USER’S GUIDE

FOR

8210

BUBBLER

WATER LEVEL

GAUGE

FOR

HYDROGRAPHIC 

SURVEYING

APPLICATIONS

(Installation and Operation)

Prepared by

Pacific Regional Office of 

 Field Operations Division and

Requirements and Development Division

of

Center for Operational Oceanographic

Products and Services

National Ocean Service

National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

February 2001
TABLE OF CONTENTS

BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND GENERAL DESCRIPTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 1

INTRODUCTION TO THE 8210 HYDRO GAUGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2

Main Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2

Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2

Outer Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3

8210 Water Level Gauge Side View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4

The Pressure Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5

Valves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5

Flow Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5

Differential Flow Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6

Directional Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6

System Tie-Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6

Electrical and Pressure Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6

Wiring and Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7

GOES Radio Transmitter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8

Nitrogen supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 9

Orifice connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 9

Laptop connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 9

Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10

START-UP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 11

Sutron 8210 Data Collection Platform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 11

Bubbler Control Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 11

8210 Gauge GOES Capability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 13

SITE VISITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14

Staff Observations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14

Battery Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14

Data Retrieval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14

Data Retrieval - Direct Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 14

Data Display - Direct Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 15

Sutron-Authored Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 16

PCMCIA Card Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 17

Downloading Data to a PCMCIA (Ram) Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 17

To Download . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 18

To View Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 18

8210 MENUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 19

Configure Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 21
APPENDIX A 

GUIDELINES FOR OPERATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF HYDRO GAGES

WITH GOES CAPABILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A1

Transmitting data using GOES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A1

1. Assignment of platform IDs and station numbers for tide station installations:

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A1

2. Record and documentation requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A1

3. Removal of tide stations and reinstallation of gauges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2

APPENDIX B

8210 SOFTWARE NAVIGATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1

SYSTEM SETUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B2

APPENDIX C

PROBLEMS WITH EQUIPMENT OR STATIONS DATA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C1

APPENDIX D

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D1

APPENDIX E

PNEUMATIC CONNECTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E1

APPENDIX F

CHANGING THE NITROGEN TANK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1

APPENDIX G

GAUGE PRESSURE PARAMETERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G1

APPENDIX H

SWAGELOK INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H1
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 Page 1

Figure 1: 8210 Hydrographic Water Level Gauge

BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The 8210 Hydrographic Water Level Gauge was developed to replace the 8200 Digital

Water Level Gauge. The new gauge consists of a Sutron 8210 Data Collection Platform (DCP)

with a GOES transmitter and a built-in pressure manifold and flow meter assembly and is incased

in a Pelican model 1200 equipment case. The new gauge is designed to allow the lid to be

opened in an inclement weather without endangering the electronics inside the case. The 8210 is

equipped with a GOES radio transmitter to transmit tidal data to NOS headquarters at Silver

Spring, Maryland, via GOES satellite through the National Environmental Satellite and Data

Information Service (NESDIS) facility at Wallops Island, for quality control and analyses.

The development of the 8210 hydrographic water level gauge is a continuing

improvement process of development of Sutron 8200 gauges which were used in the past for the

hydrographic survey applications, and cooperative efforts from the Requirements and

Development Division (RDD) at Silver Spring, Maryland, the Pacific Regional Office (PRO) at

Seattle, Washington, of the Field Operations Division (FOD), both of the Center for Operational

Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS), the NOAA Ship Rainier, and the Sutron

Corporation. Close interaction among all parties involved has resulted in measurement system

modifications by taking into account suggestions and comments from the field user, and

maintaining the measurement performance and system compatibility required for data analysis.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 Page 2

The hydro gauge measures tides utilizing back pressure from a bubblier orifice installed

just below the lowest observed water level. The back pressure is measured using a ParoScientific

Pressure Sensor (PAROS). The pressure and feed are controlled with a constant differential flow

controller. The flow rate is adjusted using a flow control needle valve and a flow meter. Gas

connections to and from the tide gauge utilize quick connect snap lock fittings that close when

the connection is removed. This keeps a positive pressure inside the manifold assembly at all

times. 

The Pelican case lid is vented through a small hole drilled through the lid. This allows

the PAROS sensor to compensate for changes in barometric pressure outside the case. The lower

compartment uses a bidirectional purge valve that will open when there is a pressure change of

one psi or more either inside or outside the case. This will protect the gauge from exploding in

the event of a gas leak in the lower compartment and will depressurize the case when transported

by aircraft.

General procedures on system installation and operation are summarized in this

document. Each gauge enclosure contains a few pages of brief operating instructions

summarized from this manual which provide information regarding setup parameters for the

Sutron 8210 DCP, a log sheet for recording field visits, operational problems and/or services

such as battery replacement, etc.

INTRODUCTION TO THE 8210 HYDRO GAUGE

Main Parts

The hydro gauge components are mounted on three panel sections. The 8210 main

section contains the 8210 electronics board and the GOES transmitter. The interconnect section

contains the interconnect board, the RS-232 connector, and the two waterproof fuse holders. 

The gas purging section holds the PAROS pressure sensor, a net envelope used for holding

dehumidification packets, and the plumbing for the gas purging system.

Fuses

There are two AGC 6 amp fuses on the front panel of the tide gauge. One is connected to

the battery line, and the other is connected to the solar panel. The 8210 electronics panel has two

additional fuses, one is in a fuse holder which provides power to the GOES radio transmitter, and

the other is on the interconnect board.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 Page 3

Figure 2: Front Panel of 8210 Hydro Gauge

Outer Case

The case is an O-ring sealed, water resistant, durable plastic case. Though it is not

designed to do so, it will float if dropped overboard. The power connector is a four-pin water

resistant connector which connects to the battery boxes. The 8210 gauge uses two 12-volt 26

Amp Hr batteries. The batteries are connected in parallel with a four-conductor 5-foot cable. 

Each battery box has two connectors wired in parallel, either will provide power to the 8210. 

The remaining connector is used to daisy-chain the batteries together and on the last battery case

connect to the 20-watt solar panel using a 20-foot four-conductor cable. The solar power when a

solar panel is utilized, provides power to the 8210 gauge. The Antenna connector is a type “N”

female connector. All of the connectors have protective caps. This cap should cover the

connectors whenever the connectors are not used.

Changing the Display Brightness:

The brightness of the display can be changed by pressing the

“SET” button when the message Sutron 8210 GS49 is

displayed The best time to do this is immediately after turning

the display on. Each time “SET” is pressed the brightness will

change.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 Page 4

Figure 4: Batteries and Connections

Figure 3: Side view of the 8210 gauge

Battery Connector MS3106E14s-2s

Pins Wire Color Termination

A-------------------Red----------- Battery +

D-------------------Black---------Battery -

B-------------------White---------Solar Panel +

C-------------------Green---------Solar Panel -

8210 Water Level Gauge Side View

 
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 Page 5

Figure 5: Front of Pressure Control Panel

Figure 6: Back View of Pressure Control Unit

The Pressure Control Panel

There are four valves on the

Pressure Control Panel, viz the

inlet valve, the bypass valve, outlet

valve, and the flow control valve. 

In addition to the valves there is

also a vent port and a flow meter.

On the back side of the Pressure

Control Panel is the Moore

Differential Flow Controller, the

PAROS Pressure Sensor,

Directional Filter, and Quick

Disconnect Fittings which allows

easy removal of the panel.

Valves

• The inlet valve is used to open and close the gas flow to the orifice. It is normally open

and would be closed when changing the nitrogen cylinder. 

• The bypass valve is used to shunt around the manifold assembly. This valve is used to

quickly purge the water out of the bubbler tube and must be closed during data collection.

• The Flow control valve is used to control the gas flow rate. The greater the tidal range,

the larger the required flow. The 8210 tide gauge must be in the upright position to set

the flow rate. Once the flow rate is set with it’s needle valve, the gauge can be positioned

at any angle.

Flow Meter

The 8210 gauge uses a Cole Parmer 0-51 ml/min flow meter to set the flow rate. The

scale on the glass tube is simply the length of the tube and does not relate to milliliters. 

However, all values stated in this manual will refer to the numbers printed on the glass tube. 
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 Page 6

Differential Flow Controller

The Moore constant differential flow controller maintains a constant gas flow rate over a

continually adjustable flow range as set by the flow control valve.

Directional Filter

The directional filter is used to prevent back flow, in the event that the nitrogen gas line is cut or

removed from the gas regulator. This will allow the tide gauge to continue to operate for several

hours without loss of data, or till the gauge can be fixed, if applicable. 

System Tie-Down

The 8210 water level tide gauge can be operated laying flat on its back. The only time

this gauge needs to be in an upright position is to set the flow rate as stated above. Several

attachment points are available on the bubbler system enclosure for tie-downs at the field site. 

Metal brackets are provided with each system which can be bolted to each corner on the rear of

the enclosure. A carrying handle is located at the right side of the enclosure. Looping cable

through this handle on the side would provide a tie-down point for the enclosure. Locks should

be used to secure the gauge and can also be used for tide down points. 

Electrical and Pressure Connections

All external connections are located near the handle of the enclosure. Connection of the

tide gauge to the nitrogen supply and to the orifice line during deployment requires the use of

Swagelok® quick disconnect fittings. The orifice fitting uses a red male fitting with a stainless

steel Swagelok® tube fitting on the other end. A 3/4 and 11/16-inch wrench is required to

tighten this fitting. Nitrogen supply hose is provided with a female quick disconnect fitting

attached to it.

Caution: Excessive torque in making these connections must be avoided. See Appendix H

instructions and drawing of Swagelok® fittings. 

Note the difference between new installation (one and one-quarter turns past finger tight for 1/4-

inch and larger tubing sizes) and re-tightening (only one-quarter turn past finger tight). 

Caution: Tightening beyond these points will damage the mating surfaces, and result in a gas

leak.

The polyethylene orifice tubing could be extended or repaired by joining two pieces using

a Swagelok® Splice fitting. In order to avoid leaks, be sure that the tubing ends are cut square

and smooth, and the tubing is free from scratches in the area that will be inserted into the fitting.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 Page 7

Figure 8: Interconnect and CPU Board

Figure 7: Interconnect board

Wiring and Connections

SDI-12 to D9 pin Connector

Pin Wire Color D9 Connector Female

5--------------------------Yellow-----------------------------5 Signal and Power Ground

6--------------------------White-------------------------------9 Power 6 to 16 VDC @15ma

7--------------------------Brown------------------------------2 SDI-12 Data

RS-232 --------------ITT Cannon MS3112E-10-6S-----------------Wire Color

A--------------------Not used

2-----------------------B---------------------TXD-------------------------Red

3-----------------------C---------------------RXD------------------------Green

4-----------------------D---------------------DSR-------------------------Blue
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 Page 8

Figure 9: GOES Transmitter and CPU Board

Figure 10: GOES transmitter 

GOES Radio Transmitter

GOES Radio Fail-safe

The fail-safe circuitry is designed to prevent transmitters from

jamming a channel. The fail-safe limits both the length of

transmissions and the time between consecutive transmissions.

The fail-safe circuit is normally reset from either the front

panel, a laptop computer, or by the push-buttons on the front

panel of the 8210. To reset the fail-safe from the front panel

or PC, you must go to the Main Menu\Recording field. If this

field includes “FT” the fail-safe is tripped. To reset the failsafe condition, press “SET” or “R” in the PC menu several

times until the “FT” is deleted. Normally what you will see on

the display is recording status “OFF&FT” and it will toggle to

“OFF”. Typically you will not have to reset the transmitter

with the reset switch in the GOES transmitter board.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 Page 9

Nitrogen supply

The nitrogen supply connection uses a 1/4-inch stainless steel Swagelok® quick

disconnect fitting. If the new gas supply hose (Swagelok® fittings on both ends) is used,

it will require installation of a female quick disconnect fitting and a hose-to-pipe fitting to

the nitrogen regulator. No other hose or fitting should be used. 

Orifice connection

The orifice connection is a 1/4-inch stainless steel quick disconnect Swagelok®

fitting to a 3/8-inch tube to tube fitting using about 12 inch section of bubbler tubing

which forms a pigtail. This provides a sacrificial piece of tubing that can be terminated

many times if the 3/8-inch connector is damaged or needs to be replaced, without having

to replace the more expensive quick disconnect fitting. If connection of the orifice tubing

is a new installation, it will require swaging a new ferrule cap to the tubing that goes to

the orifice. It is preferable to make this "new installation" by using a spare or old 3/8-

inch Swagelok® fitting to swage the ferrules and cap onto the bubbler tubing; then

connect this pre-swaged tubing to the pigtail fitting.

Note: Remember it only requires a one and one-quarter turns past finger tight to swage a

ferrule to the tubing.

Laptop connection

For the initial installation, it is not necessary to connect the laptop computer. 

However, when the computer is used for data retrieval, it connects to the gauge via the

round ITT Cannon connector on the interconnect board cover using the same cable used

to communicate with the Sutron 9000 DCP. One cable is provided with each 8210. The

other end of the cable connects to the "Serial COM Port" connector located on the back of

the computer.

PT06A-10-6P (SR) RS-232 D-9 Pin Connector

a---------------------------System Ground--------Shield --------------NC

b---------------------------TXD---------------------White----------------2

c---------------------------RXD---------------------Orange---------------3

d---------------------------DSR---------------------Green---------------- 4

e---------------------------Data Ground------------Black-----------------5

f-------------------------------------------------------RED------------------8 Not Used
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 Page 10

Figure 11: 8210 Battery test without solar panel

Batteries

The two 12-volt 26-Amp Hr rechargeable batteries, which power the gauge, will

operate the gauge for approximately 60 days without the solar panel as shown above in

the Figure 11. In this test case a solar panel was not connected to the 8210 gauge and two

tests were conducted; First using a single battery and then two batteries. The figure 11

shows that one fully charged battery will provide power to the 8210 gauge for

approximately 30 days; and two fully charged batteries will provide power for 60 days

without solar panel. In General, for most installations, solar panel should be used in

addition to batteries. When the battery voltage drops below 12.0 volts, it should be

replaced with a freshly charged battery. At 10.5 volts the GOES transmitter will trip its

Fail Safe trigger and quit transmitting. If the battery voltage drops below 9.5 volts, the

system will fail to operate. 

Note: Allowing a lead acid battery to operate close to being completely discharged ( < 11

volts) reduces its life ultimately.

A gel-cell battery has a life expectancy of 5 years. Batteries older than 5 years

must be replaced. All new batteries should be marked with the date they were put into

service. 

The internal lithium RAM backup battery that is located on the CPU board inside

the chassis of the 8210, has a minimum life of one year, and should be replaced if the

voltage is less than 2.8 volts. The Pacific Regional Office of CO-OPS tests this battery

prior to each field season.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 Page 11

START-UP

Sutron 8210 Data Collection Platform 

The 8210 Data Collection Platform should be configured for measurement and recording

prior to deployment in the field. Thus, the only steps that will be required for the 8210 to start

logging data during system installation in the field are (a) install the nitrogen cylinder and orifice,

(b) connect the batteries, (c) check the system date and time, and (d) insure that recording is on.

1. To connect the batteries, connect the battery cable connectors to both the battery boxes

and the 8210. They should form a chain starting with the solar panel, to the second

battery box, to the first battery box, which connects to the 8210. The 8210 should power

up and perform a self-test as soon as power is applied. Even though the gauge will work

with one battery box attached, generally, two battery boxes are recommended for data

collection.

2. The date and time of the 8210 should be checked and reset if necessary. Press "ON/OFF"

button to activate the display. Press the "DOWN" arrow twice to display the date. If the

date needs to be changed, press the "SET" button then use the "UP", "DOWN", "LEFT",

"RIGHT" arrows and the "SET" button to adjust the date. Once the date has been set,

press the "DOWN" to display the time and adjust it, if necessary, using the same

technique as for the date. The time should be referenced to UTC (Universal Coordinated

Time or Greenwich Mean Time) and must be set to the correct second. UTC time is 8

hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time, 9 hours ahead of Alaska Standard Time, and 5

hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.

3. Verify that 8210 has recording enabled by pressing the "DOWN" arrow once after setting

the time. The display should indicate "Recording ON & TX". If recording is off, press,

"SET" to enable recording. If the 8210 had some part of the system set up changed,

recording will automatically be set to off.

Bubbler Control Unit

The following steps describe start-up procedures for the bubbler control unit; valve

identifications correspond to labels on this unit.

1. Before opening the nitrogen cylinder valve, make sure that the bubbler outlet valve is

OPEN and the inlet valve is CLOSED. The nitrogen pressure regulator, low pressure

control valve should be set to minimum pressure (turned fully counterclockwise).

Note: Closing the inlet and outlet valves protects the pressure sensor from over-pressure damage

when the feed pressure is set higher than normal (18 psi) to clear the tubing. 
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 Page 12

2. Open nitrogen cylinder high pressure valve; set regulator feed valve to 32 psi.

Caution: Never set the feed pressure above 35psi.

3. Open bubbler bypass valve and purge orifice line. The bypass valve is a control valve

that increases the pressure slowly as you open the valve, the valve must be fully open to

apply the total feed pressure to the bubbler tube. The bubbler tube should clear rapidly. 

When the bubbler line is clear, lower the pressure to the desired feed pressure of 18, 25,

or 32 psi as indicated in the table below, then close the bypass valve.

4. Open the inlet and outlet valves and set the flow rate with the flow control valve. The

required flow rate depends on the tide range and the length of the tubing at the

deployment site. 

For the tubing length of up to 200 meter which is the generally used in most of the usual hydro

installations, the following gas flow rates are recommended. To read the table, select (a)

maximum orifice depth, and (b) maximum tidal range at deployment site, the intersection of

these two (column and row) will provide you flow meter scale setting. From that flow meter

scale setting read the required feed pressure in the top second row (vertical intersection with

Required Feed Pressure row), and from that flow meter scale setting read (horizontally) in the

last column the number of days the 80 cu ft nitrogen tank will last for the selected parameters. 

TABLE OF PARAMETERS FOR TUBING LENGTH UP TO 200 METERS

Maximum Orifice Depth 

 (meter)

0 to 10 10 to 15 15 to 20

Required Feed Pressure 

 (psi)

 18 25 32

Maximum Tidal Range

(meter)

Cole Parmer Flow Meter Scale 

Settings

80 cu ft Nitrogen Tank

will last so many Days

0 to 4 6 5 5 277

4 to 6 11 10 9 203

6 to 8 15 14 13 153

8 to 10 NA 17 16 122

10 to 12 NA 20 19 102

For other Tubing length and more details, refer to Appendix G.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 Page 13

Notes:

(1) These flow settings are for 1.8 times the minimum flow required.

(2) * The minimum flow meter scale setting of 5 is selected because the manufacturer does not

provide calibration below that setting. 

(3) NA means this case is not applicable because tide range can not be greater than maximum

orifice depth.

For minimum gas flow rates, other tubing lengths, and for additional details on ParoScientific

Gauge Pressure Parameters, refer to Appendix G.

8210 Gauge GOES Capability

The 8210 gauge should be operated with a GOES antenna at all installations, unless

station location is such that the satellite horizon is blocked by mountains, buildings, or heavy

forests, then an exception can be granted by the ship’s Operations Officer / Team Leader. COOPS has assigned Continuously Operating Real Time Monitoring (CORMS) system personnel to

monitor hydrographic water level data quality, once CO-OPS has been informed of a gauge

installation. If an exception is granted, then it is the responsibility of the ship, or field party, to

inform RDD / Manoj Samant (301) 713-2897 ext 190, so that an alternative plan can be

established to acquire and process the data. The GOES transmitter must be turned off as shown

on the GOES Radio Setup Menu.

Also, when hydrographic water level data is not transmitted, the data quality cannot be

monitored and the risk of ensuring good water level data collection during hydrographic survey

operations rests with the Captain of the ship. Hydro data with valid and continuous tidal data is

generally required to compute the smooth tides. 

A tiny basic program FMTPARO3.BAS needs to be uploaded in the 8200 for the GOES

satellite capability to work for data transmission.

Caution: Operating this gauge with the GOES transmitter on without terminating the antenna

cable connector with either a GOES Antenna or a 50 ohm resistive load can damage the

Transmitter. 

Refer to Appendix A regarding Guidelines for Operation and Documentation of Hydro

Gauges with GOES capability.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 Page 14

SITE VISITS

Staff Observations 

The 8210 bubbler gauge stores in its log the water level and battery voltage reading for

each 6-minute measurement referenced to UTC. Therefore, when making staff-gauge

comparisons during periodic site visits, time should be recorded referenced to UTC along with

the staff reading. Note that UTC time is 8 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time and 5 hours

ahead of Eastern Standard Time. Data are recorded in the digitized bubbler at 0, 6, 12, etc.,

minutes past the hour. Staff readings should be made as close as possible to these times. To

view the recorded data from the 8210, use the "NEWEST" display option to provide the gauge

measurements that correspond to the staff observations. 

Caution: Do not use the "LIVE READINGS" from the 8210 for staff comparisons; this does not

reflect the actual measurement of water level being recorded in the system, instead this can cause

the 8210 to lock up. 

Battery Check

The 8210 external battery voltage should be checked using the 8210 display viewed from

the "VIEW DATA", "NEWEST READINGS", "BATTERY" selection from the menu structure. 

If the battery voltage is below 12 volts, it should be replaced with a freshly charged battery. 

Removing power from the 8210 should not change setting in the data logger.

Data Retrieval

Data from the internal memory of the 8210 should be uploaded to the external computer

during each site visit. The following sections on “Data Retrieval” and “Data Display” describe

the data upload and display procedures. In order to see "flat spots" or other indications of

problems in the orifice/bubbler hose, the retrieved data should be displayed, checked, and plotted

on the computer prior to leaving the station.

Data Retrieval - Direct Connection

Water level data should be retrieved during each visit to the field site, using a

laptop computer and a Sutron program called "8210.EXE". This program provides for

general communications between the laptop and the 8210. Its data upload option creates

a file on the laptop in a directory called 8210/Data which contains the retrieved data in a

compressed binary format. This data can subsequently be displayed using another Sutron

software package, "LOGPLOT.EXE", as described in the next section.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 Page 15

The data upload option saves the retrieved data in a file on the laptop’s hard disk

and assigns a file name based on the 8210 serial number combined with the start month

and start day of the data dump, using a "log" extension. But, one can rename the data file

later. Always name a log file with eight-digit station and dcp# and three-digit log

extension. For more than one log file from a particular station, change the three-digit

extension as lg1, lg2, etc., as appropriate. For example, a data dump from a 8210 from

station number 9414290 and dcp # 1 should be renamed as "94142901.log".

The following are the directions for direct connection data retrieval:

• Turn on the laptop. When the laptop has completed booting, run the DOS program

8210.EXE. This program enables the laptop to communicate with the 8210. Connect

the data cable to the round Cannon connector labeled (RS-232) at the lower portion of the

inside upper right panel of the tide gauge, which is normally covered by a weather-tight

cap. 

• The other end of the data cable connects to the serial port on the computer (a 9-pin sub-D

male on most laptops; a 25-pin sub-D male on older PC's, which will require a 9-pin male

to 25-pin female adaptor). The computer serial port must be set for COM1, as the Sutron

software will only communicate through COM1. 

• When you are hooked up and ready to start, execute 8210.EXE. The program will bootup and in about 5 seconds, the main screen of the 8210 will appear.

• Go to (U) Upload/Download data. The default Transfer Protocol is now YMODEM. It's

best to leave this as is. Make sure the date is the date of the data you want; otherwise

change it using the (D) command. Then select (S) Send to Serial Port. A screen will pop

up at this point showing some download preparation activity. The download should

ensue and finish by itself.

• When data collection has finished correctly, press the OK button that will be displayed.

The upload/download data screen will be showing as Completed at the bottom of the

screen along with the file size. You can now decode this data using LOGPRN.EXE,

another Sutron program (see next section).

Data Display - Direct Connection

Data uploaded to a disk can be displayed in the form of a screen plot with a program

"LOGPLOT.EXE", also written by Sutron. This program reads the compressed binary

data file created by "TW8210.EXE", allows selection of parameters to be displayed, and

allows selection of scaling on the vertical axis. The following steps demonstrate how to

generate the screen plot on the laptop computer.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 Page 16

Run the file "LOGPLOT.EXE". The program will prompt for the data file to be

graphed such as "94142901" <Enter>, where "94142901" is the name of the data file to

be plotted. It is not necessary to include the file extension (.log). The screen will display

the measured parameters available to be plotted.

Press <cursor down> <Enter>. This selects PAROS water level data to be plotted.

Press <P> to initiate plotting. The program will request a y-axis minimum value.

Type 0 <Enter>. The program will next request a y-axis maximum value. 

Type 50 <Enter>. The program will display a graph of the tide in meters, with the

horizontal axis being date and time. 

With this software you can change the time scale which is plotted by typing <1> for one

day, <2> for two days, etc., <W> for a week and <M> for a month of data. 

The tide height scale can be changed manually or, if the plot is re-initiated, the software

will automatically select a vertical scale based on the data range: 

Press <Enter>. This will bring back the parameter selection screen.

Press <P>. The program will request a minimum value (it will display the actual

minimum found in the data file). 

Press <Enter>. The program will request a maximum value (it will display the actual

maximum found in the data file). 

Press <Enter>. The program will display a graph with an expanded vertical scale

depending on the actual minimum and maximum values in the data file. 

To exit the "LOGPLOT" program, press <Esc>.

The screen plot can be printed on a printer. To do this, the DOS program

"GRAPHICS.COM" must be run before running the "LOGPLOT.EXE" software. This

program has been included in the laptop startup program (autoexec.bat). While the plot is

displayed, press <print_screen>. On some computers, you must press both the <Shift>

and the <print_screen> keys simultaneously; on others, pressing <print_screen> alone

is adequate.

Sutron-Authored Programs

Two other Sutron-authored programs are provided on the laptop that can be run from

DOS prompt which may by helpful in examining the data. The two programs are

LOGPRN.EXE and LOGSTAT.EXE

LOGPRN.EXE converts the compressed binary ".LOG" data file into an ASCII file

(".PRN" extension) which can be imported into a spreadsheet program. When the
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 Page 17

program is run, the file name should be followed with " /z", example ("94142901 /z"). 

These options will insert zeros for non-recorded data.

LOGSTAT.EXE program reads the compressed binary (".LOG") file and displays daily

statistics such as maximum, minimum, mean, and number of data points on the computer

screen.

PCMCIA Card Reader

The data from the 8210 can be quickly retrieved using a PCMCIA card to temporarily hold the

data so that it can be read later with a laptop computer. The advantage of this method is that it is

fast, easy, and does not require additional equipment such as a laptop computer in the field. The

8210 is programmed to use a PCMCIA (static RAM memory) card up to two megabytes in size. 

Anything larger than that will not work.

Caution: It is not recommended that the PCMCIA card slot be opened in the field especially if it

is raining. The exposed slot can allow water into the lower electronics compartment and its pins

are easily damaged by water.

Caution: Always put the protective cover over the card slot when it is not in use.

Downloading Data to a PCMCIA (Ram) Card

Note: Only a PCMCIA (static RAM) card up to, but not greater than, two megabytes of memory

will work with the 8210. 

Note: A PCMCIA (static RAM) card requires an internal battery. This card is not intended for

long term storage of data or system setups.

Have a PCMCIA (RAM) card ready for downloading. Make sure all previous data has been

copied elsewhere and removed. To erase it completely, scroll down to DUMP DATA, then press

right arrow once, then scroll down to Erase RAM card. Press SET, and you will see messages

"Erasing RAM card" followed by "Complete". If there is data on the RAM card and there is

space for more data, the RAM card function will simply append the new data to the existing data

as a new log file. Hence, if the appending of a file is not desired, then make sure the old data on

the ram card is erased prior to recording new data.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 Page 18

Figure 12: PCMCIA Card Slot

To Download

Insert the PCMCIA (RAM) card in its slot. Power the display on and scroll down to Dump

Data. Then right arrow once and then down until you see “RAM Card” displayed. With "RAM

Card" displayed, press Set, and if it downloaded correctly, you should see the message

"Complete # Bytes where # signifies number of bytes. If you see “Ram Error”, you should first

try erasing the RAM card, or if that fails, try a different RAM card.

To View Data

Copy the downloaded file which will be called Ramcard.crd to your 8210 directory which should

contain the various Sutron utilities including RAMCARD.EXE. From a DOS prompt execute

RAMCARD.EXE/X. This will extract the logfile(s) to the 8210 directory. Just executing

RAMCARD.EXE will just show you the files without extracting them. Once you have the

created log files, you can use LOGPRN.EXE and LOGPLOT.EXE programs to view the data, as

explained before.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 Page 19

8210 MENUS

The Figure above is the Main Menu of the 8210. To select a menu item, type the letter from the

menu and change appropriately, e.g., one can change the unit name , date, time, or to toggle the

recording and transmitter on or off.

SUTRON Model 8210A G49 

Data Recorder Software

MAIN MENU

N - Unit Name 99999991

D - Set Date 10/20/2000

T - Set Time 14:53:19

R - Recording Status On&Tx

C - Clear Alarm Normal

V - View Sensor Data

S - System Setup Options

U - Upload/download Data

E - EEROM Setup Options

P - Protocol Setup Options

M - Modem Setup Options

G - GOES Radio Options

I - Inspect System

A - Application Menu

“Unit Name” is the station number

assigned to the location of the tide

equipment when it is deployed. It

needs to be changed each time the

equipment is setup in a new

location.

Caution: If Recording Status is

ON& TX the UHF Radio is

transmitting. A 50p resistor, or

an antenna must be attached to

the RF connector on the side of

the gauge. (See GOES Radio

Setup Menu below to toggle the

transmitter off.)

EEROM Setup Menu

M - Serial Port Mode USER

U - User Baud Rate 9600

R- Radio (LOS) Baud Rate 0

C - Com Baud Rate 0

T - Transfer Baud Rate 9600

S - SDI-12 Baud Rate 1200

E - Entry Key Required OFF

D - Log Dump ALL-BIN

L - User Time Limit (sec) 600

O- Power on Delay (10*ms) 1

P - Pressure Delay (10*ms) 5

A - Analog Delay (10*ms) 5

K - Auto Startup Keys 

1 - Time Format 24 HOUR

2 - Date Format MDY

3 - Basic Prog Size (KB) 6

Choose:___

User time limit sets the amount of

time that the user can stay on line,

until they are kicked off. To

reconnect, press F10 if TS8210 is the

communications program being used,

or remove the RS-232 connector

from the 8210, or from the back of

your computer, and then reconnect it.

This will return you to the main

menu.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 Page 20

System Setup Menu

M- Measurement Schedules

E- Enable Sensors

C- Configure Sensors

A- Alarm Options

B- Basic Program

P- Change Password

I- Init Setup

Z- Zero Counters

Choose: ___ 

Measurement Schedules

M - Measurement Interval 00:06:00

I - Sampling Interval 00:00:08

T - Measurement Time 00:07:40

S - Sampling Time 00:04:30

P - Switched Power Time 00:04:30

A - Samples to Average 22

L - Measurement per Log 1

B - Basic Run Interval 00:06:00

R - Basic Run Time 00:00:00

O - Switched Power Options OFF

Choose: ___

Enable Sensors:

The 8210's GOES transmissions are formatted by a

“Tiny Basic” program. This program requires

certain sensors be enabled and no others. The

screen below shows the required sensors. The

PAROS sensor can be seen by selecting the [M]ore

option.

The system setup menu is used to configure each sensor that has been enabled normally. All

sensor are configured in the lab. Each Item is selected in order when configuring the gauge.

Note: The Sensors that are enabled are

preceded with an *. The required enabled

sensor for this gauge are #BUF, Outliers,

Deviation, Battery, and by selecting [M]ore

you see the SDI0-1 which was renamed and

selected for PAROS sensor.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 Page 21

GOES Radio Setup Menu

T - Transmit Mode Basic

S - Satellite ID 3350:3560

I - International OFF

F - Format (ST) BINARY

C - Carrier (ST) SHORT

1 - Carrier (ST) 072

2 - TX Time (ST) 01:46:05

3 - TX Rate (ST) 03:00:00

4 - #Data Items /TX (ST) 31

5 - Data Time (ST) 00:00:00

6 - Data Interval (ST) 00:06:00

R - Random Setup Menu

Choose:____

Note: By Toggling “T” for

Transmit Mode, the GOES

Transmitter can be turned off

when it is not required. This

will prevent damaging the

transmitter when no antenna or

50 ohm load can be attached.

Configure Sensors

In the above example, the GOES Radio is setup to transmit using Platform ID or Satellite ID of

3350:3560 on channel 072 at 1:46:05 GMT every 3 hours. Traditionally these parameters are

assigned to the gauge and not to the station location; hence, they need not be changed. However,

in the event that a gauge has failed during operation, and it has been determined that the new

gauge would use the same Platform ID as the failed gauge, this is the menu that would be used to

make the appropriate changes. Generally, when a gauge fails, and replacement gauge is

installed, the replaced gauge’s platform ID, channel, transmit time will be used and

Requirements and Development Division (RDD) would be informed of the new transmit

parameters.

Note: When Transmitting every 3 hours there is always a +00:00:05 second Offset applied to the

Transmit Time.

Random Setup menu is not used for Hydro.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 A1

APPENDIX A 

GUIDELINES FOR OPERATION AND DOCUMENTATION OF HYDRO GAGES

WITH GOES CAPABILITY

Hydrographic field parties shall follow the following guidelines: 

Transmitting data using GOES

It is critical that these lines of communications and that timing factors be considered in

the field planning. Lack of advance notification may cause a delay in the permission to start

transmissions or the possible loss of data during the first few days of data collection.

1. Assignment of platform IDs and station numbers for tide station installations:

In general, unless the platform IDs have been pre-assigned, a request in writing, by fax or

via telephone, for a platform ID for each gauge scheduled to collect and transmit data by GOES

is required and should be submitted at least 1 month prior to the start of the hydro survey. The

request must include the station number, name, and latitude and longitude of each upcoming

installation. If an exact station location is unknown and no station number has been assigned,

provide the name of the general area and an approximate latitude and longitude of the project

area. The request will be forwarded to Wallops Island for platform ID assignment and Radio

Frequency Authorization. A response is usually made within 2 weeks, at which time the

installation log sheets will be faxed to the appropriate field party.

In cases where platform IDs have been pre-assigned to data collection platforms (DCPs),

such as Sutron 8210 hydro gauges, the field party needs to provide information such as location

and the appropriate gauge number (and the corresponding platform ID). For new station

installations, request the assignment of station numbers as stated above. 

2. Record and documentation requirements:

Prior to the start of data transmission at a site, confirm the gauge platform ID, related

transmission parameters such as channel and transmit time, station installation date, gauge and

all sensor serial numbers, by faxing the Next Generation Water Level Measurement System

(NGWLMS) Site Report and Field Tide Note to RDD. This facilitates the configuration of that

station in the Data Processing and Analysis Subsystem (DPAS) prior to the receipt of the first

data transmission before the beginning of the hydro operations.

CAUTION: Failure to provide advance confirmation, as stated in Section 2 above, may result in

the loss of transmitted data until the station is configured in DPAS.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 A2

3. Removal of tide stations and reinstallation of gauges:

Always contact RDD and inform in advance the date of removal of a hydro gauge. 

Generally, the data collection efforts are monitored, and if a platform transmission ceases from a

particular site, then it would be difficult to judge whether the loss of transmission is caused by

malfunction of a gauge or actual removal. 

If an installed gauge at an original site is to be removed and reinstalled at a different site,

then the following additional information shall be provided at least one month prior to the

reinstallation of that gauge at the new site. Provide:

Station number, name, and expected date of removal of the existing gauge.

Station number, name, latitude, longitude, and expected date of installation of the gauge

at the new location. 

Note: If the new location is uncertain, but within a specified area, provide an estimated latitude

and longitude to the nearest minute. RDD will provide the assigned station number. 

If deemed necessary, a new installation log sheet will be issued, as appropriate, with the

same GOES ID and different related parameters, such as pointing angle of the antenna. The new

log sheet will then be faxed to the field party requesting the information. Otherwise, all other

information remains the same except for the station number, name, latitude and longitude.

CAUTION: Transmission of data by GOES requires advance planning and absolute certainty

regarding the documentation requirements. Please follow these guidelines and all should go

well. If there are any questions or help needed, please contact the following personnel.

East Coast Hydro Operations West Coast Hydro Operations

Thomas F. Landon Manoj R. Samant

Tel.: 301/713-2897 x191 Tel.: 301/713-2897 x190

E-mail: Thomas.Landon@noaa.gov E-Mail: Manoj.Samant@noaa.gov

Fax: 301/713-4465 or 4435 Fax: 301/713-4465 or 4435

Common Address:

Requirements and Development Division

1305 East West Highway, SSMC4

Station 6409 for Tom Landon

Station 6350 for Manoj Samant

Silver Spring, MD 20910
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 B1

APPENDIX B

8210 SOFTWARE NAVIGATION

The 8210 DCP is used with the Hydro gauges. For configuration information other than shown

below, please contact the Requirements and Development Division, N/OPS1 at 301/713-2897.

The front panel of the 8210 allows the user to navigate, view, and change the programming

variables. [ON/OFF] Turns unit display/program on and off and deletes current data input entry

when pressed during programming. [Set] Opens and closes an input variable data field (an open

or empty field is indicated by a flashing display).

Arrow Keys use: Right Arrow: Takes the user one step forward.

Down Arrow: Takes the user one step down.

Up Arrow: Takes the user back to the previous reading.

Left Arrow: 1- takes the user to head of group.

2 - takes the user back to beginning.

UNIT ID: Set the unit ID to read Station & DCP#. e.g. "Assigned Site

ID Number 94546521"

DATE: (MMDDYY) Set to the current date in Greenwich, England GMT Date.

TIME: (GMT) Must be set to the nearest second. (Correct time setting to

GMT is critical.)

RECORDING: (ON/OFF) Must be set to ON if data is to be logged in 8210. Will

automatically switch off when changes are made to

programming. When a transmitter is enabled, the display

will read ON&TX

ALARM: Normal

VIEW DATA:---------Live Readings--------#BUF

Outliers

Deviation

Battery

PAROS (Do not try to read live PAROS

readings as this may lockup the 

8210)

Newest Readings-----#BUF

Outliers

Deviation

Battery

PAROS
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 B2

Oldest Reading-------#BUF

Outliers

Deviation

Battery

PAROS

Alarm Status

SYSTEM SETUP: Measurement Schedule-Measurement Interval 00:06:00

Sample Interval 00:00:08

Measurement Time 00:07:40

Sample Time 00:04:30

Pwr. Time 00:04:30

# Samples/set 022

Measurement/log 001

Baslnt 00:06:00

BasTim 24:00:00

Pwr Mode OFF

Enable Sensors-------#BUF (ON/OFF)---- __ __ __

Outliers (ON/OFF)-----__ Lg __

Deviation (ON/OFF)----- __ Lg __

Battery (ON/OFF)----- Me Lg __

PAROS (ON/OFF)------___Lg Av 

Configure Sensors #BUF-----------Measure OFF

Log OFF

Average OFF

Interval 00:00:00

Value ____ (live reading)

Slope 0001.00

Offset 00.000

Right Digits (0)

Elevation (0)

Outliers-------Measure OFF

Log ON

Average OFF

Interval 00:00:00

Value ____ (live reading)

Slope 0001.00

Offset 00.000

Elevation (0)
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 B3

Right Digits (0)

Deviation------Measure OFF

Log ON

Average OFF

Interval 00:00:00

Value ____ (live reading)

Slope 0001.00

Offset 00.000

Elevation (0)

Right Digits (3)

Battery---------Measure ON

Log ON

Average OFF

Interval 00:00:00

Value ____ (live reading)

Slope 0001.00

Offset 00.000

Elevation (0)

Right Digits (2)

PAROS--------Measure OFF

Log ON

Average ON

Interval 00:00:00

Value ____ (live reading)

Slope 0001.00

Offset 00.000

Elevation (0)

Right Digits (3)

Alarm Options--------#BUF-----------Enable OFF

Groups 000

Control OFF

1-High Alarm OFF

1-Low Alarm OFF

3-ROC Alarm OFF
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 B4

Alarm Limits

High Limit 0.000

Low Limit 0.000

ROC Level 0.000

DeadBand 0.000

Alarm Phrases

Prefix (Name) 0

Suffix (Units) 0

Outliers--------Enable OFF

Groups 000

Control OFF

1-High Alarm OFF

1-Low Alarm OFF

3-ROC Alarm OFF

Alarm Limits

High Limit 0.000

Low Limit 0.000

ROC Level 0.000

DeadBand 0.000

Alarm Phrases

Prefix (Name) 0

Suffix (Units) 0

Deviation------Enable OFF

Groups 000 

Control OFF

1-High Alarm OFF

1-Low Alarm OFF

3-ROC Alarm OFF

Alarm Limits

High Limit 0.000

Low Limit 0.000

ROC Level 0.000

DeadBand 0.000

Alarm Phrases

Prefix (Name) 0
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 B5

Suffix (Units) 0

Battery---------Enable OFF

Groups 000 

Control OFF

1-High Alarm OFF

1-Low Alarm OFF

3-ROC Alarm OFF

Alarm Limits

High Limit 0.000

Low Limit 0.000

ROC Level 0.000

DeadBand 0.000

Alarm Phrases

Prefix (Name) 0

Suffix (Units) 0

PAROS-------- Enable GOES

Groups 000 

Control OFF

1-High Alarm OFF

1-Low Alarm OFF

3-ROC Alarm OFF

Alarm Limits

High Limit 0.000

Low Limit 0.000

ROC Level 0.000

DeadBand 0.000

Alarm Phrases

Prefix (Name) 0

Suffix (Units) 0

Basic Program Puts user in the programing mode do not go there (Type Quit to EXIT)

Change Password----------Password Not Used See Note below

Init Setup Clears all Programing

Zero Counter Clears Error Counters

Note: Do NOT SET A PASSWORD
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 B6

DUMP DATA----------Start MM/DD/YY

Auto Dump Off

RAM Card (pressing “Set” will automatically start data

dump to the RAM Card .)

Serial Port (pressing “Set” will automatically start data

dump to the serial port.)

Read Card Setup (Used to up-load system program from

RAM Card.)

Write Card Setup (Will send the current system setup to the

RAM Card.)

Erase RAM Card (Will clear all information on the RAM

Card.)

GOES Setup-----------Transmit Mode Basic (Will enable the transmitter on and off)

Satellite ID _____ (Set the GOES ID Number assigned to this

unit.)

International OFF

Format BINARY

Carrier SHORT

Channel ______ (Set the channel number assigned the GOES

ID number above.)

TX Time ______ (Set the time that is assigned the GOES ID

number above.)

TX Rate 03:00:00 (Set the time interval between

transmissions.)

# Data Items/TX 31

Data Time 00:00:00

Data Interval 00:06:00

RANDOM SETUP

EEROM SETUP-------Serial Rate USER

User Rate 9600 

Radio (LOS) 0 (Line of sight radio not used in the gauge.)

Com Rate 0 (Data Modem not used in this gauge.)

Transfer Rate 9600 

SDI Rate 1200 

Enter Reqd OFF

Log Dump All Bin

Time Limit (6000) (Sets the amount of time the display will

remain on.) 
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 B7

Power Delay (1) 

Press Delay (5)

Analog Delay (5)

Autokey _____

Tim fmt 24Hour

Date fmt M/D/Y

Basic size (6)

PROTOCOL-----------Master (Not used)

Carrier Delay (7)

Reply Delay (0)

ACK Delay (100)

TN Rate 00:00:00

TA Rate 00:00:00

Retry In 00:00:00

# Retries (3)

INSPECT SYSTEM--Perform Self Test

Display Status

Clear Status

Enter SDI-12 Cmd. (Can be used to command the SDI-12 sensor.)

Talk to Modem

GOES Radio Test-----(S)elftest

(R) andom

(I)nfo to Sutron(This test, formats a message and

 transmits it on channel 151)

 Monitor SSP

 Production Test

Password Note: Do NOT SET A PASSWORD

"Change password" is used to set an access password for the 8210 in the "System Setup

Menu". Up to 5 letters may be entered to specify the password. When the password is blank it is

disabled and the system will not prompt for the password. When the password is not blank the

8200 will prompt for the password when you first try to use a setup menu. If the password is

entered correctly you will have access to all of the 8200 setup menus. You will not need to enter

the password again until the display is turned off or you log off if using a PC or modem. 

If you forget the password it can be initialized to blank (disabled) by pressing the down

arrow key while powering up the 8200. If the message "password INIT" flashes on the screen

the operation was done correctly.

Note 2: "Slope" and "Offset" are determined in the lab through calibration. For the PAROS

Sensor, it is internally calibrated, and there would be no other Slope or Offset is required.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 C1

 Figure 13: Pressure Control Unit Leak Testing

Figure 14: Leaking Fitting

APPENDIX C

PROBLEMS WITH EQUIPMENT OR STATIONS DATA
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 C2

Figure 15: Wilmington Data Example

In the example above, the red tide curve is a bubbler type tide gauge. A leak starts and

the pressure drops in the bubbler line. This loss of pressure will sometimes drop all the way to 0

psi. More often as the pressure drops, the leak will stop because the fitting is tight enough to

hold the lower pressure, but not tight enough to contain a higher pressure associated with higher

tides. As the pressure increases, the leak recurs again starting the process over and over again. A

leak will sometimes only manifests itself in cold weather. As the temperature drops as shown in

the lower graph, the plastic bubbler tubing shrinks faster than metal fitting causing a leak. The

best way to avoid temperature related leaks is to check the gauge before the orifice is installed. 

The 8210 tide gauge has self-closing quick disconnect fittings on both the input and output of the

gauge. By connecting the input to a nitrogen tank and over-pressurize the system to 36 psi, then

turn off the valve on the nitrogen tank and wait 15 to 30 minutes. Check for any loss of pressure. 

If there is a loss of pressure look for the leak by removing the pressure control unit. It should be

noted that the 8210 motherboard must be removed before removing the pressure control unit. 

Use a leak detection liquid like Snoop®, and look for the formation of bubbles around the

leaking joint. Tighten that joint and test again. Figure 13 and 14 on back page show the leak

testing of the pressure control unit.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 C3

 Figure 17: Cedar Key Data Example

Figure 16: Waveland Data Example

The Waveland water level example shows a station that has run out of gas notice how there is

still a rise and fall of water levels but it dose not track the predicted and acoustic measurements. 

The Cedar Key data graph shows a leaking fitting probably in the manifold assembly. As the

pressure increases the leak starts, and then pressure drops, and then as pressure builds again the

leak opens again. 
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 C4

Figure 18: Newport News Data Example

Figure 19: Lewisetta Data Example

In this example for Newport News data graph either the tank pressure is getting low or the low

pressure feed is not great enough to follow the full tidal range. There just is not enough pressure

to push the bubble out of the end of the orifice.

This is another example of a clogged or buried orifice at Lewisetta.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 D1

APPENDIX D

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE

In most cases, if there is a problem with a tide gauge that is not easily resolved, call

Pacific Regional Office, and get assistance from one of the technicians.

Display will

not light

1. Battery discharged or worn out. Check battery voltage for the display to

light. It needs to be greater than 9.5 volts. For the system to work correctly,

the battery voltage should be greater than 12.0 volts.

2. Check the solar panel or external charger.

3. The system may be resetting. This could take several minutes.

4. Check fuses. The battery fuse is on the cover to the interconnect board

and a fuse that supplies power to the 8210 CPU board is located on the

interconnect board.

Display is

too dim.

To change the display brightness, press the "SET" key when the display is at

the top of the MAIN MENU. 

No data in

the log

(missing

data)

Recording is OFF in the main menu. Turn recording to ON.

If there is data from one or the other sensor, check the configured sensor to

see if the LOG option is switched on for the sensor that is not logging data.

If the log shows no PAROS data, change-out the tide gauge, and return it to

the Pacific Regional Office at Seattle.

8210 losing

clock time

when the

battery is

disconnected

Make sure the RAM battery on the CPU board is >2.6 volts.

Check the battery jumper near the RAM battery, it should be on.

System runs

for a short

time and

then resets

Possible low battery voltage.

If problem persists return unit to factory.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 D2

GOES

Transmitter

will not

Transmit

1. Using an external through-line watt meter, check forward power to the

antenna or resistive load. There should be approximately 7-10 watts of

power.

2. Check reflected power, it should be less than 2.5 watts

3. Using an ohm meter, check the resistance from the center pin of the

antenna connector to the threaded shell of the same connector. It should have

a DC resistance of less than 3 ohms.

4. Check the battery voltage. The battery should drop only 0.5 volts when

the radio is transmitting. The battery voltage must be greater than 10.5 volts

and less than 14.9 volts for the transmitter to work.

5. Check the battery connection in the battery box. Make sure it is tight. 

Check the connecters. Make sure they are tight.

6. Look along the path of the GOES antenna. See if it is pointing at a

mountain, building, or trees. Any of these could block the signal from

reaching the satellite.

7. Make sure fail-safe has not tripped. Use system status display to check or

look at recording status. It will say "ON&FT" if the fail-safe is tripped. To

reset the fail-safe using the front panel, go to the recording status and press

SET until the FT goes away. There is also a hardware reset on the GOES

transmitter board near the ribbon cable. By momentarily pressing this button,

the fail-safe should reset.

8. Check the fuse to the GOES transmitter board. There is an in-line fuse on

the power cable to the GOES transmitter. 

Can not

transfer

data to the

PCMCIA

(RAM) card

 The RAM or PCMCIA data card has an internal battery. Check this

battery. It should be greater that 2.8 volts.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 D3

Fuses There are several fuses protecting the 8210 water-level gauge. The following

list shows all the voltage protection devices for this unit. Fuses designated

RVx are thermal fuses and automatically reset when they cool off. They

cannot be changed in the field.

1. Interconnect board F1 1amp 3AG 12V to CPU

board

 RV1, RV3 60ma RS85 protection

 RV2 .45 amp SDI-12 port +12V

2. CPU RV1 .66amp J1 pin 1 Aux +12V 

protection

 RV2 .66amp Switched +12 V

protection

3. GOES module In Line 5 amp 3AG +12 to Radio

4. Top panel interconnect Fuse left 6amp 3AG Solar panel fuse

5. Top panel interconnect Fuse Right 6amp 3AG Battery Fuse. 

Antenna There are two types of antennas that may be encountered in the field. 

The first is the Yagi type, which is a highly directional antenna that has a

typical power gain of 9 to 12 dB. Effective power is doubled every 3 dB. In

other words, the signal at the receiver will be twice as strong if the antenna

has a gain of 3 dB. This is due to the concentration of power created by the

tightness of the beam from the antenna. A typical Yagi antenna has a beam

of (20L) degrees.

The most common type of antenna that NOS uses for transmitting to GOES

is the flat plate antenna. This antenna has a very wide beam (96L) and a gain

of 3 dB. With a beam this wide, obstructions that are some distance away

have little effect on the signal quality. The primary concern is that there

should be a clear view of the satellite. If the satellite is behind a mountain,

ship, or building, there is little chance that the signal will get through. In

addition to keeping any objects out of the direct line-of-sight path to the

satellite, maintain at least a meter (3 feet) clearance on each side. It is also a

good idea to maintain a distance of 1 meter (3 feet) from any other antennas. 

If the roof of the building is made of fiberglass, the antenna can be mounted

inside. 
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 D4

Antenna

Testing

The inherent design of the Mod 14 antenna exhibits a dead short to dc

voltage. This can be seen by connecting an ohm meter from the outer shell

of the antenna connector to the inter pin of the same connector. This should

read less then 1 ohm. 

When you test the antenna resistance in the field, disconnect the coaxial

cable from the front of the hydro gauge. Measure from the center pin to the

outer shell of the coaxial connector on the cable. This resistance is

somewhat dependent on the length of the coaxial cable that you are using,

but, the resistance should be less than 3 ohms.

If the resistance is greater than 3 ohms, the antenna should be replaced or

repaired. The resistance is due to corrosion either between the connection of

the two internal antenna plates or in the coaxial cable and/or its connectors.

Extremely high resistance is caused by a broken connection between the two

plates.

To test the antenna, remove it from the coaxial cable, and measure the

resistance again. 

Antenna

Cables, 

Connectors,

and 

Mounting

NEVER coil the antenna cable. This will make the RF signal induce a

magnetic field around the coil. When the field collapses into the cable, the

induced signal cancels the transmitted signal distorting the data quality.

Antenna connectors should be wrapped with "Scotch 130c liner less rubber

splicing tape"; then the connector is wrapped with "Scotch 33" black

electrical tape; then painted with "Scotch Coat". This practice proved, from

years of experience on the ships, to prevent any water from getting into the

connectors. The type of tape used is very important regarding connectors'

ability to withstand extreme temperature changes.

A two-inch pipe works well to mount the antenna on. Typically, NOS uses a

10-foot section, a "T" coupling, and a 6-foot section to mount the antenna

and solar panels. The "T" junction is used to secure the pipe to the side of

the tide house.
E1

APPENDIX E

PNEUMATIC CONNECTIONS
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 F1

APPENDIX F

CHANGING THE NITROGEN TANK
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 G1

APPENDIX G

GAUGE PRESSURE PARAMETERS

Generally the table given on Page 12 for up to 200 m tubing length and one given below

for tubing length up to 500 m should be used to select the required feed pressure and flow meter

scale settings once the maximum orifice depth and the maximum tidal range is known. 

To use these tables, select (a) maximum orifice depth and (b) Maximum tidal range at the

deployment site and then the table will provide you information regarding (1) required feed

pressure (2) Cole Parmer flow meter scale settings and (3) how many days approximately the 80

cu ft nitrogen tank will last at those selected parameters. The intersection of maximum orifice

depth value column and the maximum tidal range row will provide you with the Cole Parmer

flow meter scale setting, then read the required feed pressure vertically in the same column in the

top second row (vertical intersection with Required Feed Pressure row); and from that flow meter

scale setting read (horizontally) in the last column the approximate number of days the 80 cu ft

nitrogen tank will last for the selected parameters. 

TABLE OF PARAMETERS FOR TUBING LENGTH UP TO 500 METERS

Maximum Orifice Depth 

 (meter)

0 to 10 10 to 15 15 to 20

Required Feed Pressure 

 (psi)

 18 25 32

Maximum Tidal Range

(meter)

Cole Parmer Flow Meter Scale 

Settings

80 cu ft Nitrogen Tank

will last so many Days

0 to 4 18 17 15 126

4 to 6 26 24 22 84

6 to 8 32 30 28 63

8 to 10 NA 35 33 50

10 to 12 NA 40 37 42

Notes:

(1) The flow settings are 1.8 times the minimum flow required.

(2) NA implies the case is not applicable since tide range can not be greater than orifice depth.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 G2

The following two tables are provided as general information. These tables can be used 

when there is a specific need to determine the flow meter settings in circumstances not covered

by the other two tables. 

The table below provides the theoretical minimum flow rate for a given tidal range and tubing

length. The longer the bubbler tube is, the greater flow rate is required to maintain the nitrogen

at the end of the orifice. 

MINIMUM GAS FLOW RATE (CC PER MINUTE) @ STP

Length of Tubing

Tidal Range 100 m 200 m 500 m 1000 m 2000 m 

2 m 1 1 3 7 14 

4 m 2 3 7 14 27 

6 m 2 4 10 21 41 

8 m 3 6 14 27 55 

10 m 4 7 17 34 68 

12 m 5 9 21 41 82

The orifice is 1 inch diameter and 7 inches tall and standard temperature and pressure are

assumed for this computation. 

To read the above table, select the tubing length and the tidal range at the deployment

site, and at the intersection of these two will provide you the theoretical minimum gas flow rate

in cc/min. Before using the next table, put a factor of safety, such as 1.8, on the minimum gas

flow rate to obtain a desired gas flow rate. 

Then using the next table, the intersection of this desired gas flow rate and the maximum

orifice depth at the deployment site, will provide you the value of the flow meter scale setting. 

Read from this intersection of scale setting, vertically at the second top row the necessary supply

pressure in psi, and horizontally in the last column the approximate days the 80 cu ft nitrogen

tank will last for these parameters. 
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 G3

COLE PARMER FLOW METER SETTINGS

FOR VARIOUS FLOW RATES AND SUPPLY PRESSURE COMBINATIONS

Maximum Orifice Depth 

 (meter)

0 to 10 10 to 15 15 to 20

Required Feed Pressure 

 (psi)

 18 25 32

Desired gas flow @ STP

(cc/min)

Cole Parmer Flow Meter Scale 

Settings

80 cu ft Nitrogen Tank

will last so many Days

5 6 5 4 315

10 14 13 12 157

15 21 19 18 105

20 27 24 23 79

25 32 29 27 63

30 36 33 31 52

35 40 37 35 45

40 44 41 38 39

 Here is some relevant information:

1 cubic (cu) foot = 28320 cubic centimeters (cc) 

1 cu foot /Per Day = 19.67 cc/minute

NOS normally uses 80 cu foot size of nitrogen cylinders for hydro applications.
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 G4
8210 Bubbler User’s Guide February 2001 G5