Van Essen TD-Diver: Robust Level Logger Ups Data Efficiency

Van Essen TD-Diver groundwater level logger

All sorts of applications employ groundwater level loggers. These are typically deployed in piezometers, and log measurements for as long as the project requires. For those environmental professionals looking for a more long-term solution, the new Van Essen TD-Diver groundwater level logger is a solid choice.

The new groundwater level logger launched in November 2016 with an eye toward including improvements to make it an even more robust option for groundwater monitoring. Over the years, through customer feedback and other experiences, managers at the company had envisioned quite a list of things to add.

Among these, there are a few that environmental pros could really find handy. These include a stainless steel sensor body that is just the right size, enhanced memory capacity and compatibility with the rest of the Van Essen family.

“You always have those ideas about improving your product,” said Johan van Bruggen, CEO of Van Essen Instruments. “As time goes on, you have to redesign to include those new ideas and that’s what we did.”

He points to the sensor’s enclosure, noting that it is slightly longer to provide more interior space. The enclosure is also just a tad bit heavier. The Van Essen Mini Diver, he says, was a much smaller groundwater level logger.

The advantage of the larger sensor body is that it has a more optimal balance between size and height, which can help in the field.

“It’s good to have more weight to put down the borehole,” said van Bruggen. “We use stainless steel for the enclosure and we’re also adding a surface treatment, making it even more resistant to corrosion in the long term.”

The extra protection is good for the TD-Diver’s inner workings, which include a new board with the latest firmware and software and lithium battery with at least eight years’ life. Van Bruggen says he’s really happy with the new logger’s data download speed. It’s much faster than predecessors, meaning less time in the field to tabulate measurements.

The Van Essen TD-Diver also has enhanced memory storage that may alleviate data collection headaches in the rare event of equipment failure.

“It has flash memory so even if the battery is dead, you can get the data out,” said van Bruggen. “The size now is 144k. We split that into two 72k sections … so you can have the option of backing up. That (dead battery) doesn’t happen a lot, but it may be useful with long periods of data collection.”

The new TD-Diver is compatible with all existing Van Essen accessories, meaning no further gear is needed if users already own data cables, data download units or copper shielding. It also comes with free software, Diver-Office, for configuration and data management. This allows users to enter manual water level measurements, view real-time level data, check the logger’s status and share data files for analysis in spreadsheets.

For users looking to combine a Van Essen TD-Diver with larger monitoring networks, the loggers are likewise compatible with standalone data loggers such as the NexSens iSIC.

“Data loggers can collect much more data. In current times, these loggers are used much more as part of a network,” said van Bruggen, emphasizing the TD-Diver’s much faster download speeds. “Data efficiency has really become much more important. It shows that this logger has really become a next-generation device.”

All Van Essen groundwater monitoring equipment and accessories come with a 1-year warranty.