INSTRUCTIONS
And Species Adjustment Tables
Model L601-3 Hand-Held Moisture Meter
1-800-634-9961
Reference
Calibrated for
Douglas fir
Contents
INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................3
INSTRUCTIONS ...........................................................................................................................4
TAKING MEASUREMENTS ......................................................................................................5
METER CALIBRATION .............................................................................................................5
METER STORAGE ......................................................................................................................5
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS .........................................................................................................6
SPECIES ADJUSTMENT TABLE ............................................................................................11
SPECIFIC GRAVITY VS. MOISTURE CONTENT ..............................................................14
OTHER MATERIALS ................................................................................................................15
ZERO ADJUSTING ....................................................................................................................16
WARRANTY................................................................................................................................17
FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT ........................................................................................19
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Introduction
Congratulations!
You have purchased one of the most accurate moisture measurement instruments for wood in the world.
Using patented electromagnetic wave technology, hand-held moisture meters from Wagner Meters have
been proven by universities and institutes worldwide to provide superior measurement results.
With its electro-magnetic field, your Wagner moisture meter covers a relatively large cross-sectional area
each time you take a reading, giving you a far better representation than other technologies of the true
moisture content of your wood. Pin-type meters only measure a very small area, and only at a particular
depth, giving you very limited insight into the true moisture content of the wood. Very short, noninsulated pins are especially prone to just reading the surface of your wood. Wagner moisture meters read
IN the wood, not just on the wood.
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The 2
/2 inch wide by 21/2 inch long by 1 inch thick sensing area of your Wagner moisture meter closely
approximates the full-thickness cross-section method used when performing the ASTM D 4442-92 ovendry lab method. This ASTM standard (and its international counterparts) is the standard to which all
moisture meters for wood are compared for accuracy.
Other importan t features of Wagner hand-held moistu re meters inc lud e :
• The L601-3 DF Meter uses advanced electromagnetic wave technology to accurately measure wood
moisture content.
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• Virtually unaffected by wood temperature or surface moisture.
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• The "Wood-Friendly"™ L601-3 DF moisture meter does not damage your wood or its surface while
taking accurate moisture readings.
Since 1966, Wagner Meters has been providing quality moisture measurement equipment. Wagner Meters
is the leading supplier of moisture measurement equipment for the primary forest products industry.
Wagner Meters’ technology has been proven to provide some of the most accurate results in the industry
when compared to this worldwide standard. Closely scrutinized and approved by numerous university
studies and used for years by professional wood-grading associations, moisture meters from Wagner
Meters continue to provide reliable and consistent moisture measurements, with unsurpassed convenience
and ease-of-use.
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Figure 1
Instructions
TO OPERATE, press and release the ON button. Take readings by pressing the bottom of the meter to
the wood surface. The meter will automatically shut off after 60 seconds of inactivity.
Read the % MC on the panel meter (Figure1). If the wood is Douglas fir, the scale reading
indicates the % MC in the wood.
If the wood is not Douglas fir, you must make a species correction.
SPECIES ADJUSTMENT TABLES are provided in this manual. When measuring a species other than
Douglas fir, use the tables to locate your species and the corresponding meter reading.
Example:
Your meter reading is 13% (Figure1). Your species is Basswood,
American. Locate your species in the tables provided. Find the species in
the appropriate row.
Find the meter reading in the appropriate column. Where row and column
intersect is the actual reading for Basswood, American—16.5%.
THE LOW-BATTERY l ight will come on when the battery needs replacing. Replace with either four
AA alkaline or NiCad rechargeable batteries, ensuring the battery polarity is correct.
CALIBRATION is factory set. Factory calibration can be verified using a calibration verification block
(CVB). The CVB is for calibration verification only. NEVER calibrate your moisture meter to this
device.
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Taking Measurements
Be sure to press down firmly on the center of the meter with approximately 3 pounds of force to ensure
good sensor plate contact with the wood surface. This is especially important on rough-sawn lumber. Do
not take readings where there is a noticeable defect or knot in the lumber.
If there is visible surface moisture or water, wipe off any excess, and let the surface of the wood dry-out
for a couple of minutes, then take the reading. If possible, turn the board over and measure the other side.
If the thickness of the piece is greater than 3 inches, it is a good idea to take measurements on both sides.
Ensure that there is nothing (especially your hand or metal) under the material you are measuring. The
actual moisture sensing area is a 2½ inch by 2½ inch rectangle on the meter’s backside (opposite side of
the display panel). In order to take a valid measurement, this sensing area must be completely covered by
the wood you are measuring. If the sensing area is not completely covered, your moisture reading will be
inaccurate.
Additional meter corrections may be necessary if you are measuring Raft Wood (salt water permeated), or
lumber treated with CCA, ACQ or any other treatment with metallic or other components that might bias
the moisture readings.
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Meter Calibration
The meter has been calibrated at the factory and should not require re-calibration. If you need to have the
calibration verified, please contact the Wagner Meters Sales Department to purchase a calibration
verification block if you don’t already have one. Should the meter need to have a calibration adjustment,
it will need to be returned to Wagner Meters Technical Services Department.
Meter Storage
For a long service life, it is important to store your meter properly. Avoid excessively hot or cold
locations. Do not store the meter in an area with excessive electro-magnetic interference, such as near an
electric motor, or where it could be crushed, such as in front of a forklift. Do not leave the meter in an
operating kiln during the drying cycle.
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Questions & Answers
#1 Theory of O peration
Q: How do Wagner Meters’ hand-held moisture meters operate?
A: Hand-held moisture meters from Wagner Meters send technologically advanced electromagnetic radio
waves deep into the wood without leaving destructive holes. Known around the world for speed and
accuracy, meters from Wagner Meters supply instant readings, scanning large amounts of board feet in
seconds. Virtually unaffected by temperature and humidity*, they scan right through finished products.
* For frozen wood with up to 15% moisture content, accurate measurements can be obtained. When the
frozen lumber moisture content is suspected to be over 15%, a relative reading can be obtained. Contact
Wagner Meters Technical Support if additional guidance is needed.
#2 Gradients and Wet Pockets
Q: What about gradients and wet pockets?
A: Although the various drying processes for green lumber can leave wet cores and pockets, moisture
continues to pass from fiber to fiber within the wood until it has equalized throughout the whole board,
and then continues to equalize to surrounding humidity levels. Determining if a board or load of lumber
will equalize within tolerance levels can be difficult and tricky, but moisture meters from Wagner Meters
provide this information automatically. Penetrating deep into the wood, they mathematically determine
equalized moisture content and are capable of checking truckloads of board feet for specified moisture
content in minutes. For even more convenience, many companies use their hand-held meters from
Wagner Meters to read right through the plastic wrapping around the wood on new deliveries before they
allow unloading.
#3 Where Re adings are T aken
Q: Where is the reading taken with a pin-type meter? With a hand-held from Wagner Meters?
A: Pin-type Meters take their measurements at the depth that you’ve been able to drive the pins and only
in a line between the non-insulated portion of the pins (often only the tips). In contrast, hand-held
moisture meters from Wagner Meters generate a three-dimensional field that measures a 2 ½" wide, 2 ½"
long, 1" (minimum) thick volume of wood under the entire sensor.
Q: When compared to a pin-type moisture meter, why does my Wagner hand-held moisture meter give
me a truer picture of the moisture content?
A: If you’re using a pin-type meter, the moisture content you are reading is determined by the micro-thin
path the electricity takes to travel from one pin to the other. In effect, it measures only the moisture
content of that very tiny path. If there is a single wet fiber between the pins, the electric charge will flow
easily along that fiber and cause pin-type meters to exaggerate the moisture content in the wood when in
fact it is just a very small fiber that is wet. If the place you choose to drive the pins into the wood is
simply extraordinarily dry and untypical of the rest of the piece you will get an exaggerated dry reading.
Unlike pin-type meters, hand-held moisture meters from Wagner Meters take an average of the moisture
content discovered in the full scan of the three-dimensional field, meaning small wet fibers are not read as
large wet spots. Plus, it only takes seconds to scan the entire board.
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