Soil Temperature Sensor Equipment:

· Frontier Display Unit

· Bundled 6 level soil probes and cabling for sensors at 2 ½, 4, 8, 20, 40, 60 inch levels.

· Display Unit connector

· Terminal Strip

· Four pair 18 gauge wire sufficient for outdoor to indoor run

· Suitable conduit (check local building codes) sufficient for outdoor to indoor run

· Outdoor enclosure

· Indoor enclosure

· Spade connectors

Soil Temperature Sensor Installation Equipment:

· Two eight foot pieces of 1 ½ inch diameter PVC Pipe

· Two 90 degree 1 ½ inch PVC elbows

· Two 1 ½ inch PVC caps

· PVC glue

· Green treated 4x4x8

· Five metal pipe connectors for 1 ½ inch PVC pipe (to connect PVC pipe to 4x4 post)

· Two dozen, two inch, coated Phillips head wood screws to attach pipe connectors to post

· Labeling (for enclosure and wiring)

Tools:

· Post hole digger or power auger

· Shovel

· Tape measure

· Wire stripper

· Wire cutters

· Hammer

· Tamping tool

· Hacksaw

· Level

General Instructions:

Equipment siting:

· Not shaded, grass covered environment – less than 200’ from facility.

Site preparation:

· Have site and cable/conduit run surveyed for buried wiring, piping, sewer, gas, electric etc.

· Check local building codes for any direct burial requirements.

· Prepare a plan for cable entrance to the facility. Cable must be grounded inside of facility.

· Use existing conduit or dig trench to bury conduit from Soil Temperature Sensor location to planned entrance location to facility.

Site work:

1. Bore a vertical hole a minimum of 4 inches in diameter 60 inches deep. (depiction 1)

2. Bore two or three small drain holes in the 1 ½ inch PVC cap and attach with PVC glue to an eight foot piece of PVC pipe.

3. Insert green treated 4x4x8 post into hole.

4. Insert (cap first) an eight foot piece of PVC into hole alongside 4x4 post. (depiction 2)

5. Use hacksaw to cut PVC pipe 18 inches above ground level.

6. Back fill hole slowly using level to keep post level. Use tamping tool while slowly backfilling to properly set post.

7. Insert Soil Probe wiring in PVC pipe until 60 inch probe is at 60 inch depth. (depiction 3 and depiction 4)

8. Cut 4 inch piece of PVC pipe from extra piece of pipe.

9. Glue two 90 degree elbows and 4 inch piece of pipe together using PVC glue.

12. Run Soil Temperature Sensor cable through PVC elbows and then glue PVC elbows to main pipe. (depiction 5)

11. Mount terminal strip inside of outdoor enclosure. (depiction 6)

12. Mount outdoor enclosure to 4x4x8 post. (depiction 7)

13. Label outdoor enclosure as shown. (depiction 6)

14. Run cabling from facility through conduit to outdoor enclosure. Measure, mount and attach PVC pipe to outdoor enclosure. (depiction_tion 6 and 7)

15. Run wiring from Soil Temperature Sensor well into outdoor enclosure. Make sure to check for burrs and sharp edges on box that could damage insulation. (depiction 7)

16. Connect wiring from Soil Temperature Sensor’s and cabling from facility to terminal strip according to diagram. (depiction 8)

17. Ground wiring from Soil Temperature Sensor’s in side of facility using a second enclosure. Consult with Electronics’ staff on best method to ground incoming wiring.

18. Connect wiring by soldering Display Unit connector as depiction_ted. (depiction 9)

19. Plug Display Unit connector into Display unit.

20. Check calibration on Display Unit – adjust as needed. Verify soil temperature reading with neighboring site. (depiction 10)

21. Cover trench if needed.

Procedure developed by:

Rob DeRoy

DAPM / DMX

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS!