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Interesting stuff, sounds like a new "black art". What has been published on this.....supply some peer review references please....or do we have to take the word of the supplier alone? In reviewing your website I don't see anything but indirect testimonials. Where is the field test data to support the comments? How do you calibrate for the variations in compaction that result from "rolling" these cables in. How do you deal with compaction variables associated with burial after hand installation. What about the variables associated with root growth if you bury these cables in a root zone? After four years of "ever more" in the way of surprises I am quite cautious when someone introduces a new indirect method of measuring soil water content. By the way, compacted to 50% "of what".....is that 50% more than it was, 50% of maximum possible, what?? If someone is willing to bury a sensor why would they use a cable? I suggest they look at Gro-Point (www.esica.com) if they are willing to dig holes. There are several variations of this TDT technology.....different sensor geometries. We also offer a controller for irrigation valves. This device has a long history of field use, all over the world, it will work in a broad range of soils, there is test data available, it dosn't have cable length limitations (to the logger or controller), it is supported worldwide now, the measured volume is greater than 10 litres of soil (in some cases up to 20), and it is quite cheap. We sell hundreds of them, and about 3000 are already installed throughout Europe, North America, Australia, Japan, etc. They are a standard sensor in AgMet applications with several companies. Why is your sensor any better? What does it cost? I look forward to speaking with you at the Irrigation Conference. Regards, John Johnston - ESI (USA) At 07:42 AM 8/4/98 GMT, you wrote: >NOTE: To get off this list, send email to majordomo@aqua.ccwr.ac.za >with the body of the message containing the line: >unsubscribe sowacs > >4th August 1998 > >Dear Richard (Mead) and Rob (Wells) > >Richard's request for information on "moisture widgets" coupled with Rob's >entertaining response prompt Streats Instruments Ltd to bring to your >attention the newly released Aquaflex soil moisture sensing technology. >(see our web site www.streats.co.nz and look under "soil") > >[A link has been added from the sowacs tdr sensor page] > >The Aquaflex technology is based on transmission line technology similar to >TDR except that we don't have the "R" (reflectance) of TDR. Aquaflex uses >some different principles of transmission line technology which enable <SNIP>