Field Notes

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Other sites visited today: Hill Slough | Rush Ranch | Mayberry
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Gilbert Tract: 2025-03-26 13:30:00 (DOY 85)
Author: Joe Verfaillie
Others:

Summary: Fixed T/RH - caused by bad water level, raised sonic water level to avoid king tides and minimum range problem, new batteries for song meter, replaced 7500 bird spikes, downloaded channel miniCH4 data.

Gilbert Tract
2025-03-26

I arrived at about 14:30 PDT. It was mostly sunny with a cool breeze and a very high tide. There was shin deep water under the tower and about 20cm of water above the boardwalk. I couldn’t see the floating miniCH4 but found it trapped under the boardwalk.

Carlos and Dennis were here two days ago and reported problems with the T/RH and bird song recorder. The bird song recorder just need new batteries I think. Next time I’ll get the app on my phone to check it, but all the lights were flashing encouragingly.

The Air temp was NAN and the RH was suspicious. Turns out that it’s not an HMP but an SDI-12 HygroVue. Carlos may have fixed a wire on the air pressure sensor. The HygroVue shared the same port as the METER HYDROS21 water level sensor. Disconnecting the water level sensor fixed the T/RH. I did some wire tracing and check the supply voltage and current, all seemed okay. I think the HYDROS21 has died again – third time here? I left the data wire disconnect but I should have unplugged its power too. The water was too deep to remove it this time.

The sonic range water level was reading a little weird (about 30cm) – maybe too close to the water (azolla). I had brought metal to raise it but with the high tide this was going to be tricky. In the end I was able to raise it to about 80C above the water. The reading seemed steadier. The cable run still needs some work. I dropped and miraculously caught a screw driver blindly all under water and azolla.

I replaced the bird spikes in the 7500. The existing one didn’t have a threaded hole.

I dropped the USB hub/Ethernet adapter in the water under the tower. I got as much water out of it as I could and left it in the sun to dry. I didn’t need it today but there is also a spare in one of the pockets.

I went to the channel to collect the miniCH4 data there. It all seemed okay. I didn’t stop the measurements while I captured and erased the data. I debated about stopping and restarting but decided it will be okay. Something else to test in the lab.

The water level didn’t change much the whole time I was there. I must have got there just before high tide and left just after.

I left at about 15:30 PDT

0 photos found

8 sets found

Can't check MBWPEESWGT_mixed
Can't check MBEEWPSWEPGT_cam
16 GT_met graphs found