5.Maintenance

All GeoNet devices are designed to operate in field environments with minimal upkeep; nevertheless, there are some basic maintenance procedures that should be followed to ensure maximum reliability and functionality.

5.1Preventing Water from Entering the Enclosures

GeoNet devices are designed to be splash proof and rain proof, but are not submersible.

These units are sealed by a gasket preventing water entry, so long as the screws that hold the lid in place are properly tightened and the gasket inside the lid is properly aligned. It is also very important to ensure that all the cable fittings are securely tightened. Models that feature a 10-pin connector are equipped with a watertight cap, which must be installed when the connector is not in use.

Despite these precautions, the nodes may encounter leakage along the cable if the cable is cut, or if the unit is installed in an especially humid environment. In this type of environment, geokon recommends that the internal desiccant packs be replaced at intervals to prevent condensation from corroding or shorting out the internal electronics.

5.2Battery Life

Battery life is affected by the quantity and physical configuration of the nodes, along with  weather conditions and the radio environment (as related to retries).

Nodes that are the only communication link between other nodes and the supervisor will have a shorter battery life than those that have no routing responsibility.

Table 7 below shows an estimate of battery life in a network of fewer than 20 nodes based on the number of readings collected and forwarded to the supervisor. More than 1,000 days of battery life are possible when using a scan rate of one hour or higher, with only one hop. A more frequent scan rate will reduce this estimate.  If greater battery life is needed, a 12-volt nominal input is available from geokon.

table 7: Battery Life Estimates

5.3Replacing Batteries

The network must be put into deployment mode prior to replacing the batteries in the supervisor. This is also best practice when replacing batteries in nodes.

Replace D cell batteries when their measured voltage drops below 2.0 VDC. Replace external 12-volt batteries when the measured voltage drops below 11 VDC.

All data is retained in nonvolatile flash memory. Data will not be lost even if the batteries are removed for an extended period (e.g., years).

Replace the batteries as follows:

1.Place the network in deployment mode by pressing the status button on the Network Supervisor. Within six minutes the green LED will begin flashing every 10 seconds.

2.Open the node by unscrewing the four captive screws on the front of the enclosure. Make sure that no dirt, water or other contaminants are allowed to enter the enclosure.

3.Ensure the battery select switch is set to the OFF position by sliding the switch to the middle position.  See Section 2.1.4 for more information.

4.Remove the existing batteries, if installed.

5.Install the batteries by aligning the positive (+) side of the D cells with the
(+) indicator in the battery holder. Push the batteries straight down into the holder.  See Section 2.1.4 for more information.

6.Move the battery select switch to either the Alkaline or Lithium position depending on the type of battery being used. An LED will flash on the right side of the box indicating the unit has power. Once the node reconnects to the network, the green LED will blink every 10 seconds in unison with the LED on the Network Supervisor.

7.If replacing the batteries in a Network Supervisor and power is restored promptly, the Supervisor will remain active.  If power is not restored promptly the network time will be lost and must be reset using the Agent software. The nodes within the network will reconnect automatically.