Use lithium batteries that meet the following conditions:
The total voltage cannot exceed 14 V. Look for batteries with a maximum capacity of 2 V.
Use non-rechargeable AA lithium batteries. The ZL6 cannot detect lithium battery chemistry. It will assume they are alkaline and will not charge them.
Does the ATMOS 41 and ZL6 conform to the ASABE Automatic Agricultural Weather Stations Guidelines?
From Table 1 of “Measurement and Reporting Practices for Automatic Agricultural Weather Stations“, the ATMOS 41 internal measurement sequence meets the sampling interval guidelines for the weather variables listed. The ZL6 data logger can be configured to report values each hour, as stated in Table 1; however, some min/max instantaneous values are not available when using the ZL6 for data acquisition and delivery. Consult the ATMOS 41 user manual for details on the output values processed in METER data loggers.
Can I lock my logger?
We have included tamper proof options on the casing of the ZL6. Zip ties can be used to prevent or minimize tampering with the device.
How many batteries are in the ZL6?
Six rechargeable Nickle-Metal Hydride (NiMH) are included with the logger.
Is it possible to manually download data from the ZL6 logger?
Yes. You can download data manually from the logger using a laptop and the micro-USB cable provided with your ZL6 data logger.
I am having ZENTRA Utility issues on a laptop/desktop that uses OS Catalina 10. ZENTRA Utility downloads fine, but it does not recognize any data input from my datalogger when I try to download data. Everything is working fine on a desktop that uses OS Monterey 12.
Starting with Mac OS 10.13, Apple requires the user to approve loading/running 3rd party system extensions (KEXTs). This applies to fresh installs (updating to the newer OS 'grandfathers' older drivers). See https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/technotes/tn2459/
Normally we expect the act of installing the SiLabs driver to prompt the user to 'Allow' loading the extension in the Security & Privacy System Preferences pane. This ‘allow’ prompt doesn't always happen or only displays for 30 minutes.
There is a workaround where you can re-install the driver and then directly go to the Security pane to allow running the driver. (re-installing re-displays the 'allow' prompt).
MAC OS 12 resolves this issue.
Installation of our logger is in the North (Arctic). Would it survive 2 months without sun? In other words, after running out of battery (no solar radiation), will it automatically restart again when solar radiation returns?
Yes, the logger will resume operation when battery power improves. Here is some additional information:
The logger has two battery level thresholds that apply here. The logger will continue making sensor measurements even after the battery voltage is too low to run the cellular module (reported as 0% battery). This state can continue for a long time because making sensor measurements tends to be easier on the battery. When the battery level drops too low for reliable sensor measurements, the logger just sleeps until the battery is higher. As the battery charges, the functionality returns.
In many situations, we expect the logger to continue operating normally for 2-4 months of time even with reduced or no solar energy harvesting. This would be lengthened if the client isn't using the cellular communications. Cold weather complicates this math.
Here are some other ideas:
Battery chemistry is impacted by cold. We see NiMH cells stop providing enough power when the temperature nears -25°C or so. Most loggers where we observed these conditions resumed operation once the temperature warmed.
Alkaline performs better at cold temperatures than NiMH.
Primary lithium AA batteries (e.g. Energizer Ultimate Lithium) have much better cold-temperature performance. These are not rechargeable but will power the logger for longer than the other two chemistries.
We recommend using the lithium-based battery — especially if you are able to dispatch someone to replace batteries as they decline. Depending on the sensor configuration and reporting frequency, we'd expect this to be 6-12 months.
Reducing the number of cellular uploads helps preserve battery power. We recommend no less than 2 upload sessions per day. This is user-selectable with ZENTRA Cloud.