Solinst Levelogger 5 LTC Conductivity Calibration

To maintain accurate conductivity readings, you should calibrate your @SolinstCanada Levelogger 5 LTC at the beginning of each new monitoring project, or at a minimum, about twice a year.

https://www.solinst.com/products/dataloggers-and-telemetry/3001-levelogger-series/ltc-levelogger/

To calibrate your Levelogger 5 LTC, you will need: latest version of Levelogger PC Software downloaded to your Computer. It contains Calibration Wizard.

A Field Reader or Desktop Reader to connect Levelogger 5 LTC to your computer.
Calibration solutions
Clear beakers or test tubes
Deionized water
Cotton swabs
A bucket for waste solution and DI water
Clean paper towel or cloth

Levelogger 5 LTC has a calibration range from 50 to 80,000 µS/cm, can be calibrated to 4 standard points: 1413, 5000, 12,880, and 80,000 µS/cm. Approximate conductivity range of water you will be measuring, select two calibration points – one above, one below the expected range.

If you are measuring in water less than 1,413 μS/cm or above 80,000 μS/cm, use just that one calibration solution. We are going to do a two-point calibration using 1413 and 5000 µS/cm solutions. Calibration solutions should be fresh and have a temperature error of ±2% or better.

During calibration, solutions should be kept as close as possible to stated temperature on the bottle, which is usually 25ºC. Use only solutions between 10ºC and 30ºC. If outside that range, LTC may not pass calibration. Solution temperature should be kept stable throughout the calibration process. Before you begin, make sure your LTC’s conductivity cell is clean.

Pins on Levelogger 5 LTC sensor are platinum-coated, so they should not be roughly cleaned or touched with any metal. They can be cleaned with a soft bristle brush, Q-tip, or cloth. For stubborn hard-water deposits or biofouling, the Levelogger 5 LTC can be soaked briefly in diluted acid solution (generally less than 10% acid). Always rinse with deionized water after cleaning and then with calibration solution to be used, before you start calibration. Now submerge Levelogger 5 LTC in conductivity solution in a clear, clean container. Calibration process always starts with lowest solution. Open the Solinst Levelogger Software and connect the submerged Levelogger 5 LTC with your Field or Desktop Reader. You can also connect to a smart device with an App Interface and Optical Adaptor. Lightly tap and swirl Levelogger to help remove any bubbles that may have formed on sensor. Bubbles on the sensor during calibration can cause inaccuracies or a failed calibration.

Use Real Time View to ensure stable temperature readings. It may take 2–3 minutes for Levelogger 5 LTC to thermally equilibrate and stabilize. Click the Conductivity Calibration tab and retrieve the settings from connected Levelogger 5 LTC by clicking icon on top left of the software. If your Levelogger 5 LTC is still logging, click stop icon. It must be stopped to perform calibration. Software reminds you of the points we just discussed, including a clean sensor and fresh calibration solution.
Click “Next” to get to Step 1. Enter the Temperature Coefficient of solution you are using. It can be found on label of the solution’s original bottle. Our solution has a coefficient of 2.00.

Click “Next” to move on to Step 2. Select all solutions that will be used for calibration. We are doing a two-point calibration, so will select 1413 and 5000. Click “Next” to get to Step 3. Be sure you have cleaned, rinsed and immersed the probe as previously described. You can use Real Time View to verify that the temperature readings have stabilized.When Levelogger 5 LTC is ready, click “Next” to calibrate. Calibration Solution Temperature is a real-time value (what the Levelogger 5 LTC is reading at that time. Electrical Conductivity of Solution is a calculated value, based on real-time temperature of the solution, Temperature Coefficient that was entered in Step 1, and Calibration Solution that was selected in Step 2. Levelogger 5 LTC will compare current real-time temperature and real-time readings against calculated conductivity reading shown, to ensure accurate calibration. When doing a two-point calibration, after you click “OK”, you are brought back to beginning of Step 3 to repeat procedure to calibrate using second solution.

Rinse Levelogger 5 LTC with DI water. Rinse with second solution. Immerse Levelogger 5 LTC in second solution. Lightly tap Levelogger 5 LTC to remove any bubbles. Wait until the sensor stabilizes.Conductivity value shown is a calculated value based on real-time temperature of the solution, Temperature Coefficient that was entered in Step 1, and Calibration Solution that was selected in Step 2. Levelogger 5 LTC will compare current real-time temperature and real-time readings against calculated conductivity reading shown, to ensure accurate calibration. Click “OK”. Now the LTC is ready to deploy in the field.


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