F-POD USER GUIDE 9
4 Planning your deployments
This section contains advice and information to help you plan your
deployments.
Calculating the maximum deployment time
The F-POD can use the following types of D-cell batteries, with nominal
maximum values supplied by manufacturers:
▪
Alkaline: 1.5V 20Ah ~30Wh
▪
Lithium: 3.6V 17Ah ~61.2Wh
▪
Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) rechargeable: 1.2V 1.0Ah ~12Wh
Maximum deployment time is dependent upon the following factors:
▪
The capacity of the D-cells.
▪
The capacity of the SD card. Noisy environments fill SD cards more
quickly than quiet ones. The FPOD.exe app has a field on the Analysis
tab that tells you how long your SD card will take to fill up, based on
existing data. See the F-POD Software Guide.
▪
To extend deployment time, the F-POD can be set to record data
intermittently: 1 minute in 2, 1 minute in 5 or 1 minute in 10. See the
F-POD Software Guide.
Deployment environments are very variable and therefore you
should consider carrying out preliminary tests of battery
consumption and memory use at sea, before full deployment.
If you plan to reuse batteries, be aware that no-load voltage
readings can give a very misleading view of remaining battery
capacity. The FPOD.exe PC app has an option for checking
the battery levels found during a deployment.
NiCad rechargeable batteries are not recommended as they
are heavy and are likely to sink the POD. They also have a
high self-discharge rate so that the running time is shorter
than you would expect from the capacity of the cell.
Lost and found
Write your contact details on the outside of the POD using indelible ink.
Place a label inside the POD as well.
If you prefer not to write your contact details on the POD, the lid has the
web site address www.phonehome.org.uk etched in the top.
This is a simple web site that will allow someone who finds a POD to
contact us. We will then contact you to arrange its return.
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