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Summary of Contents for Field Scout TDR 150
- Page 1 TDR 150 Soil Moisture Meter PRODUCT MANUAL Item # 6445 Distributed & Supported By: www.edaphic.com.au info@edaphic.com.au Ph: 1300 430 928...
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Page 2: Table Of Contents
Appendix 1: Soil-Specific Calibration Appendix 2: Checking VWC Readings Appendix 3: FAQ This manual will familiarize you with the features and operation of your new Field Scout TDR 150 Soil Moisture Meter. Please read this manual thoroughly before using your instrument. - Page 3 The user can quickly transition between taking VWC readings in standard and high-clay mode. The TDR 150's probe connects to the display with an 11.5 inch cable. This allows the user to take measure- ments in a field, sports surface, or greenhouse bench.
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Page 4: Meter Dimensions
Meter dimensions 3.00 in 3.00 in 11.5 in 23.0 in 5.15 in 3.30 in 1.50 in... -
Page 5: Batteries
Batteries Changing the batteries The TDR 150 requires 4 AA batteries. The battery holder is on the underside of the display unit. Re- move the screws and take off the base plate. Install batteries and ensure correct polarity by referencing the (+) positive and (-) negative labels at either end of each slot. - Page 6 AUTO mode (p. 11). This allows enough time to see the reading without unduly taxing the battery. Total Readings Bluetooth Backlight Alkaline Lithium 12,000 24,000 24,000 35,000 150,000 225,000 GPS and Bluetooth capability is an option acces- sory for the TDR 150 meter (see p. 15)
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Page 7: Button Functions
Button Functions Basic Button Operations ON/OFF or BACK button Press this button briefly to turn on the display. The meter will then display the Data screen (p. 10). To turn the meter off, press and hold this button for about 2 seconds. When in the Settings Menu screen (p. - Page 8 DELETE or UP button When on the Data screen (p. 10), press this button to delete the last measured data point from the both the log file and the computed Average. The Delete button also decrements the Count. When on the Settings Menu screen (p. 11), press this button to scroll up to the previous menu item.
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Page 9: Display Screens
Display Screens The TDR 150 has 3 main display screens; - Startup Information screen - Data screen - Settings Menu screen Startup Information screen The Startup Information screen is displayed for about 2 seconds after the display is turned on. - Page 10 Data screen Readings from the sensor are displayed on the Data screen. The battery level in- dicator appears in the upper right corner. The run- ning average and number of readings included in that average are shown in the lower right corner. Pressing and holding the READ button will clear the average and re-set the counter to 0.
- Page 11 Settings Menu screen The contents of the Settings Menu are shown on the follow- ing figure. Use the arrow buttons to scroll to the desired op- tion. The options are described below. For most options, pressing the Select button simply toggles you through the different choices for that option.
- Page 12 Temp Source: Choose Soil Sensor or IR Sensor Temp Units: Choose Fahrenheit or Celsius. Moisture Type: Choose volumetric water content (VWC%), raw sensor reading (Period), or TDR 300 mode. The latter will report a VWC that matches the output of the TDR 300 meter (no EC optimization).
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Page 13: Meter Calibration
Meter Calibration The meter has internal calibrations for standard and high-clay soil types. It also has the option of outputting a value that matches its predecessor, the TDR 100. 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. -
Page 14: Updating Firmware
(Appendix 1, p. 31) where a unique calibration curve is generated. Updating Firmware The firmware of the TDR 150 can be updated us- ing a USB flash drive. Firmware update files can be found at the Spectrum website. -
Page 15: Adding Gps/Bluetooth Capability
Adding GPS/Bluetooth Capability The standard version of the TDR 150 meter comes with the GPS and Bluetooth capability locked. These features can be unlocked by purchasing item 6445GBU (TDR 150 GPS/Bluetooth Upgrade). After purchasing the upgrade, the unlock file is downloaded from the following website: www.specconnect.net/activate... - Page 16 The procedure for loading this file onto the TDR 150 is as follows. 1. Copy the unlock file to a USB flash drive. 2. Power off the meter. 3. Insert the flash drive into the meter's USB port. 4. Power up the meter. If the upgrade is successful, the Startup screen (p.
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Page 17: Electrical Conductivity
EC is within an acceptable range is based on the type of sample being measured. The TDR 150 uses the same metal rods used for soil mois- ture sensor as the electrodes for the EC circuit. The value... - Page 18 Salinity Index The TDR 150 measures the bulk EC of soil that may or may not be saturated. There are two competing mecha- nisms at place. As the soil dries, the remaining solution in the pore space becomes more concentrated which increas- es its EC.
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Page 19: Meter Operation
Meter configuration is done in the Settings Menu (pp. 11- 12). The TDR 150 can be set to one of three Soil Type modes, Standard, High Clay, or Sand. The Standard mode will be appropriate for most mineral soils. The High Clay mode will be more accurate for soils with higher clay contents (>... - Page 20 reading and number of readings included in the average are visible in the lower right corner. The current Rod Length and Soil Type are shown in the lower left corner. Taking Readings Push the rods into the soil. When taking a measurement, it is important that the rods be fully inserted into the soil.
- Page 21 Occasional rod bending is normal, and can be expected during the course of sampling. Longer rods will be more susceptible to bending than shorter rods. If bending oc- curs, rods should simply be bent back to parallel position, perpendicular to the TDR block. Measurements will con- tinue to be accurate provided that rods are reasonably close to parallel.
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Page 22: Replacing Or Re-Attaching The Probe Block
Replacing or Re-attaching the Probe Block The TDR 150 sensor block is a user-replaceable component (item 6445S). Turn the TDR 150 dis- play upside down and remove the 4 screws. Open the bottom and remove the base plate (fig. 1). The sensor connects to the meter via the jack located between the two battery holders. -
Page 23: Vwc Measurements
VWC Measurements Volumetric Water Content (VWC) The soil can be thought of as being composed of soil, water and air. The volumetric water content (VWC) is the ratio of the volume of water in a given volume of soil to the total soil volume. -
Page 24: Gps Status
Electronics in the TDR 150 generate and sense the return of a high energy signal that travels down and back, through the soil, along the waveguide composed of the two replaceable, stainless steel rods. The sampling volume is an elliptical cylinder that extends approximately 3 cm out from the rods. -
Page 25: Field Scout Mobile App/Specconnect
(Fig. 1). In freeform mode, a color-coded pushpin icon is placed at eve- ry sampling point. If the TDR 150 has a good GPS fix (p. 24), the app will use the coordinates from the meter. - Page 26 The data from the Pro version of the app is sent instantaneously to SpecConnect. Data can be viewed in map form (fig. 3), exported to an Excel spreadsheet, or viewed as a Trend Report (fig. 4). More details are available in the user's guide for the app.
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Page 27: Data Logs
Data Logs Figure 1: Sample TDR 150 data file Downloading Data Data stored in the meter's internal memory can be transferred to your PC with a USB flash drive. Connect the flash drive to the USB port on the front of the meter. Press the Menu/Select button (p. - Page 28 meter. These files can be opened with text-editing software or spreadsheet software (fig. 1). The data is separated into 11 fields. Column Description Date and time 2 - 6 Sensor readings (VWC, Period, EC, Soil Temperature, IR Temperature) 7 - 8 GPS coordinates (longitude, latitude) Number of satellites visible during reading Satellite fix status...
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Page 29: Specifications
Specifications Measurement Percent volumetric water content (VWC) Units Period (raw sensor reading) Resolution VWC: 0.1% VWC units EC: 0.01 mS/cm Temperature: 0.2 ˚F (0.1 ˚C) Accuracy VWC: ±3.0% volumetric water content with electrical conductivity < 2 mS/cm EC: ± 0.1 mS/cm Temperature: ±... -
Page 30: Optional Accessories
Optional Accessories There are two optional items that can be used to expand the capabil- ities of the TDR350. They are described briefly below. See the website for the product's specific user information and installation instructions. Infrared Temperature Sensor (item 6435TS) The Infrared Temperature Sensor is an alternate to the surface temperature sensor. -
Page 31: Appendix 1 Soil-Specific Calibration
(Standard, High Clay, or Sand) soil calibrations coded into the TDR 150’s firmware. In these cases, an independent soil moisture content measurement is required. A relation can then be developed that relates the meter’s period reading (see Moisture Type option, p. - Page 32 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...
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Page 33: 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. Select the Period option for Moisture Type (p. 12). With no rods connected, the meter should read 1930 ±... -
Page 34: Appendix 3: Faq
Appendix 3 1. What are the factory default settings? Rod Length Turf Temp Source Soil Sensor Soil Type Moisture Standard GPS, Bluetooth* Disabled EC units Salinity Index Auto-Off 15 minutes Backlight Disabled Time Zone Sound Temperature Fahrenheit 2. What type of sensor is used to measure surface tem- perature? The sensor on the underside of the probe block is a ther- mistor. - Page 35 Warranty This product is warranted to be free from defects in material or workmanship for one year from the date of purchase. During the warranty period Spectrum will, at its option, either repair or replace products that prove to be defective. This warranty does not cover damage due to improper installation or use, lightning, negligence, accident, or unauthorized modifications, or to incidental or consequential damages beyond the Spectrum prod-...
- Page 36 DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY Spectrum Technologies, Inc. 3600 Thayer Ct. Aurora, IL 60504 USA Model Numbers: 6435 Description: Portable Soil Moisture\Conductivity\Temperature Probe Type: Electrical Equipment for Measurement, Control, and Laboratory Directive: 2004/30/EU Standards: EN 61326-2:2012 EN 61000-6-1:2007 EN 61000-6-3:2007+A1:2010 ICES-003:2016; ITE Emissions for Canada (ANSI C63.4:2014) FCC Part 15:2016: Emissions for Unintentional Radiators for USA (ANSI C63.4:2014) EN 55032:2015...
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