Any experience with the BOSCH D-TECT 150 Wallscanner scanner for finding rafters?

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  • MARKSDCA
    Member
    • Apr 2015
    • 82
    #1

    Any experience with the BOSCH D-TECT 150 Wallscanner scanner for finding rafters?

    Somebody on this forum mentioned this device to me and one local installer said he's tried many devices and knows of nothing that works reliably. I have an asphalt shingle roof on top of OSB plywood and skip sheeting. I might just pop for one with the theory that I can re-sell anything on eBay (if I buy smart I will lose very little) The device doesn't seem to boast that it can find rafters through a roof (it seems to be good at finding re-bar in concrete among other things) but nonetheless it's apparently been used by solar installers with success.

    Bosch power tools for trade and industry | Boschtools
    http://www.boschtools.com/d-tect150/en/dtect150/range.html
    Bosch Power Tools – Trade/Industry. The professional blue power tools from Bosch are engineered for excellence – meeting the highest standards in speed, precision and robustness for great, professional work results.


    Anyone with experience with this device? THANKS
    DIY 7.3 kW "I COUNT NONE BUT SUNNY HOURS"
    Tags: None
    • Ben25
      Solar Fanatic
      • Jul 2014
      • 135
      #2
      A hammer works very reliably, unless there are multiple layers of sheathing. A tape measure and chaulk line are helpful too. I'd be interested to see how the D-Tect works if you do get it though.

      Ben

        Comment

        • MARKSDCA
          Member
          • Apr 2015
          • 82
          #3
          Originally posted by Ben25
          A hammer works very reliably, unless there are multiple layers of sheathing. A tape measure and chaulk line are helpful too. I'd be interested to see how the D-Tect works if you do get it though.

          Ben
          Well I will definitely find out now...I just won an auction for one on eBay. I paid $227 delivered for a new one without the case or the manual and some other guy is selling them for $290 delivered (and he actually does sell them at that price, also without the case or manual) so I can always flip it one way or the other.
          DIY 7.3 kW "I COUNT NONE BUT SUNNY HOURS"

            Comment

            • oilerlord
              Member
              • Mar 2015
              • 78
              #4
              Let us know how it goes! I'm planning to install mounts & rails on my own to save cost, and have wondered what the pros use to find the studs. My $39 Stanley studfinder works fairly well with drywall but will probably be useless finding studs under shingles and OSB.
              oilerlord's 9.23kW Plant

                Comment

                • MARKSDCA
                  Member
                  • Apr 2015
                  • 82
                  #5
                  Originally posted by oilerlord
                  Let us know how it goes! I'm planning to install mounts & rails on my own to save cost, and have wondered what the pros use to find the studs. My $39 Stanley studfinder works fairly well with drywall but will probably be useless finding studs under shingles and OSB.
                  We shall see....I should have it by Wed or Thursday if it actually ships Priority tomorrow. I know exactly where two of the rafters are...for some reason I have 2 of them about 10 inches apart on either side of a bathtub drain vent. These will be my test rafters. One huge irritation is that many of my rafters are not 24" apart....I have a few more than that and some are 21 apart and some are 10" apart...better to have more than less but forget about the 24" spacing. I'm guessing lots of houses have irregular rafters....mine are not exposed at the facia....they are enclosed by fully stuccoed-under overhangs which look awesome but aren't helpful right now!!
                  DIY 7.3 kW "I COUNT NONE BUT SUNNY HOURS"

                    Comment

                    • inetdog
                      Super Moderator
                      • May 2012
                      • 9909
                      #6
                      Originally posted by MARKSDCA
                      I know exactly where two of the rafters are...for some reason I have 2 of them about 10 inches apart on either side of a bathtub drain vent. These will be my test rafters.
                      This sort of thing usually happens when the strict geometric layout of the rafters would put one right in the middle of plumbing vent. So they put one on either side instead so as not to mess up the regular spacing of the rest of the rafters. But YMMV.
                      For things like air vents, it is easy to move the vent hole to match the rafters instead of vice-versa.
                      SunnyBoy 3000 US, 18 BP Solar 175B panels.

                        Comment

                        • JFinch57
                          Solar Fanatic
                          • Feb 2015
                          • 159
                          #7
                          Originally posted by MARKSDCA
                          Somebody on this forum mentioned this device to me and one local installer said he's tried many devices and knows of nothing that works reliably. I have an asphalt shingle roof on top of OSB plywood and skip sheeting. I might just pop for one with the theory that I can re-sell anything on eBay (if I buy smart I will lose very little) The device doesn't seem to boast that it can find rafters through a roof (it seems to be good at finding re-bar in concrete among other things) but nonetheless it's apparently been used by solar installers with success.

                          Bosch power tools for trade and industry | Boschtools
                          http://www.boschtools.com/d-tect150/en/dtect150/range.html
                          Bosch Power Tools – Trade/Industry. The professional blue power tools from Bosch are engineered for excellence – meeting the highest standards in speed, precision and robustness for great, professional work results.


                          Anyone with experience with this device? THANKS
                          See my thread about the Hilti PS38: http://www.solarpaneltalk.com/showth...502#post151502 . It's a $1,500 stud finder and claims 6" for non-ferrous, whereas the Bosch I think is 3". I was able to borrow it from a friend, although one just sold on eBay for less than $300 used. The next to the last post mentions the Bosch.
                          Jeff, BSEE, 22.3KW, 45-240W w/M190, 46-260W w/M250

                            Comment

                            • solarfrank
                              Member
                              • Apr 2015
                              • 78
                              #8
                              I have a Bosch 100 it's a model before 150 and work good on flat roof but you need a piece of cardboard 4 ft x 1 ft to run it on top.
                              Change the setting between drywall and deep scan/ universal mode , sometimes you have to turn it off/on to show rafters. We run it on top of S tile roof and was able to locate the rafters. Sometimes has hard time to find studs on stucco wall.
                              For pitched roofs works better and faster with a hammer.
                              It's a good scanner but also sometimes has hard time to find the studs/rafters.

                                Comment

                                • Ben25
                                  Solar Fanatic
                                  • Jul 2014
                                  • 135
                                  #9
                                  We have almost all asphalt rooves here in VT, so hammer works best. I did a small roof today with 24 attachment points. Roof was 1" tongue and groove with 1/2" plywood on top and new asphalt shingles. I was a half inch off on 3 holes. I have yet to do a slate roof, but may get one of these if I do one.

                                  Ben

                                    Comment

                                    • solarix
                                      Super Moderator
                                      • Apr 2015
                                      • 1415
                                      #10
                                      After years of doing all the many methods of rafter location, we recently sprung for one of the Bosch D-tect 150 units and I'm here to say the thing works like a dream. You have to give it a smooth surface to traverse on, but just a piece of stiff paper or cardboard will do. This thing is going to save us a bunch of time and head scratching (newer, architectural roofs can be a real challenge) and really reduce the number of oops holes. Two thumbs up.
                                      BSEE, R11, NABCEP, Chevy BoltEV, >3000kW installed

                                        Comment

                                        • Jazzman22
                                          Junior Member
                                          • Sep 2018
                                          • 3
                                          #11
                                          Hey Solaris, are you still using the Bosch D-tect 150? If so, is it the pro or the SV?

                                            Comment

                                            • solarix
                                              Super Moderator
                                              • Apr 2015
                                              • 1415
                                              #12
                                              yes, we still use it. its not foolproof, but is the best thing we have found. the SV is the pro version.
                                              BSEE, R11, NABCEP, Chevy BoltEV, >3000kW installed

                                                Comment

                                                • Jazzman22
                                                  Junior Member
                                                  • Sep 2018
                                                  • 3
                                                  #13
                                                  Thanks for the response! So I got the version with 5 modes and the orange-yellow display (

                                                    Comment

                                                    • Jazzman22
                                                      Junior Member
                                                      • Sep 2018
                                                      • 3
                                                      #14
                                                      D-Tect 150 Professional). The SV version has 7 modes and a white display. Which version do you use?

                                                        Comment

                                                        • NukeEngineer
                                                          Solar Fanatic
                                                          • Sep 2017
                                                          • 145
                                                          #15
                                                          Originally posted by Jazzman22
                                                          D-Tect 150 Professional). The SV version has 7 modes and a white display. Which version do you use?
                                                          I purchased one of these for my install (and it's available for sale if anyone wants it!). The blue bag it comes in says Professional, but it has a white display and 7 modes.

                                                          It worked "ok", but I found hammer-and-listen to be a bit more accurate.
                                                          https://pvoutput.org/list.jsp?sid=54099

                                                            Comment

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