Measuring Soil Mositure

Galileo is ideal Soil Moisture Sensor, which enables Mositure and EC checking at once. Since Galileo is a portable device, soil moisture can be checked at various places in same field.

For measuring soil moisture, avoid place where fertilizers are applied directly, which is shaded and which is very compact or very loose.

Switch on the Galileo and wait till display starts. Insert soil mositure probes, upto the length moisture is required to be checked.

Galileo probes require uniform contact with soil particles, make sure probes are properly inserted and do not distrub the measuring unit once it is inserted.

Wait for 2-5 seconds, Galileo will show Soil Mositure in percentage. After soil moistue is displayed, Soil EC will be displayed.

Do not insert Soil Temparatue Probe in soil when measuring Soil Mositure and Soil EC. Please insert Soil Temparature probe,which is connected to black wire after taking reading of Soil EC and Mositure. Inserting all three probes at once will cause faulty readings.

Measuring Soil Mositure of deeper soil zones

Galileo is capable of measuring soil moisture up to 7 inchdepth.

Since Galileo is a portable device, soil moisture can be checked at various places and depths in same field. For measuring soil mositure at depth more than 7 inches, a trench is required to be dig at proper place in field. Galileo can be inserted horizontaly from walls of the trench at various desired depths.

For measuring soil moisture, avoid place where fertilizers are applied directly, which is shaded and which is very compact or very loose.

Switch on the Galileo and wait till display starts. Insert soil mositure probes, upto the length moisture is required to be checked.

Galileo probes require uniform contact with soil particles, make sure probes are properly inserted and do not distrub the measuring unit once it is inserted.

Wait for 2-5 seconds, Galileo will show Soil Mositure in percentage. After soil moistue is displayed, Soil EC will be displayed.

Charging Galileo

Galileo is powered by poerful Li-ion battery.

Near the On/Off swith, a C type charging slot is provided.

Moible charging unit of any mobile can be used to charge Galileo.

Galileo gets fully charged in 3 to 3.5 hours. Do not keep Galileo on charging for more than 3.5 hours

If kept switched off when not in use, fully charged Galileo can be used for weeks,without charging.

No Display

If display is not powering on, battery is drained out. Charge the battery and restart Galileo.

If problem is not solved call us on +91 8329683085.

Do not try to open Galileo and change battery. Battery changing will be done by our experts,and will be free of charge from within 12 months of purchase.

Difference in soil moisture, EC readings

It is obvious that, soil of same visible appearance might show different readings at places. A marginal difference of 2 to 7% is expected due to varied soil texture, soil organic matter content and slope.

Soil texture is not uniform all over the field, which generally changes as per topography and directions of soil preparation.

Though readings are different, all are correct. For irrigation scheduling, a margin of 5 ot 7% more than PWP is already suggested.

If compared with another type of soil sensor, readings will not be exactly same. Every soil sensor works on different principles and data collected from probes is calulated on different algorithms. Every soil sensor uses their own developed constants to compensate soil salinity effect on soil moisture. A marginal difference of 2 to 5% may occur.

Do not insert Soil Temparatue Probe in soil when measuring Soil Mositure and Soil EC. Please insert Soil Temparature probe,which is connected to black wire after taking reading of Soil EC and Mositure. Inserting all three probes at once will cause faulty readings.

Plant Available Water (PWA)

Do Soil Moisture Sensors provide details about Plant Available Water (PWA)? Sadly the answer is no! No soil moisture sensors provide details about plant available water. Plant available water needs to be known from science and practice together. We cannot relay fully on science and so do experience while deciding irrigation schedule for the crop. Soil texture, Soil EC, temperature, sunlight, evaporation rate, and crop type & its growth stage are some of the important aspects to be considered while deciding irrigation schedule.

Different soil types have different levels of field capacity and permanent wilting points. Field capacity is the maximum amount of water soil can hold before losing the water by downward movement due to gravitational force and saturation. While Permanent Wilting Point is the point, water below which is not available to the crops, and due to scarcity of water, plants start dying. Water between these two ranges is called as Plant Available Water.

Assume an error of 2 to 4% due to organic matter content, fertilizer application, soil texture. Calculations are done on the base of 100. In practical soil has 45% open pore space which is occupied by water and air.

EC Reading keeps changing?

Galileo is a realtime EC, Mositure and Temparature meter. Which is protable and can be used to get readings of the field.

In laboratory,when Soil EC is checked, sample is kept agitating for sufficient period of time, to dissolve all the water soluble minerals in soil sample.

Soil EC is directly dependant on soil mositure, more the soil mositure, more minerals will get dissolved in soil. Which will eventually increase the EC readings.

In case of Galileo, EC probes are used directly in field, discarding the agitation part followed in laboratory. As the time passes, soil mositure dissovles more minerals in soil, and over a short period of time EC values keeps changing.

For taking EC readings, we advice, to keep Galileo probes inserted in soil, for 60 to 90seconds and take average of the readings.

Do not insert Soil Temparatue Probe in soil when measuring Soil Mositure and Soil EC. Please insert Soil Temparature probe,which is connected to black wire after taking reading of Soil EC and Mositure. Inserting all three probes at once will cause faulty readings.

Can Galileo be calibrated?

At Bharatbit Infocon, we belive in science. Soil Science tells that soil properties keeps chagning over a period of time, and soil is a dynamic natural body.

Further we also belive that Perfection is a Jounery and not Destination. There is always scope for improvement.

Soil EC which is highly dependant of soil mositure and temparature, keeps changing. Soil Mositure depends on soil texture, soil organic matter content, soil mineral profile, and crop grown.

At Bharatbit Infocon we have taken due care while finalizing each unit of Galileo. We calibrate it on four major soil types. We also follow the method of changing Soil EC and Moisture with pre known standards, to help us get closer to perfect readings.

Programming of Galileo follows averaging method, and buffer, standard method before showing display of readings.

However since soil vary from place to place and from time to time, it might be necessary to calibrate Galileo with known standards.

We have provided calibration facility in Galileo.

Do not try to calibrate Galileo, by comparing it with anyother Soil EC meter readings. Calibration is done using known standards. If you are comparing Galileo with another device, then we request you to please avoid doing it. Calibrating Galileo just to achieve same reading of two different machines, will cause Galileo to show faulty readings. Calibration must be done with known standrads.