Sentinel V SC and RT Operation Manual
September
2017
EAR-Controlled Technology Subject to Restrictions Contained on the Cover Page.
Page 29
Real-Time Power Considerations
Use the following section to determine the power requirements for the Sentinel V Real-Time ADCPs.
•
The Sentinel V Real-Time uses external power through the end-cap connector. The voltage must
be +12 to 20 VDC.
•
Depending on the type of housing the system is configured with, the ADCP may use a battery
pack, lithium battery pack (optional), individual D cell batteries, external power only, or both
external power and batteries.
Sentinel V battery pack is shipped inside the system but not connected.
Connect the
battery and seal the Sentinel V before deployment.
Sentinel V with D cells are shipped without batteries inside the system.
Install the batteries
and seal the Sentinel V before deployment.
The External Battery Case holds two battery packs that are shipped inside the case but not
connected. Connect
BOTH
batteries and seal the external battery case before deployment.
It
is necessary to remove the top battery in order to connect the bottom battery cable.
See
Replacing the External Battery Case Packs
for details.
•
The AC Adapter runs on any standard AC power and su18 VDC, 24 watts to the ADCP.
The Sentinel V batteries can be connected or disconnected. If the adapter’s input voltage is
greater than the battery voltage, then the ADCP will draw all power from the AC adapter even if
the battery is installed and connected. Use the AC Adapter when testing the ADCP to conserve
the battery power.
Transmitted Power
For the Sentinel V, a fresh battery pr18 VDC. Batteries spend most of their life at a nominal volt-
age of +14 VDC. Using 18 VDC will increase the range by 5 to 10% depending on conditions.
The optional lithium battery provides 15.6 VDC with a capacity of approximately 1900 Wh. The battery
includes a safety circuit that protects the battery and users against short circuits and provides users the
ability to test the pack. The circuit also turns the battery off at its end of life, before the battery fully dis-
charges. This happens when about 97% of the battery’s capacity is depleted.
The voltage specification of the Sentinel V battery pack is 18V; however, fresh batteries
provide a slightly higher voltage. The AC power adapter used for powering the Sentinel V
operates at 18V and therefore if a system is connected to the AC power adapter and
simultaneously the batteries are connected, the batteries will be depleted until they reach
the same voltage as the AC power adapter. While this does not affect the operation of the
system, you should be aware of the loss of power that can occur. Once the batteries are
discharged to the supplied voltage of the AC power adapter supply, the batteries will no
longer be depleted.
If the batteries are above 18V and you wish to preserve the battery charge your options
would be:
•
Disconnect the battery pack when using the AC power adapter.
•
Use the banana plug cable 73D-6021-00 to power the unit with a different power
supply (voltage not to exceed 20V). Note: You will also need cable (73D-3112-XXX or
73D-3113-xxx; where XXX denotes the cable length in meters). Both cables indicate a
max voltage of 18V. In this case you can use the cables at 20V.
