Volumetric Soil Sensor

The Volumetric soil sensor measures temperature (°C) and volumetric water content (%). In addition to monitoring soil water content, the sensor is suitable for irrigation management and irrigation systems. Its advantage is that calibration to soil type and soil chemistry is not necessary.

Sensor recovery

If the sensor comes directly from the factory, the sensor must be revived by inserting a battery and waiting for the first message that the device sends every 30 to 60 minutes.

Remove the back cover of the data transmitter - handle the motherboard with extreme care as it is susceptible to mechanical and electrostatic damage.

Fig. 1: Assembly and disassembly of the data transmitter cover

Insert a 3.6V AA pencil battery into one of the prepared slots, the polarity is marked on the motherboard. When the battery is inserted, the sensor will be indicated by a green LED flashing on the dashboard. If the indication does not occur, remove the battery and reinsert it into the device (select a different battery slot). Increase the life of the device by inserting batteries in both slots.

Note: When using two batteries, care should be taken to ensure that they have the same voltage. 
We recommend always inserting new batteries!

Fig. 2: Battery slots and status LED

Fit the back cover - to prevent moisture from entering the device, it is essential that the cover is perfectly aligned with the body, the protection rating of the data transmitter is IP65.

If the sensor stops transmitting messages, you can restart the device in the above manner by removing and reinserting the battery after approximately 5 seconds.

Installing the sensor

Sensor activation

The final step is to activate the soil sensor in CleverFarm, which is described in detail in the Sensors article.

Fig. 6: Soil sensor in CleverFarm