The installation guide, OBS-USR-M006-R2, Solo Tank Monitoring Kit Installation Guide is available for printing and downloading.
The Help Desk article, How to Sign Up for the Observant Global Software Platform with a Solo Tank Level Monitoring Kit is also available.
If you already have an Observant Global Portfolio, remember to add your new Observant field unit to your portfolio as described in Adding New Equipment.
Installation
Your assembled kit will look like the above illustration.
Data to Record
There are three things you will want to know to be able to calibrate your Solo Tank Level Monitoring kit after its installation. You may choose to record these before proceeding with the actual installation:
- The serial number of your Solo (located on the bottom edge of the Solo.
- The distance (in inches or centimeters) from the bottom of the sensor to the bottom of the tank. (Tank height")
- The vertical distance from the bottom of the sensor to the bottom of the tank's overflow pipe. This would be the same as the distance from the sensor to the tanks contents when the tank is full ('headroom').
The Solo's serial number may be found on the bottom of the unit.
You may wish to put this information on the fold-out instructions, which came with your Tank Kit:
Parts List and Required Tools
Be sure to bring all the tools and parts listed above to the installation site.
Assembly
If the assembly of your Solo Tank Level Monitoring Kit is done in the field, pick a clean, level place and complete the assembly before taking it to the roof of the tank for installation. Be sure to check out our video of an installation available here.
- Note: in this first step just hand tighten the hardware. It will be fully secured once the mounting bracket has been installed on the tank and the post adjusted properly.
- When connecting the cable from the sensor to the Solo, note how the mating plug and socket are keyed to ensure a proper connection.
- Seat the Solo on top of its post. Using the provided Allen wrench, tighten the two Solo setscrews just enough to prevent the Solo from being dislodged during transport.
This completes the basic assembly of the Solo, Level Sensor, and Mounting Bracket. Carefully take them to the roof of the storage tank for installation. - Find a convenient location on the tank where the Solo's solar panel is free of any obstructions to sunlight. Since the sensor cannot measure any surface closer than 4" (10.2cm), the bottom of the sensor should be at least 4" above the highest level that might be measured. The sensor should be placed higher than these if there is risk of water splashes reaching it. To avoid unwanted reflections from the tank wall, be sure to drill the 2" (50 mm) hole for the sensor two feet (60 cm) or more from the edge of the tank. For liner tanks, due to the curvature of the roof, the sensor may need to be installed right in the middle of the tank to avoid reflections and accomodate the minimum 4" (10.2cm) clearance.
- Place the sensor (on the bottom of the Solo’s post) into the hole you have just drilled. Position the bracket so that the post swivels in a plane that is aligned with the center of the tank. When in position, fasten the mounting bracket to the tank with the 4 Tek screws provided. Using a level, rotate the post to a vertical position and tighten the hardware to fix it in place.
- Loosen the Solo's post-setscrews with the provided allen wrench so that it can rotate freely. Orient the Solo on its post so that its solar panel faces true south (in the northern hemisphere) or true north (in the southern hemisphere.
- Retighten the two setscrews to fix the Solo in place. The Solo's solar panel will then directly face the sun at local noon, maximizing its exposure to the Sun and, therefore, its battery charging current.
- Finally, install the three bird deterrent spikes by firmly pressing them into the sockets on the upper portion of the Solo.
This completes the installation of the Solo Tank Level Monitoring Kit.
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