According to My Research...

Internet Explorer - Cleaning Cache

2012-01-12T14:45:00.001-06:00

Sometimes web applications cannot reach underlying database and report errors or just freeze browser permanently. Re-starting browser sometimes solve this problem, but not always. Problem can be solved by clearing browser cache. This article explain how to do so in Internet Explorer.

Go to “Tools” / “Internet Options”.

In “Internet Options” on “General” Tab, make sure that “Delete browsing history on exit” is Checked, to prevent future problems.

Hit “Delete” button.

On the next screen: check “Temporary Internet files”. Click “Delete”.

Then in previous screen hit "Apply" and "OK".

Re-start your browser and navigate back to the page that was causing problems. If you still having problems, post a comment below.

Landviser’s on-line store is being re-created

2011-11-18T16:36:00.001-06:00

Landviser, LLC is a small geo-consulting family owned company with offices in Houston, TX and Moscow, Russia. We develop and sell Electrical Geophysical Devices & Geophysical Imaging Software and also provide Consulting & Training Services in Geophysics, GIS, and Basic Soil Science. Our exclusive hand-held LandMapper devices are geared toward near-surface geophysical explorations (<25 m depth), and most suitable for archaeological, forensic, engineering, agricultural, ecological and hydrological applications. Current model, ERM-02 - electrical conductivity (EC), resistivity (ER), self-potential (SP) - is highly portable, accurate and very competitively priced (<2,500$US). Basic model, ERM-01 - electrical resistivity only - (<1,600$US) is also available. We have expertise in other electrical geophysical equipment, used for deeper geophysical prospecting, such as AGI and ABEM systems.
Our on-line store is being re-created. Meanwhile, you can still place orders for LandMappers ERM-01/ ERM-02 and accessories, GIS consulting, or geophysical software RES2DINV / RES3DINV. Download our Catalog or contact us for personal quote. We ship worldwide and accept PayPal, VISA/MC and wire-transfers to our US bank account.

More information about our products and services:
Main web: www.landviser.com
Store: www.landviser.biz
Toll-free (USA/Canada): 888-306-LAND (5263)
Phone (International): +1-609-412-0555
Blog: http://landviser.blogspot.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/larisagolovko
Fax: +1-815-301-8955

Landviser develops innovative non-invasive technologies (hand-held equipment and software) for mapping and monitoring core biosphere components: soils, plants and groundwater. We provide custom research system integration and consulting on electrical geophysics applications in agricultural and environmental sciences; GIS; geostatistics; and remote sensing. Depending on your project we can assist with equipment/software procurement and develop training courses in geophysical equipment (ERM-02 and ABEM) and software (GIS, seismic and resistivity imaging).
We are an international consulting company with headquarters in Texas, USA and business contacts in Canada, Russia, Malaysia, Philippines, Middle East, China and South America.
Please, do not hesitate to contact me,
Larisa Golovko (Pozdnyakova) - info@landviser.com

LandMapper ERM-01 is a hand-held resistivity meter which accepts Wenner (as well as any other four-electrode arrays, dipole-dipole or square ones f.e.). It can sense down to 15 meters in most soils. You can use hyperlinks to download our publications about LandMapper and popular geophysical freeware/shareware.
LandMapper ERM-02 measures electrical resistivity (ER), electrical conductivity (EC) and natural electrical potential (EP) from soil surface down to 25 m depth as well as in soil pits, pots, samples, pastes and water solutions. Don't let the small size fool you - LandMapper ERM-02 measures electrical parameters in a widest range possible (from ultra-pure water and rocks to ocean waters) with the accuracy comparable to the standard devices used in electrical geophysical prospecting, like ABEM, Syscal, etc, but weights and costs TEN times less!
The applications of LandMapper are not limited to soils but can be extended to any semisolid media and even live plants! Download new LandMapper ERM-02 brochure or complete manual.
We now have limited quantities of both models in stock - basic ERM-01 with resistivity mode only for $1,579 (sug. retail) and ERM-02 (resistivity, conductivity, and self-potential) for $2,437 (sug. retail). Probes and arrays can be easily constructed from common hardware, but we can build probes to your specs for very reasonable price and can provide other accessories.
Note, that we also offer dealers' and academia discounts on equipment and software!

Our popular LandMapper devices are back in stock!

2011-11-10T10:39:00.000-06:00

LandMapper ERM-01 is a hand-held resistivity meter that can accept Wenner (as well as any other four-electrode configuration, dipole-dipole or square ones f.e.). It can sense down to 15 meters in most soils. You can use hyperlinks to download our publications about LandMapper and popular geophysical freeware/shareware.

LandMapper ERM-02 measures electrical resistivity (ER), electrical conductivity (EC) and natural electrical potential (EP) from soil surface down to 25 m depth as well as in soil pits, pots, samples, pastes and water solutions. Don't let the small size fool you - LandMapper ERM-02 measures electrical parameters in a widest range possible (from ultra-pure water and rocks to ocean waters) with the accuracy comparable to the standard devices used in electrical geophysical prospecting, like ABEM, Syscal, etc, but weights and costs TEN times less!

The applications of LandMapper are not limited to soils but can be extended to any semisolid media and even live plants! Download new LandMapper ERM-02 brochure or complete manual.

We now have limited quantities of both models in stock - basic ERM-01 with resistivity mode only for $1,579 (sug. retail) and ERM-02 (resistivity, conductivity, and self-potential) for $2,437 (sug. retail). Probes and arrays can be easily constructed from common hardware, but we can build probes to your specs for very reasonable price and can provide other accessories. Note, that we also offer dealers' and academia discounts!

We ship worldwide and accept PayPal, VISA/MC and wire-transfers to our US bank account. Customers from USA may also pay with Purchase Order. Landviser, LLC is US government vendor and service provider and is registered in CCR.

Please, inquire early to insure device availability for your intended research project! Do not hesitate to contact me to discuss suitability of our equipment for YOUR applications. We at Landviser, LLC are always "enlightening research" for you!

Best,

Larisa Golovko (Pozdnyakova), Ph.D. (thesis "Electrical properties of soils")

LandMapper ERM-02: Handheld Meter for Near-Surface Electrical Geophysical Surveys

2011-02-10T13:17:00.002-06:00

was just published in
Golovko L, Pozdnyakov A, Pozdnyakova A (2010) LandMapper ERM-02: Handheld Meter for Near-Surface Electrical Geophysical Surveys. FastTIMES (EEGS) 15: 85-93. http://www.eegs.org/Publications/FASTTIMES.aspx Accessed 6 June 2011
Abstract     On-the-go sensors, designed to measure soil electrical resistivity (ER) or electrical conductivity (EC) are vital for faster non-destructive soil mapping in precision agriculture, civil and environmental engineering, archaeology and other near-surface applications. Compared with electromagnetic methods and ground penetrating radar, methods of EC/ER measured with direct current and a four-electrode probe have fewer limitations and were successfully applied on clayish and saline soils as well as on highly resistive sandy soils, such as Alfisols and Spodosols. However, commercially available contact devices, which utilize a four-electrode principle, are bulky, very expensive, and can be used only on fallow fields. Multi-electrode ER-imaging systems applied in deep geophysical explorations are heavy, cumbersome and their use is usually cost-prohibited in many near-surface applications, such as forestry, archaeology, environmental site assessment and cleanup, and in agricultural surveys on farms growing perennial horticultural crops, vegetables, or turf-grass. In such applications there is a need for an accurate, portable, low-cost device to quickly check resistivity of the ground on-a-spot, especially on the sites non-accessible to heavy machinery.
      Here are direct links to full issue of FastTIMES on EEGS website
      low resolution http://www.eegs.org/Portals/2/FastTimeFiles/ft1504_Dec2010_low_r02.pdf
      high resolution http://www.eegs.org/Portals/2/FastTimeFiles/ft1504_Dec2010_high_r02.pdf
          Permanent link to just LandMapper article on Landviser's website http://www.landviser.biz/forall/LandmapperERM02_ft1504_Dec2010_low_r02.pdf
Also look for this and other relevant references in our free-access public library “Soil Electrical Geophysics” http://www.zotero.org/groups/soil_electrical_geophysics/items

Applications of LandMapper handheld for near-surface soil surveys and beyond

2011-02-02T22:09:00.001-06:00

On-the-go sensors, designed to measure soil electrical resistivity (ER) or electrical conductivity (EC) are vital for faster non-destructive soil mapping in precision agriculture, civil and environmental engineering, archaeology and other near-surface applications. Compared with electromagnetic methods and ground penetrating radar, methods of EC/ER measured with direct current and four-electrode probe have fewer limitations and were successfully applied on clayish and saline soils as well as on highly resistive stony and sandy soils. However, commercially available contact devices, which utilize a four-electrode principle, are bulky, very expensive, and can be used only on fallow fields. Multi-electrode ER-imaging systems applied in deep geophysical explorations are heavy, cumbersome and their use is usually cost-prohibited in many near-surface applications, such as forestry, archaeology, environmental site assessment and cleanup, and in agricultural surveys on farms growing perennial horticultural crops, vegetables, or turf-grass. In such applications there is a need for accurate, portable, low-cost device to quickly check resistivity of the ground on-a-spot, especially on the sites non-accessible with heavy machinery.

Four-electrode principle of EC/ER measurements

Our equipment utilizes well-known four-electrode principle to measure electrical resistivity or conductivity, as shown in the figure. LandMapper^®measures potential difference ( Dj) which arises between two electrodes (M and N), when electrical current (I) is applied to other two electrodes (A and B). The increase of the distance among four electrodes in a set allows measuring resistivity of deeper layers, f.e. probe of A2M2N2B2 reaches deeper than A1M1N1B1. In theory, electrical resistivity (ER) of a material is defined as follows:

where L is the length of a uniform conductor with a cross-sectional area A. A/L is a geometrical coefficient (K), which is easily calculated for different in-situ electrode arrangements and laboratory conductivity cells. LandMapper^®calculates electrical resistivity using formula: . The direct digital output of the device is electrical resistivity in Ohm m. Those can be converted automatically in electrical conductivity (S/m) inside LandMapper^®ERM-02 by using reciprocal of the measured resistivity: . Thus, the measured results may as well be presented in convenient for soil scientists form of soil electrical conductivity (EC), which is routinely used to evaluate salinity of soils and irrigation water. However, EC can be used in many more applications than just soil salinity! Also ERM-02 can output natural electrical potential (EP) of soil and plants, which has some specific applications .

Applications of EC/ER technology in soil studies

Mapping of soil properties highly influencing density of mobile electrical charges (measured EC/ER strongly correlates with those properties in-situ):

1. Soil salinity

2. Soil texture (i.e. silt, sand and clay contents, working formula needs to be developed)

3. Coarse fragment content and depth to bedrock

4. Depth to limiting layers like clay and plough pan (wastewater - leaching fields)

5. Groundwater depth - capillary rise extent in profile

6. Correlations between soil EC maps and yield maps for many crops were established

7. Depth and extent of permafrost.

8. Pollution detection - depth and limits (pollution during oil and gas mining, for example)

9. Location and stability of karsts and carbonate sink holes.

10. Mapping of soil disturbance and search for hidden objects (drainage pipes, urban underground communications, forensic and archaeological applications).

11. Estimating depth of peat deposits during prospecting and locating methane accumulations in natural bogs and swamps.

Monitoring processes where only one soil properties changes:

12. Soil water content changes

13. Monitoring fertilizer uptake and other solute transport in soils (f.e. during phytoremediation)

14. Monitoring of freezing-melting processes in soil

15. Mapping and monitoring leakage from the retention ponds and sewage ponds, and underground oil storage tanks.

Applications in soil genesis studies.

Many soils of humid areas developed under downward leaching and typically feature the elluvial horizon with very high resistivity.

16. The thickness of horizons, the degree of eluviations and soil profile organization can be evaluated either without digging soil pits or by quick checking EC on the walls of soil pits.

17. Measuring of soil vertical and horizontal anisotropy non-destructively.

Special applications beyond soil studies:

18. Forestry – in addition to evaluating all important soil properties of forest soils, monitoring ER of a growing tree can indicate wood quality and if plant is stressed (also electrical potential is especially useful in plant health studies as non-penetrating electrodes can be mounted on surface of herbaceous plants).

19. Evaluating and monitoring stability of the roads (seasonal, gr avel, asphalt, on permafrost or landslides, etc.).

20. Measuring integrity of underground electrical cables and pipes (and soil corrosive properties).

21. Monitoring charge-recharge processes in membrane resins in water purification plants or consumer distillers.

22. ….? Can you think of any other possible applications that can benefit if electrical conductivity/potential of a natural system could be measured quickly and non-destructively?

We at Landviser, LLC would like to hear from you! Post a comment, or email us at info@landviser.com.

Richard Feynman once said: “There is not a single phenomenon in Nature which is not driven by electricity to some extent. ” (quote paraphrased)

Richard Feynman (1918-88) had an enormous talent of explaining complicated scientific matters to non-scientists. Watch this short video where he admires wonders of electricity in the dentist’s waiting room – “Electricity is bigger than gravity!”

How-to use LandMapper and consumer-grade GPS data-logger to quickly map salinity on farm fields

2011-01-20T10:25:00.000-06:00

Task on hand – estimate salinity level on fields planned for rice next year. Six fields with total area of 322 acres were selected by farmer. Equipment on hand: two LandMappers with different size probes attached (measuring electrical conductivity (EC) down to ~ 8” and 18”), Columbus GPS data-logger, all-road vehicle or “Mule”. Three people – farmer driving a '”mule” and recording data on paper, one person measuring with Landmapper at 18” depth, other person measuring EC with LandMapper to 8” depth and recording POI or way points with GPS.
Results: 30 points recorded in less than 1.5 hour (including about 45 min break to wait out the rain). EC in the field varied from 5 mS/m to 106 mS/m on surface; and from 19 mS/m to 400 mS/m in deeper layer.
Problems encountered – pouring rain, all electronics got wet, one LandMapper refused to store data (so it is always a good idea to write measurements on paper as a backup :), we did small repair of probe banana-plug contact with pocket knife.
To see what type of soils are on the farm and where we measured EC, download and install Google Earth from http://earth.google.com/ . Then go to Google Earth Interface
and download soilweb.kmz plugin. Save it to your harddrive. In Google Earth program go to File/Open and open attached .kml and KMZ files. You will see locations of our measurements, satellite imagery of the fields and outlines of soil map units. Clicking on yellow abbreviations bring quick reference about soil series name and profile. Clicking on soil name brings you a lot of detail information about soil properties, scientific soil name, typical native plant (with hyperlinks to plant database) and recommended soil usage. This database is maintained by UC Davis.

Geotomo Software - Downloads and prices for 2011

2011-01-17T15:42:00.001-06:00

Landviser offer the same pricing for geophysical interpretation and imaging software as Geotomo, Inc.
You can download the most current versions of software from here:
Geotomo Software - Downloads:
View current pricing for software set by Geotomo for first half of 2011.
Landviser, LLC is authorized distributor of RES2DINV/RES3DINV software and preferred vendor for customers in North and South Americas (registered in CCR system), Africa, Russia, China. Please contact Landviser, LLC before contacting other dealers or Geotomo directly as we will meet or beat quotes by other dealers. We accept purchase orders from US customers as well as VISA/MC and wire transfers to our US bank account and ship worldwide.
To get official quote, contact Landviser, LLC at info@landviser.com or +1-609-412-0555.

Daymet historical 1980-2003 Daily weather data for US

2010-11-10T13:26:00.001-06:00

A real gem - historical 1980-2003 DAILY weather data for US - extrapolated on 1 sq km grid. Available as summary maps or RAW!
Daymet Home Page:
You can download the raw data for any place in US and use it in research - probability, crop modeling, etc.

DAYMET U.S. Data Center - A source for Daily Surface Weather Data and Climatological Summaries
Daymet is a model that generates daily surfaces of temperature, precipitation, humidity, and radiation over large regions of complex terrain. Daymet was developed at the University of Montana, Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group (NTSG), to fulfill the need for fine resolution, daily meteorological and climatological data necessary for plant growth model inputs
Using a digital elevation model and daily observations of minimum and maximum temperatures and precipitation from ground-based meteorological stations, an 18 year daily data set (1980 - 1997) of temperature, precipication, humidity and radiation has been produced as a continuous surface at a 1 km resolution. A wide range of summary and point daily data over the conterminous United States are now available.
No other data at this temporal and spatial resolution exists. This data is currently being distributed, free of charge, from the NTSG lab through its outreach component, the EOS Training Center Natural Resource Project.
The Daymet U.S. database is indexed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Distributed Active Archive Center (ORNL DAAC), in their list of Regional and Global Data for Global Change Research

USDA Provides Disaster Assistance to Producers of Rice, Upland Cotton, Soybeans and Sweet Potatoes in 2009

2010-10-25T09:17:00.000-05:00

USDA Provides Disaster Assistance to Producers of Rice, Upland Cotton, Soybeans and Sweet Potatoes
Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:20:36 -0500

Note that this program covers losses occurred in 2009 crop. So far it looks like 2010 rice harvest was worse than 2009, lending to excessive heat and luck of moisture, however 2009 brought excessive rainfall and flooding in Mid-South, thus this assistance program for 2009 crop loss was just approved on October, 22, 2010. Only few counties are covered in TX, but non of rice-growing counties. However, all AR and major part of LA and MS counties are covered, see map below. A list of eligible disaster counties for CAP is located here (click to download XLS file).

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2010 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that starting today up to $550 million in disaster assistance will be issued to producers of rice, upland cotton, soybeans and sweet potatoes that suffered losses because of excessive moisture or related conditions in 2009. This assistance will be issued by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) through the Crop Assistance Program (CAP).
"Producers of these crops suffered quality and quantity losses caused by excess moisture in 2009," Vilsack said. "They continue to feel the effects of those crop losses and this program will provide timely assistance."

Payments will be made available to producers of eligible crops that received Secretarial disaster designations due to excessive moisture or related conditions in 2009.Producers of eligible crops on farms in disaster counties who certify to a 5 percent or greater crop loss in 2009 due to excessive moisture or related conditions will receive a payment based on a predetermined payment rate times the planted acres of the crop. Per acre payment rates will be prorated by FSA in order to keep payments within available funds for the program. Producers will initially receive 75 percent or their CAP payment and once sign up is complete they will receive up to an additional 25 percent. The predetermined payment rates for the eligible crops are:

Long grain rice – $31.93 per acre; Medium or short grain rice – $52.46 per acre; Upland Cotton – $17.70 per acre; Soybeans – $15.62 per acre; Sweet potatoes – $155.41 per acre. The general eligibility provisions, payment limits and adjusted gross income limits that apply to FSA programs apply to CAP. No person or legal entity (excluding a joint venture or general partnership), may receive, directly or indirectly, more than $100,000 in CAP benefits. Additionally, CAP payments will be treated as 2009 revenue under the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments (SURE) Program.

CAP is funded through Section 32 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of Aug. 24, 1935, which allows the Secretary to use funds to reestablish the purchasing power of farmers, ranchers and producers. For additional background on CAP, visit http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.

For more information about USDA Farm Service Agency disaster assistance programs, visit a local FSA county office or http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, Washington, DC 20250-9410, or call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal-relay). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Samsung HZ35W compact ultra-zoom digital camera with GPS

2010-05-17T15:14:00.002-05:00

I just got this camera for my impeding trip to Kenya and testing it. So far camera functions are superb, with 15x optical zoom and wide-angle lens, it is compact and takes great pictures on auto, but also have full manual control. What it lacks is printed manual and other detail instructions. The other BIG problem is GPS base maps. You will need to download them from www.samsungimaging.com, not samsung.com as stated in PDF manual. And, search for model WB650, not HZ35W. After jumping through the hoops I found this semi-direct link http://www.samsungimaging.com/learn/digital-camera-camcorder/productDetailView.do?forward=feature&prdCtgSeq=7&langPrdSeq=6037
You will need to agree to the terms, than enter serial code of your camera (on the bottom, HZ35W code will work) and check if code is valid. Than it will take you to download page. Manual for GPS basemaps is not download-able, no saveable and in scroll-down frame, after taking multiple screenshots, I was able to save it.
Now about the maps. Samsung states that 63 countries are covered, but You only have 3 attempts to download regional (country?) maps. Since others stated that getting 550 Mb map of US was a pain, I downloaded basemaps for whole world (required, ~100 mB) first, and then got Kenya, UK (for my possible venture into London during plane switch) and Russia/Ukraine. I was really surprised that those countries are available.:) Well, I just started US download, I got it in about 15 min, not bad. also I am not sure how detail those maps will be, but they are there!
After jumping through hoops, here is video how to, which is only available if you already went through all sites, entered serial number, etc. It teaches you how to do just that.:)
http://www.samsungimaging.com/learn/digital-camera-camcorder/goInstallGuideMovie.do
Pros:
1. Camera is pretty easy to use. Point and shoot and gets good pictures. Great wide angle + 15X optical! zoom.

2. Intelli-Studio for image editing is also straightforward. Camera connected fast with Win XP Pro PC, you don't even need to install Studio, it runs from camera. Camera is charging while uploads pictures.Short USB cable is actually a plus. It is proprietary by Samsung, so I have to be careful not to lose it. Old images are not removed from SD by default, but can be cleaned with a few clicks. I also installed the Studio to PC to download images into my Win Live folder which will automatically syncs between work and home PC. So I can work on images anytime from any comp. I am getting ready for netbook :) and planning to carry one with me on ventures around town/business travel. I am aware that netbooks do not have optical drive, so auto-install of software from camera instead of DVD is actually a plus! The software displays all info about each shot, including GPS coordinates, I am planning to use it in learning digital photography and may be for documenting my soil consulting trips and EC measurements.

3. GPS actually fixed pretty quickly, about 2 min max (for the first out of the box fix, not bad!) when I was sitting outside waiting for car oil change, and it was not clear view of skies, I was on the side of the hole in concrete awning, sort of an atrium. Even without base maps, it displays pretty accurate location of the picture (through Intelli-Studio, it even shows address of Car Spa I was sitting at). Accuracy spread was also OK for not dedicated GPS, considering I was siting not in the crear sky view. The popped out picture of the stones actually shown exactly where I was sitting, other pins are close by (I did not move while taking all 7 pictures), but this spread to be expected even on hight end GPS.

Cons:
1.No hard copy user manual is included. Manual is on CD (and that is only thing which is on that CD, pretty wasteful, as all base maps on web, and manual as well, why include CD?). Although I like PDFs and generally prefer having a softcopy on computer for referral, sometimes it is nice to being able to play with camera outside and refer to book manual. I should go through additional loops to convert PDF to use on Kindle or Win Mobile Phone. Or netbook?:)
2. Basemap download and install is not easily available, see above. Although I found it and downloaded relatively painlessly, I am still working on getting basemaps on camera SD, this will be separate post. Also space limits - I will have to fill about 1 Gb with base maps...

Conclusions: I really like this camera and can envision having it with me at all the times. I am not a good photographer, but like to learn. Also I follow the motto "the best camera is the one you have with you". We got DSLR Pentax for Christmas, but it is too heavy and complicated to my taste, so my husband took it over, he likes to play with images and spends hours on editing. Now he shoots in RAW mostly, now there is always at least a week lag before he can post pictures. I don't like this. So this little Samsung will be My Camera.:)

Low-cost GPS logger

2010-05-12T10:33:00.002-05:00

I had tested a small gadget called GPS logger from Columbus Visiontac.
Complete product name-description is:

Columbus V-900 Bluetooth GPS Data Logger (microSD , Voice Tag for POI, Driverless, Push to Log, 25 millions waypoints*, XP / Vista/ Linux / Mac OSX Compatible)

I tested it on some trips about a year ago. It is out of stock on most websites now, I don't know whats going on, but I have it and it is a cool little device both for fun and for field research. The cool feature is if you carry your digital camera and set up time in it to minute upon return to office you can link those pictures with Lat/Long and post on Google Earth for other to review. Or you can collect voice notes or waypoints and then load them to your PC and merge with other measurements. If you have it in your car all the time, it trucks your routs and date-stamp them so you can review notes and places you've been and merge that with soil maps, satellite imagery, etc. Indispensable for mobile Ag Consultant! I even tried to log EC data from Landmapper to merge with locations. It has worked a year ago, but now dis-organized as I am, I lost manual and software which came with it for PC communication. It still works and I have a whole bunch of data on it from recent trip to Winnie, TX - I was there mapping soil salinity on rice fields, but I cannot get it out!:( I will continue searching internet and my house, but may be someone can help with this??? Ok, that was pretty easy. Here is manufacturer website for downloads.Current versions are
Columbus V-900 User Manual V1.2 English Version updated 08-11-10 1.29M
Time Album V1.8 English Version
Updated: 10-03-31 1132K
I will try to set up my new laptop with this and get those data out!
Setup instruction:

Download and install Java (free, click here to download). It will ask you to verify your version of Java.

Download and unzip the Time Album application (see link above).

Launch the TimeAlbum application by double clicking on the unzip file above.

Solid Earth Geophysics Encyclopedia

2010-05-11T09:13:00.001-05:00

Landmapper will be featured in 2nd edition of Solid Earth Geophysics Encyclopedia as the best small scale portable and accurate electrical resistivity/conductivity meter. Click here to read a draft of the article in 2nd edition of Encyclopedia.

1st edition Encyclopedia of Solid Earth Geophysics can be found here.

Series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series

James, D.E. (Ed.)

Version: eReference (online access)
1990, 1344 p. eReference.
ISBN: 978-0-387-30752-7

QUICK ESTIMATION OF SALINITY IN FIELD SOILS AND IRRIGATION WATER WITH LANDMAPPER® ERM-02

2010-02-24T14:42:00.001-06:00

Soil salinity is routinely evaluated in the labs from electrical conductivity of liquid soil saturation extract (ECe). The resulted total salinity is reported either directly in conductivity units (dS/m) or converted to TDS (total dissolved solids) concentration in ppm (parts per million) using formula:

1 dS/m = 1 mS/cm = 1 mmho/cm = 640 ppm = 640 mg/L= 0.64 g/L=0.064%

But now EC of soil and waters can be measured directly in the field using highly accurate method of four-electrode probe and Landmapper ERM-02 measuring device. Best of all, probes can be build to sense different soil layers down to 30 ft! Probes are simple and inexpensive to make from common materials available at any hardware store.

For irrigation water and soil solutions: To measure ECw just put 4-electrode probe of Landmapper used for mapping into a ditch, canal, or other water source. Make sure that all 4-electrodes are in contact with water. Take a reading in EC (conductivity) mode. Display will read (example):

K0*C= 150m - which indicates milli Siemens (mS/m)

To convert to dS/m, divide display number by 100, i.e.

150 mS/m=1.5 dS/m.

Use the table below to quickly evaluate salinity of irrigation or surface water:

Salinity Class	Electrical Conductivity, ECw (dS/m=mS/cm=mmho/cm)	Total dissolved solids, TDS (ppm)
Nonsaline water	<0.7	<500
Saline water	0.7-42	500-30,000
Slightly saline	0.7-3	500-2000
Medium saline	3-6	2000-4000
Highly saline	6-14	4000-9000
Very highly saline	14-42	9000-30,000
Brine	>42	>30,0000

For field soils: Conventional analysis of soil salinity is cumbersome, since it requires collecting big soil samples, preparing soil paste and using vacuum extract apparatus to collect soil solution extract for measuring ECe. Farmer usually had to wait up to 10 days to get back results from the lab. Salinity is highly variable across the fields and with soil depth. Soil salinity is also highly dynamic and can drastically change during growing season depending on rain, irrigation and other management practices.

Landmapper ERM-02 can be used to check for dangerous salinity levels at different locations and soil layers directly in the field very quickly – one EC reading takes only 4 sec! Few samples can be collected from areas with extreme min-max levels of EC and salinity values can be double-checked at the laboratory using Landmapper ERM-02, laboratory 4-electrode box and simple and accurate procedure described in separate flyer. Scale for weighting soil and distilled water is the only additional equipment needed.

However, usually ECa measured directly in the field is enough to delineate spots of dangerous salinity within the field and design management/remediation plan.

ECa or apparent (bulk) electrical resistivity measured with LandMapper in the field can be related back to ECe by multiplying ECa*K_texture. The K_texture varies from 3 to 6 for typical loam and clay loam soils, and can be estimated from soil clay content and a graph at the left. However, those K_texturefor recalculation of ECa to ECe were derived for relatively dry California soils and if one is measuring ECa in wet situations like after heavy rain in saturated or flooded soil (also possible with Landmapper ERM-02!), K_texturemultiplication is not necessary. Recent measurements on rice paddies in TX have shown that at ECa=1.5 dS/m at 6” and 16” depth rice is thriving under full flood.

Remember, ECe or electrical conductivity of soil saturation extract is MAXIMUM soil salinity, and one should not be alarmed of high ECe values, especially if growing relatively salt-tolerant crops without excess water. ECa or bulk soil electrical conductivity is much more valuable as its shows amount of ACTIVE or MOBILE salts in soil profile under field soil moisture conditions.

Bulk soil electrical conductivity (ECa) is measured from soil surface to the depth in the big soil volume determined by the distance among four electrodes (ABMN) and therefore is more representative of field conditions than measurements in small soil sample or soil ECa insertion probe. The depth and volume of measurement may be varied by changing the spacing between electrodes. When the distance between the outside pair of electrodes (the current electrodes, AB) is small, the flow of electricity is shallower. The effective depth of measurement is about one-third of the distance between AB electrodes. The calculation of ECa from field measurements done with different size probes will be done automatically by LandMapper ERM-02 if geometrical coefficient Kg is set in device for specific probe. Kg can be calculated from distances among ABMN electrodes using formula below (input distances in meters):

Four-electrode probes supplied by us will have Kg printed on the probe and saved in LandMapper ERM-02 memory. Device can store nine Kg (K1-K9) coefficients to facilitate quick changes in the field for up to 10 probes for different depths. Default K0=1 and cannot be changed. K0 is used with a probe to the depth ~6” where AM=MN=NB=a=16 cm or for resistance/conductance measurements.

Reference: Rhoades, J.D., F. Chanduvi, S. Lesch. 1999. Soil salinity assessment – Methods and interpretation of electrical conductivity measurements. FAO irrigation and drainage paper #57. FAO UNESCO Rome. ISBN 92-5-104281-0

Setting up RES2DINV/RES3DINV (DEMO ver.) for the first time

2010-01-28T12:34:00.003-06:00

Download DEMO version of RES2DINV from http://www.landviser.biz/
Visit hyperlinked folders to download DEMO versions of RES2DINV and RES3DINV and supplemental publications.
Note, that you can use RES2DINV without RES3DINV, but not other way around - RES2DINV have to be installed first. This demo software has decreased functionality, but it might be enough for your research and the DEMO versions never expire.
However, if you decide to purchase software, please request a formal quote from us ASAP before contacting GEOTOMO directly, as we will meet or beat price of other dealers, but we cannot guarantee it unless you secure order from us first. Please, see my blog post on this http://landviser.blogspot.com/2010/01/inventorylistlandviser2010.html

Now, installing the software…
Click setup.exe and follow directions. When you run through set up series of questions, click OK to the question about dongle installation.
Setup will quit.

Then run the program from Start\Programs\RES2DINV or from folder where it has been installed.

Without a dongle you will see SemiDemo version. Click OK.

Big white screen will be there with menus on the top. If you see white screen only, my guess it is screen resolution on your PC system that makes it blown out of proportion. I did installed mine on VISTA Ultimate 64-bit using same file without any problem before, but today I happen to have Win XP 32-bit computer without RES2DINV, so I run setup.exe on it step by step. Works fine.

Go File/Run Jacobwin if you using a program for the first time. It will calculate partial derivatives for most popular arrays. You will not need to run it again ever on the same computer.

When you decided to purchase and receive your USB dongle in the mail, follow directions to install the dongle published in manual book. You will not need to un-install DEMO versions, the software will pick up dongle if it attached otherwise it will continue to run in semi-demo mode.

If you run into any problems with installation, please, do not hesitate to contact Landviser or post a comment in this blog.
info@landviser.com
Phone: 888-306-LAND (5263) or 1-609-412-0555 (International)

LandMapper® ERM-02 - versatile and affordable

2010-01-27T15:49:00.001-06:00

Don’t break your back collecting soil samples. Reduce amount of samples sent for laboratory analysis and save money. And still make detail soil map of your fields, which will be more accurate than conventional soil surveys. Impossible? Not at all with LandMapper ERM-02.

This device measures three important electrical properties of soil: electrical resistivity (ER), conductivity (EC), and potential (EP). Utilizing the most accurate four-electrode principle LandMapper measures ER or EC and helps delineate areas with contrasting soil properties within the fields quickly, non-destructively and cost-efficiently.
In a typical setting, a four-electrode probe is placed on the soil surface and an electrical resistivity or conductivity value is read from the digital display. Using the device prior to soil sampling you can significantly reduce the amount of samples required and precisely design a sampling plan based on the site spatial variability.
Bulk soil EC was correlated with salinity, texture, stone content, total available nutrients, water holding capacity, and filtration rates. Guided by detailed soil EC map obtained with LandMapper, only minimal amount of soil samples is needed to invert EC map into correlated soil properties. Also, LandMapper can be used to measure EC in soil pastes, suspensions and solutions and quickly estimate total dissolved salts (TDS) in solid and liquid samples.
LandMapper ERM-02 was successfully used for non-destructive mapping and monitoring of agricultural fields as well as construction, remediation and archaeological sites.
The device measures ER or EC in soil from 1 inch down to 30 feet, depth is set by changing four-electrode probes of different sizes. Probes can be easily assembled from inexpensive materials available at any hardware store.

Repeat the measurements using series of probes with increasing distances among electrodes and collect detail information about soil horizons, hardpan and groundwater depth. Additional processing of such ER data allows to plot 1D, 2D and even 3D images of subsurface (RES2DINV and RES3DINV software developed by Geotomo is available through Landviser as well).

LandMapper is resistivity meter and datalogger (stores 999 readings), but not a multiplexer, but some researchers from USDA constructed manual multeplexer interface for LandMapper. ERM-02 model has option of directing measurement by PC. Software is being developed by us for multiplexing and monitoring studies with LandMapper.

LandMapper ERM-02 is the most versatile device in LandMapper series and allows you not only measure ER and EC using artificially applied electrical current and four-electrode probes, but also study natural electrical fields in soils and plants with non-polarizing electrodes. Electrical balance between soil and plants is important for plant health; electrical potential gradient governs water and nutrient uptake by plants.

Key Features

Compact and portable design (weights only 250 g without the probe)
Fast (one measurement takes 4 sec)
Accurate (Automatically adjusts electrical resistivity (ER)/conductivity (EC)/potential (EP) ranges to provide best measurement accuracy >99%)

ER= 0.01-1,000,000 Ω m

EC= 0.000 001 – 10 S/m

EP = -1 to +1 V (D=0.01 mV)

Safe and reliable (uses a standard 9 V battery)
PC connected for data transfer (stores 999 data values in non-volatile memory)
Modular and interchangeable (detachable measuring unit accepts mapping 4-electrode probes, sounding cables, laboratory cells, micro-probes, and non-polarizing electrodes)
Versatile (the same unit can be used for field mapping, measurements in soil, plant and food samples as well as on live plants and animals)
Affordable (inquire about our very competitive prices and rental rates (US only) as well as available educational and multiple unit discounts)

To discuss your research needs and applications contact us at

info@landviser.com
Phone: 888-306-LAND (5263) or 1-609-412-0555 (International)
Fax: 815-301-8955

Inventory list of Landviser, LLC 2010

2010-01-18T11:35:00.005-06:00

I have just updated our inventory/pricing for devices and Res2DINV geophysical software, since GeoTomo increased price for software and also released RES3DINV for 64-bit processors (PC only). Note that GeoTomo Software is based in Malaysia and does not accepts credit cards. They sell their world-renowed geophysical interpretation software directly (wire transfers) and through world network of dealers. Landviser, as a manufacturer of geophysical equipment is an autorized dealer for this software. All dealers are required to quote the same price, however not all accept credit cards and offer free shipping and software support, as Landviser does. Please, consider this before requiring comparison quotes simultaneously from several dealers. If we are not the first dealer served you a quote, software developer might restrict the sale through us and you will have to use wire transfer and purchase directly from GeoTomo.
As I am learning Google Docs and Blogging, I published this document on both places.

INVENTORY LISTING AND QUOTE (valid until March 31, 2010)

Electrical Geophysical Devices

produced by ASTRO (Russia) exclusively for Landviser, LLC (USA)

Product	Description	Price	Availability
Landmapper ERM-01	Hand-held geophysical device measuring electrical resistivity by the method of four-electrode probe. Includes User Manual, 4 test leads (electrodes), CD with software and information, and serial cable for data download	$979	Discontinued. Sold out. Inquire about refurbished units
Landmapper ERM-02	Hand-help geophysical device measuring electrical resistivity, conductivity and potential. Includes user manual, 4 test leads (electrodes), CD with software and information, and serial cable for data download to PC or directing electrical measurements from PC	$2397 or rent for $197 per week (USA only)	NEW in ERM-02 model: * Accurate saveable potential measurements * Direct your ER/EC/EP measurements from PC! In stock

Accessories for Electrical Geophysical Devices

made or modified by Landviser, LLC (USA)

Product	Description	Price	Availability
4 measuring test leads	Two red and two black measuring electrodes complete with 1 m cable and banana plugs.	$16(four) $8 (two)	In stock
4 gold-plated disk electrodes set	Non-corrosive electrodes to measure ER/EC of highly corrosive or hard material, living organisms (use conductive TENS gel).	$60 (four) $15 (one)	In stock
Laboratory 4-electrode cell	Plastic cell with alligator-clip test leads and banana plug connections. Used for measuring ER/EC in solutions, slurries, suspensions, soil samples	$79	In stock
Soil probe kit	Kit for do-it-yourself four-electrode probe (includes 4 sharpened stainless steel electrodes, 8 nuts, 4 ring terminals, 4 banana plugs)	$19	In stock
Soil pit probe	4-electrode probe to measure electrical resistivity/conductivity in soil pits, pots and other samples of semisolid media.	$26	In stock
Small soil mapping probe	4-electrode probe to measure electrical resistivity/conductivity in topsoil (<=30 cm). Typical sizes: a=10, 15, 20, 25, 30 cm.	$36	In stock
Medium soil mapping probe	T-shaped probe for fast mapping topsoil down to 0.5 m, Wenner or any customer specified configuration with a<=0.5 m.	$47	In stock Most popular probe
Big soil mapping/VES cable set	4-electrode cable set with pre-set distances to measure soil electrical resistivity/conductivity down to 5 m.	$89	In stock

Consulting Services

Product	Description	Price	Availability
Geophysical data interpretation	ER and IP data analysis and interpretation using RES2DINV/RES3DINV software. Comprehensive reports including GIS electronic maps and background geology/soil analysis.	$70 per hour or project-based	Billable hours determined before committing to the project
Statistical and geostatistical data analysis	Comprehensive analysis of research data. Help with experiment design and report preparation.	$90 per hour or project-based	Billable hours determined before committing to the project
Soil and GIS consulting	Our knowledgeable staff will gather and analyze GIS data for your project including environmental data, public census information and proprietary enterprise data. Our services range from global and regional GIS market analysis to urban & agronomical soil mapping	$60 per hour or project-based	Billable hours determined before committing to the project

Geoelectrical Imaging Software

developed by GeoTomo Software (Malaysia), distributed by Landviser, LLC (USA)

The demo version of the software can be downloaded from http://www.landviser.us/forall/The demo version has no time restrictions and offer almost complete functionality, but the interpretation results and models cannot be saved without authorized dongle (USB). The support is provided by developer and/or Landviser via phone or email indefinitely.

Product	Price for Commercial/Non-Academic Institutions	Price for Academic Institutions*	Availability
RES2DINV	$2700	$2430	In stock. Software manual, CD and a USB dongles to unlock demo version are shipped from USA.
RES2DINV plus RES3DINV	$3700	$3330
RES3DINV -64bit plus RES2DINV/RES3DINV -32bit	$5000	$4500
	The price is one time payment and there are no annual support fees. Upgrades are always free for the registered customers.	Academic institutions get significant discount.
Upgrades			Instantly via email
from RES2DINV to RES2DINV/RES3DINV	$1200	$1200
from RES3DINV-32bit to RES2DINV/RES3DINV -64bit	$1500	$1500
from RES2DINV to RES2DINV/RES3DINV -64bit	$2500	$2500
For the second copy of the software purchased by the same customer, there is a 20% discount for academic institutions and a 10% discount for other customers from the full price.
RES2DINV	$2430	$2160	For purchases with the second copy discount, technical support will only be provided to the same customer at a single office.
RES2DINV plus RES3DINV -32bit	$3330 or rent for $397 per month (USA only)	$2960
RES2DINV plus RES3DINV -64bit	$4500	$4000

*Academic institutions are defined as institutions with registered undergraduate or postgraduate students that award recognized academic degrees (BSc, MSc, PhD). This does not include government institutions such as the geological surveys in many countries.

Payment Terms:

All prices are in US Dollars. Orders are fulfilled after the payment is received in full.
We accept credit cards (VISA or MC) or wire transfers to our bank account in USA.
Customers from USA may also pay by electronic check or Purchase Order. Customers from Russia are served by regional office in Moscow.

Landviser, LLC (USA)
828 Davis Rd., League City, TX 77573
Toll-free: 888-306-LAND (5263) Phone: 609-412-0555
Fax: 435-417-0316, info@landviser.com
Main: http://www.landviser.com/ Shop: http://www.landviser.us/

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Starting a blog "Internet for Research"

2009-08-12T13:09:00.000-05:00

Internet is amazing thing when you use it for research. I tend to analyse (maybe even over-analyse :) everything I hear or see even if this comes as "accepted view" of "authorities". I am starting this blogg now to document my fundings and analysis of multiple topics of interest: health, diet, excersise, cooking, traveling, gardening, GIS, soil science, geophysics, agriculture, statistics, software and hardware tips&tricks, kids...
And, yes, me and my daughter just LOVE "Magic School Bus" series - so, according to my research...