Product Line
| Water Content Accuracy | Soil Suitability | Required Equipment | Measurements Made | Sensors | Rods | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SoilVue 10
|
Volumetric Water Content: ±1.5% typical with most soils Soils with high organic matter (> 12% soil organic carbon) or high clay content (> 45% clay) may need a soil-specific calibration due to the dispersive nature of these materials. |
— | — | Volumetric water content (VWC), permittivity, electrical conductivity (EC), and temperature | — | — |
CS655
|
|
Short rods are easy to install in hard soil. Suitable for soils with higher electrical conductivity. | Measurement system | Soil electrical conductivity (EC), relative dielectric permittivity, volumetric water content (VWC), soil temperature | Not interchangeable | Not replaceable |
CS650
|
|
Long rods with large sensing volume (> 6 L) are suitable for soils with low to moderate electrical conductivity. | Measurement system | Soil electrical conductivity (EC), relative dielectric permittivity, volumetric water content (VWC), soil temperature | Not interchangeable | Not replaceable |
CS616
|
±2.5% VWC (using standard calibration with bulk EC of ≤ 0.5 dS m-1, bulk density of ≤ 1.55 g cm-3, and measurement range of 0% to 50% VWC) | Long rods and lower frequency are well-suited for soft soil with low electrical conductivity (< 2 dS/m). | Measurement system | Volumetric water content (VWC) of porous media (such as soil) | Not interchangeable | Not replaceable |
HS2
|
|
Short rods are easy to install in hard soil. Suitable for soils with higher electrical conductivity. | HS2 is a complete system. | Volumetric water content (VWC) of porous media (such as soil) | Interchangeable sensors; can swap the 12 cm and 20 cm sensors with the reader. | Replaceable |
HS2P
|
|
Short rods are easy to install in hard soil. Suitable for soils with higher electrical conductivity. | HS2P is a complete system. | Volumetric water content (VWC) of porous media (such as soil) | Interchangeable sensors; can swap the 12 cm and 20 cm sensors with the reader. | Replaceable |
Retired Products
Documents
Frequently Asked Questions
Number of FAQs related to Soil Moisture, Temperature, and EC Sensors: 4
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Sometimes, an old cable can be replaced with a new, shorter cable.
Sometimes, an existing cable can be shortened by cutting the ends off. However, there are a few issues that could be encountered when doing this:
- Some sensors have bridge completion resistors at the pigtail end.
- Some sensors are calibrated to length.
- Sometimes the color in the insulation may not be the same as that visible at the pigtail end.
Because of the potential issues, do not cut the ends off any sensor cable without first contacting Campbell Scientific to discuss the sensor in detail.
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Not every sensor comes with a calibration sheet. If a calibration sheet is included, it is listed in the “Ships With” section of the sensor’s product web page or it is specified when ordered.
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Whenever possible, purchase a sensor with the desired cable length. Some sensors have a user-specified cable length, whereas other sensors have a set cable length.
Sometimes, an old cable can be replaced with a new, longer cable.
Generally, additional cable cannot be spliced onto the existing cable because:
- Some sensor cables have bridge completion resistors at the pigtail end
- Some sensors are calibrated based on cable length
- Sometimes the color in the insulation is not the same as that visible at the pigtail end
- It is possible to introduce errors or malfunctions depending on the integrity of the splice
Splicing cable together increases the likelihood that water may enter the cable and cause shorting, corrosion, and some other potential issues, which in turn can cause measurement issues.
Because of the potential issues, do not splice any sensor cable without first contacting Campbell Scientific to discuss the sensor in detail.
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Many times, but not always, a sensor’s cable can be replaced with a new cable. This is helpful if the original cable was damaged or if its length needs to be changed.
If the cable is attached to the sensor using a connector, Campbell Scientific will sell a replacement cable. For example, a 05106CBL-L is a replacement cable for a 05106-L. Replacement cables are listed in the “Replacement Parts” section of the Ordering information area of the product page.
If the cable is attached to a sensor through a user-accessible terminal block, a raw cable can be purchased to replace it. For example, to replace the cable on a 05103-L Wind Monitor, order the desired length of pn 9721, 24 AWG 3 Twisted Pair Shielded Santoprene Cable. As another example, the raw cable for a TE525-L Rain Gage is pn 9661, 22 AWG 1 Twisted Pair Shielded Santoprene Cable.
If the cable is an integral part of the sensor, the cable cannot be user replaced, and the sensor must be returned to Campbell Scientific. Some examples of sensors that fall into this category include the 107-L, 109SS-L, 229-L, CS547A-L, and CS650-L. For the process of returning equipment to Campbell Scientific, refer to the Repair and Calibration page.