Lab Unlimited UK

Your EXO multiparameter water quality sonde is very rugged and strong-built to withstand the harshest weather conditions, however, there are some recommended practices to keep your system functioning properly for years to come.

What about Wear and Tear?

Severe wear on any one part of the sonde's body can lead to water intrusion which can potentially lead to costly repairs and faulty data. One of the things you can do to prevent excessive damage is using a probe and sonde protective sleeve which protects the sonde's body and bulkhead. This combined with good maintenance practices and easy handling of the sonde - so they don't get beat up too much-, will keep the body and bulkhead tube in good shape.

Mind Your Wetmate Connectors!

The Wetmate connectors on the top of the battery compartment and in the bulkhead, and sensors have to be properly maintained. A very costly repair, these are mostly damaged by lack of lubricant in the sensor's wetmate and usually leads to a pin being galvanic oxided off the sensor. What can you do to prevent some of the issues? Never introduce any foreign objects into a female connector and only use only Krytox grease to lubricate the mating surfaces of the connectors. 

Be Careful with Batteries!

When a battery leaks acid it can lead to the loss of all the electronics and sensors in your sonde. Never store batteries in the sonde for an extended period and always check your batteries before each deployment. Please note that battery life is reduced in cold water applications and is heavily dependent on sensor configuration.

When using alkaline batteries, the estimated battery life is approximately 90 days for EXO2, and 60 days for EXO3, at 20°C with a 15-minute logging interval, with temperature/conductivity, pH/ORP, Optical DO, turbidity, and Total Algae-PC sensors installed along with a central wiper.

Also, keep in mind that when using rechargeable nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, the estimated battery life is not always the same, as they vary in manufacturer capacity and discharge curves. YSI recommends a NiMH D-cell battery with a minimum rating of 10,000 milliamp hours, fully charged each time it is used.

Do you have any questions about maintaining your sondes?

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