Battery Maintenance; Ac Power; Solar Power; External Battery - Geokon 8600-2 Instruction Manual

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4. BATTERY MAINTENANCE

4.1 AC Power

The MICRO-6000 is supplied with an external AC to DC Rain Proof Regulated Smart Charger
for maintaining the charge of the internal battery which provides power to the Datalogger and
peripherals. It is imperative that a regulated charging source remain connected to the Datalogger
as the battery installed in the Datalogger is only provided as a temporary source of power should
the power supply be disconnected or mains power interrupted. Actual run time, solely on battery
power, will vary for each Datalogger system and depends on the hardware configuration and
sensor scan interval. If the battery voltage drops below 9.6 volts operation of the Datalogger will
become erratic as evidenced by communication problems and possible improper measurements.
Additionally, a Geokon unregulated AC charger can be used as the three pin Charger port is also
wired to the CR6 built in Charge Regulator.

4.2 Solar Power

If AC mains power is not available, a properly sized regulated solar panel can be used to provide
power to maintain the charge state of the battery. The size of the solar panel is determined by
geographic location of the Datalogger, hardware configuration, communications interval and the
sensor scan interval. Additionally, a Geokon Unregulated Solar Panel can be used as the three
pin Charger port is also wired to the CR6 built in Charge Regulator.

4.3 External Battery

Additionally, a large external battery, such as a deep cycle marine battery, can be connected to
the Datalogger via the supplied external power cable to provide power to the Datalogger and
peripherals. When using this type of battery, the internal battery should be manually
disconnected from the system to prevent parasitic drain on the external battery.

4.4 Battery Replacement

If the internal Lead Acid Battery has failed it is recommended that the unit be returned to the
factory for service by Geokon personnel. However, with skilled personnel and appropriate tools,
it is possible for the user to replace the battery. Consult the factory for information.

4.5 Fuses

There are two fuses on the internal Power Distribution Board of the MICRO-6000 (Figure 2).
Once removed and with the power switch off, a fuse can be checked visually and with an
ohmmeter. A gap may be evident (with some discoloration) if the fuse needs replacing. This can
be verified by a high resistance measurement (megaohms) with an ohmmeter. If fuse needs
replacing, insert one of the supplied replacement fuses. If there are no replacement fuses
available, consult the factory or they can be purchased from an electrical supply house. The F1
charger fuse is an eight amp SLO-BLO 5x20 mm and the F2 fuse is a four amp SLO-BLO 5x20
mm. Consult Appendix D.6 for fuse assignments.