User’s manual CONTENTS

General Overview 2
Catalog # 6110FS Meter Dimensions 2
Taking Compaction Measurements 3
Meter Operation 3-4
Connecting to a Computer 4
Connecting to a GPS Unit 5
Depth Sensor 5
SC 900 Soil Calibration 6
Compaction Meter
Meter Settings 6
Measurement Procedure 7
Warning Messages 8
Data Management 9
Determining When to Replace Cone 10
Specifications 11
Appendix 1: Time Zone Corrections 11
Warranty 12

This manual will familiarize you with the features and operation of your new
Field ScoutTM SC 900 Soil Compaction Meter. Please read this manual
thoroughly before using your instrument. For customer support, or to place
an order, call Spectrum Technologies, Inc.

Spectrum
(800)248-8873 or (815) 436-4440
between 7:30 am and 5:30 p.m. CST,
FAX (815)436-4460,
E-Mail: [email protected].
Technologies, Inc. www.specmeters.com

Spectrum Technologies, Inc at 23839 W Andrew Rd.

 General overview Meter dimensions
Thank you for purchasing the Field ScoutTM SC 900 Soil Compaction
Meter. This manual describes the features and operation of the meter. The following are the dimensions of the SC 900 Soil Compaction Me-
ter.
Soil compaction prevents moisture penetration, reduces fertilizer and
chemical uptake and hinders plant root growth. In some cases, yield
losses can run as high as 30% due to compaction. This new electronic 12”
soil compaction meter is the most versatile compaction meter on the
market. Soil depth readings are determined by a sonic depth sensor.
Cone index values are measured by a load cell sensor and can be dis-
played in PSI or kPa. Meter
7.25”
The Field Scout’s shaft-mounted probe allows the user to easily and
rapidly take many measurements. The shaft can be dissembled into 2
pieces for easy storage and transport. The meter’s built-in datalogger
can record data from several sites and eliminates the need to record
data manually. Through the software, the user can download the data,
change the logger settings and configure the meter. 8.5”

Shaft
Connection

19.75”

Cone Tip

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 Taking Compaction Meter operation
Measurements
The ON switch turns the meter/datalogger on
The SC 900 is a state-of-the-art electronic cone penetrometer for use and off. When the meter is turned on, it will dis-
in soil density, trafficability and compaction studies. This soil com- ON play the battery status for 3 seconds. For the
paction instrument measures cone index data, logs the data and allows next 3 seconds, it will display how much logger
the user to review the data to make soil management decisions. memory has been used and, if the logger was en-
abled in the software, whether the GPS signal was found. If a GPS
It is recommended that compaction measurements be taken after a signal is found, latitude and longitude data will be included in the data
rain, or in the spring when the soils have good moisture content. file.
Measuring soil compaction in dry soil conditions will not yield mean-
ingful results.
Logger 75% Full Logger 75% Full
The SC 900 compaction meter should be used before tillage to deter- GPS=Yes DGPS=No No GPS Found
mine where the compacted areas of a field/plot are. Once the com-
pacted areas, along with compaction depths, have been determined, a Sample meter power-up screens with datalogger
much more effective tillage system can be employed. enabled: left screen indicates GPS signal was found.

The unit works as an efficient diagnostic tool as well as a management The meter will then be ready to take readings (see “Measurement Pro-
unit after the tillage operation has been performed. One can determine cedure” pg. 7).
how deep the soil has actually been worked and if the tillage operation
Note: If you are using GPS, but the meter doesn’t find the GPS signal
has solved the compaction problems.
when powering up, the meter will not search for the GPS signal when
taking readings. Turn the meter off and on so it can look for the GPS
signal. Once the signal is found, GPS information will be included in
the data file until the signal is lost or the GPS unit is disconnected
from the meter.

0010 PSI 00 IN
Logger = OFF

If, when powered up, the screen indicates the data logger is not acti-
vated (see above screen), no data will be stored by the meter. The
data logger can be activated through the SC 900 software (see “Meter
Settings, pg. 12).

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 Meter operation (cont.) Connecting to a Computer
SC 900
Immediately after the meter has successfully data port
taken a full profile measurement, but before
DELETE
measuring another profile, the DELETE button
will delete the profile before that has just been
sent to the datalogger. The screen will then dis-
play the following message:

Reading Deleted

The data port on the underside of the SC 900 meter (shown above) can
be accessed by removing the plastic screw. It is through this port that
After measuring a profile, pressing the RE- the meter is connected to either a PC or to a GPS unit.
VIEW button allows the user to see the cone
REVIEW index value at each depth. As the button is Connecting to a PC
pressed, the display screen will scroll se- The SC900 software comes with a gray PC interface cable. This cable
quentially through the entire profile. connects to the 9-pin serial port of your computer and to the meter’s
computer port. The meter’s configuration can be modified by click-
ing on the Logging Properties button (see “Meter Settings”, pg. 12).
The Com Port, Download and Clear Memory buttons are explained
in “Data Management” (pg. 9).

The START button readies the meter and data-

logger to take a profile measurement. It must be
START pressed before every attempted profile measure-
ment.

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 Connecting to a GPS Unit Depth Sensor
Cable Connections An ultrasonic sensor located at the
A GPS/DGPS cable (item # 2950C) is required to connect the SC900 base of the meter is used to meas-
meter to a GPS unit. This cable has a 9-pin male connection and a ure the depth of penetration. The
stereo pin that connects to the meter’s data port. You will also need a field of view extends about 30o
cable that allows the GPS unit to connect to a 9-pin male serial port. from the shaft. The sensor meas-
If this cable doesn’t come standard with your GPS unit, it should be ures distance by emitting a sound
available from the manufacturer. This cable is generally used to up- wave and measuring the travel
load information from a computer to the GPS unit. These components time of the first reflected wave. Depth
should be connected as shown in figure X. Usually, this first reflection will Sensor
come from the ground just adja-
GPS Setting cent to the shaft. However, if an
Your GPS unit must be set for NMEA 0183 input/output messages. If object with a surface oriented to-
the meter has trouble receiving the GPS signal, check that it has the ward the sensor is within the field
following settings: of view, an erroneous depth meas-
urement may be made. This can
Data bits: 8 Stop bits: 1 lead to depth error messages (see
Baud rate: 4800 bps Parity: None “Warning Messages” p. 15). If
Timing: 1 second GGA data string possible, try to remove the object
and/or smooth the surface. Repo-
sitioning your feet and knees may
also eliminate these errors. If the
SC900 problem persists, use a flat target
Meter
GPS surface with a hole slightly large
Unit than the diameter of the cone to test the depth sensor and, if necessary,
to take measurements. This target should be about 1 foot wide and
can be made out of cardboard or something sturdier if more durability
Spectrum GPS computer is required. To test the sensor, lay the target on the ground and place
GPS/DGPS interface cable
Cable the shaft in the hole. Have another person slowly raise the target
while you verify the meter is incrementing the depth.
Connecting the SC900 meter to a GPS unit

5
 Calibration Meter Settings
The reading of the meter’s load cell can be recalibrated with the fol- Logger Settings: The datalogger is enabled and disabled by checking
lowing procedure. the first box. If the datalogger is enabled, it will search for a GPS sig-
nal when the meter is turned on. If a signal is found, position data will
Note: During the calibration procedure, care must be taken to be stored along with the soil moisture data. If no GPS signal is avail-
ensure that the only force on the load cell is the weight of the me- able when the logger is turned on, the logger will no longer look for
ter itself. one when measuring and recording soil moisture data. If the second
box is checked, the logger will store the GPS value only if it has been
1. Balance the meter in an upright position on a hard surface. differentially corrected. If the differential correction is not found,
only the soil moisture value will be stored in the data file. A time-
2. Press and hold the READ button. zone correction should be entered in the third box. Appendix 1 (pg.
23) lists time zone corrections for several cities.
3. With the READ button depressed, press and release the ON but-
ton. The LCD will count down from 5 to 1.
Measurement Units: The meter can be configured to display and re-
4. The meter should now read between 5 and 10 P.S.I. (35 - 70 cord data in English units (Cone Index in PSI and depth in inches) or
Kpa). This reflects the weight of the meter itself. SI units (Cone Index in kPa and depth in centimeters).

Meter Settings
The Meter Settings screen in the Field Scout Soil Compaction Meter
software is used to configure the meter and datalogger for your spe-
cific application. This screen can be accessed by clicking on the Log-
ging Properties button on the main software screen (see pg. 3). The
fields are described below.

Meter Name: The name given the meter will be the title on the first
line of the downloaded text file.

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 Measurement Procedure Measurement Procedure
Recording the best quality data requires some practice. Your
objective is to uniformly push the probe into the ground using an even 5. Remove probe gently. If the profile was successfully measured,
motion. The programmed rate,specified in the ASAE standards, is the following message will be displayed.
approximately 2 seconds per 2 inches. If this rate is exceeded, the
meter will show an Error display (see “Warning Messages” pg. 8). Reading Complete
- -Review Mode- -
To take a profile measurement:
6. You can review compaction measurements increments by pushing
1. Push and release Start button. the Review button . You can also delete the profile by pushing the
2. Wait for LCD to display the profile information screen. The top Delete button. See “Meter Operation” (pg. 3) for details.
line shows the current cone index and the depth. At the surface 7. Press Start to ready the probe for the next measurement.
the depth will be zero. The second line indicates how many pro-
files have been taken. This resets to 1 every time the meter is
turned on. Geo - Referencing Compaction Measurements:

0010 PSI 00 IN To Geo-Reference, you will need to connect a GPS/DGPS unit to SC

N=1 900 and proceed as described above. The GPS format should be
NMEA 0183. See “Connecting to a GPS Unit” (pg. 5) for further de-
Profile Information Screen tails.
3. Stand with your feet at least 4 to 6 inches from the probe tip. This
ensures the sonic depth sensor will measure accurately. Tall,
nearby objects or walls will also inhibit the ability of the depth
sensor to “see” the ground surface. If you are working in turf or
an especially uneven soil surface, you may need to use a target to
ensure reliable performance (see “Depth Sensor” p. 7). It is advis-
able to smooth the soil surface as much as possible before insert-
ing the probe. As the probe is inserted into the soil, the depth
measurement on the display will increase in 1 inch increments.
The cone index will change in response to soil compaction differ-
ences.
4. Push probe into ground slowly and evenly so that there is not any
side stress on the shaft. If an error message is generated (see
“Warning Messages” pg. 8), start over by removing probe and
pushing the Start button.

7
 Warning Messages Warning Messages (Cont.)
If the meter is unable to successfully measure a soil compaction pro-
file, it will display one of the following warning messages and no data Start Over The maximum load the load
will be sent to the datalogger. In these instances, it is necessary to Excessive Force cell can withstand is 250
withdraw the probe from the soil (if necessary) and hit the START lbs (113 kg). Exceeding
button to continue using the meter (see “Measurement Procedure” pg this limit can cause perma-
7). nent damage to the meter. The “Excessive Force”
warning message appears when 210 lbs (95 kg) or
Warning Messages more is applied to the load cell.

Start Over The meter cannot begin taking

Depth > zero! readings until the probe senses the This error message indi-
tip is at the soil surface. The meter Start Over
cates that the meter missed
can sense a false non-zero depth if !! Depth Error !!
a depth reading. This can
the user’s feet are too close to the shaft, if an object such as a tree or be caused by a momentary,
large plant is near the measurement area or if debris such as roots, soil but rapid, insertion of the
or leaf matter is clinging to the shaft. probe into the soil or by an object such as a foot or a
knee suddenly coming into the field of view of the
sonic depth sensor.
Start Over If the meter is inserted faster than
Insertion too fast the speed allowed by the ASAE
standard (2 inches per 2 seconds),
the meter cannot compute the cone Indicates the batteries need
index. You may see this message more often when taking readings in Low Battery
to be changed. The battery
areas with non-compacted zones beneath strongly compacted zones. compartment is located be-
neath the face of the meter.

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 Data Management Data Management (Cont.)

Com Port Sample data showing results of data collected with and without GPS
The gray software cable connects the meter to the computer data port. activated. Note: GPS signal not found when recording first four sam-
Select the Com Port that is connected to the computer data port. ple numbers.

Download The data is stored in comma-delimited text files. These files can be
To download data from the internal datalogger, turn the meter off and opened with text-editing software (e.g. Microsoft Word) or spread-
connect the gray serial cable to the RS-232 port on the underside of sheet software (e.g. Excel).
the meter. Click the Download button on the main software screen.
In the Save Data As screen, give the file a descriptive name and select The first two lines of the data file give the logger’s name and serial
the location where it will be saved. number. The third line indicates that latitude and longitude are refer-
enced to the 1984 World Geologic Survey datum. The fourth line
Clear Memory shows the cone index unit system. The fifth line shows the column
Data is not automatically removed from the logger memory after a headings for the rest of the data file. Each row of data represents a
download. The Clear Memory button clears all data from the logger measurement profile.
memory.
Logging sessions are started and completed by turning the meter on
Meter Settings and off. The start of a logging session is indicated by the data line
Click this button to configure the datalogger. Refer to “Meter Set- “Logger Started”. If a GPS signal was found at the start of a logger
tings” (p. 6) for more details. session a time stamp is included on the “Logger Started” line.

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 Determining When to Determining When to
Replace Cone Replace Cone
Repeated soil sampling will wear down the metal cone. Periodically When you are doing comparative analysis of the readings in a field or
measure the diameter of the cone using a dial caliper or micrometer a plot, the measurements will be consecutive. The amount of wear of
that allows you 0.001-inch measurements. the cone will not be a factor. In this case, it is recommended that the
cone be replaced when the shoulder is not easily recognizable as a
Place the caliper/micrometer on the shoulder of the cone. Figure 1 shoulder anymore.
shows the proper placement and Figure 2 the layout of the shoulder.

Figure 3

Figure 1
Figure 2

Shoulder

New:
0.505"

Replace the cone as follows:

The determination as to when to replace the cone will depend on how 1. Lay meter on its side
the user is applying the meter. 2. Unscrew worn cone by hand or with a
pair of pliers
If you are using the meter to get absolute compaction readings, 3. Attach new cone into meter shaft
replace the cone when there is a “wear factor” of 3%. Three percent 4. Tighten to a snug fit with hands or
wear affects the cone index measurements by 5%. A new cone has a pliers. Be careful not to imprint the cone
diameter of 0.505“, see Figure 3. When the cone diameter reaches with pliers.
0.490“ (3% wear), replace the cone.
Replacement cones can be ordered from Spectrum
Technologies or an authorized Spectrum Dealer.

10
 Specifications Appendix 1
Time zone corrections
Measurement Cone Index (PSI or kPa)
Units Time Zone City
Correction
Resolution 1” (2.5 cm), 5 PSI (35 kPa) 0 Dublin, Lisbon, London

±0.5” (±1.25 cm), ±15 PSI (±103 kPa) 3 Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo
Accuracy
4 Asuncion
Range 0 - 18” (0 - 45 cm), 5 Atlanta, Indianapolis, New York, Ottawa, Bogota,
0 - 1000PSI (0 - 7000 kPa) Montreal, Toronto
6 Guatemala City, Houston, New Orleans, Chicago,
Maximum 72 in/min (182 cm/min)
Mexico City, Winnipeg
Insertion Speed * 7 Phoenix, Denver, Edmonton
Maximum 210 lbs 8 San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver
Applied Load *
9 Anchorage
Power 2 AA alkaline batteries
10 Honolulu
Approximately 12 month life
11 Wellington
Logger Capacity 772 profiles without GPS,
13 Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney
579 profiles with GPS/DGPS
14 Vladivostok, Brisbane
Display 16 character, 2 line LCD
15 Seoul, Tokyo
16 Beijing, Hong Kong, Manila, Singapore, Taipei
Weight 2.75 lbs. (1.25 kg)
17 Hanoi, Jakarta, Vientiane
18 Calcutta, New Delhi
19 Kabul, Islamabad
20 Tehran, Abu Dhabi, Dubai
21 Moscow, Nairobi, Kampala, Riyadh
22 Ankara, Athens, Helsinki, Istanbul, Cairo,
Johannesburg, Harare
23 Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Geneva, Paris,
Prague, Rome, Brussels, Madrid, Stockholm,
Warsaw, Lagos

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 Warranty
The Field ScoutTM SC 900 Soil Compaction Meter is warranted to be
free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of 1 year
from the date of original purchase. During the warranty period,
Spectrum will, at its option, either repair or replace products that
prove to be defective. This warranty is void if the product has been
damaged by customer error or negligence, or if there has been an
unauthorized modification.

Returning Products to Spectrum

Before returning a failed unit, you must obtain a Returned Goods
Authorization (RGA) number from Spectrum. You must ship the
product(s), properly packaged against further damage, back to
Spectrum (at your expense) with the RGA number marked clearly on
the outside of the package. Spectrum is not responsible for any
package that is returned without a valid RGA number or for the loss of
the package by any shipping company.

Spectrum
Technologies, Inc.

23839 W Andrew Rd
Plainfield, IL 60544
(800) 248-8873 or (815) 436-4440
FAX: (815) 436-4460
E-Mail: [email protected]
www.specmeters.com

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