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16 

Meter Settings  

The Meter Settings screen in the Field Scout Soil Com-
paction Meter software is used to configure the meter 
and datalogger for your specific application.  This 
screen can be accessed by clicking on the 

Meter Set-

tings

 button on the main toolbar screen (see p. 14).  

The fields are described below. 
 

Meter Name:

 The name given the meter will be the 

title on the first line of the downloaded text file. 
 

Logger Settings:

 The datalogger is enabled and dis-

abled by checking the first box.  If the datalogger is 
enabled, it will search for a GPS signal when the meter 
is turned on.  If a signal is found, position data will be 
stored along with the soil compaction data.  If no GPS 
signal is available when the logger is turned on, the 
logger will no longer look for one when measuring and 
recording soil moisture data.  If the second box is 

Summary of Contents for SC 900

Page 1: ...SC 900 Soil Compaction Meter PRODUCT MANUAL ...

Page 2: ...Connecting to a Computer 10 Identifying the Correct COM Port 11 Connecting to a GPS Unit 12 Calibration Battery Change 13 Main Toolbar 14 Meter Settings 16 Diagnostic Messages 18 Data Management 20 Meter Dimensions 21 Specifications 22 Appendix 1 Time Zone Corrections 23 Appendix 2 When to Replace the Cone 24 Warranty 26 ...

Page 3: ...Soil depth readings are determined by a sonic depth sensor Cone index values are measured by a load cell sensor and can be displayed in PSI or kPa The Field Scout s shaft mounted probe allows the user to easily and rapidly take many measurements The probe has options for a 1 2 or 3 4 diameter cone tip The shaft can be dissembled into 2 pieces for easy storage and trans port The meter s built in da...

Page 4: ...eas of a field plot are Once the compacted areas along with compaction depths have been determined a much more effective till age system can be employed The unit works as an efficient diagnostic tool as well as a management unit after the tillage operation has been performed One can determine how deep the soil has actually been worked and if the tillage operation has solved the compaction problems...

Page 5: ... be made This can lead to depth error messages see Diagnostic Messages p 18 If possible try to remove the object and or smooth the sur face Repositioning your feet and knees may also elimi nate these errors If the problem persists use the depth target included with the meter to test the depth sensor and if necessary to take measurements If the depth target is not available one can be made out of c...

Page 6: ...gger GPS screens above will be bypassed during startup The data logger can be activated through the SC 900 software see Meter Settings p 16 If you are using GPS but the meter doesn t find the GPS signal when powering up the meter will not search for the GPS signal when taking readings Turn the meter off and on so it can look for the GPS signal again Once the signal is found GPS information will be...

Page 7: ...the LCD will display The meter will then be ready to take readings see Measure ment Procedure p 8 Deleting data Immediately after the meter has successfully taken a full profile measurement but be fore measuring another profile the DELETE button will delete the profile before that has just been sent to the data logger The screen will then indicate that the reading has been deleted This feature is ...

Page 8: ... and the depth At the surface the depth will be zero The second line indicates how many pro files have been taken If the logger is disabled the sec ond line will indicate that the logger is off This re sets to 1 every time the meter is turned on 3 Stand with your feet at least 4 to 6 inches from the probe tip This ensures the sonic depth sensor will measure accurately Tall nearby objects or walls ...

Page 9: ...obe and pushing the Start button 5 Remove probe gently If the profile was successfully measured the following message will be displayed 6 You can review compaction measurement increments by pushing the Review button You can also delete the most recently measured profile by pushing the De lete button See Meter Operation p 7 for details 7 Press Start to ready the probe for the next measurement Geo R...

Page 10: ... This cable connects to the USB port of your com puter and to the meter s computer port The meter s con figuration can be modified by clicking on the Meter Set tings button see Meter Settings p 16 The Com Port Meter Type Download Clear Memory and Meter Set tings buttons are explained in the Main Toolbar section p 14 Note Prior to 2014 the meter was shipped with a gray cable that connected to a 9 p...

Page 11: ...If the message No Connection is displayed this port may be the one connected to your serial cable and you can proceed to the next step 3 Place a paperclip on the end of the serial pin so that it touches both the tip of the pin and the metal area between the two black rings Again click on the Test Port Now button If the message Connection OK now appears this is the com port connected to your serial...

Page 12: ...d with your GPS unit it should be available from the manufacturer This cable is gener ally used to upload information from a computer to the GPS unit These components should be connected as shown in the figure below GPS Setting Your GPS unit must be set for NMEA 0183 input output messages If the meter has trouble receiving the GPS sig nal check that it has the following settings Data bits 8 Stop b...

Page 13: ...ition on a hard sur face 2 Make sure the meter is turned OFF Press and hold the START button 3 With the START button depressed press and release the ON button The LCD will count down from 5 to 1 4 The meter should now read between 5 and 10 P S I 35 70 Kpa This reflects the weight of the meter itself Changing the Batteries To change the batteries remove the 4 philips head screws from the face plate...

Page 14: ...ter data port Select the Com Port that is assigned to the computer data port See Identifying the Correct Com Port p 11 for instructions on how to determine which port to select Meter Type Select the SC900 option from the list of available Field Scout meters Main Toolbar ...

Page 15: ...where it will be saved When the file has been saved the software will give you the option of immediately viewing the file The data file is stored as a comma delimited text file and may be viewed in text editor or spreadsheet software Clear Memory Data is not automatically removed from the logger mem ory after a download The Clear Memory button clears all data from the logger memory Meter Settings ...

Page 16: ...ame The name given the meter will be the title on the first line of the downloaded text file Logger Settings The datalogger is enabled and dis abled by checking the first box If the datalogger is enabled it will search for a GPS signal when the meter is turned on If a signal is found position data will be stored along with the soil compaction data If no GPS signal is available when the logger is t...

Page 17: ...d in the data file In general it is recommended to leave this option unchecked A time zone correction should be entered in the third box Appendix 1 p 23 lists time zone corrections for several cities Measurement Units The meter can be configured to dis play and record data in English units Cone Index in PSI and depth in inches or SI units Cone Index in kPa and depth in centimeters ...

Page 18: ... too close to the shaft if an object such as a tree or large plant is near the meas urement area or if debris such as roots soil or leaf matter is clinging to the shaft Start Over Start Depth zero If the meter is inserted faster than 1 inch per 1 second the ASABE standard states that the reading should be retaken You may see this message more often when taking read ings in areas with non compacted...

Page 19: ...t such as a foot or a knee suddenly com ing into the field of view of the sonic depth sensor You have the option of saving this profile anyway by pressing the Review button This will bring up the Reading Com plete screen see p 9 When reviewing the profile you ll see a Profile Information Screen with an error message on the lower line Data records saved after a depth error was detected will have co...

Page 20: ...gs for the rest of the data file Each row of data represents a meas urement profile Logging sessions are started and completed by turning the meter on and off The start of a logging session is indi cated by the data line Logger Started If a GPS signal was found at the start of a logger session a time stamp is included on the Logger Started line Note You must have meter firmware v 8 2 or greater an...

Page 21: ...21 Meter dimensions The following are the dimensions of the SC 900 Soil Compaction Meter 7 25 19 75 8 5 12 Shaft Connection Cone Tip Meter ...

Page 22: ...7000 kPa Maximum Insertion Speed 72 in min 182 cm min Maximum Applied Load 210 lbs Power 4 AAA alkaline batteries Approximately 12 month life Logger Capacity 772 profiles without GPS 579 profiles with GPS DGPS Display 16 character 2 line LCD Weight 2 75 lbs 1 25 kg Cone Size Diameters 1 2 3 4 must have firmware v 8 1 or greater Specifications ...

Page 23: ...nton 8 San Francisco Los Angeles Vancouver 9 Anchorage 10 Honolulu 11 Wellington 13 Adelaide Melbourne Sydney 14 Vladivostok Brisbane 15 Seoul Tokyo 16 Beijing Hong Kong Manila Singapore Taipei 17 Hanoi Jakarta Vientiane 18 Calcutta New Delhi 19 Kabul Islamabad 20 Tehran Abu Dhabi Dubai 21 Moscow Nairobi Kampala Riyadh 22 Ankara Athens Helsinki Istanbul Cairo Johannesburg Harare 23 Amsterdam Barce...

Page 24: ...ements will be consecutive The amount of wear of the cone will not be a factor In this case it is recommended that the cone be replaced when the shoulder is not easily recognizable as a shoulder anymore If you are using the meter to get absolute compaction readings replace the cone when there is a wear factor of 3 Three percent wear affects the cone index measurements by 5 The minimum cone diamete...

Page 25: ...eter that allows you 0 001 inch measurements Place the caliper micrometer on the shoulder of the cone Figure 1 the layout of the shoulder Figure 2 illustrates the proper placement of the caliper Cones should be re placed when the diameters are less than those indicated in table 1 Figure 2 Figure 1 Cone Replacement Replace the cone as follows 1 Lay meter on its side 2 Unscrew worn cone by hand or w...

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