9
Water Action Volunteers – Level 2 Manual
Updated January 2016
YSI 550a DO Meter Calibration Procedure
*Before calibrating your meter at the beginning of the field season, please fill out the top
portion of the calibration log with the following information:
Your name as well as that of any other team members
Your organization name
The serial number for your meter (located on the back of the meter)
**The numbers along the top of the calibration log correspond to the steps in the protocol.
1.
Turn on the meter and allow at least 15 minutes of warm up time before calibration.
Be sure to note the time that you turned on the meter as this information will be
important during the calibration process.
2.
Verify that the sensor membrane is in good condition by removing the sensor from the
calibration/storage chamber and doing the following:
Check that the sponge is damp (rewet if necessary).
Shake or blow off excess water on the sensor.
Check for holes or tears in the membrane.
Check for air bubbles beneath the membrane.
3.
Reinsert the sensor into the calibration/storage chamber at the back of the meter.
4.
On the calibration log, record the
date, time,
name of analyst
(who is calibrating the meter),
and the
altitude (in feet)
at which the
calibration is taking place.
You can find your local altitude by using
a
Wisconsin Atlas and Gazeteer
or a
USGS topographic map.
i.
Elevations may appear in meters, but you can convert meters to feet by
multiplying the meter value by 3.28.
5.
Record the number of minutes of
warm up time
on the DO calibration log.
6.
Record the
stabilized probe temperature
(°C) on
the DO calibration log (
red
box).
7.
Record the
stabilized pre-calibration D.O.
(mg/L) on
the DO calibration log (
orange
box).
Press the MODE button to change from %
saturation to mg/L.
