Case Studies

 

  I want a portable weather station that is quick to setup and doesn’t take up a large amount of space, what do I use?

  You are looking to monitor the temperature and humidity within your wine cellar without the need to go down to it. You wish to log your readings and have them transfer by Bluetooth or WiFi so you can view them. So, how do you go about doing this?

  There are a few common questions from people regarding their weather stations and the answers below will hopefully give you the answers you are looking for!

  The Minnow logger is the most compact logger offering from Senonics measuring just 35mm x 60mm x 15mm. This User Guide helps you setup and use the free software and the data logger.

  You have an orchard and you are concerned about the overnight temperatures and how they will affect the yield and quality. You wish to monitor this to get an indication as to when frost events have occurred. So which logger do you use to do this that is cost effective and provides the data you require?

  You are unsure about the different functions an terms used with weather stations and need them explained.

  There are many different terms used when measuring sound levels and different requirements for the various applications and legal requirements. You need them explained and simplified.

  You own a sushi business and prepare rice to use in your sushi. You have had an inspection by your local Environmental Health Officer and they have stated you need to purchase a pH meter to test the levels once you have finished preparing your rice. So, which meter will best suit your requirements and why do you need to undertake the measurements?

  You have purchased a weather station through us that allows you to measure temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind speed and barometric pressure. You are most interested in rainfall data as you use the station to gauge how much rain has fallen in your garden; however you are unsure as to where to mount the station in order to obtain the most accurate results.

  You have had your EL-USB-1/EL-USB-1-LCD logging for a week in your fridge, you have just opened the fridge door and the red LED is flashing indicating an alarm has been breached. You need to download the data and review when the alarm went off and how long for, you haven’t had much experience with downloading the logger and need to produce a graph and table that shows when the breach occurred. So how do you go about doing this?

  Infrared thermometers are popular temperature measuring devices as they are easy to use, take non-contact measurements (so there’s no risk of contamination), are quick to take a measurement and they can measure temperatures from a distance. This makes them popular for food and warehousing applications, as well as manufacturing, electrical and mechanical applications.

There are a number of factors that must be considered when choosing an infrared thermometer and these are listed and explained.

  You have purchased a probe thermometer and are using it to test a variety of areas and objects. However you are unsure as to whether it is still reading within specification and you want to be able to do a basic check in order to see if it is still operating as expected.

  You have purchased the EL-USB-1/EL-USB-1-LCD and have downloaded the EasyLog software. However you are unsure of the best way to set it up to determine whether your pharmacy fridge is breaching temperatures. You want to take a sample every 30 minutes and be able to see if an alarm has been breached when you open the door. So, how do you go about doing this?

  When measuring water quality, you may be asked for a conductivity reading, a TDS reading, a Salinity reading, or all three. All three measurements are related and below we will discuss the difference between them.

  You work in a restaurant or a hospital and you need to ensure that your dishwasher is getting to a high enough temperature for effective disinfection to take place. You also need to get evidence to give to an auditor or supervisor that the temperature is getting high enough to meet the requirements. You have tried using a standard thermometer but you are finding it too difficult. So what is the best way of monitoring dishwasher temperatures?

  Nick called and was having trouble calibrating his pH meter. He had pH4 and pH7 calibration solutions but was unable to get the pH meter to calibrate. He was worried he may have damaged the probe and thought this may be why it wasn’t calibrating, but he could not remember knocking the probe at all.

  Weather stations at Schools are becoming a popular commodity and are used by students for both educational purposes and for interest purposes. They allow the students to view a variety of weather parameters and help to spark interest in the world that surrounds them. You want a station that will enable students to view the current parameters on a computer or tablet so that you can share the data around the School without the need to have the display passed around the School. So which option is right for you?

  Your staff have been using a meter with a spear tip electrode to take soil pH readings directly, you loved how easy they were to use and the speed at which staff were able to take readings. However, you are finding that they don’t take the care required to use this method and it is resulting in breakages and unnecessary costs. So, how can you get around using the direct insertion method whilst still obtaining accurate pH measurements?

  You have been using a basic handheld wind speed meter and determining the air flow using a calculation based on the velocity and cross sectional area of your duct. You are sick of the time this takes and want an anemometer that eliminates the need to make these calculations and to take the guess work out of your measurements.

  · pH electrodes have stopped working after a short period and give erroneous readings.

  · The electrode appears to have a build-up in it and no amount of cleaning will remove it.

  · You want an electrode that will give repeatable and accurate results and that won’t become clogged.

  You own a farm, but it is an hour’s drive from your primary residence. You wake up at 6am Saturday morning and you want to know if the conditions are right on your property to sow seed, apply herbicides, or cut hay, or if you should just roll over and go back to sleep. So how do you know if weather conditions are suitable for the work that you want to do without driving out there?

  You wish to measure the pH of your saliva and blood to ascertain the level your body is maintaining. You normally measure your urine, however you want to measure your blood and saliva to see if is consistent as you feel your urine value varies to much throughout the course of the day. You have been using a handheld meter with an electrode or a pen tester with a bulb electrode and find that you cannot get a result with the low volume of blood/saliva you are wanting to measure.

  You have access to dam or bore water on your agricultural property, however you are suspicious that the water is not going to be suitable for irrigation or stock use due to too high salt levels or pH. If the water is highly acidic (less than 5.5), acidosis and reduced feed intake may occur. If the pH is too high, intestinal upset, reduced feed conversion efficiency and diarrhea may occur. You could send the water to a laboratory to get tested, but it takes time, and is expensive and the water quality changes over time so the old results might not be useful any more. So how do you know if your water will be suitable for the intended use?

  Some of the staff in the office complain that the temperature is too hot, other staff complain that the temperature is too cold, while others maintain that the temperature is fine and the thermostat doesn’t need to be adjusted. So how do you resolve complaints about the air conditioning?

  You have been using a basic handheld wind speed meter and determining the air flow using a calculation based on the velocity and cross sectional area of your duct. You are sick of the time this takes and want an anemometer that eliminates the need to make these calculations and to take the guess work out of your measurements.

  You are a plumber and you have been investigating client’s homes as they have told you their water pressure seems low. When you have tested it using an instantaneous water gauge the pressure is at a level that you would expect. However they continue to say it is too low. You wish to test it over a period of time to see whether there is an issue when you are not present, and produce a report to show the customer along with the water company if necessary.

  You work for a company that handles food but you need to know whether the food is being delivered at the correct temperature, or maybe you want to quickly check your fridges and freezers to ensure your stock is being kept at the correct temperature so it doesn’t spoil too quickly. You’ve used other infrared thermometers before but they have been inaccurate and have not lasted. So what infrared thermometer should you use?

  The Problem:

  Your staff monitor the temperature of your fridges on a daily basis manually and you are tired of readings being missed. You have been told that a data logger will allow you to keep a record of the temperature over time, however you still need to ensure it is downloaded on a regular occasion and you are worried that you may miss temperature breaches by the time this occurs. You want a simple solution that will alert you if temperatures have been breached by email.

  Your staff have been using a meter with a spear tip electrode to take soil pH readings directly, you loved how easy they were to use and the speed at which staff were able to take readings. However, you are finding that they don’t take the care required to use this method and it is resulting in breakages and unnecessary costs. So, how can you get around using the direct insertion method whilst still obtaining accurate pH measurements?

  You work for a company that installs floor coverings over concrete. You used to be able to just use a non-destructive moisture meter to determine whether the concrete is dry enough to accept a floor covering. However, since the Australian standards have changed you are unsure of what equipment you will need to meet the requirements of AS 1884-2012. So which moisture meter will meet your requirements?

  There are many variables to consider that can cause errors in rainfall measurement. How can the new Davis Aerocone reduce these errors and what makes it different from other rain gauges?