Blinding you with the science!
December 16, 2010
At Van Walt we sell soil moisture measurement instruments that use TDR technology. They are small, portable devices and provide immediate soil moisture readings as a percentage by volume when they are inserted into soil. They appear very simple and straightforward to use but behind this ‘plug & play’ equipment is some very sophisticated technology.
TDR or time-domain reflectometry is a measurement technique used to determine the characteristics of electrical lines by observing reflected waveforms. Time-domain transmissometry (TDT) is an analogous technique that measures the transmitted (rather than reflected) impulse. Together, they provide a powerful means of analysing electrical or optical transmission media. We could go on but a really good explanation can be found here.
From your point of view it’s nice to know the theory but probably all you want to know is this equipment will give you accurate readings, consistently and simply. Available to hire or buy Van Walt’s Trime Pico Soil Moisture Sensor does just that!
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