Field Notes

<--2012-06-13 10:45:00 | 2012-06-21 10:00:00-->
Other sites visited today: DWR Corn
Phenocam link: Searching...

Mayberry: 2012-06-15 08:00:00 (DOY 167)
Author: Joe Verfaillie
Others:

Summary: Could not move portable truck, intalled post for autocam, solar panel fell off Tule tower.

Mayberry
2012-06-15

I arrived about 8am PDT. It was cool and sunny but warming with a good breeze from the west southwest. The wetland is as green as ever, the artichokes are blooming.

I tried to move the portable tower. I put in the truck the old battery that had been charged and tested good in the lab but the truck would not even start to crank. I swapped the battery with one of the solar batteries and got the same. I noticed that one of the positive leads on the battery was heavily corroded. I cut it loose and wrapped the bare ends around the bolt on the positive battery lug - still not cranking with either battery. It seems power is not getting to the truck correctly. I left the portable system in its current place at site one. We will try something else next week.

At the main tower I put in a 2x4 and 4x4 post to mount the autocam on. I got the camera mounted but still need to finish getting the mechanism to fold down the camera for service finished. And I want to build a small platform next to the post.

I didn’t check the main tower.

At the Tule Tower, the solar panel had fallen off the tower. [Looking at the web cam photos, the panel fell off during the night between 5-24 and 5-25.] I was able to dredge the panel from the muck. It looked okay but was not field repairable. The data system was still running on the battery. I have a bigger panel that I was going to mount for the Vaisala CO2 sensors. I took some photos and measurements for planning the install of the Vaisala and swapping the CR10x with a CR23X.

6 photos found

20120615MB_CattailPath.jpg ( 2012-06-15 10:27:49 ) Full size: 4000x3000
A path among the cattails