Spectrum Fieldscout 2265FS, Fieldscout 2265FSTP Product Manual

Direct Soil

EC Meter

PRODUCT MANUAL

Item #’s

2265FS, 2265FSTP

®

CONTENTS

Introduction 3
EC Probe 4
Probe Calibration 6
Meter Configuration 8
Direct Soil EC Readings 10
SME Measurement 11
Liquid Measurement/Other Features 12
Maintenance/Battery Replacement 13
Probe/Tip Replacement 14
Checking Probe Connection 16
Specifications 17

Appendices

1. Preferred EC Values for Selected Plants 18

2. Interpreting EC Readings From Turf Grass 20

3. Classification of Irrigation Water 22

4. Greenhouse Media 23

5. Diagnostic Messages 25

6. Celsius to Fahrenheit Conversion Chart 26
Warranty 27

This manual will familiarize you with the features and
operation of your Field Scout Soil & Water EC Meter.

Please read this manual thoroughly before using
your meter. For customer support or to place an

order call Spectrum Technologies, Inc.

800-248-8873 or [phone]

between 7:30 am and 5:30 PM CST

FAX at 815-436-4460

[e-mail].

www.specmeters.com

Spectrum Technologies, Inc.

3600 Thayer Court

Aurora, IL 60504

2

Introduction

Congratulations on the purchase of your FieldScout
Direct Soil EC Meter. This instrument has been spe­cifically designed for direct measurement of salts in
soil media as well as water or nutrient solutions. This
manual describes how to use your meter and keep it
working accurately for many years. Please read it
thoroughly to get effective performance from your me­ter.

The salinity of the soil solution, irrigation water or fertil­izer solution is an important parameter affecting the
root zone environment. Any of these factors can have
a significant effect on plant growth and physiology.
The easiest way to monitor salinity is by measuring the
electrical conductivity (EC). EC is strongly correlated
to the salinity of the soil solution. EC measurement is
also affected by temperature and, to a lesser degree,
by soil moisture content.

Use this portable EC meter and probe to measure sa­linity in greenhouse soil media right on the spot with­out tedious soil sampling and preparation. Green­house production managers can compare readings
from plant to plant and fine-tune their fertility program
because measurements can be made directly in a plug
tray cell without cannibalizing the seedlings. Turf
managers can monitor for high salt levels on golf
course greens and determine when to flush (leach)
salts before turf quality declines.

The meter comes with the Field Scout Soil/Water EC
probe. This single, stainless steel probe has a spe­cially designed conical tip. It can measure liquid EC
(water or nutrient solutions) or in-situ soil salinity. The
probe automatically compensates for temperature.

3

EC Probe

Electrical conductivity (EC) is an important
parameter in evaluating irrigation water and fertilizer
solutions. Crops can be damaged if irrigated with
water with a high conductivity. The quality of
irrigation water has been classified into 5 separate
categories (See Appendix 3, p. 22). EC is also an
indicator of the strength of fertilizer solutions. In
greenhouse applications and other situations
requiring frequent fertilization, EC should be checked
regularly to ensure the plants are getting sufficient
nutrients while avoiding the effects of salt toxicity.
See Appendix 1 (p. 18) for a list of preferred EC
values for some common plants. Typically, younger
plants will require lower EC than mature plants.

The stainless
steel soil EC
probe is
designed to be
inserted directly
into soil. The
sensing surface
is composed of 2
pairs of
electrodes on the
probe tip.
Additionally, the
probe is narrow
in diameter so it
can be used
effectively in plug
trays.

Sensor

Electrode

Pair

4

Because EC readings are affected by moisture
content, it is important that soil moisture content
does not differ significantly between readings. An
easy way to achieve this condition is by taking
measurements approximately 30 to 60 minutes after
an irrigation. This should ensure the soil moisture
level has approximately reached field capacity.

The probe should be inserted in the root zone. The
measurement region is at the tip of the probe. For
turf, the root zone is approximately 2” - 4”. For
vegetables and small plants, this is about 8” - 12”.
Wait until the meter reading stabilizes before
withdrawing the probe. Taking several
measurements will allow a representative average to
be computed.

Important: Do not touch the sensor tip with your
fingers. The oils on the skin will affect the
probe’s measurement accuracy.

5

Probe Calibration

The meter and probe are factory calibrated.
However, to ensure accuracy, the meter should be
calibrated at least once a month. The meter is
shipped with 2.76 mS/cm calibration solution. If you
are interested in calibrating to a concentration less
than 2 mS/cm, you will need to change the range
mode of the meter to AUTO (see Range Selection,
p. 9). Periodically, the calibration of the meter can
be checked by immersing the sensor in the
calibration solution. This solution should not be re­used at a later date.

Calibration Procedure

1.) Open battery compartment lid on the top of the
meter to access the small white Increment (INC) and
Decrement (DEC) calibration keys. When looking at
the battery compartment with the calibration keys
above the batteries, the DEC key will be to the left.

DEC

key

INC

key

6

2.) If necessary, clean the probe with alcohol to
remove any residual oils. Rinse the electrode tip in
de-ionized (or distilled) water and then rinse it in the
calibration standard.

3.) Switch unit on with the ON/OFF key. Place
probe tip into a container of calibration standard.
Take care that the 4 exposed electrodes on the tip
are not touching the side or bottom of the container
holding the buffer solution. Wait for display to
stabilize (display value is unchanged and stable for 3
seconds).

4.) Pressing either calibration key will put the meter
into CALIBRATION mode. Press the INC or DEC
key to adjust the reading. If a key is held down, the
adjustment will happen more rapidly.

5.) When the EC of the calibration standard is
reached, release the keys for 3 seconds. The
temperature reading will briefly flash “CO”. The
Waterproof EC Tester accepts the calibration value
and returns to MEASUREMENT mode.

7

Meter Configuration

The digital reader for the Field Scout EC meter is
shipped in Manual, 1-Point calibration, HI range
mode. In this mode, the EC units will always be
displayed as mS/cm. If you are working with less
concentrated solutions and want to calibrate or read
at a lower concentration, the range mode should be
changed to one of the other modes. This will allow

the meter to read in units of μS/cm.
Configuring the calibration mode

1. Switch off the display.

2. Press and hold the INC key (see p. 6 for diagram
of calibration keys) then simultaneously press the
ON/OFF button to switch on the display. The meter
will go into calibration selection mode.

3. The lower display shows "A.CAL" and the upper
display blinks the current choice (YES or NO). Press
either the INC or DEC key to select the NO option.
This disables the Automatic calibration mode and
configures the display for Manual calibration.

4. Press the HOLD/ENTER button to confirm the
selection. The display shows "CO".

5. After 1 second, the lower display will show "1.Pnt"
and the upper display blinks the current choice (YES
or NO). Press either the INC or DEC key to select
the YES option. This enables the 1-Point calibration
option.

4. Press the HOLD/ENTER button to confirm the
selection. The display shows "CO" and, after a few
seconds, goes to measurement mode.

8

Range selection

1. Switch off the display.

2. Press and hold the oC/oF button then press and
release the ON/OFF button to switch on the display.
Release the oC/oF button. The meter will go into
Range selection mode and the lower display will
show the current choice. The options are "AUTO",
"PU", "LO", and "HI". See table 1 for a description of
each range.

3. Press the HOLD/ENTER button to select the
desired option. If the HOLD/ENTER button is not
pressed quickly after the oC/oF button is released,
the meter will transition to measurement mode.
Return to step 1 and repeat.

Abbreviation EC Range

PU 0 to 200.0 μS/cm

LO 0 to 2000 μS/cm

HI 0 to 20.00 mS/cm

AUTO Automatic

Table 1. Definition of the 4 EC range modes that can be
set on the meter. The mode will be displayed briefly
during the meter power-up sequence.

9