Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) --
Service
FAQs have been organized into the following categories:
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Service questions (this page) |
- How often do I need to have my instrument and/or auxiliary sensors recalibrated? Can I recalibrate them myself?
- I am planning to ship my instrument to Sea-Bird for calibration and minor repairs. What is the typical turn-around time?
- I want to add an auxiliary sensor to my CTD. Assuming the auxiliary sensor is compatible with the instrument, what is the procedure?
- Do I need to remove batteries before shipping my instrument for a deployment or to Sea-Bird?
- Do I need to clean the exterior of my instrument before shipping it to Sea-Bird for calibration?
- I want to change the pressure sensor on my CTD, swapping it as needed to get the best data for a given deployment depth. Can I do this myself, or do I need to send the instrument to Sea-Bird?
- Can I brush clean and replatinize the conductivity cell myself? How often should this be done?
- I sent my conductivity sensor to Sea-Bird for calibration, and you also performed a Cleaning and Replatinizing (C&P). You sent the instrument back with 2 sets of calibration data. What does this mean?
- How can I tell if the conductivity cell on my CTD is broken?
- My auxiliary sensor (not manufactured by Sea-Bird) needs to be repaired / recalibrated. Where should I send it for servicing?
- What are Configuration Sheets, and where can I find them for my instrument?
- What is Sea-Bird's policy on upgrading instruments?
- Should I purchase spare pressure sensors for my SBE 9plus?
- What do I need to send to Sea-Bird for calibration of my SBE 9plus?
- What do I need to send to Sea-Bird for calibration of my SBE 25?
Note: See Service & Calibration for additional information.
Our Glossary page is another good source of information.
Profiling CTD ‑ recalibrate once/year, but possibly less often if used only occasionally. We recommend that you return the CTD to Sea-Bird for recalibration. (In principle, it is possible for calibration to be performed elsewhere, if the calibration facility has the appropriate equipment and training. However, the necessary equipment is quite expensive to buy and maintain.) In between laboratory calibrations, take field salinity samples to document conductivity cell drift.
Thermosalinograph ‑ recalibrate at least once/year, but possibly more often depending on the degree of bio-fouling in the water.
DO sensor ‑ recalibrate every 6 months
pH sensor ‑ recalibrate every 6 months
Transmissometer ‑ usually do not require recalibration for several years. Recalibration at the manufacturer’s factory is the most practical method.
Typically, Sea-Bird can calibrate the instrument and perform minor repairs within 3 - 4 weeks, plus shipping time. However, this may vary, depending on current backlog. Before shipping an instrument to us, obtain an RMA number (email seabird@seabird.com or call 425-643-9866) and fill out a Service Request Form, so that we know your instrument is on the way and can schedule appropriately. If time is critical, contact us before shipping to verify that we can meet your schedule.
Note: The typical 3 - 4 week turnaround does not apply to recalibrating / repairing auxiliary sensors produced by other manufacturers. Recalibration / repair of these sensors must be performed by the manufacturers. See My auxiliary sensor needs to be repaired / recalibrated below for details.
Adding the sensor(s) is reasonably straightforward:
Mount the sensor (Note: If the new sensor will be part of a pumped system, the existing plumbing must be modified; consult Sea-Bird for details.).
Attach the new cable.
Using SEATERM or SeatermAF as applicable ‑ Enable the channel(s) in the CTD, using the appropriate instrument command.
Using SEASAVE V7, SEASAVE-Win32, or SBE Data Processing ‑ Modify the CTD configuration (.con) file to reflect the new sensor, and type in the calibration coefficients.
With the following exceptions, the instrument can be shipped with the batteries installed in the housing.
Exceptions:
SBE 37-IM, -IMP, -SM, and -SMP MicroCAT, and SBE 44 Underwater Inductive Modem with Nine Standard Lithium Batteries
Sea-Bird ships these batteries outside of the instrument, not assembled in the battery pack, in a heat-sealed bag placed in bubble wrap and inside strong packaging.
If two or more of these battery sticks are assembled into the instrument’s battery pack (either inside or outside the instrument housing), they are connected in parallel and are classified as Dangerous/Hazardous Goods. The assembled battery pack does not comply with regulations requiring battery packaging test documentation and therefore MUST NOT BE SHIPPED VIA COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT, INCLUDING PASSENGER AIRLINES, OR CARGO CARRIERS SUCH AS FEDEX, DHL, UPS, ETC.
See Lithium Batteries Shipped With (along side) Equipment and Lithium Batteries Shipped as Spares in Appendix A of Lithium Battery Shipping Guidelines for packaging and labeling requirements.
DO NOT RETURN THESE USED LITHIUM BATTERIES TO SEA-BIRD. Remove the batteries from the instrument prior to shipping to Sea-Bird. If you send the batteries to Sea-Bird, we will package, label, and document them properly and return them to you. The costs for this work are not insignificant, and we will charge you a fee for handling.
SBE 51 with sixteen 3.6-volt AA Lithium Batteries (Saft LS14500)
Sea-Bird ships these batteries outside of the instrument, not assembled in the battery pack. Each set of 8 batteries is packed in heat-sealed plastic and then placed in bubble wrap and inside strong packaging.
Installing batteries in the battery holder (either inside or outside the instrument housing) forms a larger series/parallel battery pack having a total lithium content that is classified as Dangerous/Hazardous Goods. The assembled battery pack does not comply with regulations requiring battery packaging test documentation and therefore MUST NOT BE SHIPPED VIA COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT, INCLUDING PASSENGER AIRLINES, OR CARGO CARRIERS SUCH AS FEDEX, DHL, UPS, ETC.
See Lithium Batteries Shipped With (along side) Equipment and Lithium Batteries Shipped as Spares in Appendix A of Lithium Battery Shipping Guidelines for packaging and labeling requirements.
DO NOT RETURN THESE USED LITHIUM BATTERIES TO SEA-BIRD. Remove the batteries from the instrument prior to shipping to Sea-Bird. If you send the batteries to Sea-Bird, we will package, label, and document them properly and return them to you. The costs for this work are not insignificant, and we will charge you a fee for handling.
SBE 16plus, 16plus-IM, and 26 with Optional Electro Chem Lithium Batteries
As of February 2004, Sea-Bird is no longer shipping assembled Electro Chem lithium battery packs, due to changes in U.S. DOT and IATA regulations. If shipping Electro Chem cells or batteries by commercial carrier, transport them in accordance with DOT and IATA regulations. Sea-Bird cannot advise you on this matter; consult the proper authorities.
If you will be shipping your instrument to Sea-Bird for servicing or calibration, DO NOT RETURN ELECTRO CHEM LITHIUM BATTERIES TO SEA-BIRD. Remove and store the batteries for future use, or dispose of properly. If you send the batteries to Sea-Bird, we will not ship them back to you. If you cannot arrange for pick-up of the batteries at our factory, we will dispose of the batteries for you. The costs for disposal are not insignificant, and we will charge you a fee for handling.
Remove as much biological material and/or anti-foul coatings as possible before shipping. Sea-Bird cannot place an instrument with a large amount of biological material or anti-foul coating on the housing in our calibration bath; if we need to clean the exterior before calibration, we will charge you for this service.
To remove barnacles, plug the ends of the conductivity cell to prevent the cleaning solution from getting into the cell. Then soak the entire instrument in white vinegar for a few minutes.
To remove anti-foul paint, use a Heavy Duty Scotch-Brite pad (http://www.3m.com/us/home_leisure/scotchbrite/products/scrubbing_scouring.html) or similar scrubbing device.
On most of our instruments, replacement of the pressure sensor should be performed at Sea-Bird. We cannot extend warranty coverage if you replace the pressure sensor yourself.
However, we recognize that you might decide to go ahead and do it yourself because of scheduling/cost issues. Some guidelines follow:
Perform the swap and carefully store the loose sensor on shore in a laboratory or electronics shop environment, not on a ship. The pressure sensor is fairly sensitive to shock, and a loose sensor needs to be stored carefully. Dropping the sensor will break it.
Some soldering and unsoldering is required. Verify that the pressure sensor is mounted properly in your instrument. Properly re-grease and install the o-rings, or the instrument will flood.
Once the sensor is installed, back-fill it with oil. Sea-Bird uses a vacuum-back filling apparatus that makes this job fairly easy. We can provide a drawing showing the general design of the apparatus, which can be modified and constructed by your engineers.
For the most demanding work, calibrate the sensor on a deadweight tester to ensure proper operation and calibration.
Enter the calibration coefficients for the new sensor in:
the CTD configuration (.con) file, using SEASAVE V7, SEASAVE-Win32, or SBE Data Processing, and
(for an instrument with internally stored calibration coefficients) the CTD EEPROM, using SEATERM or SeatermAF (as applicable) and the appropriate calibration coefficient commands
Note: This discussion does not apply to the SBE 25, which uses a modular pressure sensor (SBE 29) mounted externally on the CTD. Swap the SBE 29 as desired, use the CC command in SEATERM or SeatermAF to enter the new pressure range and pressure temperature compensation value, and type the calibration coefficients for the new sensor into the CTD .con file in SEASAVE V7, SEASAVE, or SBE Data Processing.
Brush-cleaning and replatinizing should be performed at Sea-Bird. We cannot extend warranty coverage if you perform this work yourself.
The brush-cleaning and replatinizing process requires specialized equipment and chemicals, and the disassembly of the sensor. If performed incorrectly, you can damage the cell. Additionally, the sensor must be re-calibrated when the work is complete.
Sea-Bird determines whether brush-cleaning and replatinizing is required based upon how far the calibration has drifted from the original calibration. Typically, a conductivity sensor on a profiling CTD requires brush-cleaning and replatinizing every 5 years.
The post-cruise calibration contains important information for drift calculations. The post-cruise calibration is performed on the cell as we received it from you, and is an indicator of how much the sensor has drifted in the field. Information from the post-cruise calibration can be used to adjust your data, based on the sensor’s drift over time. See Application Note 31: Computing Temperature and Conductivity Slope and Offset Correction Coefficients from Laboratory Calibrations and Salinity Bottle Samples.
If the sensor has drifted significantly (based on the data from the post-cruise calibration), Sea-Bird performs a C & P to restore the cell to a state similar to the original calibration. After the C & P, the sensor is calibrated again. This calibration serves as the starting point for future data, and for the sensor’s next drift calculation.
The C & P tends to return the cell to its original state. However, there are many subtle factors that may result in the post-C & P calibration not exactly matching the original calibration. Basically, the old platinizing is stripped off and new platinizing is plated on. Anything in this process that alters the cell slightly will result in a difference from the original calibration. We compare the calibration after C & P with the original calibration, not to make any drift analysis, but to make sure we did not drastically alter the cell, or that the cell was not damaged during the C & P process.
Conductivity cells are made of glass, which is breakable.
If a cell is cracked, it typically causes a salinity shift or erratic data.
However, if the crack occurs at the end of the cell, the sensor will continue to function normally until water penetrates the epoxy jacket. Post-cruise calibration results will reveal whether or not water has penetrated the epoxy jacket.
Inspect the cell thoroughly and make sure that it isn’t cracked or abused in any way.
If the readings are good at the surface but erratic at depth, it is likely that the problem is in the cable or the connector, not the conductivity cell. Check the connections, making sure that you burp the connectors when you plug them in (see Application Note 57: I/O Connector Care and Installation for details on connector care and installation). Check the cable itself (if you have a spare cable, try it).
If the readings are incorrect at the surface but good after a few meters, it is likely that the problem is flow-related. Verify that the pump is working properly. Check the air bleed valve (the white plastic piece in the Y-fitting, if installed) to see if it is clogged; clean out the small hole with a piece of fine wire supplied with your CTD.
If the readings are incorrect for the entire cast, there may be an incorrect calibration coefficient or the cell may be cracked.
Check the conductivity calibration coefficients in the configuration (.con) file.
Do a frequency check on the conductivity cell. Disconnect the plumbing on the cell. Rinse the cell with distilled or de-ionized water and blow it dry (use your mouth and not compressed air, as there tends to be oil in the air lines on ships). With the cell completely dry, check the frequency reading. It should read within a few tenths of a Hz of the 0 reading on your Calibration Sheet. If it does not, something is wrong with the cell and it needs to be repaired.
Sea-Bird does not repair or recalibrate other manufacturers’ instruments that have been integrated with Sea-Bird equipment. If an auxiliary sensor needs to be repaired or recalibrated, we recommend that you send it directly to the manufacturer. If you send it to Sea-Bird, we will have to send it to the manufacturer, resulting in additional shipping (and possibly customs) expenses for you.
Note: Apparent malfunctioning of an auxiliary sensor can be caused by many things, including incorrect configuration (.con) file, incorrect instrument setup, incorrect or leaky cables, poor mounting scheme, etc.
If you are not certain that the auxiliary sensor needs to be repaired, Sea-Bird can help you troubleshoot the system by phone or e-mail at no charge.
Alternatively, if you ship us the entire system, we can troubleshoot at the factory for our standard charges. If we determine that the auxiliary sensor does need to be repaired, we will coordinate with you on shipment of the sensor to the manufacturer.
Configuration Sheets detail instrument communication settings, system configuration (auxiliary sensors, which channels are set up for which sensors), and sensor calibration coefficients.
Configuration Sheet location varies, depending on the type of instrument and when it was shipped:
Instruments that do not have internally stored calibration coefficients and/or can be configured with auxiliary sensors (e.g., SBE 911plus, 16/16plus/16plus-IM, 19/19plus, 25, 3, 4, etc.) ‑ Configuration information is on 1 or more pages near the front of the manual if the instrument has a manual, or in a binder or envelope.
Instruments that have internally stored calibration coefficients and cannot be configured with auxiliary sensors (e.g., SBE 37, 39, etc.) ‑
Shipped prior to February 2001 ‑ Configuration information is on the front cover of the manual.
Shipped after February 2001 ‑ Configuration Sheets are in a separate binder or envelope, which contains information on all the instruments that were shipped together in 1 box.
It is our policy to update firmware in instruments while they are here for calibration at no cost to the customer, but it is not our policy to routinely upgrade circuit cards. On some very old units that are being upgraded to support more external sensors, new pressure sensors, or other repairs, we sometimes discount the new circuit cards as part of the larger upgrade, as that makes the work easier for us to complete.
Most SBE 9plus users do not purchase spare pressure sensors for the following reasons:
The pressure sensor is inside the SBE 9plus main housing. It is very well protected against damage of any kind, and reliability of this sensor is extremely good.
The sensor is expensive.
It is difficult to change the sensor in the field.
It is much more common to purchase spare conductivity and temperature sensors. These are the sensors more exposed to ocean conditions and therefore more likely to be broken. It is also very easy to change them because they are independent sensors that plug into the SBE 9plus main housing.
For calibration of the temperature and conductivity sensors, only the sensor modules need to be sent to Sea-Bird. It is not necessary to send the SBE 9plus main housing. See Removing Temperature and Conductivity Sensors for Calibration for details.
It is usually not necessary to recalibrate the Digiquartz pressure sensor. Long experience has shown that the sensor’s sensitivity function almost never changes; only the offset drifts. The offset drift can easily be measured by reading deck pressure against a barometer. Generally, the offset drift is only 0.01% to 0.02% per year. This small drift is easily corrected (SEASAVE V7, SEASAVE-Win32, and SBE Data Processing provide an entry for the offset drift in the instrument .con file). However, if the sensor does need to be calibrated, it either must be removed from the SBE 9plus main housing (a fairly difficult procedure) or the entire CTD must be shipped to Sea-Bird.
For calibration of the temperature, conductivity, and/or pressure sensors, only the sensor modules need to be sent to Sea-Bird. It is not necessary to send the SBE 25 main housing. See Removing Temperature and Conductivity Sensors for Calibration for details.
Last modified: 06 Apr 2007
Sea-Bird Home Phone: 425-643-9866 Fax: 425-643-9954 E-mail: seabird@seabird.com
