obstacle.

1 Begin data collection from the baseline as normal.

2 When you reach the section you want

to skip press Add Segment.

3 Move the antenna to the opposite side

of the area being skipped and line it up
on the same path.

4 Press the green Start button to begin

data collection again.

5 Move antenna to the end of the line and

position the center of the antenna over
the opposite baseline from where you
started.

6 Press the red Stop button. This will end

the line and shift it so that it lines up
with the opposite baseline.

Step 5: Saving the Grid

When you are finished collecting in either the X-Direction, Y-Direction, or both press and hold the red
Stop button. This will end collection of the 3D grid, save the grid, and return you to the 3D Setup Screen.
You are now ready to start collecting the next sequential grid in the same project. Select New Grid from
the Toolbar to enter the Quick3D Setup Screen with the next sequential grid selected.
To change to a different project press and hold the red Stop button a second time to return to the
Introduction Screen.

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4.6 Modify the 3D Display during Collection

You can adjust how the data appear during data collection using the Toolbar soft keys and the Output
menu available in the 3D Collection Screen.
View Toggle: Pressing this soft key toggles the 3D Collection Screen between a top down view of the
grid and 3D view of the grid. You can further modify how the 3D grid appears through the Output Menu.

Gain: Increase or decrease the Display Gain during data collection by a factor ranging from -12-60 dB.
This can be used to adjust contrast for an entire profile by the same amount.

Output Menu
This menu provides options for modifying the appearance of your data during collection. The first six (6)
options are the same for 3D collection as they are for 2D collection. None of these setting affect the raw
data.
Focus: Focus On performs a migration, which is a processing procedure that reduces or eliminates
hyperbolic diffraction patterns in the data. It removes the tails of the hyperbolas to more accurately
represent the center location of a target. This makes the identification of point reflectors much easier.
Migration also offers a simple and accurate way of estimating the radar velocity (and thus dielectric) of
the material your target is in from the shape of the hyperbolas.
• If the dielectric constant is too high when Focus is turned on, hyperbolic reflections will still
appear as hyperbolas.
• If the dielectric constant is too low when Focus is turned on, hyperbolic reflections will appears
in a “U” shape.
• Adjusting the dielectric, using the Dielectric control button, will change how hyperbolic
reflections appear during data collection. The goal is for all hyperbolic reflections to appear as
dots.
• If you are on a homogenous material, like concrete, this calibration is good for all like material. If
you are on soils, know that the Dielectric Constant of the soils can change drastically with depth
and across an area, so this is only an approximation.
Hilbert Txfm: A Hilbert Transform is used to display subtle properties of the subsurface. Reflector
amplitude and time are the primary types of information in GPR data used to make interpretations.
Another way of defining the data is by transforming it into frequency and phase (positive or negative

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changes in the scan trace). This information is sometimes more sensitive to important subsurface
(dielectric) changes in the amplitude or geometric information.
A Hilbert Transform will change a radar signal represented as a time series into its magnitude (via
envelope detection) phase). The Hilbert Transform expresses the relationship between the phase and
magnitude of the signal, or between its real and imaginary parts. It allows the phase of a signal to be
reconstructed from its amplitude.
Toggle Hilbert Transform On or Off by pressing the Control Knob or the Enter key.
Show Hyperbola: Toggles a hyperbola On or Off while in setup or during collection. The hyperbola
appears at the intersection of the vertical and horizontal cursor. By default the horizontal cursor is placed
at the top of the data display.
• The hyperbola is used during data collection to do real-time hyperbola fitting. Hyperbola fitting
measures the geometry of visible hyperbolas in the data to generate an estimated Dielectric
Constant.
• During data collection you’ll also have the option to turn the hyperbola On or Off.
Toggle Show Hyperbola On or Off by pressing the Control Knob or the Enter key.
Colormap: This menu option offers 30 available Colormap options (i.e. color tables). Select the menu by
pressing the Control Knob or Enter key and then scroll through Colormap #0-29.
Color Stretch: Selecting Color Stretch allows you to adjust how the selected Colormap is distributed
over a scan’s amplitude range. A Color Stretch greater than one (1) compresses the colors towards zero
(0). A Color Stretch less than one (1) expands the colors towards the maximum negative and positive
amplitudes.

Left Color Stretch = 0; Middle Color Stretch = 1; Right Color Stretch = 3

Color Slide: Selecting Color Slide allows you to shift the center point of the selected Colormap over a
scan’s amplitude range. A negative number shifts towards the positive amplitudes and positive number
shifts towards the negative amplitudes.
• Adjusting the Color Slide over a particular value range allows you to see more subtle variations in
the data.

Left Color Slide = -0.20; Middle Color Slide = 0; Right Color Slide = 0.20

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Rotate: You can rotate the grid

from 0-358 degrees using the
Control Knob. The rotation
changes in increments of 2
degrees and you can start by
moving up from zero or down
from 358. Combining Rotate with
Viewpoint can create a 3D view
of the data during collection.
Viewpoint: Viewpoint adjusts
the perspective to view the grid.
You can adjust the Viewpoint
from -0.40 to 1, where -0.40 will
provide almost a straight forward
view of a 2D profile as you would
see during 2D data collection.
This will not preview through the
Output menu unless Viewpoint
Toggle was selected from the
Toolbar.
Home: Resets Rotate and Viewpoint back to 0.
Slice Fill Factor: This allows you to choose how much of the space between each line is filled with
interpolated data in the 3D view. You can adjust the fill factor from 10-100%, where 100 fills in the entire
space between lines.

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4.7 GPS Enabled 3D Collection

You can collect a georeferenced 3D grid on the SIR 4000.

Step 1: Connect and Configure GPS

Connect the GPS to your SIR 4000 using the serial connection on the top of the control unit.
From the Introduction Screen select GPS from the Toolbar. Set the Baud Rate to match the GPS unit’s
Baud Rate and choose the desired Format to view your location information.

Step 2: Begin 3D Collection

From the 3D Setup Screen you’ll be able to see both your current coordinates on the top header bard and
your HDOP (Horizontal Dilution of Precision) Status. An HDOP of two (2) or less will display a green
satellite box, higher than two (2) a yellow satellite box, when there’s no signal the box will appear red,
and if GPS was never configured the box will remain grey.
Ensure you have a green satellite before starting data collection.

Step 3: Monitor GPS Quality

When you start collecting each 2D profile in your 3D grid, the SIR 4000 captures a GPS coordinate and
place it in the file header. It will continue capturing positions every three (3) seconds until you end data
collection as long as the HDOP is two (2) or less. Collected coordinates will be visible in the Tables Pane
of RADAN 7.
If the HDOP ever goes above two (2) the GPS Status icon will turn yellow and the system will stop
collecting coordinates. If this occurs you can either pause data collection waiting until the satellite turns
green again or continue collecting data knowing that this portion of the line is not georeferenced.

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4.8 Quick3D Playback

Quick3D Playback allows the user to display previously collected 3D data as a grid or in 2D profiles,
recollect data within a previously collected grid, and modify some settings used during the original data
collection.

Select a 3D Grid for Playback

1 Select which units were used to collect the grid, Metric or English. Whichever units are selected will
be used to playback the grid regardless of the units used during collection.

2 Access Quick3D Playback through the Introduction Screen by selecting Quick3D and then Playback.
This will open a screen where you can select a grid from the current project folder or change the Data
Path to select a grid from a previous project folder.

3 Choose the grid file you want to play back using the Control Know and select it by pressing the
Control Knob.

4 Press Enter to open the 3D grid.

5 A Loading Grid progress bar will appear on the screen to track the progress of opening the grid.

6 The 3D grid immediately opens in the Quick3D Playback Screen.

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Quick3D Playback Options

The Playback Screen allows you to view individual 2D profiles in a grid format, rotate the grid to view
data from different angles, apply filters, change colors, and do hyperbola fitting. If you’re still in the field
you also have the ability to recollect lines in the grid. These options are all available through the Toolbar
located at the bottom of the screen.

View Toggle
Pressing the View Toggle button at the bottom of the screen switches the 3D grid displayed to either a
top-down view of the data or with the applied Rotate and Viewpoint adjustments. These options are
available under the Output Menu in the Toolbar.

Gain
This Gain option is also referred to as display gain. It
increases the amplitude of your data by multiplying
every sample throughout your scan by a constant
value. The result is that you will be able to better see
weaker reflections, but those already strong
reflections may be over-gained. This function is
useful for a quick viewing of data that is attenuated
or otherwise under-gained to guarantee that it was
not clipped.
• You can change Gain from -12 to 60, with
negative values weakening the entire signal
and positive values strengthening the signal
by the value shown.
• To modify Gain press the Gain control button and use either the Control Knob or Right/Left
Arrow keys to adjust the gain amount.
• Display Gain is only for display and is not saved with the data.

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Fence X and Y
Profiles that were collected in either the
X or Y direction or both can be viewed
during Playback.
• Press this soft key to select which
profiles to display.
• Once Fence X or Y is selected use
the Control Knob to view different
profilers.
• If data were collected in both the
X and Y directions, you can view
profiles at the same time in both
directions. This can help pinpoint
the location of a reflection.

Scan Cursor
Selecting Scan Cursor allows you to place
a Horizontal line on the currently selected
profile and adjust the vertical location of
that line. This can be used to acquire more
accurate depth information.
• Press Scan Cursor until it shows
H Cursor.
• Use the Control Knob to adjust the
vertical location of the horizontal
line.

Rotate
You can adjust the rotation of the 3D grid
using either a soft key or from the Output
Menu. To adjust simply press the Rotate
soft key and use the Control Knob of rotate
the grid on a 360º axis.

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Output
This control button opens a menu with options for modifying the data display
during playback. See the
Focus: Focus On performs a migration, which is a processing procedure that
reduces or eliminates hyperbolic diffraction patterns in the data. It removes the
tails of the hyperbolas to more accurately represent the center location of a
target. This makes the identification of point reflectors much easier.
Migration also offers a simple and accurate way of estimating the radar velocity
(and thus dielectric) of the material your target is in from the shape of the
hyperbolas.
• If the dielectric constant is too high when Focus is turned on, hyperbolic
reflections will still appear as hyperbolas.
• If the dielectric constant is too low when Focus is turned on, hyperbolic
reflections will appears in a “U” shape.
• Adjusting the dielectric, using the Dielectric control button, will change
how hyperbolic reflections appear during data collection. The goal is for
all hyperbolic reflections to appear as dots.
• If you are on a homogenous material, like concrete, this calibration is good for all like material. If
you are on soils, know that the Dielectric Constant of the soils can change drastically with depth
and across an area, so this is only an approximation.
Hilbert Txfm: A Hilbert Transform is used to display subtle properties of the subsurface. Reflector
amplitude and time are the primary types of information in GPR data used to make interpretations.
Another way of defining the data is by transforming it into frequency and phase (positive or negative
changes in the scan trace). This information is sometimes more sensitive to important subsurface
(dielectric) changes in the amplitude or geometric information.
A Hilbert Transform will change a radar signal represented as a time series into its magnitude (via
envelope detection) phase). The Hilbert Transform expresses the relationship between the phase and
magnitude of the signal, or between its real and imaginary parts. It allows the phase of a signal to be
reconstructed from its amplitude.
Toggle Hilbert Transform On or Off by pressing the Control Knob or the Enter key.
Show Hyperbola: Toggles a hyperbola On or Off while in setup or during collection. The hyperbola
appears at the intersection of the vertical and horizontal cursor. By default the horizontal cursor is placed
at the top of the data display.
• The hyperbola is used during data collection to do real-time hyperbola fitting. Hyperbola fitting
measures the geometry of visible hyperbolas in the data to generate an estimated Dielectric
Constant.
• During data collection you’ll also have the option to turn the hyperbola On or Off.
Toggle Show Hyperbola On or Off by pressing the Control Knob or the Enter key.
Colormap: This menu option offers 30 available Colormap options (i.e. color tables). Select the menu by
pressing the Control Knob or Enter key and then scroll through Colormap #0-29. To preview the different
Colormaps, if the O-Scope is not displayed during data collection, return to the Setup Screen->Output
Menu.

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Color Stretch: Selecting Color Stretch allows you to adjust how the selected Colormap is distributed
over a scan’s amplitude range. A Color Stretch greater than one (1) compresses the colors towards zero
(0). A Color Stretch less than one (1) expands the colors towards the maximum negative and positive
amplitudes. To preview Color Stretch, if the O-Scope is not displayed during data collection, return to the
Setup Screen->Output Menu.

Left Color Stretch = 0; Middle Color Stretch = 1; Right Color Stretch = 3

Color Slide: Selecting Color Slide allows you to shift the center point of the selected Colormap over a
scan’s amplitude range. A negative number shifts towards the positive amplitudes and positive number
shifts towards the negative amplitudes. To preview Color Slide, if the O-Scope is not displayed during
data collection, return to the Setup Screen->Output Menu.
• Adjusting the Color Slide over a particular value range allows you to see more subtle variations in
the data.

Left Color Slide = -0.20; Middle Color Slide = 0; Right Color Slide = 0.20

Rotate: You can rotate the grid from 0-358

degrees using the Control Knob. The
rotation changes in increments of 2 degrees
and you can start by moving up from zero or
down from 358. Combining Rotate with
Viewpoint can create a 3D view of the data
during collection.

Viewpoint: Viewpoint adjusts the

perspective from which you’re seeing the
grid. You can adjust the Viewpoint from -
0.40 to 1, where -0.40 will provide almost a
straight forward view of a 2D profile as you
would see in 2D data collection.
Home: Resets Rotate and Viewpoint
back to 0.

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Slice Fill Factor: This allows you to choose how much of the space between each line is filled with
interpolated time-slice data. You can adjust the fill factor from 0.10-1.00, where 1.00 fills in the entire
space between lines.

Marks on Grid: This turns the grid marks on or off. Grid marks correspond with the location of the
profiles in the grid.

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Selecting a Different Quick3D Grid

To select a different 3D grid for playback press and hold the red Stop button to exit the Playback screen
and return to the Playback Setup Screen. From here press and hold the red Stop button to return to the
Introduction Screen. At this point you’ll be able to select a different grid or data path by going into
Playback Mode.

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Chapter 5: Data Transfer and File Maintenance

This section describes how to transfer data from the SIR 4000 to a PC for processing and interpretation,
and also how to clear unwanted data from the system’s memory. These functions are all accomplished
under the Play Mode control button.

5.1: Transfer to a PC via a USB Memory Stick

1 Turn on SIR 4000 or if already running stop all collection and playback functions prior to continuing.

2 Insert USB memory stick.

3 Select Playback from either the Introduction or Setup screens. This opens whichever folder was last
used during data collection. If the data you want to transfer is in a different folder press the Choose
Path control button and select a different project folder.

4 Select the files you wish to transfer using the Control knob to navigate and by pressing the Control
Knob to select a file. You can select multiple files from the list.

5 To copy the files select the Copy to USB control button. This will place a copy of the selected files
onto the USB memory stick and maintain a copy on the SIR 4000 internal memory. A progress bar
will appear on the screen showing the status of the copied files.

6 To copy the files to the USB memory stick and remove them from the SIR 4000 press the Move to
USB Command key. A progress bar will appear on the screen showing the status of the copied files.

5.2: Deleting Data from the System

While it is always advisable to keep the data on your system until you have transferred it (if desired) and
checked the integrity of the data, eventually the memory may fill up or you may simply want to do some
‘housecleaning.’

Deleting Individual Files

1 In order to delete files you need to open up the file list. You can do this from three places.
a) From the Introduction Screen select Playback. This opens whichever folder was last used during
data collection. To select a different datapath you’ll need to select Last Project and change the
Datapath under the Output Menu.
b) From the Collect Setup Screen select the Play Mode Command key. This opens the current folder
and displays files available for playback or that you can delete.
c) From the Playback Setup Screen select Select File. This opens the current folder and displays
files available for playback or that you can delete.

2 Select the files you wish to delete.

3 Press the Delete Files control button. A progress bar will appear on the screen showing the status of
the copied files.

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Deleting Project Folders

1 From either the Collect or Playback Setup screen open Output->Select Datapath.

2 Select the data path you wish to delete.

3 Press the Delete Path control button. A progress bar will appear on the screen showing the status of
the copied files.

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Chapter 6: Using a GPS with your SIR 4000

Your SIR 4000 is capable of attaching GPS coordinates to individual data profiles. This will allow you to
place your survey lines into a larger, real-world coordinate system provided that you have a GPS with
sufficient accuracy for your application. RADAN 7 will then be able to show coordinates with a GPR X,
Y, and Z.
GSSI has specific integration information as a series of Technical Notes available on the GSSI Technical
Support website at http://support.geophysical.com.
The GPS you do choose must have the following:
1. Provide data output through a serial (RS232) port.
2. Output data at a baud rate ranging from 4800 to 230400.
3. Output the NMEA GGA data string.
East vs. West. The SIR 4000 is set to capture Latitude and Longitude coordinates rather than UTM. It
does not however tag a North/South or East/West to those numbers. If you are west of the Prime
Meridian, the Longitude will be negative and if you are south of the Equator, the Latitude will be
negative.

6.1: Connecting a GPS

1 Try your GPS to determine if you are getting a good position and an adequate number of satellites.

2 Power up your SIR 4000 and connect the GPS to the serial port on the control unit.

3 From the Introduction Screen select GPS from the Toolbar and check the following settings. Once a
GPS connection is verified Apply the settings.
• GPS Type: Select Custom as the GPS Type.
• Baud Rate: Choose a Baud Rate that matches the one set on the GPS unit.
• Start: Press the green Start button on the right side of the control unit.
• Format: Choose a format for viewing the data during collection and playback.

4 When you start collecting a file, the SIR 4000 will capture a GPS coordinate and place it in the file
header. It will do the same every three (3) seconds as long as you are collecting data and the HDOP
(Horizontal Dilution of Precision) is two (2) or less. These coordinates will be visible in the Tables
Pane of RADAN 7.

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6.2: Understanding GPS

This is a brief description of GPS and how to use it with our SIR 4000. GPS information gets attached to
the data as a *.DZG file, which RADAN 7 incorporates into its database automatically when the *.DZT
file is opened.
This section gives a quick GPS overview and then describes what you need to know in order to
effectively use the SIR 4000 with a GPS.

What is it?
GPS is a satellite navigation system (provided free by the USDoD) designed to provide
instantaneous position, velocity and time information almost anywhere on the globe at
any time, and in any weather. It typically provides positioning accuracies ranging from 3
meters (costing $150) to 1cm ($15,000). Since it needs to see much of the sky, it works
poorly indoors, in woods and in “concrete canyons” like Manhattan.

Why do I need it?

You probably don’t! In fact for many Ground Penetration Radar applications you can just use a survey
wheel to measure your distance and take simple notes about your start and stop locations. And since
digging or drilling often requires more precision than 3meters, knowing “sort of” where you are is not
helpful.
However, as surveys become larger and as technologies improve, GPS can be very helpful in telling you
where you are on a map, or what road you turned onto, or what section of the avalanche you have already
covered, or even where you were in the middle of a lake. And of course if you actually need expensive
survey-grade GPS accuracy, we want to give you the hooks you need to place our RADAR data correctly.
Increasingly GPS is claiming a legitimate place in the ever increasing size and variety of GPR
applications.

How does it work?

GPS works by triangulating the distance from satellites in space. Like our
RADARs, these satellites just transmit time very accurately and estimate the
distance using the speed of light. Getting the travel-time from just three
satellites is enough to know where you are on the earth. Getting the travel-
time from 12 satellites greatly decreases the uncertainty of your position.
Typically around buildings and trees you might “see” six satellites, plenty to
know where you are to within 3 meters. The degree of precision depends on
many things, like how well distributed the satellites are in the sky, or the
travel path the signal took to get to your receiver.

Main sources of error

GPR and GPS share a lot in common. The travel times and paths are directly affected by the medium. For
GPS, this means the signal from the satellites to your receiver can get slowed down and bent by changes
in the Ionosphere, the Troposphere and even nearby objects. These sources of error can be reduced using
expensive tricks like dual frequency, Klobuchar modeling and Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) solutions.
The least expensive way to correct for these errors is through Differential GPS (DGPS), where data from
a second stationary “Base” GPS is subtracted from a Roving GPS. Compared to the distance from the
satellite, distance between Base and Rover is insignificant, which means the travel paths through the

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ionosphere and troposphere are basically identical. So the difference between the two positions subtracts
out atmospheric effects, leaving just the Rover position.

6.3 What is the DZG File?

The GPS file collected with the SIR 4000 is identified by the extension *.DZG and consists of multiple
two-sentence blocks. First sentence (line) starting with $GSSIS contains the DZT file scan (trace number)
associated with the GPS location. Second sentence (line) starting with $GPGGA contains the GPS-
NMEA coordinate information.

Format:
$GSSIS,x,x
$GPGGA,hhmmss.ss,llll.ll,a,yyyyy.yy,a,x,xx,x.x,x.x,M,x.x,M,x.x,xxxx*hh
Example:
$GSSIS,0,-1
$GPGGA,112921.00,4343.9993927,N,00148.7984187,E,2,12,0.8,192.470,M,49.746,M,6.0,0136*46

$GSSIS sentence structure

Name Example Description
Message ID $GSSIS Fixed text identifier
File Scan # 0 File scan (trace) number, >=0
Scan Count* -1 When Pulse Per Second (PPS) is used on the GPS unit, this number is
the scan count at the specified scan rate from when the system was
started, >=0 (missing value = -1)
*The value in field 2 is convertible into seconds by subtracting the number from the value associated
with the $GSSIS record at Scan 0, then dividing by the scans/sec in the DZT file header.

How to Calculate the Time

To calculate the time relative to the start of the file for each scan record, determine the scan rate from the
DZT header, e.g., 473 scans per second. Following are three lines from a DZG file:

$GSSIS,0,1648470
$GPGGA,150523.00,4713.45783544,N,06817.11556267,W,2,10,1.0,185.873,M,-26.675,M,6.0,0138*76

$GSSIS,16,1648784
$GPGGA,150526.00,4713.46286086,N,06817.13084159,W,2,10,1.0,185.368,M,-26.675,M,3.0,0138*79

$GSSIS,42,1649257

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$GPGGA,150527.00,4713.46473386,N,06817.13641152,W,2,10,1.0,185.206,M,-26.675,M,4.0,0138*7D

Scan Count at File Scan 0 = 1648470

Scan Count at File scan 16 = 1648784
Scan Count at File scan 42 = 1649257

Time at scan 16 relative to scan 0 = (1648784 – 1648470)/473 = 0.66 seconds

Time at scan 42 relative to scan 0 = (1649257– 1648470)/473 = 1.66 seconds

$GPGGA sentence structure

Name Example Description
Sentence Identifier $GPGGA Global Positioning Fix Data
Time of Position 112921.00 11:29:21 UTC (Universal Time Coordinated)
Latitude N or S 4343.9993927,N 43d 43.9993927' N (negative N values indicate
S)
Longitude E or W 00148.7984187,E 1d 48.7984187' E (negative E values indicate W)
Fix Quality 2 Data is from a DGPS fix
0 = Invalid
1 = GPS fix
2 = DGPS fix
Number of Satellites in Use 12 12 satellites used
Horizontal Dilution of Position 0.8 Relative accuracy of horizontal position
(HDOP)
Antenna altitude above/below 192.470,M 192.470 meters
mean sea level (geoid), and units
of altitude (i.e., antenna height)
Geoidal separation (difference 49.746,M 49.746 meters
between WGS-84 ellipsoid and
mean sea level (+/- above/below
ellipsoid), and units of geoidal
separation
Age in seconds since last update 6.0 6.0 seconds
from differential reference station
(i.e., DGPS update)
Differential reference station 0136 (France)*
(DGPS) ID number
Checksum *46 Used to check for transmission errors - refers to
all bytes between the $ and the * (not including
delimiters) written in hexadecimal

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6.4 What is WAAS?

The Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) is a form of differential GPS that uses geostationary
satellites to transmit an error correction estimate back down to your receiver. The measured positions of
ground reference stations, strategically positioned across the country, are sent up to the WAAS satellites.
Your receiver reads the reference station closest to you.
“WAAS testing in September 2002 confirmed accuracy performance of 1 – 2 meters horizontal and 2 –3
meters vertical throughout the majority of the continental U.S. and portions of Alaska.”
(http://gps.faa.gov/Programs/WAAS/waas.htm) This is with a clear view of the sky. Typically WAAS
can improve your error from less than 5 meters 95% of the time to less than 3 meters. WAAS is now
available even in the less expensive GPS units and is recommended.

6.5 What is NMEA?

The National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA, pronounced “NEE’ma”) has generated a standard
set of messages for communicating GPS information. We use the NMEA 0183 version 2.1 protocol.

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Appendix A: SIR 4000 System Specifications

A.1: System Hardware
Antennas: Compatible with all GSSI Antennas
Number of Channels: 1 (one)
Data Storage: Internal memory 32 GB
Processor: NVidia Tegra 3
Display: Enhanced 10.4” LED, 1024 by 768 resolution and 32-bit color
Linescan, Linescan plus O-Scope, and Wiggle trace display modes
Full 3D, 256 color bins are used to represent the amplitude and polarity of the signal
IP Rating: IP-65
GPS Support: Internal data logging
Video Output: HDMI
Input/Output:
• 19 pin analog antenna input (control cable)
• 13 pin digital antenna input (control cable)
• AC power adapter
• GPIO connector
• HDMI video out
• RS232 Serial I/O (GPS port)
• USB 2.0
• Micro USB
• RJ45 100BT Ethernet
• WiFi 802.11 B/G
Mechanical:
• Dimensions: 14x10x2.75 in (36x25x7 cm)
• Weight: 10 lbs (4.53 kg) with battery
• Relative Humidity: <95% non-condensing
• Storage Temperature: -40°C to 60°C external (-40°F to 140°F)
Operating:
• Temperature: -20°C to 40°C external (-4°F to 104°F)
• Charging Power Requirements: 19V DC, 3.42 amps
• Battery: 10.8V Lithium Ion rechargeable, Inspired Energy Ni2040ED
• Transmit Rate: Up to 800 KHz (International), US/Canada and CE rates depend on antenna
model

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A.2: Data Acquisition and Software

Data Format: RADANTM (.dzt)
Output Data Format: 32 bit
Scan Rate: Maximum 400 scans/sec at 256 samples/scan
Scan Interval: User-selectable
Number Of Samples Per Scan: 256, 512, 1024, 2048, 4096, 8192, 16,384
Operating Modes: Time- (Continuous), Distance- (Survey Wheel), or Point-Based Collection
Time Range: 1-20,000 nanoseconds full scale, user selectable
Gain: Manual or automatic gain, 1-8 points, (-40 to +120 dB)
Standard Real-Time Filters:
• Vertical: FIR Low-Pass, FIR High-Pass, IIR Low-Pass, and IIR High-Pass
• Horizontal: FIR Stacking, FIR Background Removal, IIR Stacking, and IIR Background Removal
Advanced Real-Time Filters: Migration, Surface Position Tracking, Signal Noise Floor Tracking, and
Hilbert Transform.
Automatic System Setups: Storage of an unlimited number of system setup files for different survey
conditions and/or antenna deployment configurations.
Automatic Antenna Recognition: Automatic recognition of Smart Antennas to allow maximum
compliant transmit rate.

A.3: System Includes

Digital Control Unit (DC-4000) with preloaded operating system (1)
Transit Case (1)
Batteries (2)
Charger (1)
Sunshade (1)
Operation Manual (1)
GSSI Manual CD (1)

Fully FCC , RSS-220, and CE Compliant.

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Appendix B: The How-To’s of Field Survey

As the old saying goes: “Garbage in, Garbage out”. The biggest single factor affecting the quality of your
data and your ability to make decisions based on it, is the accuracy of your data collection. This appendix
has instructions and helpful hints to get you into the habit of collecting quality data from the beginning.
While many of these points are only relevant to data collection over the ground, as opposed to concrete
structures, you may find this section helpful no matter what your application.

B.1: Site Selection

Radar is not the proper technique for every situation. If you are unable to inspect the site, have
prospective clients send a photograph of the area. As you gain experience, you will find it easy to judge
an area’s or an application’s suitability. In the meantime, consider the four following issues before
deciding whether you should conduct work at an area:
Topography
Ground Cover
Subsurface Conditions
Site Accessibility

Topography
One of the first things you should consider about a new survey area is the topography. In the first place,
you need to be able to physically move the antenna over the ground surface in a fairly smooth fashion.
Areas that are full of trenches or extreme slopes are not ideal. You can still survey an area of broken
terrain, but it may require collecting point data rather than continuous data profiles.
Radar energy travels into the ground perpendicular to the surface. This means that if the antenna is flat on
the ground, and level, you are reading right under the antenna. This forward-scanning of the antenna
could lead to serious position errors.

Ground Cover
If your antenna is floating on top of thick grass or a layer of gravel, you may get errors in your data
because the signal is taking too long to couple (penetrate) with the ground. When this happens, more of
the signal than was intended bounces off of the ground surface instead of going into the ground. Always
try to keep your antenna flat on the ground surface. The systems will have no problem penetrating
carpeting or low grass. A good rule of thumb for the 1500 MHz is no thicker than low carpet, and for the
400 MHz, no more than 1 inch. NEVER survey through standing water, no matter how shallow the
puddle.

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Subsurface Conditions
If you are working with concrete, try to make sure that the concrete has had some curing time. Three
months is usually adequate for a standard slab on grade, while a suspended slab may cure faster. The best
solution is to practice on slabs of different ages so that you have a first-hand feel of the way they will
look. Concrete that is not well cured will be difficult to see into.
Try and find out some information about the area’s soil and water content. Generally speaking, clay and
water cause attenuation and impede penetration. Finding out the soil grain size (sand, silt, clay) will help
you to guess the dielectric constant of the material to help you set up survey parameters and make time to
depth estimations. If you have never worked with soils before, you should consult the US Department of
Agriculture soils website at http://soils.usda.gov/. The site has a number of free and low cost resources
including soil maps of most of the United States and guides to help you understand soils.

Site Accessibility
Simply put, can you feasibly work in the proposed area? Is the site in the middle of a dense thicket of
trees, or is it the outside of a tall building, or a tight elevator shaft? Remember that GPR and geophysics
depends on your ability to see contrasts in the data. The area has to be large enough for you to collect
enough data to be able to make an interpretation. For example, if you need to survey an area in advance of
an 18” utility trench, you want to make sure that you have some coverage over areas outside of that trench
so you can see normal conditions. Always give yourself some elbow room.

B.2: Targets
The type of targets you are trying to find will govern your choice of antennas, setup parameters, or even
the feasibility of radar for the application. There are two main criteria to consider:
Target Size
Target Composition

Target Size
All things being equal, antenna choice determines how deeply you are able to penetrate and the minimum
size of the targets that you are able to see. Lower frequency antennas see deep, but the minimum target
size that they can see is larger. Rather than focus on what each antenna can see, the table below lists the
appropriate antenna by application and depth range.

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Typical Max Depth

Frequency Sample Applications Typical Range (ns)
Feet (meters)
Structural Concrete, Roadways,
2.6 GHz 1 (0.3) 10
Bridge Decks
Structural Concrete, Roadways,
1.6 GHz 1.5 (0.5) 10-15
Bridge Decks
Concrete, Shallow Soils,
900 MHz 3 (1) 10-20
Archaeology
Shallow Geology, Utility,
400 MHz 9 (3) 20-100
Environmental, Archaeology
200 MHz Geology, Environmental 25 (8) 70-300
100 MHz Geology, Environmental 60 (20) 300-500

Antennas by Application

Radar is also not a continuous measurement along a survey line. The system takes readings (scans)at a set
spacing. If your scan spacing is too wide, you risk not hitting your target with enough scans to draw a
recognizable hyperbola, or worse, missing the target altogether.
Generally you need a minimum of 10 scans to draw a recognizable hyperbola. The rule of thumb is to
have 10 scans divided by the depth of the shallowest object. So if you want to image something 10 feet
deep, 10 scans / 10 feet = 1 scan/foot. For 5 feet, 10 scans / 5 feet = 2 scans/foot.
For locating structural features in concrete with the 1.6 GHz antenna, we usually recommend 60-90/ft.
For utility and tank location, we usually recommend 6-24/ft. While this is more than the minimum rule of
thumb, GSSI has found these densities to work well in the widest variety of situations.

The image above shows hyperbolas from objects of similar size. The hyperbolas vary in size because, due
to the spreading of the radar signal, a deeper target shows reflections in more scans than a shallow one.

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Lower frequency antennas, like the 200 MHz and 400 MHz, will
sometimes not image targets close to the surface very well. While not “Hazy” Zone
Frequency
strictly a ‘dead zone’ you should be aware that it may be difficult (but Inches (cm)
not impossible!) to see targets in this area. As a general rule of thumb,
this zone is equal to the spacing between the transmitter and receiver 2.6 GHz 0.5 (1)
dipoles, but this can vary with soil composition. See the chart at right
for a general idea. If your application requires you to see deep and 1.6 GHz 1 (2.5)
shallow, consider surveying the area with two different antennas.
900 MHz 4 (10)
Target Composition 400 MHz 6 (15.25)
Your ability to see a target depends on the contrast between the
200 MHz 12 (30.5)
dielectric values of the target’s material and the material that the radar
energy was traveling through just before it hit the target. The greater the contrast between the dielectric
values, the more visible the target is. For applications which involve finding metal targets like rebar,
pipes, and drums, this is not a great issue because there will always be a great contrast. The dielectric of
metals is so high that the actual number is meaningless. You will always have a visible contrast where
metals are concerned.
Composition can affect your ability to see things in different ways. For example, the contact between a
dry sand (3-6) and a water table (water being 81) will be easy to image, while the contact between
sandstone (6) and limestone (7-8) will be much more difficult. Also remember that it is the electrical
property of the material that most governs dielectric. Even though concrete and grade are qualitatively
very different, they are made of similar materials and react to radar energy similarly. It is usually
extremely difficult to tell the top of grade from the bottom of the slab. You should practice trying to
image different materials so that you can build up a body of experience. See Appendix D for a chart of the
dielectric constants of different materials.

B.3: Data Collection Methods: 2D vs. 3D

Time is money. Whether you are a university-based researcher working off a grant or performing NDT
work for pay, the faster you can get the survey done the better off you will be. Those charging by the hour
understand the fine balance between a price that reflects a realistic estimate of how long it will take to get
the job done, and padding the cost with unnecessary work. The point of this discussion is to get you to
think about how much information you really need to make a decision.

2D
Two-dimensional data collection means that you will be collecting and interpreting single profiles of data.
This is useful for quickly following a pipe by scanning over an area, noting the location of the pipe
hyperbola on the ground, then moving some distance away and scanning again for the pipe. The real
benefit of 2D data collection is speed and ease of use. Processing is certainly possible on 2D data to clean
up the image, but most clients will only use it for visually noting the presence/absence of targets in the
field. 2D data collection is also useful for geologic applications such as bedrock and water table mapping.

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3D
Collecting data for 3D imaging obviously takes more time than 2D collection. While the SIR(R) 4000
makes it faster and easier than it has ever been before, it can still add significant time (and cost) to a job.
It also requires some software processing to produce an interpretable image. These two issues may
frighten some users away from 3D data collection, but like GPR in general, it only requires some practice
to gain confidence.
Three-dimensional data can be a great aid in interpretation. The question many people ask is “When do I
use 3D?” Aside from producing a 3D map for its own sake, there are really only three main reasons: a
complicated area, prospecting, or dangerous targets in the subsurface. A complicated area might be a city
street with many different types of pipes running in different directions. In a situation like that, the best
option is usually to do 3D data collection so that you are able to visually track targets as they twist and
turn around other targets. Prospecting is mainly what those doing Archaeology will face. In this case, you
don’t have any concrete information about the subsurface so you will need to do 3D over the area and
look for human-made patterns that could be targets. An example of the final reason would be coring or
cutting into an area that has live high-voltage in the floor. When the safety of your crew is at stake, the
more information, the better.

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Appendix C: Dielectric Values For

Common Materials
Material Dielectric Material Dielectric
Constant Constant
Air 1 Wet Granite 6.5

Snow Firn 1.5 Travertine 8

Dry Loamy/Clayey Soils 2.5 Wet Limestone 8

Dry Clay 4 Wet Basalt 8.5

Dry Sands 4 Tills 11

Ice 4 Wet Concrete 12.5

Coal 4.5 Volcanic Ash 13

Asphalt 5 Wet Sands 15

Dry Granite 5 Wet Sandy Soils 23.5

Frozen Sand & Gravel 5 Dry Bauxite 25

Dry Concrete 5.5 Saturated Sands 25

Dry Limestone 5.5 Wet Clay 27

Dry Sand & Gravel 5.5 Peats (saturated) 61.5

Potash Ore 5.5 Organic Soils 64

(saturated)

Dry Mineral/Sandy Soils 6 Sea Water 81

Dry Salt 6 Water 81

Frozen Soil/Permafrost 6

Syenite Porphyry 6

Wet Sandstone 6

Meter to English conversion factor: 2.54 cm in 1 inch.

Table of Dielectric values adapted from:Reynolds, John M., 1997
An Introduction to Applied and Environmental Geophysics, John Wiley & Sones, New York.

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Appendix D: Listing of Antenna Parameters

The SIR 4000 comes with preloaded setups to fit the system’s data collection parameters and filters to the
most commonly used, currently available GSSI antennas. Settings for additional antennae are also
provided below to assist you in creating a setup for an older or specialized antenna. Please note that these
are only generalized setups, and it may be necessary to alter these to your particular situation. For
example, deeper penetration can be set by increasing the range in the Radar menu during setup. Please
note that this is not an exhaustive list and you should consult the antenna documentation saved on the
Manual CD Compendium or on the GSSI Support Website: www.support.geophysical.com.

D.1: Preloaded Setups

2.6 GHz (Model 52600S)
2.6 GHz ground coupled antenna. Depth of viewing window is approximately 10 inches in concrete.
Setting is optimized for scanning of structural features in concrete.
Range: 8 ns
Samples per Scan: 512
Resolution: 16 bits
Number of gain points: 4
Vertical High Pass Filter: 500 MHz
Vertical Low Pass Filter: 4000 MHz
Scans per second: 100
Vertical IIR High Pass N=2F=10 MHz
Transmit Rate: 100 KHz

2 GHz Palm (Model 62000)

2 GHz ground coupled antenna. Depth of viewing window is approximately 10 inches in concrete. Setting
is optimized for scanning of structural features in concrete.
Range: 8 ns
Samples per Scan: 512
Resolution: 16 bits
Number of gain points: 2
Vertical High Pass Filter: 400 MHz
Vertical Low Pass Filter: 5000 MHz
Scans per second: 100
Vertical IIR High Pass N=2F=10 MHz
Transmit Rate: 100 KHz

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1.5/1.6 GHz (Model 5100S)

1.5 GHz ground coupled antenna. Depth of viewing window is approximately 18 inches in concrete.
Setting is optimized for scanning of structural features in concrete.
Range: 12 ns
Samples per Scan: 512
Resolution: 16 bits
Number of gain points: 5
Vertical High Pass Filter: 250 MHz
Vertical Low Pass Filter: 3000 MHz
Scans per second: 100
Vertical IIR High Pass N=2F=10 MHz
Transmit Rate: 100 KHz

900 MHz (Model 3101A)

900 MHz ground coupled antenna. Depth of viewing window is approximately 1 m assuming a dielectric
constant of 5.
Range: 15 ns
Samples per Scan: 512
Resolution: 16 bits
Number of gain points: 2
Vertical High Pass Filter: 225 MHz
Vertical Low Pass Filter: 2500 MHz
Scans per second: 120
Transmit Rate: 100 KHz

400 MHz (Model 50400S)

400 MHz ground coupled antenna. Depth of viewing window is approximately 3m assuming a dielectric
constant of 5.
Range: 50 ns
Samples per Scan: 512
Resolution: 16 bits
Number of gain points: 3
Vertical High Pass Filter: 100 MHz
Vertical Low Pass Filter: 800 MHz
Scans per second: 120
Transmit Rate: 100 KHz

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270 MHz (Model 50270S)

270 MHz ground coupled antenna. Depth of viewing window is approximately 4m assuming a dielectric
constant of 5.
Range: 75 ns
Samples per Scan: 512
Resolution: 16 bits
Number of gain points: 3
Vertical High Pass Filter: 75 MHz
Vertical Low Pass Filter: 700 MHz
Scans per second: 120
Transmit Rate: 100 KHz

200 MHz (Model 5106)

200 MHz ground coupled antenna. Lower frequency antenna optimized for mid-range profiling.
Range: 100ns
Samples per Scan: 512
Resolution: 16 bits
Number of gain points: 5
Vertical High Pass Filter: 50 MHz
Vertical Low Pass Filter: 600 MHz
Scans per second: 64
Transmit Rate: 100 KHz

100 MHz (Model 3207)

100 MHz ground coupled antenna. Low frequency for deeper profiling.
Range: 500ns
Samples per Scan: 512
Resolution: 16 bits
Number of gain points: 5
Vertical High Pass Filter: 25 MHz
Vertical Low Pass Filter: 300 MHz
Scans per second: 16
Transmit Rate: 50 KHz

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D.2: Parameter Listing for Older/Specialty Antennae

The following list of antenna setups is provided to assist you in using the SIR(R) 4000 with additional
antennae. To use this list, you must enter the correct parameters. You may wish to save any special
parameters in a separate setup (under the System menu) to help you easily recall them. Some of these are
no longer commercially available, but the system does function with all older antennas. They are
designated by their center frequency, and in some cases a D or S which noted whether that setup is for
Deep or Shallow prospecting. Please note that many of these antennae have a different listed transmit rate
than the default one on the SIR 4000. The transmit rate listed here is the rate that the antenna was tested
and rated at. It may function correctly at a higher transmit rate and allow you to collect data faster, but
you must pay careful attention to your data to decide if the antenna is functioning correctly at the different
rate.
If your system is beeping, it indicates that your T_RATE is too high for this antenna.

500-MHz (Model 3102) 300-Shallow

500 MHz antenna. Not Model 3102 HP or 3102 Old 300 MHz antenna.
DP
Data Collection Mode: Continuous
Data Collection Mode: Continuous Range: 150ns
Range: 60ns Samples per Scan: 512
Samples per Scan: 512 Resolution: 16 bits
Resolution: 16 bits Number of gain points: 5
Number of gain points: 3 Vertical High Pass Filter: 100 MHz
Vertical High Pass Filter: 125 MHz Vertical Low Pass Filter: 1000 MHz
Vertical Low Pass Filter: 1000 MHz Scans per second: 32
Scans per second: 120 Horizontal Smoothing: 5 scans
Transmit Rate: 100 KHz Transmit Rate: 50 KHz

300-Deep 120-Deep-Unshielded
Old 300 MHz antenna. 120 MHz standard antenna.
Data Collection Mode: Continuous Data Collection Mode: Continuous
Range: 300ns Range: 400ns
Samples per Scan: 1024 Samples per Scan: 512
Resolution: 16 bits Resolution: 16 bits
Number of gain points: 5 Number of gain points: 5
Vertical High Pass Filter: 100 MHz Vertical High Pass Filter: 30 MHz
Vertical Low Pass Filter: 1000 MHz Vertical Low Pass Filter: 240 MHz
Scans per second: 32 Scans per second: 32
Horizontal Smoothing: 5 scans Horizontal Smoothing: 5 scans
Transmit Rate: 50 KHz Transmit Rate: 50 KHz

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120-Shallow-Unshielded Subecho 70
120 MHz standard antenna. 70 MHz antenna with high power transmitter.
Data Collection Mode: Continuous Data Collection Mode: Continuous
Range: 200ns Range: 500ns
Samples per Scan: 512 Samples per Scan: 512
Resolution: 16 bits Resolution: 16 bits
Number of gain points: 5 Number of gain points: 5
Vertical High Pass Filter: 30 MHz Vertical High Pass Filter: 15 MHz
Vertical Low Pass Filter: 240 MHz Vertical Low Pass Filter: 150 MHz
Scans per second: 32 Scans per second: 16
Horizontal Smoothing: 5 scans Horizontal Smoothing: 5 scans
Transmit Rate: 50KHz Transmit Rate: 12 KHz

100 High Power Subecho 40

100 MHz antenna with high power transmitter. 40 MHz antenna with high power transmitter.
Data Collection Mode: Continuous Data Collection Mode: Continuous
Range: 500ns Range: 1000ns
Samples per Scan: 512 Samples per Scan: 512
Resolution: 16 bits Resolution: 16 bits
Number of gain points: 5 Number of gain points: 5
Vertical High Pass Filter: 25 MHz Vertical High Pass Filter: 10 MHz
Vertical Low Pass Filter: 200 MHz Vertical Low Pass Filter: 80 MHz
Scans per second: 16 Scans per second: 32
Horizontal Smoothing: 5 scans Transmit Rate: 12KHz
Transmit Rate: 12 KHz
80 MHz
100 Very High Power 80 MHz folded bow-tie antenna. Note: The 80
100 MHz antenna with very high power MHz antenna is unshielded.
transmitter.
Data Collection Mode: Continuous
Data Collection Mode: Continuous Range: 500ns
Range: 500ns Samples per Scan: 512
Samples per Scan: 512 Resolution: 16 bits
Resolution: 16 bits Number of gain points: 5
Number of gain points: 5 Vertical High Pass Filter: 25 MHz
Vertical High Pass Filter: 25 MHz Vertical Low Pass Filter: 200 MHz
Vertical Low Pass Filter: 200 MHz Scans per second: 32
Scans per second: 16 Stacking: 32 scans
Horizontal Smoothing: 5 scans Transmit Rate: 50 KHz
Transmit Rate: 6 KHz

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MLF 120 cm MLF 480 cm

Low Frequency antenna 1.2m length. Note: The Low Frequency antenna set to a length of 4.8m
MLF antennas are unshielded.
Data Collection Mode: Point
Data Collection Mode: Point Range: 1000ns
Range: 250ns Samples per Scan: 512
Samples per Scan: 512 Resolution: 16 bits
Resolution: 16 bits Number of gain points: 5
Number of gain points: 5 Vertical High Pass Filter: 6
Vertical High Pass Filter: 30 MHz Vertical Low Pass Filter: 40
Vertical Low Pass Filter: 160 MHz Scans per second: 32
Scans per second: 32 Stacking: 32 scans
Stacking: 32 scans Transmit Rate: 12KHz
Transmit Rate: 12 KHz
MLF 600 cm
MLF 240 cm Low Frequency antenna set to a length of 6.0m
Low Frequency antenna length 2.4m
Data Collection Mode: Point
Data Collection Mode: Point Range: 1000ns
Range: 500ns Samples per Scan: 512
Samples per Scan: 512 Resolution: 16 bits
Resolution: 16 bits Number of gain points: 5
Number of gain points: 5 Vertical High Pass Filter: 1
Vertical High Pass Filter: 15 MHz Vertical Low Pass Filter: 50
Vertical Low Pass Filter: 90 MHz Scans per second: 32
Scans per second: 32 Stacking: 32 scans
Stacking: 32 scans Transmit Rate: 12 KHz
Transmit Rate: 12 KHz
Borehole 120 MHz
MLF 360 cm Borehole antenna frequency 120 MHz. Note:
Low Frequency antenna length 3.6m The borehole antennas are unshielded.
Data Collection Mode: Point Data Collection Mode: Point
Range: 750ns Range: 500ns
Samples per Scan: 512 Samples per Scan: 512
Resolution: 16 bits Resolution: 16 bits
Number of gain points: 5 Number of gain points: 5
Vertical High Pass Filter: 10 Vertical High Pass Filter: 30 MHz
Vertical Low Pass Filter: 60 Vertical Low Pass Filter: 240 MHz
Scans per second: 32 Scans per second: 32
Stacking: 32 scans Stacking: 32 scans
Transmit Rate: 12 KHz Transmit Rate: 64 KHz

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Borehole 300 MHz

Borehole antenna frequency 300 MHz.
Data Collection Mode: Point
Range: 300ns
Samples per Scan: 512
Resolution: 16 bits
Number of gain points: 5
Vertical High Pass Filter: 38 MHz
Vertical Low Pass Filter: 600 MHz
Scans per second: 32
Stacking: 32 scans
Transmit Rate: 64 KHz

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Appendix E: Glossary of Terms and

Suggestions for Further Reading
Antenna: a paired transmitter and receiver that sends electromagnetic energy into a material and receives
any reflections of that energy from materials in the ground. Also called a transducer. Antennae are
commonly referred to by their center frequency value (i.e. 400 MHz, 1.5 GHz). This frequency
determines the depth of penetration and the size of the objects or layers visible.
Attenuation: the weakening of a radar pulse as it travels through different materials.
Center Frequency: the median transmit frequency of an antenna. The antenna will also transmit energy
at a frequency range of 0.5-2 times its center value. For example, a 400 MHz antenna may actually
transmit at a range from 200-800 MHz.
Clipping: occurs when the amplitude of a reflection is greater than the maximum recordable value. The
system disregards the true value of the reflection and writes in the maximum allowable value. Clipping
appears in the O-Scope as signal that “goes off the scale” at the sides of the window.
Dielectric permittivity: the capacity of a material to hold and pass an electromagnetic charge. Varies
with a material’s composition, moisture, physical properties, porosity, and temperature. Used to calculate
depth in GPR work.
EM: Acronym for electro-magnetic.
FCC: Acronym for Federal Communications Commission. The United States governmental body that
oversees the UWB industry of which GPR is a part.
Gain: amplifying the signal to certain section of a radar pulse in order to counteract the effects of
attenuation and make features more visible.
GHz: Acronym for Gigahertz. A measurement of frequency equal to one billion cycles per second.
GPR: Acronym for Ground Penetrating Radar.
Ground-coupling: the initial entry of a radar pulse into the ground.
Hyperbola: an inverted “U.” The image produced in a vertical linescan profile as the antenna is moved
over a discrete target. The top of the target is at the peak of the first positive (white in a grayscale color
table) wavelet.
Interface: the surface separating materials with differing dielectric constants or conductivity values.
KHz: Acronym for Kilohertz. A measurement of frequency equal to one thousand cycles per second.
Linescan: commonly used method of depicting a radar profile. Linescans are produced by placing
adjacent scans next to each other and assigning a color scheme to their amplitude values.
Macro: a preset list of processing options that may be applied to perform repetitive functions on an entire
dataset. Macros may be created and edited to include different functions (see RADAN manual for
addition information).
Mark: point inserted along a survey line manually by the operator or at preset intervals.
MHz: Acronym for Megahertz. A measurement of frequency equal to one million cycles per second.

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Migration: mathematical calculation used to remove outlying tails of a hyperbola and to accurately fix
the position of a target.
Nano-second: unit of measurement for recording the time delay between transmission of a radar pulse
and reception of that pulse’s reflections. Equal to one one-billionth of a second.
Noise: unwanted background interference that can obscure true data.
nS: see Nano-Second.
Oscilloscope: device used to view and measure the strength and shape of energy waves. Common term
in GPR industry for a method of data display showing actual radar wave anatomy.
Passband: the frequency range at which the antenna is emitting energy. It is roughly equivalent to 0.5-2
times the center frequency.
RAM: Acronym for random access memory. Temporary memory in which a computer stores information
used with a running program, or temporarily stored data before it is written to a hard drive.
Range: the total length of time (in nanoseconds) for which the control unit will record reflections. Note:
indicates two-way travel time.
RF: Acronym for radio frequency.
Sample: a radar data point with two attributes: time and reflection amplitude. A third attribute, position,
is assigned by the user. Under-sampling will produce a scan wave that does not contain enough
information to draw a smooth curve. It may miss features. Over-sampling will produce a larger data file.
Samples/Scan: the number of samples recorded from an individual radar scan. Commonly set to 512.
Scan: one complete reflected wave from transmission to reception, sometimes called a trace.
Signal Noise floor: time depth at which the noise makes target identification impossible.
Survey wheel: wheel attached to an antenna and calibrated to record precise distances. Necessary for
accurate data collection.
Time-slice: a horizontal planview of amplitude values drawn from adjacent vertical profiles. The time-
slice is produced for a particular time-depth and is vital for understanding the horizontal positions of
features in a survey area.
Time window: the amount of time, in nano-seconds, that the control unit will count reflections from a
particular pulse. Set by the operator.
Transect: a line of survey data. An area is systematically surveyed by recording transects of data at a
constant interval. The transects are then placed in their correct position relative to each other in a
computer and horizontal time-slices are produced.
UWB: Acronym for Ultra-Wide Band. Refers to the wide frequency band of emissions put out by a GPR
device.
Wiggle trace: method of GPR data display showing oscilloscope trace scans placed next to each other to
form a profile view. Commonly used method in seismic studies.

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Further Reading
Butler Dwain, K., Ed.
2005 Near-Surface Geophysics. Society of Exploration Geophysicists, Tulsa, OK.
Daniels, David J.
2004 Ground Penetrating Radar, Second Edition. The Institution of Electrical Engineers,
London, United Kingdom.
Conyers, Lawrence B.
2004 Ground-Penetrating Radar for Archaeology, Third Edition, Altamira Press, Boulder, CO.
Conyers, Lawrence B
2012 Interpreting Ground-Penetrating Radar for Archaeology, Left Coast Press, Walnut Creek,
CA.
Jackson, J.D.
1975 Classical Electrodynamics. Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ.
Jol, Harry M.
2001 Ground Penetrating Radar in Sediments. The Geological Society of London, London,
United Kingdom.
Oppenheim, Alan, V., and Schafer, Ronald W.
1975 Digital Signal Processing. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Oppenheim, Willsky and Young
1983 Signal and Systems. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Reynolds, John M.
1997 An Introduction to Applied and Environmental Geophysics. Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, NJ.
Telford, W.M., Geldart, L.P., Sheriff, R.E.
Applied Geophysics. Cambridge Univ. Press, MA, p. 291.
Wait, J.R.
1982 Geo-Electromagnetism. Academic Press, New York.
Witten, Alan J.
2006 Handbook of Geophysics and Archaeology. Equinox Publishing, Ltd.
Yilmaz, Oz
Seismic Data Analysis: Processing, Inversion, and Interpretation or Seismic Data. Investigations
in Geophysics No. 10, Society of Exploration Geophysicists, Tulsa, OK.

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Useful Websites:
1 Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc.:
www.geophysical.com

2 United States Department of Agriculture Soils Website:

http://soils.usda.gov/

3 USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Ground Penetrating Radar Program:

http://nesoil.com/gpr/

4 USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service, GPR Soil Suitability

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/use/maps/?cid=nrcs142p2_053622

5 USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Web Soil Survey

http://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/HomePage.htm

6 North American Database of Archaeological Geophysics:

www.cast.uark.edu/nadag

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