Spectrum Technologies FIELDSCOUT 6435 Product Manual Download Page 3

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CONTENTS

General Overview

Specifications

Product Dimensions

Meter Care

Button Functions

Meter Operation

Display Screens

GNSS (Location) Features

Setting Date/Time

Optimizing Geo

Referenced Measurements

Maintenance

Data Logs

Field Scout Mobile App/SpecConnect

Pairing TDR350 with FieldScout Mobile App

VWC Measurements

Electrical Conductivity

Optional Accessories

Appendix 1: Soil Specific Reading Correlation

Appendix 2: Troubleshooting

Appendix 3: Updating Device Firmware

Appendix 4: Calibration

Glossary

Warranty and Declaration of Conformity

Summary of Contents for FIELDSCOUT 6435

Page 1: ...TDR 350 Soil Moisture Meter PRODUCT MANUAL Item 6435 ...

Page 2: ...n between taking VWC readings in standard high clay and sand soils The TDR 350 s shaft mounted probe allows the user to take measurements while standing The meter s built in data logger eliminates the need to record data manually The data points can be viewed with the FieldScout Mo bile app that maps out soil measurements using logged location coordinates Measurements can also be saved to an exter...

Page 3: ...erenced Measurements 14 Maintenance 16 Data Logs 18 Field Scout Mobile App SpecConnect 20 Pairing TDR350 with FieldScout Mobile App 22 VWC Measurements 24 Electrical Conductivity 25 Optional Accessories 26 Appendix 1 Soil Specific Reading Correlation 27 Appendix 2 Troubleshooting 28 Appendix 3 Updating Device Firmware 29 Appendix 4 Calibration 30 Glossary 31 Warranty and Declaration of Conformity ...

Page 4: ...30 to 60 C Thermistor based Infrared Optional Connectivity USB Type A Bluetooth Low Energy GNSS Accuracy Galileo 1m GPS 3 5 to 7 5m GLONASS 2 8 to 10 m QZSS 1 m where available WAAS SBAS and EGNOS enabled Power 4 AA alkaline batteries Log Capacity 50 000 measurements Display Backlit high contrast graphic LCD Weight 4 3 lbs 1 9 kg IP Rating Display IP53 Probe IP67 Available Rod Dimensions Turf 1 5 ...

Page 5: ...5 Product dimensions ...

Page 6: ...es if not used for an extended period of time ie between seasons Battery life If the battery level is low or a battery is inserted incorrectly the low battery icon appears on the screen briefly then the dis play will power off Battery life is affected by the enabled features accessories connected and the frequency of use If not needed the Bluetooth GNSS Location and backlight features can be disab...

Page 7: ...een MENU or SELECT button Press to enter available menus Press to select or confirm a menu selection DELETE or UP button Press to move up within a menu Delete last measurement from the running aver age counter and its entry from the internal data log see p 18 READ or DOWN button Press to move down within a menu Press to make a reading from the Reading screen Press and hold to reset the average and...

Page 8: ...gs menu See the Set tings Menu p 10 Taking Readings 1 Grip the TDR handles to the left and right of the display 2 Push down on the handles maintaining a steady downward pressure to drive the rods into the soil until the sensor base is in contact with the soil surface Refrain from any back and forth or side to side movement which can introduce air pockets into the soil medium which will alter the r...

Page 9: ... on the Reading screen along with rod type used soil type and a reading count with running average VWC 0 readings will be displayed but will not increment the counter or be included in the average Press READ to take readings update Count and the Average Indicators Battery level icon upper right corner Bluetooth icon displayed when enabled A bar appears through it when not actively communicating GN...

Page 10: ...th higher clay content 27 Sand for sand based fields or turf greens Clear Logs Erases data logs from internal memory Save to USB Transfers data logs to a USB flash drive if at tached Backlight Sets the LCD backlight ON OFF AUTO In AUTO mode the backlight will shut off 5 seconds after a button press GNSS Location GNSS Power Save GNSS Use QZSS Enable or disable features related to geo location capab...

Page 11: ...et changes the Time and Date will update Daylight Savings ON or OFF Calibration Overrides factory calibration See Appendix Clear User Calibration Clears the user applied calibration back to factory settings Factory Defaults Resets menu settings and counter to the fac tory default value About General information Model and serial number firmware versions for display and sensor Pressing Select button...

Page 12: ...SS Location is disabled the date and time information will still be transmitted to the meter GNSS Power Save Disable for expedited geo referencing and speed of measure ments Enable to reduce power consumption in between distant soil measurements Note Enabling will delay the response time of a measurement GNSS Use QZSS QZSS Quasi Zenith Satellite System is a regional system for use in the immediate...

Page 13: ...urrent Time option 3 Press the MENU SELECT button to access the Time Date up date screen There are 3 options A Press the READ DOWN button to download an update from the GNSS satellites Proceed to an area with a good view of the sky and press the Menu Select button to initiate the process B Press the DELETE UP button to set the date and time manual ly The current settings will be displayed Use the ...

Page 14: ...atellite mapping data to im prove the accuracy further Creating the internal satellite maps The meter relies on internal satellite maps to improve accuracy These maps are built by the meter during the first three days of consistent use The meter will track available satellites and hone in on the location of use by referencing the internal maps along with satellites in view Typically after the firs...

Page 15: ...ary for a location fix Achieving 10 or more satellites will yield high quality posi tion data For Best Results Geo Location referencing will show the best accuracy when the meter is kept active for 6 minutes or more The positioning data will be most accurate when the sky is clear there are few if any reflective surfaces and there is an unobstructed view of the sky Optimally the meter should have a...

Page 16: ... in Display and Sensor Removal to access the batteries 2 Install four new AA batteries observing correct polarity by referencing the positive and negative labels 3 Follow the procedure on the next page to reinstall the display Display Removal 1 Follow steps for Display and Sensor Removal to access the display and cable connections 2 Remove the foam spacer and unplug the sensor cable connector from...

Page 17: ...se plate 6 Align the arrows on the base and display in the same direction The USB port should face the same side as the serial number label 7 Tighten the four mounting screws Sensor Block Removal Replacement 1 Follow steps for Display Removal to access the cable connections 2 Remove the thumb screw lock bolt that joins the lower probe base to the upper shaft 3 Separate the probe base from the shaf...

Page 18: ...ists on the flash drive with the same filename it will be over written Be sure to save any existing data logs on the flash drive prior to saving a new file Erasing the internal Data log 1 Press the MENU SELECT button p 7 to open the Settings Menu 2 Press the READ Down arrow button to reach the Clear Logs option 3 Press the MENU SELECT button to select the option 4 Press MENU SELECT button again to...

Page 19: ...emp_IR InfraRed soil temperature sensor reading in degrees Celsius if equipped Temp_IR F InfraRed soil temperature sensor reading in degrees Fahr enheit if equipped Latitude Longitude Geo referenced coordinate acquired in decimal degrees format Note A negative sign may appear indicating South or West coordinates Fix GNSS location fix level 0 unreferenced 1 fixed reference 2 fix with additional acc...

Page 20: ...a color coded pushpin icon is placed at every sampling point If the TDR has a good GNSS location fix p 9 the app will use the coordinates from the meter If not or if the meter s GNSS location is disabled it will use the internal location of the smartphone The data from the Pro version of the app is sent instantaneously to SpecConnect Data can be viewed in map form fig 3 exported to a spreadsheet o...

Page 21: ...21 Fig 3 2 D Contour Plot in SpecConnect Fig 4 Trend Report ...

Page 22: ...create name and select a new session This will bring up the Select Session Mode screen Fig 1 Select whether you are using Grid or Freeform Pro version only mode to collect data 5 a For Grid mode the Main Grid screen Fig 2a will appear Confirm that the meter you are using appears at the top of the screen If not a new session must be created Tap any of the zones to bring up the Take Reading screen F...

Page 23: ... feature has not been activated you will be prompted to do so 7 The app will search for the Bluetooth device It should then ap pear in the list of scanned devices Fig 4 After selecting the device the App will be ready to take readings Note Although the device appears in the app it may not appear on the phone s list of Bluetooth devices Figure 4 Scanned device list ...

Page 24: ... Wilting Point and Field Capacity One rule of thumb is that irrigation should be initiated when half the Plant Available Water has been depleted Time Domain Reflectometry TDR The speed of an electromagnetic wave along a waveguide in soil is dependent on the bulk dielectric permittivity of the soil matrix The fact that water 80 has a much greater dielectric constant than air 1 or soil solids 3 7 is...

Page 25: ...xy measure ment is possible because as salts dissolve into the soil they disassociate into ions which conduct electricity Salinity Index The TDR also has the option to report EC in the form of the Salinity In dex The salinity index is defined as the ratio of the bulk EC to the volu metric water content expressed as a decimal For example if the bulk EC is 0 25 mS cm and the VWC is 22 the Salinity I...

Page 26: ...ce tem perature sensor TDR Spacer item 6435SP Placed on the end of the sensor block to aide in identification of how fast and firm the turf greens are The spacer has two orientations allowing it to work for either desired depth Requires 3 8 cm 1 5 turf rods For use with firmware version 1 02 or higher Allows for the measurement of 1 3cm 0 5 or 2 5cm 1 0 soil depths Pilot Hole Maker item 6430PH If ...

Page 27: ... reading at each sample site 4 Extract a known volume of soil at each sample site Ideally an undisturbed soil core Reduce evaporation store samples in a sealed plastic container 5 Weigh the wet soil samples 6 Dry the samples 105o C for 48 hours and weigh again 7 Plot sample measurements against FieldScout TDR readings Regression analysis is used to develop a formula to correlate TDR readings to th...

Page 28: ...aken with the Soil Type to Standard and the correct Rod Length selected The meter should read VWC 0 in air In saturat ed sand it should read between 35 and 45 The table below shows the approximate ranges of volumetric water content that are expected for the different rod lengths in distilled water Note The meter does not read 100 in water as the reading is run through soil equations created to be ...

Page 29: ... the meter 3 Remove the protective cap from the meter s USB port 4 Insert the flash drive into the meter s USB port 5 While pressing the DELETE Up arrow button press and re lease the ON OFF BACK button The meter will beep 6 Release the buttons Note The display screen will remain blank during the update process The meter will beep a second time once the process has completed and then reboot to the ...

Page 30: ...distilled deionized water into the container The water level must be deeper than the rods currently installed Note The wa ter and container must be free of minerals and salts to calibrate properly 2 From the Settings Menu p 10 set the rod length to the correct length of the rods currently installed 3 From the Settings Menu choose the Calibration option 4 Press the Select button to initiate the cal...

Page 31: ...lobal coverage This term includes GPS GLONASS Galileo QZSS Beidou and other regional systems SBAS Satellite Based Augmentation System used to improve satellite ranging errors TDR Time Domain Reflectometry A technique for measuring soil moisture content that uses the fact that water has a much higher dielectric permittivity than air soil minerals and organic matter VWC Volumetric Water Content The ...

Page 32: ...r USA ANSI C63 4 2014 EN 55032 2015 Paul Martis Hardware Engineering Manager February 6 2017 Warranty This product is warranted to be free from defects in material or workmanship for two years from the date of purchase During the warranty period Spectrum will at its option either repair or replace products that prove to be defective This warranty does not cover damage due to improper installation ...

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