WCM-controlVersion 5.0
Contents
1. 6 1 Parameters The WCM control meter measures a volume equal to about 10 x 3 5 x 7 5 cm3 length x width x height In this volume the following parameters are determined The water content WC in volume percent v v The electrical conductivity EC in mS cm calibrated via international standard The water content meter measures the amount of nutrients dissolved in the substrate by measuring the EC The measured value will be equal to the value determined with the help of samples taken from the slab The temperature of the slab T The water content and the electrical conductivity measured are both corrected for temperature 6 2 Conditions The water content meter will take correct measurements if the substrate complies with the following requirements See table next page The sensor pins of the meter are dry and clean when starting the measurement If the screen becomes too warm it can become dark making it impossible to take a reading This effect is reversed once the temperature of the screen returns to normal 6 3 Voltage adapter The meter is supplied with a voltage adapter with a 4 mm jack plug as connector Input 100 240 VAC 47 63 Hz 400 mA Output 9VDC 1 5A 6 4 Range and accuracy when measuring in stone wool see table next page 6 5 CE certificate The water content meter is CE certified which means that the meter has been tested and approved in accordance with the fo2. and imported into a standard graphic with the GRAS exe programme Transfer of multimeasurements The transfer of the multimeasurements takes place in the same manner as the transfer of logged data from the WCM control to the PC see paragraph above The data are displayed per measurement in columns in the graph in the now empty graph The data can also be sent by e mail or exported to Excel for further processing 4 6 Screen management Once the logged data are imported from the meter they are by default displayed in the form of a graph Beneath this graph a table is dis played containing the numerical values per measurement With the help of IMAGE gt DIVIDE you can move the graph upwards and view it In addition you can also delete indivi dual measurements by selecting a measurement with the cursor and pressing the DELETE key This modification is then also implemented in the graph Saving measurements You can save measurements via FILE gt SAVE or via SAVE AS or by clicking the floppy icon in the menu bar lf you want to save various measurement data files we suggest creating a separate folder for that purpose and giving the measurement files different names By default the data files are giving names consisting of the measurement date year month day of the first measurement in the file You can change the name Exporting to EXCEL You can export the saved numerical values into Excel by clicking FIL
3. SETUPEXE file of the CDROM The GRODAN WCM Logging soft ware will then be automatically installed on your PC C program files grodan wcm graphic WCMcontrol exe Make sure that you fill in the user information so that installation can take place Shortcut keys will be placed on the desktop and in the start menu for starting up the GRODAN WCM Logging function You can remove the software from the system via START gt SETTINGS gt CONTROL PANEL gt add remove programs After selecting the GRODAN WCM graphic Logging software click Add Remove Attention When there is no free COM serial port available on the PC it is also possible to connect the IR sen sor to a free USB port However this necessitates the purchase of a universal USB to serial cable and the corresponding software These are available from standard computer electronics shops A free serial port can then be chosen usually COM 5 by clicking on the system icon on the task bar in the WCM Control graphs programme and then selec ting configuration In the event that there is no free COM serial port available on the PC it is also possible to connect the IR sensor to a free USB port However this necessitates the purchase of a universal USB to serial cable and the corre sponding software cost approx 40 These are available from standard computer electron ics shops more information on digiconnect nl A free serial port can the
4. Tel 31 475 353 020 Fax 31 475 353 716 E mail info grodan nl www grodan com 8 Guarantee terms and conditions GRODAN guarantees that the products delivered have been manufactured with the best materials If nevertheless there are any defects in the products delivered as a result of manufacturing or material faults then GRODAN will decide to either repair the defects or to have them repaired to deliver the necessary parts for the reparation to completely replace the goods or to refund the value of the meter but never an amount larger than the value of the meter This guarantee is valid for a period of 12 months after delivery Meters older than 5 years can no longer be repaired due to the lack of availability and cost of parts and the technical improvements incorporated into new meters With regards to guarantee and or complaints related to parts and materials GRODAN will rely on the liability of the supplier of the parts and or materials concerned GRODAN will not accept any liabil ity for other obligations such as compensation for losses due to the cancellation of the contract Any complaints under this guarantee should be forwarded in writing to GRODAN within a period of eight days after the damage has occurred If the customer does not comply with or does not comply with in a timely fashion the conditions of the warranty of GRODAN or a related contract then GRODAN will not be required to fulfil any guarantee or p
5. after the blocks of multimeasurements you can by pressing the MENU key evaluate the results With the help of the STATISTICS function the measurements done until then are evalua ted after which you can continue with the same series of multimeasurements lf vari ous types of slabs are being measured in the same greenhouse then the slab code can only be changed prior to starting the first measurement in each new block It is only possible to change the slab type before commencing the first measurement of each new block Attention The WCM control meter saves the multimeasure ments in the memory until they are manually erased In this manner it is possible to transfer these measurements later to the PC see Chapter 4 5 Transferring data to computer Try to make sure when conducting a measurement session in the logging measurement or multimeasurements mode that the memory is emptied at the beginning If the logging function is in use it is not possible to do multimeasurements 3 4 4 2 STOP MULTIMEASUREMENTS You can turn off the multimeasurement function by selecting 1 QUICK OFF in the menu screen 2 STOP MULTIMEASUREMENTS in the menu screen In order to stop answer the question MULTI MEASUREMENT OFF with the arrow A for yes By activating this function however you delete all multimeasurements in the memory If you want to continue with the multi measurements select the arrow W for no 3 4 5 STATISTICS If
6. programme on the computer Communication is not possible if MULTIMEASURE has been started 3 4 9 CLOCK In the screen you can go to the clock function by using the W key By pressing MENU you activate the clock function This is not possible in logging measurement mode With this func tion you can display the date year month day presently set as well as the time hours minutes sec If desired you can change these You can change the time by pressing START Using the A and W keys you can change the blinking time displayed To change the next parameter press MENU After you get to the year and again press MENU you will be returned to the original menu overview Attention Take daylight saving time into account 3 4 10 LANGUAGE You can choose any one of several different languages The languages available are Dutch English German French Danish Spanish Italian Polish and Russian All menu functions are displayed on screen in the language selected Confirm the language selected with the MENU key 3 4 11 QUICK OFF With this function you turn the meter off If you choose this option from the menu while the logging function is still active logging is continued If you choose this option while making individual measurements the meter will shut down after one minute During multimea surements or if the statistics function is active this will take 30 minutes If any of the other menu functions are activated the m
7. set it will automatically stop logging and shut down Attention The first measurement must begin a minimum of three minutes later than the time at which you set the meter a A BAT STAT HALF LOGGED 48 LEFT Pe5e STARTED 142225 160402 blinking START LOGGING A YES v NO x 4 Example of logging measurement Bat stat half battery status full half or low Logged 48 number of measure ments logged Left 2252 number of measure ments still to be logged Started 142225 starting time for logging measurements in hours min sec starting date for logging measurements in day month year 60402 START LOGGING A YES Y NO At the bottom of the screen the following text will blink on and off START LOGGING alter nately with YES A and NO If you choose YES the meter will automatically begin in logging measurement mode If you choose NO the programme will return to the basic menu When the LOGGING function is activated the text START LOGGING will appear at the bottom of the screen followed by the line 091946 0101 12 The first six figures indicate the time hours minutes sec the next four figures indicate the date month day the last figures indicate the number of the measurement made maximum 2300 These last figures appear after every measurement Carrying out multimeasurements when in logging measurement mode In ord
8. you use the STATISTICS function an overview of the saved multimeasurements performed until then will appear on the screen Using this menu function you can also evaluate the interim results during or after the multimeasurements The results of one block are displayed per screen The average value and the standard deviation for WC EC and T are calculated By pressing the A and W keys you can browse through the various blocks that have been measured Attention In order to obtain statistically reliable average values try to carry out 25 measurements per measurement block 3 4 6 START LOGGING See also Quick Guide By pressing MENU you can activate the LOG GING function unless the LOGGING function is already active With this function you can carry out measurements during a specific time period and with a measurement frequency selected beforehand With the help of the CDROM included and the infrared cable you can later transfer these measurements to the PC in the form of a graphic or a list of data Attention During logging measurements check that the clock is correctly set see 3 4 9 CLOCK Capacity of logging memory With this function the meter can carry out a maximum of 2300 measurements These mea surements are stored in the memory with the date and time included In order to achieve this you must start logging with an empty memory i e the old measurements are not saved Answer the questions MEMORY NOT EMPT
9. E gt EXPORT TO EXCEL After you export the data the Excel file can be found in the same folder as the original file In order to further process the data in Excel you must take several actions to ensure that each measurement date time measured values for WC EC and T is placed in its own cell The new file into which you have exported the data has the same name as the original file but with the extension CSV The new file contains the exported measurement data in the Comma Separated Value format which can be read by Excel If you double click the CSV file it will automatically be opened in Excel Of course you can also start Excel manually and then open the relevant CSV file using the menu in Excel When Excel opens the CSV file it auto matically places all the data in only one column column A In order to place the data in several columns you first select column A by clicking the A above the column The column then becomes blue Then from the DATA menu select TEXT TO COLUMNS A wizard will then appear which will help you to distribute the measurement data over several columns In this wizard you should choose the comma as separation symbol After you make use of the wizard the data will be distributed over several columns You can then save the file as a normal Excel spreadsheet via FILE gt SAVE AS Scale of measurements in graphic Using IMAGE gt SCALE you can set the mini mum and maximum values tha
10. WCM control User manual Table of contents ls MEO UCC ON iii ii LE rad did 3 De Parts ii e e 3 2 1 Meter Parts rada ais caia 3 2 2 Parts included nadaa rr ei 3 3 Instructions for USE voii nad 4 3 1 General static cid de da edad 4 3 2 Charging the batteries emir ia aa eee 4 33 Measuring ls A leal 4 3 4 MenU Options 2 do di aaa 5 3 4 1 EXIT MENU INDIVIDUAL MEASUREMENTS 000 00000 5 3 4 1 1 INDIVIDUAL MEASUREMENTS ad oca e RE aa 5 3412 EXIT MENU a a dance e kek grande dig a pes 5 3442 SLAB TYPE sn id nach nn AN NR AA EA 5 34 3 BATTERY STATUS oriee ge id dia o 5 3 44 MULTIMEASURE ooo d ad lee ia gore aa Da dup badd 6 3 4 4 1 START IMULTIMEASUREMENTS cocos lo a a a 6 34 42 STOP MULTIMEASUREMENTS cios tias ae e ros Sag a deters 7 3 45 STATISTICS ia a 7 34 6 START LOGGING eerie ii a uote dks ber die ANE gua aise gue DEER 7 34 7 STOPLOGGING sico ici ted eed nemne E E Rtn nas eson eee seed 8 3 48 COMMUNICATE scooter do 8 34 9 CLOCK ura ctw ea a dio 8 34 10 LANGUAGE cocida is e ea 8 S L QUICK OFF cio AIR A A A DERE 9 4 PC instructions soises oodo A A a TEA ele De E E 9 4 1 System requifementS sucia aia See o Bi a a Mes Se aia we 9 4 2 E ES REE a seats eh ae a ad ES SEE SE REE BEES EL E 9 4 3 Installing Software serias dia iii 9 4 4 Software OPtONS iria dada 9 4 5 Transferring data to computer 0 eee eet eens 9 4 6 Screen Management sess ssa eed SENERE oia dawn 10 4 7 Printing grap
11. Y and CLEAR MEMORY with Yes A If you want to save the old series of measure ments answer this question with No V However when the memory for logging measurements is full the older measurements will be overwritten by the new measurements Take this into account when selecting the measurement period and measurement frequency of the water content meter Attention If measurements are done every minute over a period of three days 3 x 24 x 60 4320 measurements only the last 2300 measurements will be saved In such case it is best to adjust the measuring frequency or the measuring period Manually setting the starting time for a series of logging measurements date and time Start logging You set the time and date of the first measure ment in the same manner as you set the clock see 3 4 7 CLOCK You can postpone the first measurement for a maximum of one month and a minimum of three minutes After you set the starting time you must set the measuring frequency interval The interval can be set to 1 2 3 5 10 15 20 30 45 and 59 minutes After you set the proper interval using and Y you must confirm this with the MENU key Next you set the number of days to be mea sured in the same manner and confirm this with the MENU key The screen will then show the number of measurements to be carried out with the settings selected During the measuring period after the meter has carried out the number of measurements
12. as the standard deviation per block measured section or irrigation zone when used in multimeasurement mode When used with the data logging function the meter records the measurements WC EC and T as a function of time In both the multimeasurement mode and the logging mode the measurements can be displayed visually by transferring the data to the computer with the help of the graphics programme included This Grodan handheld meter differs from previous models due to its logging functions communicate clock start logging stop logging and graphics programme on CD rom The meter can be recognized by the infrared eye on the side of the meter and the text WCM control stamped on the meter When using this new generation of WCM meters you should select the proper slab type This allows you to use the meter for all types of stone wool For the most up to date user manual for the WCM control with this model number go to www grodan com and look under Services 2 Parts 2 1 Meter parts The WCM control includes the following Recording unit On the front side a Screen fig I A b Keys for START A MENU Y see fig B C D E On the back a Battery compartment fig 2 A with four rechargeable and replace able batteries fig 2 B b Elastic band to enable you to easily hold the meter in your hand while measuring fig 2 C On the side Left side sender eye for infrared fig 1 1 At the bottom a Cable
13. ayment as described regarding to the contract GRODAN reserves all its rights in these matters Nothing from this publication may be copied or brought into the public domain through printing photocopying microfilm or in any other fashion without written prior permission from GRODAN This also applies to the drawings and diagrams concerned GRODAN reserves the right to modify a part or parts of the equipment at any time it chooses without informing the customer beforehand or at the time The contents of this publication may be changed without prior notice For further information regarding settings maintenance and repairs we ask you to contact Grodan Customer Service Although this publication has been carefully written GRODAN cannot be held liable for any errors or mistakes in this publication and any of their consequences
14. be activated before the blue bar displayed on the bottom of the screen for IMPORTING MEASUREMENTS DATA has been completely filled If data import is not successful the text COMMUNICATION ERROR will appear on the screen This can be due to one of the fol lowing reasons the meter is not turned on the meter is not set to COMMUNICATE in the MENU the infrared connection is not working pro perly the distance between the infrared eyes is too small or too large If all the conditions have been complied with again click FILE gt IMPORT gt HANDMETER or click the icon If the COMMUNICATE function on the hand meter is activated the number of measure ments saved LOGGED and the status of the meter will be displayed on the meter screen for example g D COMMUNICATION LOGGED 416 STATUS SEARCH ne 4 STATUS SEARCH The water content meter will try to contact the computer Once contact is established hand meter found appears on screen If the blue bar on the computer screen is at its end and the hand meter still displays STATUS SEARCH make sure that the infrared eye on the computer is pointing towards the infrared eye of the hand meter adjust the distance between both eyes and again click the icon in the GRODAN WCM Logging programme or on FILE gt IMPORT gt HAND METER As soon as the counter next to STATUS DATA on the screen of the meter is running the measurement data are transmitted
15. be recharged 1000 times If the capacity of the batteries becomes insufficient you can replace them with nickel metal hydride batteries of the same size and capacity 1 2 V 1800 Ah If one of the batteries is defective the adapter can detect this and the following message will appear on the screen ERROR 2 In that case check the contacts of the adapter and check the contacts and the type of the batteries Try recharging again lf necessary the water content meter can also work on normal non rechargeable batteries In that case be sure NOT to turn on the adapter as this can result in irreparable damage When replacing the batteries replace all four batteries at the same time 5 3 Calibration The meter does not need to be calibrated If you have any doubts you can check the cali bration by holding the pins in the air or under water The meter should then read 0 and 100 respectively with a margin of 5 If you get incorrect measurements please contact your supplier 5 4 WCM models Older types of sensors from before 31 December 2003 check the series number on the back side of the meter beginning with 2003 and lower will not work with the newer type of WCM control or vice versa If they are nevertheless connected the system will not function but the equipment will not suffer any damage The voltage adapters are identical and are therefore interchangeable as long as the plug fits 6 Specifications
16. ean that the meter can make half the number of mea surements as it can with fully charged batter ies STATUS LOW means that you should charge the batteries A few individual measure ments can still be made but for multimeasure ments and logging measurements the batteries should preferably display STATUS FULL Attention For logging measurements and more than one multimeasurement we recommend to charge the batteries beforehand The measurements already carried out remain stored in the memory when the batteries run empty 3 4 4 MULTIMEASURE See Quick Guide With this function you start making multimea surements You can make a pre selected number of measurements per irrigation zone or block These measurements are saved With the func tion STATISTICS you can calculate the average value WC EC and T and standard deviation for the block that has been measured When carrying out multimeasurements you can use the STATISTICS function to obtain a direct dis play of the average value and standard deviation per block measured In addition you can use the graphics programme on the PC to import these measured values per block measured into an Excel spreadsheet 3 4 4 1 START MULTIMEASUREMENTS You select the number of measurements per block beforehand After this number has been confirmed the water content meter will auto matically be set to begin with the multimeasure ments When doing multimeasurements you can sto
17. en from the slab with a syringe and measured with a conventional EC meter the latter value will be about 10 higher Note The specifications apply when taking measurements in water containing nutrients Deviations may occur in substrates depending on the type of substrate and the salts present 7 Error codes ERROR CODE DISCRIPTION EPROM does not work correctly check connector plug connection contact your supplier Adapter or battery error check the contacts on the adapter use the adapter supplied check the contacts and the type of the batteries try charging again There is no sensor connected or the sensor does not work correctly contact your supplier Insufficient battery capacity charge the batteries again replace batteries by new ones RAM does not work correctly try a second time contact your supplier Incorrect adapter use the adapter supplied Communication does not work correctly try a second time meter is not turned on meter is not set to communicate in menu screen malfunction in infrared connection bob td distance between infrared eyes is too small or too large All the information and recommendations provided in this document have been compiled with the greatest possible care but we cannot accept liability for any errors involved November 2006 More information Grodan BV The Netherlands
18. er to carry out multimeasurements the logging function must first be stopped It can later be turned on again If the meter is turned on during a period when measurements are being logged then the same LOG OVERVIEW will appear on the screen as when logging measurements are started Please note however that the meter can then only be used in manual mode logging measurements can no longer be made You can again activate logging measurement mode only after you turn off manual measurement mode individual or multimeasurements 3 4 7 STOP LOGGING You can interrupt logging measurements when turning on the meter by pressing the MENU key twice The text MENU appears on the screen and with the arrow W the cursor moves to STOP LOGGING After you press the MENU key the questions LOGGING OFF appears If you answer with YES A logging mode is stopped The meter will also stop logging once the number of measurements set beforehand has been carried out The measurements remain stored in the memory 3 4 8 COMMUNICATE With the help of this function the measure ments logged by the hand meter can be exported to the graphics software programme on the computer To do so the hand meter must be turned on and the COMMUNICATE function must be activated in the MENU by pressing the MENU key Attention The hand meter must be turned on and set to menu function COMMUNICATE in order to export the measurements logged to the graphics
19. eter will shut down after two minutes 4 PC instructions 4 1 System requirements The PC used must comply with the following system requirements A COM port that is available and working make sure that no other peripherals such as electronic agenda Revo or pacq automati cally claim this port These programs must be closed down when reading out the water content meter 2 5 MB of free space on the hard disk 16 MB of internal memory The operating system required is Windows 95 or higher 4 2 PC The infrared eye included is meant to be con nected to a free COM port on the computer COM I or 2 Make sure that the port is properly configured on the PC When trans mitting data the infrared eye on the computer should point towards the infrared eye on the hand meter The infrared eye dark red rectan gle is located on the left side of the hand meter opposite the screen In order to work properly the distance between both infrared eyes should be between 2 and 20 cm The IR eye can also be connected via the USB port as long as you use a USB RS232 interface cable for doing so When measurement data is being transmitted the COMMUNICATE option in the MENU of the hand meter should be acti vated 4 3 Installing software By placing the CD ROM in the CD ROM player you automatically start the installation of the GRODAN WCM control software The software installation can also be started manually by clicking the
20. for several weeks In that case the adapter should stay on for 12 hours even if the screen shows that charging is completed The water content meter contains rechargeable nickel metal hydride batteries NIMH 1 2V 1800mAh minimum You can recharge the batteries with the adapter that is included When replacing batteries keep the above in mind When the adapter is turned on the text CHARGER CONNECT appears on the screen After a few seconds the text FAST CHARGE appears in the screen This means that the batteries are not fully charged If the batterries are used properly the user can store about 2300 measurements If the batteries are half full only about 150 measurements can be taken before the batteries have to be recharged Charging the batteries takes about 4 hours After the meter has been adjusted the batteries can be charged in the interim period but not while taking measurements After the batteries are fully charged the text READY appears on the screen The adapter then switches to slow charging and can be removed During normal use the amount of charge left in the battery can be read off under the menu item BATTERY STATUS If the water content meter does not work when the START or MENU key is pressed it is likely that the bat teries do not have sufficient capacity to start the meter In that case you should charge the batteries If the meter then still doesn t work refer to chapter 7 Error codes If the ba
21. hics ci e li 11 4 8 Esmail function ivi a IA aia wed is 11 Ds Maintenance 55 a di ayaa ea Il 5 1 A RE 11 5 2 Batteries ost ii dd dis 11 333 Calibration lt a o Gong iaa 11 5 4 WOM Modelos iaa dai 12 6 Specifications cossera sesiet ian de A aaa 12 6 1 Paramete mico aca a 12 6 2 GOnditions ansi saaria ahdi daa 12 6 3 Voltage Adapter cues dr ll ias 12 6 4 Range and accuracy when measuring in stone wool o oooooccocoocccoooo 12 6 5 CE Certificate oia py ee swede ante ii iia deus 12 Vs Error COGS 55 85 each wi died loves tvetanasalaiid a arbi iors Aiwa ae aes 14 8 Guarantee Terms and conditions 6 0 000 c cee cece eens 15 All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without prior written permission from Grodan B V 2 Introduction This water content meter WWCM control was developed especially for measuring the water content WC the conductivity EC and the temperature T in stone wool substrates used in cultivation under glass The new series of water content meters can also be used with other brands and types of stone wool substrates As the meters have only been tested for use with Grodan stone wool products Grodan does not guarantee results obtained with other substrates The meter is very user friendly allowing growers to easily carry out routine measurements In addition to indivi dual measurements WC EC and T the meter can also determine an average value as well
22. llowing EMC guidelines EN61000 6 4 2001 EN61000 6 2 2001 EN61000 3 2 1995 Al 1998 A2 1998 EN61000 3 3 1995 Table I Specifications This does not apply to the voltagae adapter if used with a system other than the water content meter described above Attention The presence of transmitters in the vicinity that work with radio frequencies can influence the opera tion of the water content meter Due to the operating principle of the sensor deviations are possible in measurements at certain frequencies The size of the deviation and the relevant frequencies are described in the laboratory documents 03C01265EUT If requested Grodan can send you these documents Parameter Measuring conditions Measurement range Accuracy Resolution Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max WG v v 25 95 0 100 2 5 5 0 0 1 0 2 EC mS cm 0 10 0 20 0 1 0 5 0 01 0 02 T C 10 40 0 50 0 5 l 0 1 0 1 The resolution indicates the smallest interval which can be measured using the meter Attention The EC measured using the WCM is calibrated via the international standard at 20 C Globally most EC meters are also calibrated at 20 C However in the Netherlands it is more usual to calibrate EC meters at 25 C which results in a measurement 10 higher than when taken with a meter calibrated at 20 C Therefore if one compares the EC measured by the WCM with a sample tak
23. n be chosen usual ly COM 5 by clicking on the system icon on the task bar in the WCM Control graphs pro gramme and then selecting configuration 4 4 Software options With the GRODAN WCM control software you can export the measurements logged by the meter to the computer display them in a graphic or if you wish export them to an Excel file or e mail them In addition individual multimeasurements can also be exported into an Excel table 4 5 Transferring data to computer Logged measurements lf you wish to export the logged measure ments from the hand meter to the computer then first use the shortcut key on the desktop or the shortcut key in the start menu to start the GRODAN WCM Logging programme Via START gt SETTINGS gt CONTROL PANEL gt SYSTEM gt COM PORT you can select which COM port you want to use make sure that all other programmes using this COM port are not active and check whether any other peripherals are claiming this port otherwise you will not be able to open the COM port In order to import data from the hand meter click FILE gt IMPORT gt HANDMETER or click the icon AT Before doing so the COM MUNICATE function in the MENU of the hand meter must be activated In addition the infrared eye of the computer must be pointed towards the infrared eye of the hand meter and the distance between both eyes should be approximately 2 to 20 cm The COMMUNI CATE function in the hand meter must
24. n confirm your selection by pressing the MENU key Attention Not all the above options appear on the screen at the same moment By scrolling up or down with the arrows A and Y you can access the various functions 3 4 1 EXIT MENU INDIVIDUAL MEASUREMENTS see Quick Guide 3 4 1 1 INDIVIDUAL MEASUREMENTS Working procedure Place the sensor as described in 3 3 2 To start making a single measurement press the START key once The following text will then appear on the screen of the water content meter GRODAN WATER CONTENT METER The water content meter will then start measuring During the measurement dots are visible on the screen moving from left to right and after a while the results appear on the screen as follows WE 78 v v EC 3 6 MS CM T 19 8 E Slab type 124 Measurement ready When making an individual measurement the result remains visible on the screen for about minute After the measurement the sensor can be immediately placed in a different stone wool slab If you again press the START key the water content meter will immediately begin with a new measurement lf no additional measurement has begun within minute after the last measurement the meter will automati cally switch itself off in order to save the batteries If you again press the START key the meter will again start measuring 3 4 1 2 EXIT MENU With this function you can leave the active menu The water conte
25. nt meter then returns to the basic settings for individual measure ments If you press the MENU key during a measurement the meter will immediately display the menu overview Attention If the logging function is active it is not possible to select the MENU option exit menu 3 4 2 SLAB TYPE Every slab type has a unique moisture distribu tion In order to obtain the best results from your WCM control meter you must set the meter to your slab type After choosing SLAB TYPE in the menu you can use the arrows A and W to enter the number of your slab type After entering the proper number click on MENU in order to program the meter and return to the menu screen In this way you can use the new meter for various types of substrates Note As the pins on the WCM are 7 cm long you can obtain measurements in most slab types by insert ing the pins from above For certain types of slabs such as those that are 10 cm high as well as blocks the pins must be inserted into the substrate from the side 3 4 3 BATTERY STATUS This function displays the current charge of the battery The number is an indication of the remaining capacity STATUS FULL voltage gt 540 means that the meter has the capacity to make over 2300 measurements STATUS HALF voltage 450 to 500 means that about 150 measurements can still be made The meter needs a minimum voltage in order to be able to make a measurement STATUS HALF therefore does not m
26. re a maximum of 250 measurements This means 250 measurements in one block or measurement in each of 250 blocks The default setting of the meter is for 25 measure ments in 10 blocks I To start the multimeasurements press the MENU key once The following text will then appear on the screen of the water content meter GRODAN WATER CONTENT METER The menu will then appear in the screen see subsection 3 4 Select START MULTIMEASUREMENTS with the cursor and confirm the selection by pressing the MENU key Next choose the size of the block With the A and W keys you can modify the size of the block Confirm your choice with the MENU key The water content meter will indicate the maximum number of blocks that can be measured You start the first measurements by press ing the START key The meter will then dis play the following text on the screen ae WC 78 viv EC 3 6 MS CM T 19 8 C SLABTYPE 1 blinking READY SAVE A Yes v No 4 If you press the A key the measurement will be saved If you don t want to save the measurement then press Y To start the next measurement press the START key again You can repeat this proce dure until you want to stop the multimea surements or until the maximum number of 250 measurements has been reached Before and after every measurement that is saved the number of measurements and the block are shown on the screen 10 At any time during or
27. s best to store the meter in the case it came in The meter itself should not be opened This invalidates the warranty and influences the factory settings Treat the meter with care The electronic elements of the meter are sensitive to shocks moisture dirt and large changes in temperature Do not expose the meter to exreme sunlight in the car and in the greenhouse During the period that the meter is logging data measurements from the substrate we advise you to store the meter in the case and to close the case except for a small opening between cover and case Make sure no water can fall on or enter the case or the meter as a result of drip outlets faucets outlet drains from the slabs or run off from the gutters for example after heavy rainfall In order to ensure that the water content meter operates properly you should take the conditions into account as specified in table The housing of the water content meter should be kept dry and clean Attention In the event of large temperature differences allow the meter s temperature sensor the time and opportunity to acclimatize in order to gain current readings 3 2 Charging the batteries Before using the new meter you should charge it for a period of 12 hours Rechargeable batteries slowly lose their charge if they are not used for a long period of time As a result the batteries need to be charged if the meter is new and if the meter has not been used
28. t can be display ed in the graph separately for WC EC and T Removing graphic lines The check marks next to IMAGE gt WC graph IMAGE gt EC graph and IMAGE gt T graph determine which lines on the graph will be visible or not Overview graphic for 3 and 7 days On the menu bar you ll find options for I 1 day 3 3 days and 7 7 days If you click one day I the data over 24 hours will be displayed in a graph from 6 a m until 6 a m If you click 3 the data over 72 hours will be displayed in the graph and if you click 7 then 168 hours will be displayed If more days have been measured than the l 3 or 7 that was selected then you can use the arrows in the menu bar to go back lt and forth Dr per day 4 7 Printing graphics You can print graphs by clicking the print icon in the menu bar or by clicking IMAGE gt PRINT You can preview a print sample via IMAGE gt PRINT SAMPLE You can modify the print set tings via IMAGE gt PRINT SETTINGS The print function determines beforehand the area that will be printed The graph to be printed is sized so that it will fit into the area to be printed It s best to print graphs using the A4 and landscape settings as the ratio between length and width is based on these settings 4 8 E mail function In the following it is assumed that an Outlook e mail software programme is installed and available on the computer If necessary other email programmes that suppor
29. t the Microsoft Mail protocol can also be used as long as they are available on the PC If a series of measure ments has been imported using the GRODAN PC software you can mail these measurements via IMAGE gt SEND AS EMAIL E MAIL is not available light grey colour if there is no active e mail software programme available on the PC After you select the SEND AS E MAIL option an empty e mail message window is automatically opened with the measurement data file as an attachment You only need to fill in the name of the addressee in the TO field The relevant file with measurement data is included in this e mail message as an attach ment The person receiving this e mail can open the file only if he has the graphics programme of the logging meter Otherwise the file should be sent as an Excel file so that the addressee can open it and work with it in Excel 5 Maintenance 5 1 General Note It is best to disinfect the sensor pins before and after every series of measurements But be careful with using aggressive agents The water content meter does not require much maintenance If the screen or the data cable becomes dirty clean it with a moist cloth Never use an aggressive cleanser If the meter is not working properly it can be initiali zed again by charging the meter until a normal text appears on the screen 5 2 Batteries The lifetime of rechargeable batteries is limi ted Under normal conditions the batteries can
30. ttery charge falls below a certain level while meas urements are being taken the text ERROR 4 appears on the screen You should then charge the batteries as described above 3 3 Measuring For taking measurements choose representa tive slabs The sensor pins should be inserted vertically into the stone wool slabs fig 5 If the pins are inserted at an angle of less than 90 the bottom of the stone wool slab will not be measured correctly In such a case remove the sensor from the slab and insert it properly at another location in the slab Never insert the pins at a position in the slab already used previously The pins may then not make a good connection with the substrate resulting in unreliable measurements Attention You will get reliable measurements only if the pins are inserted into the slab correctly fig 5 In order to get uniform measurements the sensor should be inserted 10 to 15 cm from the growing block and perpendicular to the longest axis of the slab 3 4 Menu options After pressing the MENU key you can select one of the following functions EXIT MENU INDIVIDUAL MEASUREMENTS I SLAB TYPE 2 BATTERY STATUS 3 START MULTIMEASUREMENTS 4 STOP MULTIMEASUREMENTS 5 STATISTICS 6 START LOGGING 7 STOP LOGGING 8 COMMUNICATE 9 CLOCK 10 LANGUAGE Il QUICK OFF 12 By pressing the keys A higher or accept and Y lower or refuse you can browse through the various menu options You ca
31. with plug and play connector for quickly changing sensor fig F b Connector for mains voltage adapter fig 2 D On the top a Three holes to protect the sensor pins when the sensor is not in use fig 2 E 2 Sensor unit consisting of a Grey box with electronic components fig G b Cable fig F c Stainless steel pins fig I H 2 2 Parts included Voltage adapter fig 3 The batteries can be recharged in the meter by connecting the supplied mains voltage adapter to the connection point at the bottom of the meter Carrying case fig 4 Store the meter and the parts you are not using in the specially designed case to prevent any damage to the meter Software With the CD ROM you can install the graphics programme on the computer This CD ROM is included in the carrying case Infrared sender receiver fig 6 The infrared sender receiver sends the data from the water content meter to the compu ter User manual With complete instructions and a laminated Quick Guide for quick start up Warranty This should be sent in immediately after receipt so that we can register your user information In addition you will receive future information about the water content meter 3 Instructions for use 3 1 General Be careful when using the sensor The pins are very sharp When you are not using the meter always place the sensor pins in the top part of the meter After use it
Download Pdf Manuals
Related Search