HydroSense II User Guide 10/11
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System
Warranty The HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System is warranted by Campbell Scientific Australia to be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use and service for twelve (12) months from date of shipment unless specified otherwise. Batteries have no warranty. Campbell Scientific Australia's obligation under this warranty is limited to repairing or replacing (at Campbell Scientific Australia’s option) defective products.
Table of Contents 1 2 General Description ..........................................................................................................6 1.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 6 Specifications .......................................................................................................................7 2.1 2.2 HydroSense II Display specifications .............................
11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 11.7 11.8 11.9 11.10 11.11 11.12 11.13 11.14 11.15 11.16 11.17 11.18 11.19 11.20 12 Bluetooth Power ................................................................................................................ 25 Time/Date Menu ................................................................................................................ 26 Time Set ................................................................................................................................
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System 1 General Description 1.1 Introduction The HydroSense II is an easy to use, portable device for measuring soil moisture in terms of volumetric water content (in percent). The three major components of the system are the display, the sensor and the software. The sensor is available in two different versions – 12cm (CS659) and 20cm (CS658). As the name suggests the HydroSense II is an updated and improved successor to the established HydroSense product.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System Please note that unlike the previous generation HydroSense, the 12cm and 20cm sensor rods are not interchangeable. Along with volumetric water content the HydroSense II can also display relative water content based on “wet” and “dry” reference measurements previously set by the user.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System HydroSense II sensor – CS659 Measurement principle Communication Rod length Rod diameter Measurement range Precision Accuracy Size (LxWxH) Weight (g) Time Domain Reflectometry SDI-12 12cm 4.7mm (nominal) 0% - 50% <0.05% ±3% VWC in mineral soils with solution EC ≤6.5dS/m 100mm x 92mm x 40mm (sensor body) 450g 3 What’s included The HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System consists of many parts. Standard parts are listed in the table below.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System 4 Setup and First Use The steps to setup the HydroSense II are as follows: Remove the HydroSense II display from the carry case. Remove the blue protective strip from the display window and discard. Remove the probe from the carry case. Connect the probe to the display by mating the connector on the cable to the connector at the bottom of the display. Please note that the connector is a push-pull type with locators to align the connectors.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System In simple terms, soil consists of three main constituents – mineral particles (sand, loam, clay), water and air. The air and water occupy the spaces or pores formed between the mineral particles. Typically in agricultural soils these pore spaces make up approximately 50% of the soil by volume, with water and air together making up the remaining 50% in varying quantities. As a result, water content normally ranges from 0% to 50%.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System By default the HydroSense II does not display the Water Deficit data set on the main screen. To enable this mode, turn on Deficit Mode from the configuration menus. 5.3.1 Soil types The HydroSense II needs three different parameters to calculate relative water content and deficit - “wet” and “dry” water content values and the probe length used. Since these parameter groups represent soil specific attributes they are referred to as “soil profiles”.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System The soil profile details page will be displayed. This page shows the reference values stored for this soil profile along with the probe length used. To select this soil and return to the main screen, press the down button to highlight the “SELECT THIS SOIL” and press OK. From this screen, new reference values can also be set. To do so, ensure that the CS658/9 sensor is inserted in the soil correctly and select “WET VWC” or “DRY VWC” and press OK.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System 5.3.3 Storage The HydroSense II does not store relative water content or deficit measurements to flash. Only Water Content measurements are stored. 6 User Interface The following section contains a detailed description of the HydroSense II user interface.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System 6.2 Splash Screen To turn on the HydroSense II, press and hold the Menu/PWR Button for 3 seconds. The splash screen shown below is displayed. Please note that the Operating System version number is displayed along with the device serial number. This splash screen is shown for 2.5 seconds. 6.3 Main Screen After the splash screen disappears, the main screen is shown.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System 6.3.2 Status information The zone name is shown in the upper left of the screen. When the current position is not within any of the existing zones, “NOT IN A ZONE” is displayed much like the top screenshot. When the HydroSense II moves within the boundary of an existing zone (such as “Zone 00001” above) the zone name will be displayed in a similar way to that shown in the bottom screenshot.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System PER – The average period of the water content reflectometer (CS658/9). The value is displayed in microseconds. Below the sensor readings is displayed the model number and rod length of the sensor used (in this case “CS658 20cm”). This is updated with each measurement. If the water content sensor is not properly connected or malfunctioning, the display will show “SENSOR TIMEOUT” as shown above. 6.3.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System 7 Data Storage and Retrieval The HydroSense II includes flash-based storage for data and configuration settings. Being flash based, it is non-volatile and will be preserved when the batteries are exhausted and changed. 7.1 Storing Data To store data with the HydroSense II, Press the Store button from the main screen. This will initiate the process of storing data.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System 7.4 Connecting via Bluetooth The steps to forming a successful Bluetooth connection are as follows: Start the HydroSense II software. Turn on the HydroSense II display by holding the Power button for 3 seconds. Using the software, click the Discover button to find Bluetooth devices within range. Once the HydroSense II has been discovered, click the “Connect” button.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System position. This is to maximise the received signal and thereby shorten the time required to achieve synchronisation. To synchronise the GPS, take the HydroSense II outside, away from any tall buildings or large obstructions and turn it on. GPS synchronization will normally be achieved in approximately 30 seconds, but can take up to a minute or so.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System When a new zone is created, the screen above is displayed. Use the Up and Down keys to select the radius to use for this zone and press OK to save the new zone details. Press Back to return to the main screen without creating a new zone and without storing any data. Once a zone is created, the water content data will be stored.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System 9.2 Probe Insertion For accurate, repeatable measurements, the rods of the CS658/9 sensor must be fully inserted into the soil. It is normally inserted vertically, but this is not mandatory. Since the water content is averaged over the length of the rods, the reading from a 20cm probe inserted vertically will be the average of the soil moisture over the top 20cm, however the same rods inserted at 45° will yield an average of the top 10cm.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System 9.4 Measurements in Special Materials The HydroSense II and its sensors were designed principally for use in agricultural soils, but the measurement technique underlying the instrument supports other potential applications. Other porous media can also be monitored using the period value shown on the display.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System 10.1.2 How to replace the battery pack The process to replace the battery pack is as follows: Place the HydroSense II face down on a clean dry surface. Remove the four (4) Philips screws on the back of the HydroSense II case with the Philips screwdriver provided in the carry case. Carefully separate the back cover from the front cover, taking care to keep the HydroSense face down. If the unit is turned face up, the battery holder inside may fall out.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System Although the friction between the nut and the threaded insert in the sensor body is often enough to prevent the rods from becoming loose, it is recommended to apply thread locking compound to ensure that the rods remain firmly attached. A small amount of Loctite® 222MS THREADLOCKER is included with the HydroSense II to use when replacing rods.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System 11 Configuration Menus 11.1 Main Menu To enter the main menu, press the Menu button from the main screen. Using the up and down keys, select the desired menu item and press OK. To exit the menu, press the Back button. 11.2 Deficit Mode This menu selects whether or not the Soil Deficit is displayed on the main screen. Select ON to show the deficit results and OFF to hide them. To quit this menu without saving the changes, press the Back button. 11.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System 11.4 Time/Date Menu This submenu contains a list of settings to configure the clock system of the HydroSense II. Using the up and down keys, highlight one of the options shown above and then press OK to enter that setting. Alternatively, press the Back button to quit this menu. 11.5 Time Set This menu, is used to set the HydroSense II clock.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System 11.7 Time Zone The HydroSense II is able to use its GPS to provide a very accurate clock. Whenever a valid GPS signal is detected, the clock is adjusted using the received time (in UTC) and the time zone selected in this menu. Time zones from UTC-12 to UTC+14 are available. Please see the diagram below for information on global time zones. Use the up and down keys to select a time zone to use and OK to save the selection.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System 11.8 Time Synchronisation The HydroSense II is able to use its GPS to provide a very accurate clock. Whenever a valid GPS signal is detected, the clock is adjusted using the received time (in UTC) and the configured time zone. To use GPS synchronisation select ON from the list, or OFF to ignore the GPS time. This menu item does not disable GPS position. After highlighting a selection from the list, press OK to save the setting. To quit the menu, press Back.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System 11.11 Brightness This menu allows the brightness of the LCD backlight to be adjusted. Since the backlight uses a significant amount of power, reducing the brightness will extend battery life. In bright, sunny conditions, the backlight has very little effect and generally doesn’t help readability, so the HydroSense II detects the ambient light conditions and automatically turns off the backlight when exposed to bright daylight.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System 11.14 GPS Settings This submenu contains a list of settings related to the GPS of the HydroSense II. Using the up and down keys, highlight one of the options shown and press OK to select that item. Alternatively, press the Back button to exit the menu. 11.15 GPS Power This menu controls power to the GPS module.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System 11.17 System Settings This submenu contains a list of system-wide settings. Using the up and down keys, highlight one of the options shown and press OK to select that item. Alternatively, press the Back button to exit the menu. 11.18 System On Time To save power, the HydroSense II will automatically power off after a period of inactivity. This menu allows configuration of this time period.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System 11.20 Serial Number This screen displays the serial number of the HydroSense II. This should match the serial number labelled on the front panel of the unit. Press Back to exit this screen.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System 12 Soil Physics Primer 12.1 Soil Bolus Testing Soil moisture testing and the soil’s ability to store water and make it available to agricultural crops is highly dependant on the type of soil at the site. There are 3 major non-organic components of soil that affect its texture: sand, silt and clay. Each of these components has a progressively smaller grain size and this affects its physical properties. Sand has a grain size from 0.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System Soil Type Sands Sandy Loams Loams Clay Loams Light clay Heavy Clay Nature of Bolus Little or no coherence and cannot be rolled into a ball. Sand grains adhere to fingers. Some coherence, can be rolled into a stable ball and will form a ribbon 15 – 25 mm long. Will form a ribbon 25mm long. Smooth spongy feel with no sand grains. Ribbon 25-50mm long. Ribbon 50-75mm long. Some resistance to ribboning. Ribbon greater than 75mm. Strong resistance to ribboning.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System 13 Troubleshooting Description of Problem The display shows “SENSOR TIMEOUT” all the time Explanation/Recommendation This message indicates that the HydroSense II has not received a response from the sensor. Check that the connector is mated correctly, the pins are clean and that the connector has not been damaged. If this problem persists, please contact your local agent. The display shows an error “NO GPS LOCK. STORE ANYWAY?” whenever I store data.
HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System 14 Operating System Updates From time to time, updates to the HydroSense II Operating System (firmware) will be made available by Campbell Scientific. These updates may provide fixes for known problems, add new features, change default settings or make improvements to the user interface. It is generally advisable to keep your HydroSense II up to date whenever possible.
Campbell Scientific Companies Campbell Scientific, Inc. (CSI) 815 West 1800 North Logan, Utah 84321 UNITED STATES www.campbellsci.com • info@campbellsci.com Campbell Scientific Africa Pty. Ltd. (CSAf) PO Box 2450 Somerset West 7129 SOUTH AFRICA www.csafrica.co.za • cleroux@csafrica.co.za Campbell Scientific Australia Pty. Ltd. (CSA) PO Box 444 Thuringowa Central QLD 4812 AUSTRALIA www.campbellsci.com.au • info@campbellsci.com.au Campbell Scientific do Brazil Ltda.
