Reliable Soil Insight
Meet the HydraProbe®. A rugged soil sensor with patented technology to measure the three most significant soil parameters—moisture, electrical conductivity and temperature. The HydraProbe® is the most scientifically researched soil sensor available and is depended on by the USDA, NOAA, farmers, leading irrigation companies, and universities for over 25 years. It has been engineered to handle the terrain you want to measure and provides data you can trust year after year.
The Science Behind HydraProbe®
HydraProbe® was originally developed by the physics department at Dartmouth College. It’s “dielectric impedance” measurement principle differs from TDR, capacitance, and frequency soil sensors by taking into account the energy storage and energy loss across the soil area using a 50 MHz radio frequency wave.
Unlike other soil sensors, this unique, patented method separates the energy storage (real dielectric permittivity) from the energy losses (imaginary dielectric permittivity). Complex mathematical computations performed by an onboard microprocessor process the reflected signal measurements to accurately determine the soil’s dielectric permittivities—the key parameters behind the soil moisture and bulk EC measurement.
The HydraProbe®’s detailed mathematical and signal characterization of the dielectric spectrum helps factor out errors in the soil moisture measurement such as temperature effects, errors due to salinity, and soil type. Low inner-sensor variability means there is no need for sensor-specific calibrations.
This method has passed the most rigorous scientific peer review from dozens of journals such as the Vadose Zone Journal, American Geophysical Union, and The Journal of Soil Science Society of America.
Strong, non-bending, non-corrosive stainless steel tines
Fully potted electronics—immersible in water.
Durable 18 gauge, UV-resistant high-density polyethylene cable can remain buried or be exposed to the elements.
Maintains accuracy for years with no calibration.
Patented Sensor Technology
HydraProbe uses unique “Coaxial Impedance Dielectric Reflectometry” to provide consistent long-term accuracy of moisture, salinity and temperature in any soil type. This also provides low inter-sensor variability, so every sensor measures the same without the need to calibrate.
REAL PERMITTIVITY
IMAGINARY PERMITTIVITY
PORE WATER EC
Reliable
Continual, long-term data without calibration.
Accurate
Consistent research-grade accuracy every season, every location.
Simple
Forget calibrating, ignore the soil type. Just set it and forget it.
Rugged
Durable stainless steel tines, fully potted components and a 5-year warranty.
Reliable
Continual, long-term data without calibration.
- Stable—no sensor drift, ensuring continual accuracy.
- Patented technology that accurately measures moisture and electrical conductivity permits more accurate optimization of watering and fertilization than with just moisture.
- Depended on by the USDA, NOAA, leading irrigation companies, and many universities for over 20 years. Used by NASA for ground truthing of satellite-based soil imaging.
- Soil moisture calibration has been rigorously peer-reviewed, making it one of the most trusted soil sensors available.
Accurate
Consistent research-grade accuracy every season, every location.
- Unparalleled spatial and temporal measurement consistency. No sensor-to-sensor variations across locations, seasons, soil types or moisture range.
- Instant measurement of the 3 most significant soil parameters simultaneously—moisture, salinity and temperature.
- Unlike most TDR or capacitance-based sensors, HydraProbe is less sensitive to changes in temperature, salinity, and soil mineralogy.
Simple
Forget calibrating, ignore the soil type. Just set it and forget it.
- Repeatable accuracy and stability without the need for calibration in most soils.
- Digital sensor using the SDI-12 protocol—no setup, just connect to data logger. Compatible with any SDI-12 capable data logger.
- Zero maintenance required.
Rugged
Durable stainless steel tines, fully potted components and a 5-year warranty.
- Can remain in-situ indefinitely, or relocated and redeployed without worry.
- Ideal for remote locations, harsh environments and applications where data is critical.
- Enables measurement of native (undisturbed) soil, even hard-packed clay.
- Industry-leading 5-year warranty.
HydraProbe PROFESSIONAL
The HydraGO lets you take HydraProbe to go.
For HydraProbe PROFESSIONAL
- VWC (% Moisture)
- Temperature (°C / °F)
- Electrical Conductivity (EC)
- Pore Water EC
- Thermal compensation
- 5 standard soil calibrations
- Custom calibrations can be programed into the sensor
- 5 year warranty
- Operating temperature: 40°C to 75°C
Take soil measurements anywhere, without the effort or expense of setting up a permanent soil monitoring system. Your smartphone communicates wirelessly with the HydraGO using Bluetooth.
Simply insert the probe into the soil, and tap on the “Sample” button in the app. The location of each measurement is recorded along with the soil measurement data. All data can be saved and emailed as a .CSV for analysis in Excel.
Technical Specifications
MEASUREMENT | ACCURACY | RANGE | RESOLUTION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real dielectric permittivity (isolated) | ± 0.5% or ± 0.2 dielectric units | 1 to 80 where 1 = air, 80 = distilled water | 0.001 |
| Soil moisture for inorganic & mineral soil | ± 0.01 WFV for most soils ± 0.03 max for fine textured soils* | From completely dry to fully saturated (from 0% to 100% of saturation) | 0.001 |
| Bulk electrical conductivity | ± 2.0% or 0.02 S/m whichever is typically greater | 0 to 1.5 S/m | 0.001 |
| Pore Water EC | N/A | must have > 0.10 wfv | 0.001 |
| Temperature | ± 0.3°C | -40°C to +75°C | 0.1°C |
| Inter-sensor variability | ± 0.012 WFV (θ m3 m-3) | n/a | |
ELECTRICAL AND COMMUNICATION |
|||
SDI-12 | RS-485 | Modbus |
|
| Power supply | 9-16 VDC | 9-16 VDC | 9-16 VDC |
| Power consumption | 1 mA idle / 25 mA active | 2.5 mA idle / 25 mA active | 2.5 mA idle / 25 mA active |
| Cable | 3-wire: power, ground, data | 4-wire: power, ground, com+, com- | 4-wire: power, ground, A, B |
| Max. cable length | 60 m (197 ft.) | 1,219 m (4,000 ft.) | 1,219 m (4,000 ft.) |
| Non-spliced: 304.8 m (1,000 ft.) | Non-spliced: 304.8 m (1,000 ft.) | ||
| Baud Rate | 1200 | 9600 | 1200-115200 9600 (default) |
| Communication protocol | SDI-12 Standard v. 1.2 | Custom or open spec | Modbus RTU |
ENVIRONMENTAL |
|||
| Operating temperature range | -40°C to +75°C** | ||
| Storage temperature range | -40°C to +75°C | ||
| Water resistance | Tolerates continuous full immersion | ||
| Cable | 18 gauge (SDI-12) / 22 gauge (RS-485 and Modbus), UV resistant, direct burial | ||
| Vibration and shock resistance | Excellent; potted components in PVC housing and 304 grade stainless steel tines | ||
| * Accuracy may vary with some soil textures. ** Temperature Test Certificate from -40°C to 75°C available | |||
PHYSICAL |
|||
| Length | 4.9” (124 mm) | ||
| Diameter | 1.6” (42 mm) | ||
| Weight | 7 oz. (200 g) Optional slim housing version available: 6.5 oz. (184 g) | ||
| Cable weight | 0.86 oz/ft (80g/m) | ||
| Sensing volume | Length: 2.2” (5.7 cm) | ||
| (cylindrical region) | Diameter: 1.2” (3.0 cm) | ||
* Accuracy may vary with some soil textures.
** Temperature Testing Certificate available.
Ordering Infomation
PART # | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| 56012-02 / 56485-02 / 56585-02 | HydraProbe ( Professional ) with 25’ (7.62 m) cable, SDI-12 / RS-485 / Modbus |
| 56012-04 / 56485-04 / 56585-04 | HydraProbe ( Professional ) with 50’ (15.24 m) of cable, SDI-12 / RS-485 / Modbus |
| 56012-06 / 56485-06 / 56585-06 | HydraProbe ( Professional ) with 100’ (30.48 m) of cable, SDI-12 / RS-485 / Modbus |
| 56000-TST | Temperature Test Certificate |
Downloads
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Download the Stevens Soil Resource Guide
Written by the soil experts at Stevens, our soil resource guide contains a wealth of information and will benefit anyone involved with soil. Whether you’re a soil scientist, a farmer or a soil researcher, this 52 page book is a fantastic reference and source of up-to-date theories, practices and advice.
Inside:
Soil Geomorphology
Soil Properties
Salinity / Electrical Conductivity (EC)
Dielectric Permittivity
Soil Monitoring Applications
Soil Moisture and Irrigation
Soil Sensor Technologies
Soil Sensor Calibration
Sensor Accuracy
…and much more!
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Scientific Studies
| Title | Main Author | Pub. Date | Jornal Reference | Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dielectric Loss and Calibration of the HydraProbe Soil Water Sensor | Seyfried, M. S. | 2005 | Seyfried, M. S., L. E. Grant, E. Du, and K. Humes, Dielectric Loss and Calibration of the HydraProbe Soil Water Sensor | Derivation of the HydraProbe's general soil moisture calibration |
| Estimating root zone soil moisture at distant sites using MODIS NDVI and EVI in a semi arid region of southwestern USA | Schnur, M. T. | 2010 | Ecological Informatics. doi:10.1016 / j.ecoinf.2010.05.001 | Using HydraProbe soil sensor to assess regional effects on vegetation and root zone soil moisture in arid lands. |
| The NOAA Hydrometeorology Testbed Soil Moisture Observing Networks: Design, Instrumentation, and Preliminary Results | Zamora, R. J. | 2011 | Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 28, 1129-1140. doi:10.1175/201OJTECHA1465.1 | Using HydraProbe to forecast floods and assess flood risk. |
| Evaluation of Lichtenecker's Mixing Model for Predicting Permittivitty of Soil at 50 MHz | Leao, T. P., E. P. | 2015 | American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, 58 (1), 83-91. doi:10.13031/trans.58.1 0720 | Dielectric Mixing and dielectric permittivity of heterogeneous materials. |
| Soil Moisture for Hydrlogical Applications: Open Questions and New Opportunities | Brocca, L. C. | 2017 | Advances in Hydro-Meteorological Monitoring, Special Issue of Water, 9 (140). doi:10.3390/w9020140 | Soil moisture and its effect on climate, drought and regional weather. |
| Climate Models Predict Increasing Temperature Variability in Poor Countries | Bathiany, S. V. | 2018 | Science Advances, 4(5). doi:10.1126/sciadv.aar5809 | Using soil moisture measurements to make improved climate models. |
| Incorporating Antecedent Soil Moisture into Streamflow Forecasting | Abdoul Oubeidillah | 2019 | Hydrology 2019, 6(2), 50 | Monitoring soil moisture to improve streamflow predictions. |
| Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Compact Polarimetry for Soil Moisture Retrieval | Amine Merzouki, Heather McNairn | 2019 | Remote Sens. 2019, 11, 2227 | Examining whether Compact Polarimetry can accurately estimate surface soil moisture over bare fields. |
