[{"sku":"TCM-4","title":"Lowell Instruments Shallow Water Tilt Current Meter","subtitle":"Measures water velocity in shallow water environments","variant_product_name":null,"unit_price":"1395.00","brands":["HOBO"],"region":null,"service_plans":[],"parcel_length":"10.00","parcel_width":"6.00","parcel_height":"1.00","parcel_weight":"1.00","sellable":true,"published":true,"product_page_url":"\/products\/data-loggers\/tcm-4","nid":"24046","product_description":"<p>The TCM-4 Shallow Water Tilt Current Meter is ideal for measuring water velocity in shallow coastal ponds, bays, rivers and tidal flats and other locations where the depth is too shallow for the TCM-1 current meter. Only 10 inches (25 cm) long and able to operate in less than one foot of water, the meter\u2019s electronics are housed in a carbon fiber case with no external sensors and floats.<\/p><p>Available at a fraction of the cost of acoustic meters, this data logger is simple to set up and deploy. Its low total cost gives you the flexibility to deploy multiple current meters in many locations simultaneously, which increases spatial data density and reduces uncertainty. Data offloads via a USB micro-B port and cable to your laptop.<br>&nbsp;<\/p><h3>How does the Tilt Current Meter Work?<\/h3><p>The TCM-4 Tilt Current Meter measures current using the drag-tilt principle. The data logger is buoyant and anchors to the bottom via a short flexible tether. Moving water tilts the data logger in the direction of flow. Measuring with a 3-axis accelerometer and 3-axis magnetometer for measuring tilt and bearing, the TCM-4's resulting orientation data is converted to current by applying calibration coefficients.<\/p>","application_product_image":"TCM-4 P1211468.JPG","brand":"HOBO","country":"US","field_documents":[{"nid":24066}],"environment":["Water"],"faqs":[{"q":"How do I perform a test deployment?","a":"<p dir=\"ltr\">Once the logger is started and running you can run a demo deployment. Disconnect the USB cable, replace the cap on the TCM and deploy it. For a simple demo, simply roll the logger across a flat surface or swing it with your arm.<\/p>"},{"q":"What accessories will I need if I am purchasing for the first time?\r\n","a":"<p dir=\"ltr\">The meters come with everything you require but if you are planning ahead we suggest a battery replacement tool kit for your specific meter model and additional batteries for the number of meters you are purchasing.<\/p>"},{"q":"What is the format and capacity for the microSD card?\r\n","a":"<p dir=\"ltr\">The logger is battery limited not memory limited.&nbsp; It is essentially impossible to collect more than 3GB of data on one battery charge. Unless you charge batteries and don't delete your data, you will never \"fill\" the card.&nbsp; We are currently shipping meters with 8GB cards (Sandisk Class 4).&nbsp; Our cards arrive pre-formatted FAT32, but if you need to reformat the cards we use the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sdcard.org\/downloads\/formatter\/index.html\"><u>SD association formatter<\/u><\/a>&nbsp;FAT32.<\/p>"},{"q":"Can I recharge my meter?","a":"<p>The&nbsp;batteries&nbsp;in our meters are not rechargeable, but they are replaceable.&nbsp; Most of our meters use a custom lithium&nbsp;battery&nbsp;and they are available from Lowell Instruments at&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/lowellinstruments.com\/products\/product-accessories\/\"><u>Accessories<\/u><\/a>.&nbsp; We recommend purchasing the&nbsp;battery&nbsp;replacement tool kit to make the process easier (the kit includes the first&nbsp;battery).<\/p>"},{"q":"How do I replace the battery on my MAT-1\/TCM-1\/TCM-3\/TCM-4 logger(s)?","a":"<p>You need a TCM-4 Battery Replacement Tool Kit. The tool kit contains a special tool that allows you to easily open the logger with minimal risk of damaging the electronics. The kit also includes the hex driver and one replacement battery (to get you started). &nbsp;If you need to replace more than one battery, get one tool kit for the first logger and additional replacement batteries for the second, third... loggers. Due to the fact that the circuit board must be removed from the logger, it is recommended that the battery be replaced in the lab\/office (not in the field). TCM-4 battery replacement instructions are&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/lowellinstruments.com\/download_files\/BRTK2_Battery_Replacement_Instructions.pdf\"><u>here<\/u><\/a>. See&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/lowellinstruments.com\/products\/product-accessories\/\"><u>Accessories<\/u><\/a>&nbsp;for additional information.<br>&nbsp;<\/p>"},{"q":"What chemistry of battery is used in the MAT-1\/TCM-X?\r\n","a":"<p>The&nbsp;batteries&nbsp;in the MAT-1\/TCM-X are lithium thionyl chloride&nbsp;batteries.&nbsp; This chemistry of&nbsp;battery&nbsp;has excellent capacity and a long shelf life, but there is a catch.&nbsp; While in storage, they develop an internal resistance called passivation. In some cases the passivation can be severe enough to brown-out the logger if installed and then immediately deployed.&nbsp; The passivation can be broken down by running the&nbsp;battery.&nbsp; To check, do a test run for a few minutes\/hours (depending on the logging settings) and check for errors (red LED and status in Domino software).&nbsp; If there are errors, repeat the test until you are all set.<br>&nbsp;<\/p>"},{"q":"How can I tell how much battery capacity is remaining?\r\n","a":"<p>It can be difficult to determine the amount of capacity remaining in partially used&nbsp;battery.&nbsp; The&nbsp;voltage&nbsp;should be ~3.65-3.75 volts, but that range is valid for the first 85-90% of capacity. (The&nbsp;voltage&nbsp;only declines in the last 10-15% of&nbsp;battery&nbsp;life.)&nbsp; So the&nbsp;voltage&nbsp;is only and indicator to the end of life, similar to the low-fuel indicator in your car. A better indication is how much data has been collected with the meters and for how long.&nbsp; A new&nbsp;battery&nbsp;can collect from 1-2.5GB of data.&nbsp; But an allowance must also be made for time that the&nbsp;battery&nbsp;was installed but not in use.&nbsp; Unless you know the&nbsp;batteries&nbsp;have been replaced and when, it is a good idea to replace them.<br>&nbsp;<\/p>"},{"q":"What are typical tilt current meter settings?\r\n","a":"<p dir=\"ltr\">To configure the TCM, make sure that both the \u201cAccelerometer\u201d and \u201cMagnetometer\u201d sensors are enabled.<\/p><p dir=\"ltr\">This is a typical setting for Coastal Bay areas.<\/p>"}],"important_information":"Requires Domino for Windows\u00ae Software (Free Download) and compatible computer. ","measurement":["Tilt\/Acceleration (water) ","Ocean Current"],"message_boxes":"294491, 1938726","not_a_sku":"0","page_type":"add-to-cart","product_family_series":"RX Family","features":"<ul><li dir=\"ltr\">30 meter depth rating<\/li><li dir=\"ltr\">Measures water velocity for a fraction of the cost of an acoustic &nbsp;meter<\/li><li dir=\"ltr\">Operates in as little as 28 cm (11 inches) of water<\/li><li dir=\"ltr\">Tilt compensated compass for bearing measurements<\/li><li dir=\"ltr\">Simple, rugged, low maintenance design<\/li><li dir=\"ltr\">User replaceable lithium battery<\/li><li dir=\"ltr\">Battery life is more than a year with 1-minute logging<\/li><li dir=\"ltr\">8 GB memory card&nbsp;virtually eliminates memory concerns<\/li><li dir=\"ltr\">Temperature sensor accurate to +\/-0.1C<\/li><li dir=\"ltr\">USB 2.0 with standard cable and drag and drop data file offload<\/li><\/ul>","product_information_tab":"294496, 1938736","product_price":"1395.00","specifications":[{"type":"Product Specifications","revision_default":"1","revision_translation_affected":"1","field_hide_in_compare":"0","field_hide_on_specs_tab":"0","field_specification_group_label":"Speed (Recommended Range)","field_specification_items":[{"type":"Product Specifications - 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Value","revision_default":"1","revision_translation_affected":"1","field_specification_measurement":[{"type":"Product Specification - Measurement","revision_default":"1","revision_translation_affected":"1","field_spec_single_value":"Not Specified"}]},{"type":"Product Specification - Value","revision_default":"1","field_specification_measurement":[{"type":"Product Specification - Measurement","revision_default":"1"}]}]},{"type":"Product Specifications - Item","revision_default":"1","field_items_indent_level":"0","field_specification_label":"Resolution","field_specification_values":[{"type":"Product Specification - Value","revision_default":"1","field_specification_measurement":[{"type":"Product Specification - Measurement","revision_default":"1","field_spec_single_value":"0.1 cm\/s"}]}]}]},{"type":"Product Specifications","revision_default":"1","revision_translation_affected":"1","field_hide_in_compare":"0","field_hide_on_specs_tab":"0","field_specification_group_label":"Direction","field_specification_items":[{"type":"Product Specifications - 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Measurement","revision_default":"1","field_spec_single_value":"0.1\u00b0"}]}]}]},{"type":"Product Specifications","revision_default":"1","revision_translation_affected":"1","field_hide_in_compare":"0","field_hide_on_specs_tab":"0","field_specification_group_label":"Temperature","field_specification_items":[{"type":"Product Specifications - Item","revision_default":"1","field_items_indent_level":"0","field_specification_label":"Range: -5 to 30 \u00b0C","field_specification_values":[{"type":"Product Specification - Value","revision_default":"1","field_specification_measurement":[{"type":"Product Specification - Measurement","revision_default":"1","field_spec_single_value":"Accuracy: 0.1 \u00b0C"}]},{"type":"Product Specification - Value","revision_default":"1","field_specification_measurement":[{"type":"Product Specification - Measurement","revision_default":"1","field_spec_single_value":"Resolution: <0.005 \u00b0C"}]}]},{"type":"Product Specifications - Item","revision_default":"1","field_items_indent_level":"0","field_specification_label":"Range: -20 to -5, 30 to 50\u00b0C","field_specification_values":[{"type":"Product Specification - 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