CS516-QD

Fuel temperature is measured by inserting the thermistor-based 107 probe inside of the CS205 dowel. Dowel replacement is recommended every spring; more frequent replacement may be required in some environments (i.e., those with a large number of wet/dry cycles).

The CS506 Fuel Moisture Sensor consists of an epoxy-encapsulated electronics package. It uses Time Domain Reflectometry to measure the moisture content of the USFS-specified, 10-hour, ponderosa pine dowel. No artificial materials (e.g., epoxy sealant) are added to the dowel that would adversely influence the natural behavior characteristics of it. Because the complete dowel surface is accessible for moisture exchange, the response of the CS506 is similar to that of the traditional weighing racks.

To optimize probe-to-probe repeatability and to allow probe interchangeability without individual calibration, two additional sorts are performed on the dowels before they are selected to be used as a sensor. First, the dowels are sorted dry by density to improve accuracy in the dry range of 0 to 15%. Second, the dowels are sorted after a 50-minute soak by weight to reduce probe-to-probe time response variation and minimize variability in the wet range of 20 to 50%.