Hach AS950 Automatic Samplers Add New Features, Flexibility

Hach’s new AS950 water samplers build on the company’s history of making quality samplers by adding more intuitive programming, operation and data transfer. Some of the new features they boast include an improved status screen, a full color display and USB capability.

The AS950 samplers replace the Hach Sigma SD900 samplers and are available in all-weather, portable and refrigerated varieties. The enhancements they’ve undergone help make them some of the most robust automatic samplers on the market today.

“Hach AS950 automatic samplers collect and store unbiased, representative water samples for laboratory analysis,” said Jamie English, product manager at Hach Company. All are compatible with sampling bottle sets of different size and quantity, and are easily configurable to meet changing sampling needs, she says.

What really sets the AS950 samplers apart is the ease of use that has been worked into their design. An example of this is the new programming they incorporate that presents important project information on just one screen.

“In a single view, the user knows immediately if there were any missed samples, knows if alarms have been activated, and knows where the sampler is in the program,” said English. “The user now has much more confidence as to where the sampler is in the program — when’s the next sample being taken, how many samples have been taken, what type of sample — as well as if they need to take further actions due to any alarms or events.”

The line of AS950 samplers includes all-weather, refrigerated, and portable options.

The programming updates are made more effective by a one-quarter VGA full color display that is new on the AS950 and features a graphical user interface. “Other samplers are monochrome and limit the program view,” said English. The new display makes it easier to see project alarms and alerts.

From there, the AS950 samplers bring another practical update to users: the ability to transfer data through USB.

“It’s the only sampler that allows the user to upload and download data via a USB so that there’s no need for a laptop in the field,” said English. “In the past, the need to take the laptop was inconvenient — imagine a stormwater application when data needs to be downloaded during a storm event — or in some cases causes the user to be a target of theft.”

Other new features that the AS950 samplers bring to the table include compatibility with existing Hach sensors when users add the sensor port option. The option allows them to connect two sensor ports to trigger and log measurements. Some common parameters that customers measure include pH and flow.

“With this (sensor port) option, the customer can do both with one sampler and no need to move up to a sonde for multiple parameters,” said English.

And for users with special data logging concerns, there is the IO9000 module option that allows them to use digital or analog to communicate with their logger of choice.

Maintenance concerns are similarly minimal just like with the SD900, says English. Pump tubing has a long life, around 20,000 cycles, thanks to spring-loaded pump rollers that cushion and users can see if tubes need changed by looking through the pump’s clear cover. The only thing that needs to be swapped regularly is the desiccant, which is installed as easily as a light bulb, says English. And users should make sure to download FSData Desktop software, available at hach.com, to manage firmware updates, logging, sensor diagnostics and reports.