Echometer Company
Model – M Manual
Phone: (940) 767-4334
5001 Ditto Lane
Page
13
Fax: (940) 723-7507
Wichita Falls, Texas 76302, U.S.A.
E-Mail:Model M Modifications and Enhancements
The following changes have been made to improve the Model M performance and versatility starting with serial
number 5100. 1) The year, date and local time can be printed on each chart. 2) A chart operation delay switch
“ARM” has been added to allow the operator to “ARM” the Recorder and then walk over to the gas gun and fire the
shot before the chart drive starts to record data. The chart will record one second of acoustic data before the shot, then
record the shot and then the reflected acoustic data. 3) The well performance analysis header can be printed or not
printed on the strip chart. Other internal electronic features have been added in addition to these operating features.
The new panel, the information header and the well analysis header are shown below.
1.
Year, Date and Time Setting
The Enhanced Model M has provisions for setting year, date and local time in the
field. Previous units were set at Echometer Company factory for Universal Coordinated Time at Greenwich,
England. Thus, each operator had to determine from the universal time setting what time that the chart was
obtained at his particular location if he was outside of the Universal Coordinated Time Zone in England. The date
and time on the enhanced Model M are set as follows. There are two small holes located in the lower panel to the
left of the input connector. See picture on the next page. A small probe such as a straightened paper clip is
inserted into either hole to depress either of two switches below the panel. To set the year, month, date and time,
depress and hold down the switch below the left hole and turn the amplifier POWER switch ON. The instrument
will enter the Date/Time setting mode and will print instrument information including the current year, month, date,
and time. Pressing the switch below the left hole with the paper clip will decrement the year and pressing the
switch below the right hole will increment the year. The number of times that the switch is depressed controls the
amount of change. Turning the chart switch from OFF to ON to OFF will reprint the selected year. Again, the
year can be changed by depressing the switches below the left or right holes. Turning the chart switch from OFF to
ON to OFF without depressing either the left or right switches will advance the settings mode to the next unit (year,
month, day, hour, minute). Turning the Amplifier switch “Off” will exit the setting mode.
2.
“ARM” Delay Start Function
The Enhanced Model M has a new mode of operation that has been added to
facilitate operation in normal or hazardous environments with a one-person crew. The Model M chart drive will
not be actuated until the gas gun initial pulse is generated and the electronics senses the gas gun initial pulse.
When the “ARM” button is depressed and held down while the chart drive is turned on, and the chart drive will not
run until the electronics senses the large initial gas gun pressure pulse. The chart drive will not activate when the
chart drive switch is turned on. A data delay memory system is present in the Model M electronics that saves data
for later printing. When the shot is detected by the electronics, the chart will be started and the header will be
printed followed by the delayed acoustic data beginning with the last second of acoustic background noise before
the shot was detected. Then, the Model M prints acoustic data of the initial pulse and the reflected acoustic signal
until the chart drive is switched “Off” or 30 seconds maximum. Auto and manual gains are operational but
response is delayed by the memory system. IMPORTANT: wait at least 5 seconds after the “ARM” button is
depressed while the chart drive is switched on for the system to measure background noise before actuating the gas
gun pulse. When using CSA and ATEX certified equipment, the Model M is to be 25’ from the well in a “safe”
area and connected by a single coaxial cable to the Certified Compact Gas Gun or Certified 5000 Psi Gas Gun.
3. Chart Header
The chart header is supplied from the Echometer factory with the following information showing
instrument identification and also the second insert below showing well analysis. A switch on the processor circuit
board permits selection of just the first header if desired. This header shows the ID, Version of software in the unit,
Serial Number and other information. The header also shows the POWER ON/SELF TEST and immediately
below, indicates whether the unit did PASS or FAIL the self test. Thus, the external test connector and the test
pushbutton on earlier units have been eliminated. Please refer to the sample chart shown below for an example of a
PASS test. Immediately below the self test, the Battery voltage is displayed. The unit can be charged every night
without damaging the battery using the supplied Echometer AC charger; or, the unit can be charged when the
battery voltage drops to 11.5 volts.