Category Archives: Function

Field - Operate Equipment, SonTek HydroBoard, Stream

SonTek HydroBoard – Operate Equipment

In this package, an Acoustic Doppler Profiler is mounted on a floatable platform, which resembles a Boogie Board. Position is tracked using a GPS on the boat that communicates with a land-based station and is, therefore, capable of centimeter-accurate results. At least four transects are required for an accurate measurement.

GPS

  1. Set up tripod in alignment with cross section
  2. Install charged batteries and mount Real Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS on top of tripod
  3. Set up GPS in view of cross-section to be measured and make sure you have clear view of the sky
  4. Mount antenna on side of GPS

Floatable Platform

  1. Mount tracker on boat
  2. Mount Acoustic Doppler Profiler (ADP) on boat; be sure to set ADP to yellow line
  3. Mount Power Communication Module (PCM) and connect cables from antenna and ADP to PCM

Laptop

The initial setup of the HydroBoard is done using a laptop connected to the ADP via Bluetooth connection.

  1. Plug in dongle (external Bluetooth adapter) to laptop
  2. Plug in power cord from dongle to laptop
  3. Press On/Off switch to turn on dongle
  4. Open RiverSurveyor Live
  5. Turn on power switches on ADP and PCM (GPS has two lights – power and GPS; (PCM has four lights – power, radio, RTK and GPS)
  6. Connect to River Surveyor on laptop
  7. Make sure Parani Bluetooth Connection is checked
  8. Press Connect
  9. Select S5 Unit
  10. Press Connect
  11. Bring up startup screen (goal: make all red lines turn green)
  12. Go to bottom of screen and perform System Test
  13. Dialog box opens; press Start
  14. Dialog box opens to verify system pass; press Close
  15. Press Change Site Information and input appropriate information (note: boat is R boat) – not all fields are required
  16. Press Compass Calibration; dialog box opens; press Start
  17. During calibration, a second person should pick up the boat and wiggle it back and forth
  18. Dialog box will indicate Pass if the calibration is successful (calibration score should be close to 10, a score of 9 is acceptable)
  19. Close window
  20. Press System Settings and set the following fields to these values
    • Transducer Depth – 0.24 (note: will change due to new board)
    • Screening Distance – 0
    • Salinity – (variable – use salinity meter to determine correct value)
    • Magnetic Declination – 12.5
    • Track Reference – bottom track
    • Depth Reference – vertical beam
    • Coordinate System – ENU
    • Smart Pulse – enabled
  21. Press Enter

Blackberry

Once the initial setup is completed, a handheld PDA is used to enter data and track progress of the ADP.

  1. Disconnect laptop Bluetooth connection and connect Blackberry Bluetooth (password: 1610)
    • Press soft key Start to get to Programs
    • Select River Surveyor Live
    • Search for unit
    • Press Connect when found
  2. Press Start System
  3. Press Start Edge
  4. Fill in parameters and press OK
  5. Deploy fins on HydroBoard and place unit in water
  6. Press Start Edge and wait until you get at least 10 samples at the edge
  7. Set bank and distance from center of HydroBoard to edge of water; press OK
  8. Pull HydroBoard across creek at a consistent speed and no faster than water velocity
  9. Once across the cross-section and after 10 samples at edge, enter distance and press End Edge
  10. Press End Transect
  11. For next measurement, press Continue
  12. Repeat steps 6-10 a minimum of four times
Office - Transfer Data, SonTek FlowTracker, Stream

SonTek FlowTracker – Transfer Data

  1. Connect unit to computer using 5-pin cable and serial connection (with or without USB adapter)
  2. Press yellow power button to turn unit on
  3. Open SonTek FlowTracker program
  4. Press Connect to a FlowTracker
  5. On Connect to serial port dialog box, select proper COM port and confirm Baud rate: 9600
  6. Press Connect
  7. Press Recorder; dialog box opens
  8. Select files for download (e.g., 800A0806.15)
  9. Press Browse to navigate to destination folder (e.g., Q:\STATIONS\TL\800a\2015\Misc)
  10. Press Download
  11. Confirm .WAD files transferred to proper location
  12. To erase .WAD files, select all appropriate (e.g., 800A0806.15) and press Format
  13. When completed, press yellow power button to turn unit off and disconnect unit from computer
  14. In Windows Explorer, navigate to folder (e.g., Q:\STATIONS\TL\800a\2015\Misc), select file (e.g., 800A0806.15.WAD) and rename using SiteMonthDayYear format (e.g., 800a080615.WAD)
  15. In FlowTracker, press Open a FlowTracker file, navigate to newly named .WAD file and press Open
  16. Press Printer button, print first page and attach to front sheet from site visit
Field - Operate Equipment, SonTek FlowTracker, Stream

SonTek FlowTracker – Operate Equipment

  1. Press yellow power button to turn unit on
  2. Press Enter to get to main menu
  3. To begin a measurement, press 3 (Start Data Run)
  4. Press 1 (Name), input name using SiteMonthDay format (e.g., 800A0806) and press Enter  **this represents a change from the normal naming convention because the FlowTracker only allows 8 characters for the site name – this will be corrected later during the data transfer phase**
  5. Press 2 (Extension), input the two-digit year (e.g., 15) and press Enter
  6. Press 9 (Accept name)
  7. On next screen, press 1 (Site), input name using SiteMonthDayYear format (e.g., 800A080615) and press Enter
  8. Press 2 (Operator), input  initials of hydrographer (e.g., TL) and press Enter
  9. Press 9 (Start)
  10. On next screen, press Enter
  11. Place meter in water away from obstacles and press 1 (Run Test) to perform the Automatic QC Test
  12. If starting transect at Right Edge of Water, press 4 (REW/LEW) to toggle to REW
  13. Press Set Location, input tagline distance at edge of water (usually right side) and press Enter
  14. Press Set Depth, input depth reading (usually 0) and press Enter
  15. Move to first vertical, input tagline distance and depth using steps 13 and 14
  16. Set meter to 0.6 depth of vertical and press Measure
  17. Review error messages and press Enter to move to next
  18. When error messages are complete, Press 1 (Accept) to move to next vertical
  19. Repeat steps 15 – 18 for each vertical along remainder of cross-section
  20. When finishing edge of water is reached, press 1 (End Section) twice
  21. Review error messages and press Enter to move to next; press 1 (Accept) to move to QC screen
  22. Press Enter to move to discharge calculation screen
  23. Presss – (Calculate Discharge) twice
  24. To save measurement, press 0
  25. Press yellow power button to turn unit off
JBS AquaCalc Pro+, Office - Transfer Data, Stream

JBS AquaCalc Pro+ – Transfer Data

  1. Connect AquaCalc Pro+ to compter via USB cable and press On/Off
  2. Press 3 (Connections) and verify that Connection is set to USB
  3. Open AquaCalc DataLink3
  4. Press Download
  5. In Download Section Measurements dialogue box, select measurement to be downloaded (e.g., 776A080515)
  6. Under Choose a download location, press Choose and navigate to appropriate folder location (e.g., Q:\STATIONS\TL\776a\2015\Misc)
  7. Press Download Sections
  8. Verify transfer of .CSV file to appropriate file location (e.g., 776A080515_T__LIDDELL_T__LIDDELL_080515_0709.csv)
  9. To remove discharge measurement from Aquacalc Pro+, re-select section and press Delete Sections
  10. To rename tranferred file so that it follows the SiteMonthDayYear naming convention (e.g., 776a080515), right-click CSV file and select Rename
  11. Press Analyzer; MS Excel document opens
  12. Select Import and Edit Here tab, press Import AquaCalc Pro Output File, navigate to the newly transferred file and press Open
  13. Select Summary for Printing (5×8) tab, print first page and attach to front sheet from site visit

equipment_transfer_aquacalc

 

Field - Operate Equipment, JBS AquaCalc Pro+, Stream

JBS AquaCalc Pro+ – Operate Equipment

  1. To turn unit on, press On/Off
  2. To start a new measurement, press the 2 (Sections) key
  3. Select a blank section by pressing appropriate numbered key
  4. Press the New softkey
  5. To enter new Site ID, press 1 (SID), enter name in SiteMonthDayYear format (e.g., 776a072015) and press Enter
  6. To change meter type, press 3 (Meter), select proper meter (default is Standard so make sure to switch to Pygmy, if applicable)
  7. Press Enter to get to beginning of measurement
  8. Water Edge appears on screen. Press 3 (Distance) to input tagline distance at edge of water (usually right side) and press Enter
  9. Press New Vertical, input tagline stationing and press Enter
  10. Press 6 (Stream Depth), input depth reading and press Enter
  11. Set meter to 0.6 depth of vertical and press Measure on keypad (Time will start counting upwards and then reset after first revolution is recorded; Time will stop counting after first revolution beyond 40 seconds)
  12. Repeat steps 9 – 11 for each vertical along remainder of cross-section
  13. When finishing edge of water is reached, press New Vertical and then Enter
  14. Press Edge, which will automatically default depth to 0
  15. To save measurement, press Menu
  16. To turn unit off, press On/Off
Hydrological Services ML1, Office - Transfer Data, Rainfall

Hydrological Services ML-1 – Transfer Data

Rainfall data downloaded from equipment in the field should ideally be transferred immediately from temporary media (e.g., USB key) to a folder on the laptop, and should be stored in the SiteMonthDayYear format (e.g., 066e072015).

Rainfall data downloaded via Bluetooth will not have site visit start/stop bucket tips to demarcate beginning and ending of data blocks, so those will have to be created for each site visit.

Data Downloaded via Cable

    1. Locate appropriate file on laptop and transfer to network drive (e.g., Q:\RAINSTNS\TL\199.15)
    2. Open Hydstra Explorer (HYEXPLORE) and select from the menu tree: Programs by Function > Hydstra/TS – Time Series > Hydstra Data Management > HYDMWB – Data Managers Workbench
    3. Press the Open folder icon or select File > Open
    4. In the Open Time Series Site dialog box that opens, enter the site number in general format (e.g., 199) in the Site Specifier field and press the Lookup Site button
    5. Select the specific site (e.g., 199A) that appears in the dialog box and then press OKprogram_hydstra_ml1_labeled1
    6. In the Open Time Series Sites dialog box confirm that the proper site is shown, then press OK
    7. Single-click the site icon that has an A at the end (e.g., 199A A) and select File > Copy
    8. Select B as the New DataSource in the dialog box and then press OK; a new file icon is placed on the workbench (e.g., 199A B)
    9. Select File > Import Data and navigate to appropriate file on the network drive, as described in step 1, and then press Open
    10. Press Finish and close the event log that appears in HYEXPOLRE; a new file icon is placed on the workbench (e.g., 199A C) in HYDMWBprogram_hydstra_ml1_labeled2
    11. Drag the C file to the B file and release
    12. In the Merge Files dialog box, select the Resolve Overlaps: Split blocks if necessary, preserving C File data radio button, verify the Delete Source box is checked and press OK
    13. Double-click the B file to open the work file
    14. In the dialog box that opens, double-click the row 11.00 Rainfall (inches) – High-Resolution
    15. To fill the data gap between previous visits, highlight most recent block and the one above it, then press Fill Gaps
      program_hydstra_ml1_labeled3
    16. In the Fill Gaps dialog box, select the Extend Backwards radio button and select 2 Good quality edited data from the Inserted Quality dropdown and press OK (the beginning date of the most recent block should be adjusted backwards)
    17. Press the Text tab to view data in the newly modified block
    18. program_hysdstra_ml1_qualeditSelect one or more records with Qual values of 151 and press the Quality edit button
    19. In the Quality Edit dialog box that opens select 2 Good quality edited data from the New Quality dropdown and press OK
    20. The last record in the block should have a Qual of 1, which indicates the bucket tip at the start of your field visit, as described hereprogram_hysdstra_ml1_dataedit
    21. Select this last record and press the Data edit button
    22. In the Edit Data Point dialog box that opens, change the Value to 0.00 and the Quality to 2 Good quality edited data, the press OKprogram_hydstra_ml1_labeled4
    23. Press Yes in the warning dialog box that opens
    24. Record the rainfall total in the yellow field book
    25. Select File > Close or press the X in the top right corner of the High-Resolution dialog box
    26. In the HYDMWB dialog box that opens, press Yes to save the file
    27. Select File > Close or press the X in the top right corner of the Work File dialog box
    28. Drag the B file to the A file and release
    29. In the Merge Files dialog box that opens, select the Merge (preserve B File data if duplicates) radio button, verify the Delete Source box is checked and press OK
    30. Close the event log that appears in HYEXPOLRE
    31. In the Hydstra Data Manager’s Workbench, verify that one of the site icons is highlighted and select File > Close Site

Data Downloaded via Bluetooth

  1. Follow steps 1-14, as described above
  2. Note that there are no bucket tips to indicate the beginning or end of the current or previous site visits, only the tips generated by rainfall between visits
  3. To create a block of data with appropriate starting and ending times, select the current block, then select Blocks > Add New Point
  4. In the Edit Data Point dialog box, enter a Time (ending in :00 seconds) that matches the ending time and date of the previous block, enter a Value of 0.000 and select 2 Good quality edited data from the Quality dropdown, then press OKprogram_hydstra_ml1_datagap_labeled1
  5. Repeat step 4 for the end of the current block, consistent with the end of your remote “site visit”
  6. Your new block of data should now stretch from the end of the previous site visit to the end of the current site visit (which will be used as the starting point for the next block of data for the subsequent site visit)program_hydstra_ml1_datagap_labeled2
  7. Press the Text tab to view data in the newly modified block
  8. program_hysdstra_ml1_qualeditSelect one or more records with Qual values of 151 and press the Quality edit button
  9. In the Quality Edit dialog box that opens select 2 Good quality edited data from the New Quality dropdown and press OK
  10. The last record in the block should have a Qual of 1, which indicates the bucket tip at the start of your field visit, as described here
  11. program_hysdstra_ml1_dataeditSelect this last record and press the Data edit button
  12. In the Edit Data Point dialog box that opens, change the Value to 0.000 and the Quality to 2 Good quality edited data, the press OK
  13. Press Yes in the warning dialog box that opens
  14. Record the rainfall total in the yellow field book
  15. Select File > Close or press the X in the top right corner of the High-Resolution dialog box
  16. In the HYDMWB dialog box that opens, press Yes to save the file
  17. Select File > Close or press the X in the top right corner of the Work File dialog box
  18. Drag the B file to the A file and release
  19. In the Merge Files dialog box that opens, select the Merge (preserve B File data if duplicates) radio button, verify the Delete Source box is checked and press OK
  20. Close the event log that appears in HYEXPOLRE
  21. In the Hydstra Data Manager’s Workbench, verify that one of the site icons is highlighted and select File > Close Site
Field - Download Data, Hydrological Services ML1, Rainfall

Hydrological Services ML1 – Download Data

ML1 data loggers are attached to TB3 tipping rainfall buckets at most sites. Please refer to this for further details on maintenance of TB3 units while downloading data from ML1s.

  1. Remove three screws from bottom of TB3 and remove circular enclosure
  2. Remove black cap from ML1 and connect to laptop via RS232 serial cable
  3. Open WinComLog
  4. Select appropriate COM port and baud rate (usually, this is COM1 at 9600 for hardwired connection, but will be different if connecting to ML1 via Bluetooth (see this)
  5. Once connection is made, press Status to display parameters
  6. Make note of time and date if different from that on laptop
  7. Tip rainfall bucket to verify connection and to establish beginning of site visit, Time/Date/Value are displayed
  8. To download data, press Start Capture and then CSV-1program_wincomlog_labeled1
  9. Navigate to data folder on field laptop and enter name in SiteMonthDayYear format (e.g., 194a081715)program_wincomlog_labeled2
  10. Press Dump Rain, Would you like to plot this data? is displayed, press No
  11. Once data download is complete, verify file in selected data folder on field laptop
  12. Return to WinComLog and press Stop Capture
  13. Enter PASSWD=BOMM to access ML1memory
  14. To clear data, enter CLR and verify by pressing Status button (rainfall total should be reset)
  15. If appropriate, set time and date to match that of field laptop using TA function
  16. Tip rainfall bucket to mark end of site visitprogram_wincomlog_labeled3
  17. Perform field maintenance on TB3 as described here