Field Notes

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Other sites visited today: East End | Bouldin Corn | Bouldin Alfalfa | Hill Slough
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Gilbert Tract: 2024-09-26 08:30:00 (DOY 270)
Author: Daphne Szutu
Others: Carlos, Joe

Summary: Installed new solar batteries with improved security, downloaded wetland DO data

2024-09-26
Gilbert Tract

Carlos, Joe, and I arrived around 8:30 PST. It was sunny, cool, and breezy. Joe had purchased 4 new batteries for sn BB-GT to replace the ones that were stolen earlier this week.

Joe and Carlos worked on installing the batteries. They moved the boardwalk lower so the battery box will be less visible from the road. Before wiring all of the batteries, Joe added an aluminum bar across the top of all the batteries. The bar is secured with all-thread that goes through the box, through the boardwalk wood, and through metal cross pieces underneath the wood that Joe added today. The all-thread is secured with security nut on top and bottom. He also added a lock to the action packer box with our usual code. We probably didn’t add a lock before because Joe had to drill a bigger hole through the plastic latch to fit the lock shackle.

While they were working on the batteries, I waded back out into the wetland to download the miniDOT data. I did not change their desiccants today. Wading was less stressful today because the water was only up to my knees, not up to my chest. I trimmed back some of the reeds around the tower.

After the power was on, I downloaded the met data. There was about 12 hours of data before the lithium power pack ran out of juice. Carlos cleaned the 7700.

The 7500 read 420ppm CO2, 700mmol/m3 H2O, 20.8C, 101.4kPa, 101SS
The 7700 read: 2.1ppm CH4, 55RSSI - 81 after cleaning

We measured the surface water conductivity. The staff gauge read 40cm at 9:59 PST.

Surface, 533uS, 19.2C

We left around 10:00 PST. Joe headed home and Carlos and I continued on to service other sites.

4 photos found

20240925GT_BatteryBox.jpg ( 2024-09-25 15:30:25 ) Full size: 1440x1920
Empty ActionPacker battery box on the ground under the solar panels. Batteries stolen