Campbell Scientific, Inc. Fuel Moisture Sensor CS505-L

The CS505 Fuel Moisture Sensor consists of an epoxy-encapsulated electronics package. It uses Time Domain Reflectometry Technology to measure the moisture content of the 10824 10-hour Fuel Moisture Stick. The 10824 is a USFS-specified, 10-hour, ponderosa-pine dowel that is purchased separately. The 10824 10-hour Fuel Moisture Stick is constructed from the same carefully selected USFS-standard ponderosa dowel as the traditional weighing fuel-moisture rack. No artificial materials (e.g., epoxy sealant) are added to the dowel that would adversely influence the natural behavior characteristics of it. Because the complete dowel surface is accessible for moisture exchange, the response of the CS505 is similar to that of the traditional weighing racks. To optimize probe-to-probe repeatability and to allow probe interchangeability without individual calibration, two additional sorts are performed on the dowels before they are selected to be used as a sensor. First, the dowels are sorted dry by density to improve accuracy in the dry range of 0 to 15 percent. Second, the dowels are sorted after a 50-minute soak by weight to reduce probe-to-probe time response variation and minimize variability in the wet range of 20 to 50 percent.