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Salinity not reading
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 1:24 am
by Dugong
From last week, my salinity probe always been reading at 6.0 ppt. Does it mean that the probe is broken? I believe no configuration was changed at that time. Please advice some steps to troubleshoots. Thanks.
Re: Salinity not reading
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 7:32 am
by rimai
When you go into salinity calibration, what numbers are you seeing on the screen?
Re: Salinity not reading
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 7:34 am
by rossbryant1956
6.0 ppt usually means RA doesn't see the device. Check your wires, power, etc. Make sure you see a green light on the power plug and that nothing has pulled loose. Thx
Re: Salinity not reading
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 9:47 am
by Sacohen
I had that happen too and I re-calibrated the probe and it was fine.
Re: Salinity not reading
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 10:30 am
by lnevo
The typical probe troubleshooting involves putting the probe in a cup of tank water to confirm that it is not the effect of stray voltage. Following that, recalibrating is a good option.
Re: Salinity not reading
Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2013 9:10 pm
by Dugong
I tried to do recalibration and put the probe on the tap water but the reading was not changing at all (I forgot what number was displayed.) Also I made sure that the salinity expansion was turned on (green light was on,) the expansion was connected to the power bar through usb, I even tried to use different USB cable thinking that the cable might be broken.
Regarding stray voltage, my tank has been having stray voltages lately, could that affect the expansion so that it won't be reading at all? Thanks.
Re: Salinity not reading
Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 5:28 am
by Sacohen
Did you try putting the probe in a cup of salt water from your tank?
That will eliminate stray voltage if you just fill a plastic cup with tank water and then try to get a reading from there.
Also maybe I misunderstood what you said, but when you re-calibrate you do it in salt water not tap water.