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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 Aquaflex to simultaneously measure soil conductivity and soil temperature in addition to soil moisture content, and to use this conductivity and temperature data to adjust the soil moisture readings to improve moisture measurement accuracy. In addition to the above enhanced accuracy of Aquaflex relative to traditional TDR, Aquaflex's key feature is its ability to measure the AVERAGE soil moisture around a 10ft long (3 metre) sensor cable, with a cross section of this volume being about 60mm x 40mm, giving a total measurement volume of around 5.6 litres. In this way Aquaflex spatially averages soil moisture, removing the localised variations in soil moisture content. A further major benefit is the robustness of Aquaflex. The sensors are built tough! We've installed them in uncompacted clay cricket pitches then rolled them with 8 tonne rollers, resulting in a 50% compaction of the pitch but no damage to the sensors. We've stood on them, dropped them from two stories high onto concrete, and still they keep working. The sensors are flexible so can be curved around the root zone of a tree, and as they are in the form of a narrow ribbon of cable, they can be very easily "slotted" into turf such as golf greens. Aquaflex only became commercially available in April this year and the Aquaflex distributors are rapidly establishing reference sites in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. See Streats web site for contacts in each country. I don't want to go on too long about Aquaflex as this is not intended to be a commercial but is simply intended to bring Aquaflex to your attention for your article. In addition to our web site you can visit the Fountainhead Web Site (www.irrig8.com) and look under "Aquaflex" or see Aquaflex at the Fountainhead stand at the IA show in San Diego. Please contact me if you require further information on Aquaflex. Regards Dr Phil Driver p.driver@streats.co.nz Business Development Manager Streat Instruments Ltd 3 Burdale St Christchurch, New Zealand Ph 64 3 348 2809, fax 64 3 348 6256