6
USING APOGEE IR SENSORS WITH ZENTRA SYSTEM
3. DATA INTERPRETATION
Apogee IR radiometers used with the ZENTRA system report target temperature and internal
sensor temperature in units that are configurable by the user. Additionally, the sensor
orientation information of the SIL-series commercial-grade IR radiometer is provided in the
metadata tab of ZENTRA Cloud and ZENTRA Utility Microsoft®Excel®file downloads. Sensor
orientation is reported as the zenith angle in units of degrees, with a zenith angle of 0°
indicating a sensor oriented straight up.
4. TROUBLESHOOTING
This troubleshooting section details possible major problems and their solutions. If the
problem is not listed or these solutions do not solve the issue, contact Customer Support.
Table 2 Troubleshooting
Problem Possible Solution
Sensor not responding Check power to the sensor and logger.
Check sensor cable and stereo plug connector integrity.
Check that the SDI-12 address of the sensor is 0(factory default).
Check this with ZENTRA Utility by going to Actions, select Digital
sensor terminal, choose the port the sensor is on, and send the
?I! command to the sensor from the dropdown menu.
Inaccurate target temperature Remove dew or frost formation on the sensor optical filter.
Remove any salt deposits (due to irrigation water or sea spray)
accumulation on the filter, using a dilute acid (e.g., vinegar). Salt
deposits cannot be removed with solvents such as alcohol or
acetone.
Clean dust and dirt from the aperture and the filter (usually a larger
problem in windy environments). Dust and dirt are best removed
with deionized water or rubbing alcohol. In extreme cases, remove
the plastic radiation shield and clean the filter with acetone.
Remove any spiders, insects, nests, or other debris in the aperture
leading to the filter. Repellent should be applied around the
aperture entrance (not on the filter).
Cable or stereo plug
connectorfailure
If the stereo plug connector is damaged or needs to be replaced,
contact Customer Support for a replacement connector or
splice kit.
If a cable is damaged refer to the METER wire-splicing guide for
cable repair.
It is recommended that Apogee IR radiometer sensors are returned for recalibration every
2 years. Visit Apogee repairs (apogeeinstruments.com/recalibration-and-repairs) or contact
Apogee Technical Support (techsupport@apogeeinstruments.com) for details.
