SmartSolo IGU 16HR 3C (5 Hz) Short Period Node

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Smart Solo BD3C-5 (5 second) Broad-Band Node

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GPS Considerations

The GPS antenna is at the top and center of the unit, and will (usually) only receive signal with a clear sky view directly above. The signal is able to penetrate plastic and terracotta planters and a thin layer of soil, but may struggle if the soil layer is too thick. The BD3C will not start recording without first attaining a GPS lock.

Keeping the Instruments Clean

Use a (landfill, not compost) degradable bag when installing to keep the instrument clean. This will save you many hours of time cleaning them in preparation for their return. Here is a video demonstrating its effectiveness.

Charge Time, Instrument Life, and Charge During Storage & Shipping

Both nodes take about 6-8 hours to charge from flat and hold their charge reasonably well, however you may benefit from a "top up" charge immediately prior to deploy. The instruments should last around 30 days per cycle (recording at 250hz) with GPS on cycle on and bluetooth disabled.

Upon retrieval, the instruments should not be stored flat as this will damage the batteries. It is recommended to charge them back up "to orange" such that they are charged around ~50-60%. This is also acceptable for shipping.

Best Practices and Guide

Install

Logbook is required (used again for pick up & metadata creation) 

- station name 

- lat / long 

- team members 

- date and local time 

- SN of sensor 

- notes on site 

Place nodes in thick (“landfill biodegradable”) plastic bags in the hole 

Take compass measurement away from node and fences [make sure to adjust inclination angle] 

Take many photos from the site from different angles  

Add a precise site description to the notes such as distances and orientations from landmarks  

It will be very helpful in locating the instrument if you place a flag next to it, preferably in a color other than green or yellow. 

Make a mark (digital) of the instrument's location using a GPS device. Record the location both in your paper notes and on the GPS device. 

Download the GPS (Garmin) file to a laptop and share drive to share with other GPS devices 

Share photos in a shared location (Google photos, OneDrive, Dropbox, etc), but most useful are those added to a Google Maps/Earth location 

Create metadata .xml file

Removing/Demob

Download and then use the GPS file to locate the node  

Use Google Maps / Google Earth to create a kmz file that can then be imported onto your phone.   

Upload photos of the site   

- station name 

- latitude 

- longitude 

- elevation 

• SN of sensor – SN of battery (optional) 
• Site notes and name of location (e.g. Richards garden, Te Mini steam field eastern side)  

Upload photos into Google Earth and on a shared drive 

Before removing the instrument have your compass, tape, marker, pen, clipboard, logbook and compass ready (in tote bag!).  

Write the station name and the instrument’s serial number, along with 'D' and 'C' and ‘R’, each next to a box to indicate 'download' and 'charge'. Stick this label to the top of the instrument. 

Take a photo of the entire setup node with the label on it + compass  

Use existing field logbook to note time, SN and station name plus any notes – including any issues with orientation or level or anything else 

Charging

Clean node prior to charging and harvesting the data 

Remove battery (and spike) from the sensor by twisting the spike part of the instrument 

Set 16 nodes into the charging box (spikes up) 

Red lights on the box next to the batteries will come on and remain a steady red light while charging. This will change to orange, then to green, then to flashing green when fully charged.

This is a good time to check the "C" box on your temporary labels to mark that the unit has been charged