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Design and Configuration Maintenance and Installation Miscellaneous Questions about T-Chain Design and Configuration How many sensors can be added to the chain? The number of sensors is up to the customer. Each chain is custom ordered and manufactured to meet specific customer requirements. However, each chain must be designed according to a few design rules. The maximum depth of a sensor is 165 meters, the maximum distance between sensors is 30 meters, and the minimum distance between sensors is 25 centimeters. Can the sensors be moved along the chain? The temperature sensors are molded directly onto the chain and cannot be moved once there. The DO sensors are connected to a requested lead length. Some customers have requested lead lengths of up to 4 meters to allow flexibility on where DO is collected in the water column. Photos are shown below. The DO sensors can be easily removed from the underwater connector for cleaning and calibration purposes. PAR Sensors can be removed as well.
If I have a chain, can I add more sensors in the future? Yes, you can return the chain to PME and we can add more sensors. We could even lengthen your chain, or shorten it. Please contact us for pricing and information. Can I add other sensors to the chain? It is possible to add other sensors to the T-Chain. PME has looked into adding the OBS-3+ Turbidity Sensor sold through Campbell Scientific, and the Cyclops-7 sensors manufactured by Turner Designs. Please let us know if you are interested in integrating another type. of sensor Maintenance and Installation How often do I need to upload data if I don't have a telemetered system? This depends upon how many sensors you have and how fast they are collecting information. A T-Chain collecting information every minute with about 30 sensors can hold around 6 months of information before it needs to be uploaded to a computer. What does Dissolved Oxygen sensor maintenance entail? Because the PME Dissolved Oxygen sensor presently does not have a wiper, we recommend these sensors be cleaned at least once a month, maybe more in high fouling water. Sensors can be cleaned by gently wiping the optical window. What does Temperature sensor maintenance entail? The temperature sensors do not require much maintenance. We suggest you inspect the Inconel tubing and molds periodically to make sure they look ok and nothing has begun to grow on them. In order to maintain accuracy, we advise that every T-Chain be returned to PME for re calibration once a year. Please contact PME if you are interested in re calibrating your chain. How has the T-Chain been used? Many of our customers find unique ways to use our T-Chain. Some have been installed the more traditional way shown here, while others have been used for different situations and applications. A few of our T-Chains have been used in towing applications, where the chain is hung over the side of a boat and slowly towed while taking measurements, while an internal GPS recorded location. These were used to detect internal plumes and record internal waves. Other chains have been anchored to piers, placed along the coastal ocean floor, and configured to collect data under ice.
Miscellaneous Questions How long can I expect to use my T-Chain? We expect each T-Chain to last (while continuously taking measurements in water) for at least three years. Our warranty covers manufacturing defects for the period of one year, but we have had customers with T-Chains in use for over five years.
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Precision Measurement Engineering, Inc.
1487 Poinsettia Ave. Suite 129
Vista, CA 92081
