HydroSense II Soil Moisture Measurement System
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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. The compound should be used
sparingly, as only a thin coating is necessary and a thick coating may affect the
measured water content. The small tube supplied is enough to treat several sets
of rods.
Replacement of the rods involves unscrewing the threaded end of each rod,
applying thread locking compound to the threads of the replacement rods and
screwing them firmly into the sensor body using the wrench provided.
Unlike the original HydroSense, the HydroSense II sensors do not support
interchangeable rods. The CS658 will only measure accurately with 20cm rods
and the CS659 with 12cm. The threads have be chosen to ensure that the rods
cannot be in advertently mixed up, as they will not fit into the opposite sensor.
Please do not attempt to change rod sizes.
The following points should be noted:
The threads of the replacement rods and the sensor body should be
clean and free from damage.
Avoid overtightening. In extreme cases, this may cause damage to the
threaded inserts of the sensor, permanently damaging it.
Full contact between the nut and probe body is required for proper
operation.
To prevent loosening of the rods, the thread locking compound should
be allowed to cure. This time depends on temperature, but is generally
between 3 and 12 hours.