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Field Scout TDR 100 Product Manual

Soil moisture meter
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TDR 100
Soil Moisture Meter
PRODUCT MANUAL

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Summary of Contents for Field Scout TDR 100

  • Page 1 TDR 100 Soil Moisture Meter PRODUCT MANUAL...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    CONTENTS General Overview Probe Dimensions Meter Operation Volumetric Water Content Mode Relative Water Content Mode Identifying the Correct Com Port Connecting to a PC/Changing Batteries Main Toolbar Meter Settings Meter Calibration Specifications Appendix 1: Soil-Specific Calibration Appendix 2: Checking VWC Readings Appendix 3: Troubleshooting...

  • Page 3: General Overview

    (VWC) in soil. The Field Scout probe allows the user to easily and rapid- ly take many measurements. The user can quickly transi- tion between taking VWC readings in standard and high- clay mode.

  • Page 4: Meter Operation

    Meter Operation The ON switch turns the meter on and off. When the meter is turned on, it will display the battery status for 3 seconds. The screen will then display the most recently used MODE screen (Volumetric or Relative water content or measurement period).
  • Page 5 Data Measurement Modes Available measurement options are volumetric water con- tent (VWC) using the standard or high clay mode (see p. 8), up to two relative water content modes (see p. 10), or measurement period (in microseconds). Relative water content options will only appear if they are configured in the software (see Meter Settings, p.

  • Page 6: Volumetric Water Content Mode

    Volumetric Water Content Mode The volumetric water content (VWC) is the ratio of the volume of water in a given volume of soil to the total soil volume. At saturation, the volumetric water content (expressed as a percentage) will equal the percent pore space of the soil.
  • Page 7 inaccurately low. For the same reason, the probe should be inserted with a steady, downward pressure. If the rods are wiggled into the soil, air pockets can be created adja- cent to the rods that will result in low readings. The probe should not be struck with a hammer or other blunt instru- ment as this can cause damage to the internal electronics.

  • Page 8: Relative Water Content Mode

    Relative water Content Mode RWC=25.5 D=3.17in A=23.4 N=06 Asnte In addition to displaying volumetric water content (VWC), the meter can also display the relative water content (RWC) and Water Deficit (see MODE button, p. 5). RWC is an index value calculated with respect to upper (wet) and low- er (dry) VWC set points.

  • Page 9: Identifying The Correct Com Port

    Identifying the Correct Com Port computer Communications Port to which the PC-3.5 serial cable connected identified by using a paper clip. 1. Disconnect the serial cable from the meter. 2. To bring up the Port Selection screen, click on the Com Port Button, select the com port to be tested and click the Port Test button.

  • Page 10: Connecting To A Pc/Changing Batteries

    Connecting to a PC/ Changing Batteries The serial port is accessed by removing the face plate of the digital display. It is through this port that the meter is connected to a PC. Connecting to a PC The TDR meter software comes with a gray PC interface cable.

  • Page 11: Main Toolbar

    Select the TDR option from the list of available Field Scout meters. Meter Settings Click this button to configure the me- ter and data logger. Refer to “Meter Settings” (p. 12) for more details. Download and Clear Memory These functions are not active with the TDR 100.

  • Page 12: Meter Settings

    Meter Settings With the TDR100, the Meter Settings screen in the Field Scout software is mainly used to enter the set points for the Relative Water Content mode. The meter name and measurement units are also entered here. The fields are described below.
  • Page 13 Relative Water Content Set Points: Up to 2 Relative Water Content (see p. 10) modes can be programmed into the meter by entering the wet and dry set points into the appropriate boxes. From the dropdown menus near the bottom of the screen, select which VWC calibration (Standard or High Clay) should be used for each RWC mode.

  • Page 14: Meter Calibration

    Meter Calibration The meter has internal calibrations for standard and high-clay soil types. These calibrations will work for a large number of soils. However, each meter will have a small difference in how it responds to identical soil conditions. This is due to sensor drift or variability in the electronic components used during manufacturing.

  • Page 15: Specifications

    Specifications Percent volumetric water content Measurement Units 0.1% Resolution ±3.0% volumetric water content Accuracy –1 with electrical conductivity < 2 dS m Range 0% to saturation (Saturation is typical- ly around 50% volumetric water.) Power 4 AAA alkaline batteries Approximately 12 month life 16 character, 2 line LCD Display Weight...

  • Page 16: Appendix 1: Soil-Specific Calibration

    Appendix 1 Soil-Specific Calibration For maximum accuracy, you Period = 0950 uS may choose to perform a soil N015 -specific calibration rather than use either of the internal (Standard or High Clay) soil calibrations coded into the TDR meter’s firmware. In these cases, an independent soil moisture content meas- urement is required.
  • Page 17 ρ The final step is to plot the calculated the measured period values with the readings obtained from Field Scout TDR meter. Regression analysis can then be performed on this data to develop an equation to convert from period to...

  • Page 18: Appendix 2: Checking Vwc Readings

    Appendix 2 Checking VWC Readings There are two tests that can be performed to check if the meter is operat- ing properly. Test 1 (No rods): Disconnect the rods from the probe block. Press the MODE button until the LCD is displaying the Period. With no rods con- nected, the meter should read 1920 ±...

  • Page 19: Appendix 3: Troubleshooting

    Appendix 3 Troubleshooting 1. I am getting the “VWC%=ERR!” message. This message appears for two reasons. 1. If the meter is set to read 1.5” (TURF) rods while in HiClay mode. There is no high clay calibration for the rod length op- tion.

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