Our Mission
Tracer Wire Technologies, LLC is devoted to producing
safe and effective devices for proper grounding
and accurate locating of telecom and tracer wires.
Our Team
Tyler Harnden
Managing Member
Product Development
Hi my name is Tyler Harnden. I began locating with Marathon Pipeline in 2009 on various projects and 3rd party crossing locations. I was based out of Casper, WY and handled the greatest number of locates company wide. This was due to higher population and closer proximity to 3rd party companies. With my understanding of electromagnetic frequencies and how those principles relate to locating, I was able to excel at complex locates in both station yards and on the right of way.
One evening, Monte and I were discussing the error of ungrounded tracer wire tails and how this can lead to inaccurate locates. We set out to develop a devices that could incorporate 3 key components of proper telecom and tracer wire locating: an interruptible grounding circuit for selective leg locating, locator connection points, and an intuitive design. After several rounds of prototyping, we were able to accomplish our goal and have developed a product that cleanly terminates telecom and tracer wires, provides an intuitive way of identifying grounding status, and allows the user to segment individual paths during a locate. This significantly reduces the margin for error by decreasing the possibility of bleed over, while also ensuring proper grounding of telecom and tracer tails.
Monte Harnden
Implementation &
Testing Consultant
Hi. My name is Monte Harnden. I started line locating in 1974. Some of you may know me from Center Line Resource locator training. I am the founder and President of CLR. Center Line has been providing high quality locator training since 2006 to a large number of major oil and gas companies as well as engineering firms, power companies, telecom companies, municipalities, and construction companies. Also I was employed at Marathon Pipeline for 39+ years. In 2001 I became aggressively involved in 2-year project that produced their line locating and excavation handbook.
A few years back I started recognizing that tracer wire construction practices are sadly in need of revision. Most systems are poorly done and are leading to a high number of miss-locates. Considering the dangers associated with excavation, particularly around poly pipe, other non-conductive pipelines, and power and telecom systems, these poor tracer wire construction practices must come to an end. It took considerable time but Tyler and I designed Smart Trace Systems ™ to super-simplify wire locating. Without doubt it will greatly improve accuracy and visibility of telecom and tracers to active and passive sweeps.