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[Bruce comments: This looks like a worthwhile initiative to follow up on - how about using sowacs to electronically pin-up the procedures and standards?] There seems to be some lack of attention to the notion that sensors must be standardized. By this I mean, a benchmarking methodology which isolates sensor performance. Example: Take 500 liters of # 50 quartz sand, add 300 liters of deionized water, set the sensor under evaluation in the center of this rounded or squared container full of media, and take readings for five days, twice a day. Do this with all methods, most notably the neutron probe, which has been standardized in a 500 liter barrel of tap water. If the neutron probe is not determined to be anappropriate umpire (benchmarking) methods, then show me the data sets! Nobody is showing anybody any of their standardizing data sets. Why? OK, so there are algorithm's involved to get to volumetric soil moisture content. So show me the math, baby! What should we standardize on for a container? What spread sheet are we all going to us to file the data? What about using room temperature? What about sampling error? Should we repeat process, using three different sensors? More? In the the Western US, every Bureau of Reclamation Office has 2, if not more, neutron probes in storage, collecting dust. I own my own, and will do the work on the Delta-T Theta Probe, currently marketed in the US be Dyna Max (Texas). Who will volunteer to do the others? _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]