PASCO PS-2163 Soil Moisture Sensor - Manual (Page 3)

®
Model No.PS-2163 Setup
3
Horizontal Orientation
The probe can be oriented in any direction. However, orienting the flat side perpen-
dicular to the surface of the soil will minimize the effects of downward water move-
ment. The horizontal orientation of the probe makes sure that the soil moisture
measurement is made at a particular soil depth.
Make a narrow trench with a trenching shovel or garden spade. Place the probe into
the narrow trench and completely cover the entire length with soil. Tamp down the
soil along both sides of the probe with your fingers. Cover with more soil if needed.
Repeat the process of tamping down the soil along both sides of the probe five to
eight times.
Removing the Soil Moisture Probe
When removing the soil moisture probe from the soil, do not pull it out of the soil by
the cable! Doing so may break internal components and make the probe unusable.
Setup
Hardware Setup
The following three steps can be performed in any order.
1. Connect the mini-DIN plug of the Soil Moisture Probe Cable Assembly to the
front end of the Soil Moisture Sensor box.
2. Connect the Soil Moisture Sensor to a PASPORT interface.
3. If you will be using a computer, connect the PASPORT interface to the com-
puter’s USB port.
DataStudio Setup
If you will be using the Soil Moisture Sensor with a computer, install the latest version of
DataStudio first. Check the PASCO web site at www.pasco.com for informa-
tion.
1. When you connect the Soil Moisture Sensor to the computer
through a PASPORT interface, the PASPortal window will
launch automatically (if DataStudio is not already running).
2. Select Launch DataStudio in the PASPortal window.
A Digits display for volumetric moisture content (% VWC) will appear. The
default is for Potting Soil.
Do not bend the cable too severely
when putting the probe into the soil.
Let about 10 cm of the cable nearest
to the probe remain straight or gently
curved as shown.
3 cm
10 cm
The mini-DIN plug on the Soil
Moisture Cable Assembly fits into
the sensor box in only one way.