YSI 9600 - Manual (Page 44)

SECTION 5 USING THE 9600 IN THE FIELD
5.1 PICKING A DEPLOYMENT SITE
Because of its relatively large size, selection of sites for deployment of the 9600 is likely to require more care
than for deployment of smaller water quality instruments such as YSI 6-series sondes. The key requirement
for the deployment site is that the ENTIRE ANALYZER MUST BE IMMERSED for the instrument to
function correctly. Total immersion of the analyzer assures that the reagents are at the same temperature as
the water being analyzed and is necessary for the quoted accuracy specification to be met.
The analyzer can be deployed in either an upright position with its inlet port “up” or in a horizontal position
with its inlet port on the side. For the upright position, approximately 3 feet of water is required to immerse
the inlet filter and provide a “cushion” to make sure that the inlet port remains under water during changes in
water level. For the horizontal position, approximately 18 inches of water is required to take into account the
same concern and provide a margin of safety.
For vertical deployments with the inlet port in the “up” position, the 9600 can either be suspended by a rope or
chain attached to the bail or can be placed on the bottom of the water body and kept in place by stakes driven
into the bottom around the outer shell of the instrument. Note that the 9600 should NOT be suspended from
the cable alone for deployments where a cable is left attached to an instrument during the study.
CAUTION: Do NOT attach deployment ropes or chains to the handle of the BATTERY
COMPARTMENT. This part is NOT designed to withstand the acute stresses that can sometimes
occur during field deployments. When transporting the unit, be certain to carry it BY THE BAIL.
For horizontal deployments, a rope or chain (user-supplied) can be attached to the two eyebolts on the side of
the 9600 outer shell and then a separate rope or chain can be attached to the MIDDLE of the first rope or
chain to suspend the analyzer. The 9600 can also be placed on the bottom and kept in place with stakes
driven into the bottom on the edges of the analyzer, but the unit MUST be placed so that the eyebolts are in
the “up” position for proper function of the detector cell no matter whether a 9100-02 (2 mm cell) or 9600-10
(10 mm cell) is deployed.
Generally, the vertical deployment is most convenient if there is sufficient water at the site to allow total
submersion of the instrument under these conditions. Advantages of the vertical deployment include the
ability to use the existing bail for suspension deployments and easier access to the communication connector
(for data upload) and the inlet filter (for cleaning or changing under heavy fouling conditions).
5.2 POWERING THE 9600 DURING A DEPLOYMENT
As noted above, users have basically three choices for supplying power to the nitrate monitor during
deployment:
• An internal battery pack that contains 14 alkaline D cells with an output voltage of approximately 10.5
volts. One of these packs is supplied with each nitrate monitor and replacements are available from
YSI as Model Number 9611.
• A power supply (Model Number 9689) which will automatically convert line voltages of 90 to 264 to
12 VDC and allows for the use of line input cords from most countries worldwide. The Model 9689 is
supplied with an American/Canadian cord. Note that, while physically compatible with the 9600
cables, other YSI power supplies such as the 6037, 6038, and 6123 should NOT be used with the 9600
since they do not supply enough amperage to operate the pumps correctly.
YSI Environmental 44 Model 9600 Nitrate Monitor