Instruction Manual

Troubleshooting the Sensors Page 19
Troubleshooting the Sensors
If you are having problems with your station, please check all sensor cable con-
nections. Cable connections account for a large portion of potential problems.
Use these tests to verify the correct operation of your soil moisture sensor:
1. With the sensor submerged in water, the station should show a reading
between 0 and 5.
2. Let the sensor air dry for 30 to 48 hours. Depending on ambient tempera-
ture, humidity, and air movement, the reading should be 150 or over.
3. Put the sensor back in the water. The reading should run right back to 0 to 5
within 1 to 2 minutes.
4. If the sensor does not pass these tests, please contact Davis Technical Sup-
port for help in resolving the problem.
Extending Sensor Cable Length
Both the soil moisture sensors and the temperature probes come with 15’
(4.6 m) direct burial cables. The leaf wetness sensor comes with a 40’ (12m)
cable.
• Leaf Wetness Sensor cables can be extended up to 200’ (61m) using 6-
conductor 26 AWG cable.
• Soil Moisture Sensor cables can be extended up to 1000’ (300m) using #18
gauge waterproof cable. UF insulation is recommended.
• Temperature Sensors can be extended up to 800’ (242m) using #24 AWG
shielded cable or up to 1200’ (260m) using #22 AWG shielded cable.
• The additional wire must be fully waterproof.
• We recommend using a 3M Scotchpak or Duraseal heat shrink splice
connector when extending the sensor cables.
Note: Avoid long wire runs near power cables. The transient currents can affect the
small current used to read the sensors.
Contacting Davis Technical Support
If you have questions about your Leaf/Soil Station, or encounter problems
installing or operating the station, please contact Davis Technical Support.
Note: Please do not return items to the factory for repair without prior authorization.
[phone] – Monday – Friday, 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time.
[e-mail] – E-mail to Technical Support.
[phone] – For callers outside the USA or Canada.
[phone] – Fax.
www.davisnet.com – Copies of User Manuals are available on the “Support”
page. Watch for FAQs and other updates. Subscribe to the e-newsletter.
[e-mail] – General e-mail.