Tracing underground pipes with AM radio

[Circlotron]

Read the following and wanted to know if anyone here has tried it out?

You can detect underground pipes with a simple AM tranny radio with a
ferrite rod internal antenna. Note: it MUST be a medium/log wave AM radio
not FM not digital.
Tune to a signal
Turn the radio until the rod aerial is vertical and note that the signal
disappears or becomes very noisy.
Hold the radio in this position and walk over the area with the pipe or
cable in.
As you approach the pipe the signal will re-appear, then when you are
directly over the pipe it will disappear again and then when you walk
past the pipe is will reappear for a short distance and then disappear
once more.
This effect will only be noticed for reasonably long pipes/wires and you
must cross the track of the pipe not just pass the end of it but it does
work and is the principle used but commercial detectors.

[NiHaoMike]

It would be far more effective if a low powered AM transmitter is connected to the pipe.

[Circlotron]

It would be far more effective if a low powered AM transmitter is connected to the pipe.

But then you wouldn't get the sharp null directly over the pipe, would you?

[ptricks]

I haven't done it with pipe but I did with trace a wire that went to a light in the yard. I connected a signal generator to the end of the wire from the house and then walked out in the yard and found the location of the wire and where the signal stopped , there was the break.
Not sure how a pipe will work because of the pipe being grounded  , the wire of course was insulated.

I used a portable radio (walkman) as the detector.

[tautech]

Only need a length of wire 

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/scientist-finds-uk-water-companies-use-_magic_-to-find-leaks/