Route based ultrasonic monitoring system

The route based ultrasonic monitoring method uses a central processing location to store test information concerning which machines to test and how to configure a portable ultrasonic sensing device 24 to test them. At the appropriate time, the test information is loaded from the central processing location into the portable processing and storage unit 32. The operator 20 is then prompted by the portable processing and storage unit 32 to proceed to a test location. Once at the test location, the portable processing and storage unit 32 provides the test information to the portable ultrasonic sensing device 24. The test is then performed by the operator 20 with the portable ultrasonic sensing device 24 and the test results are downloaded from the portable sensing device 24 to the portable processing and storage unit 32. Once all the tests along a particular route of testing locations have been performed, the test results are downloaded from the portable processing and storage unit 32 to the central processing location. The results of the most current set of tests are then compared to the results of previous tests to determine the presence of any machinery defects.