Elcometer 331 SH User manual

English
Elcometer 331
Concrete Covermeter
Model SH • Model TH
Operating Instructions
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English
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The Elcometer 331 Concrete Covermeter has been tested in accordance with EU
regulations governing Electro-magnetic compliance and it meets the required directives.
Note: Readings may be affected if the unit is operated within a radio frequency electromagnetic
strength of greater than 3 V/m.
, CoverMaster
®
and are registered trademarks of
Elcometer Limited.
All other trademarks acknowledged.
© Copyright Elcometer Limited. 2006-2009.
All rights reserved. No part of this Document may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored
(in a retrieval system or otherwise) or translated into any language, in any form or by any means
(electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, manual or otherwise) without the prior written permission
of Elcometer Limited.
A copy of this Instruction Manual is available for download on our Website via www.elcometer.com/
downloads.
Doc.No. TMA-0384 Issue 04
Text with Cover No: 19754
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CONTENTS
Section Page
1 About your Covermeter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2 Quick-start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3 Getting started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.1 The power supply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3.2 Fitting search heads. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.3 Identifying search heads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3.4 Fitting half-cell probes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.5 The controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.6 Switching the Covermeter on and off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.7 The display. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.8 Selecting a language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.9 Computer interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.10 Using the earphone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3.11 Zeroing the Covermeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4 The menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
5 Locating reinforcement bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
5.1 Before you start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
5.2 To locate a single layer of reinforcement bars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
5.3 To locate two layers of reinforcement bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
5.4 To determine the orientation of a reinforcement bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
5.5 Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
5.6 Surface mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
6 Measuring depth of cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
6.1 Before you start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
6.2 Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
6.3 What happens when you press Enter [] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
6.4 Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
7 Selecting bar size. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
8 AutoSizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
9 Measuring size of reinforcement bars (orthogonal) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
9.1 Before you start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
9.2 Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
9.3 Accuracy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
9.4 Reducing errors when orthogonal sizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
10 Measuring half-cell potential . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
10.1 Before you start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
10.2 Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
10.3 What happens when you press Enter [] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
10.4 Measuring cell-to-cell rather than cell-to-bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
11 Sound mode/Detection mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
11.1 Locate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
11.2 Maxpip™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
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11.3 Under Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
12 Setting limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
13 Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
14 Batching/Data logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
14.1 Linear batches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
14.2 Grid batches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
14.3 What does a batch contain?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
14.4 Saving your readings in memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
14.5 Exit batching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
14.6 Open new batch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
14.7 Open existing batch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
14.8 Clone batch/Copy batch information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
14.9 Review batch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
14.10 Plot batch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
14.11 Plot options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
14.12 Edit batch tags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
14.13 Delete batch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
14.14 Delete all batches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
14.15 Free memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
14.16 The BATCH softkey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
14.17 How to enter information into batch header fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
15 A typical survey (using grid batch memory) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
16 Plotting batches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
16.1 Plot batch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
16.2 Plot options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
17 Measuring welded mesh and joined bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
18 Transferring readings to a computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
19 Search heads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
20 Half-cell probes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
21 Error messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
22 Personalised welcome screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
23 Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
24 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
25 Upgrading your Covermeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
26 Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
27 Related equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
28 Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
29 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
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A BOUT YOUR C OVERMETER
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Thank you for your purchase of this Elcometer 331 Concrete Covermeter. Welcome to Elcometer.
Elcometer are world leaders in the design, manufacture and supply of inspection equipment for
concrete and coatings.
Our concrete inspection products include a comprehensive range of concrete, and civil engineering
inspection equipment. Our coatings products cover all aspects of coating inspection, from
development through application to post application inspection.
The Elcometer 331 Concrete Covermeter is a world beating product. With the purchase of this
Covermeter you now have access to the worldwide service and support network of Elcometer. For
more information visit our website at www.elcometer.com
1 ABOUT YOUR COVERMETER
The Elcometer 331 Concrete Covermeter is a handheld Covermeter for fast and accurate location,
orientation and measurement of concrete reinforcement bars (high tensile steel or stainless steel).
Your Covermeter can also be used in half-cell mode to help assess the potential for corrosion of the
reinforcement bars.
Locate • Identify orientation
Measure depth of cover • Measure diameter • Measure half-cell potential
The Covermeter is available in five versions:
• Model B (entry level)
• Model BH (entry level with half-cell potential measurement)
• Model SH (intermediate level with half-cell potential measurement)
• Model TH (data logging with half-cell potential measurement)
• Model THD (data logging with half-cell potential measurement and stainless steel
reinforcement bar detection)
This manual describes the operation of the Elcometer 331 Model SH and Model TH.
All versions of the Covermeter feature an easy-to-use menu-driven graphical interface which guides
the user during setup of the Covermeter and during measurement.
A range of fully interchangeable search heads and half-cell probes is available to suit your
requirements. Search heads include a keypad which allows remote operation of the Covermeter.
See “Search heads” on page 55 for full details.
Your Covermeter is packed in cardboard and plastic packaging. Please ensure that this packaging
is disposed of in an environmentally sensitive manner. Consult your Local Environmental Authority
for further guidance.
To maximise the benefits of your new Elcometer 331 Concrete Covermeter please take some
time to read these Operating Instructions. Do not hesitate to contact Elcometer or your
Elcometer supplier if you have any questions.
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1.1 Features
Note: Features described in these instructions apply to all models unless otherwise indicated in the text.
1.2 What this box contains
• Elcometer 331 Model SH or Model TH Concrete Covermeter
• Search head
a
connecting cable
• Rechargeable battery pack and battery charger
• Earphone
• Shoulder strap
• CD containing CoverMaster
®
software
• Data transfer cable
• Plastic carrying case
• Operating instructions
Feature
Elcometer 331 Model
Page
B BH SH TH THD
Menu-driven backlit graphical user interface      9
3 sizes of search head + borehole probe      55
Weather proof to IP65     
International standard bar size database in memory      25
Multiple languages      11
Automatic bar size estimate      26
Additional orthogonal bar size calculation      27
Locate mode      34
Under Cover mode - alerts user when cover is below minimum      35
Maxpip™ mode - for fast identification of reinforcement bar layout      35
Memory - up to 10 linear batches, up to 1000 readings in each batch      40
Memory - multiple linear and grid batches, up to 240 000 readings      40
Text fields for input of user data in each batch      41
Date and time stamping      41
Statistical analysis of readings and batches      37
Alarm if reading is outside limits      36
Transfer readings and statistics to a computer      52
CoverMaster
®
software for batch setup, data transfer and reporting
     53
Half-cell potential measurement      31
Plot mode      49
Stainless steel reinforcement bar detection and measurement      -
Upgradeable      62
a. Search head (and half-cells) must be ordered separately. See “Accessories” on page 64 for full details of
search heads and half-cell kits.
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Q UICK - START
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Figure 1. Elcometer 331 Concrete Covermeter
1.3 Standards
The Elcometer 331 Concrete Covermeter can be used in accordance with the following National
and International Standards: BS1881:204, ASTM C876, DGZfP:B2, DGZfP:B3, TR60, UN110174
1.4 Conventions in these instructions
A simple menu structure helps you get the most from your Covermeter - see “The menus” on
page 13. There are many references to this menu structure in these instructions.
As an example, the LANGUAGE option which is in SETUP from the MAIN MENU would be shown
in these instructions as:
MENU / SETUP / LANGUAGE
These instructions include images of Elcometer 331 screens with units set to millimetres (mm).
Similar screens will be seen when the Covermeter is set to inches.
2 QUICK-START
To configure the Covermeter quickly and start taking readings:
1. Charge the batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . see page 4
2. Fit search head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . see page 6
or Fit half-cell probe and cables . . . . . . . . . . see page 7
3. Switch on. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . see page 9
4. Select language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . see page 11
5. Zero the Covermeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . see page 12
6. To locate a bar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . see page 18
7. To measure depth of a bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . see page 22
8. To measure size of a bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . see page 27
9. To measure half-cell potential . . . . . . . . . . . . see page 31
10. To use memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . see page 40
For an overview of your Covermeter menus and functions, see pages 13 to 17.
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3 GETTING STARTED
This section of the instructions is intended for first-time users of the Covermeter. It contains
essential information about batteries, assembling the Covermeter, the controls and the display. At
the end of this section you will be ready to take readings.
3.1 The power supply
Your Covermeter is powered by a rechargeable Lithium-Ion
b
battery pack which can be charged
inside or outside the Covermeter.
One battery pack is supplied with the Covermeter. To increase productivity on site, Elcometer
recommends that you purchase a spare battery pack which can be charged while you are using
your Covermeter. To order an additional battery pack (see “Accessories” on page 64), contact
Elcometer or your local Elcometer supplier.
Charging the batteries
The rechargeable battery must be fully charged before using the Covermeter for the first time. Use
only the charger supplied with your Covermeter to charge the battery. Use of any other type of
charger is a potential hazard, may damage your Covermeter and will invalidate the warranty. Do not
attempt to charge any other batteries with the supplied charger.
Always charge the battery indoors. To prevent overheating, ensure that the charger is not covered.
1. Referring to Figure 2, unscrew the retaining screw (1) and open the interface access cover (2)
on the rear of the Covermeter.
Figure 2. Covermeter rear panel
2. Connect the lead from the charger into the socket marked ‘Charger Input’ behind the interface
access cover (Figure 3).
b. The Covermeter is not designed to operate using dry cell batteries.
1
2
3
3
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The Covermeter will automatically switch off when the lead from the charger is connected.
Figure 3. Charging the batteries
3. Plug the charger supplied into the mains supply. The LED indicator on the charger will glow
orange.
4. Leave the gauge charging for at least 4 hours. The LED indicator changes colour from orange
to green when charging is complete.
5. When charging is complete, disconnect the charger from the mains supply before removing
the lead from the Covermeter.
To remove the battery pack for charging outside the Covermeter, unscrew the two battery pack
retaining screws (Figure 2, item 3) at the rear of the Covermeter and slide out the battery pack. To
charge the battery once it has been removed, connect the lead from the charger into the socket on
the battery pack (Figure 3).
Warning: Do not allow metallic objects to come into contact with the battery terminals; this
may cause a short circuit and result in permanent damage to the battery.
Warning: Do not attempt to connect the supply side of the battery charger to generators or
any other medium to high power source other than the single phase 50 Hz AC mains outlet
supplied from an approved and safe mains switchboard. Connection to other supply
sources such as generators or inverters may have the potential to damage the charger, the
battery and/or the gauge, invalidating warranty.
Battery condition indicator
The state of charge of the battery is shown by a symbol on the display:
Symbol Battery charge/action required
70% to 100%
40% to 70%
20% to 40%
10% to 20%, charging recommended
<10%, Covermeter beeps every 10 seconds and symbol flashes - immediate
charging required
5 loud beeps, Covermeter switches off automatically
(battery in the Covermeter) (battery removed)
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3.2 Fitting search heads
The Covermeter must be switched off when search heads are fitted or removed.
Connect the search head to the Covermeter using the supplied connecting cable. The connecting
cable is fitted with a metal screw-type connector at each end. To fit a connector, align the keyway,
push the connector into place and then tighten the metal collar.
A range of search heads is available for your Covermeter - see “Search heads” on page 55 for full
details. The search head icon on the reading screen indicates the type of search head connected
to the Covermeter:
Narrow pitch
Standard
Deep cover
Borehole probe - set to forward-looking operation
Borehole probe - set to sideways-looking operation
The Covermeter must be zeroed after a search head has been fitted and after changing between
high-tensile and stainless modes - the display will show PLEASE ZERO and the ZERO softkey will
flash to remind you.
The metal and plastic bracket on the outside of the main unit is a storage clip for standard and
narrow pitch search heads. The bracket provides a convenient place to store the search head while
the Covermeter is not in use.
Figure 4. Search head storage clip
3.3 Identifying search heads
The four search head types are one of two physical sizes. The Narrow Pitch and Standard heads
are in a small package which fits in the rails on the top of the instrument. The Deep Cover and THD
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search heads are larger and do not fit in the rails. Each head is fitted with a label which identifies
its type for ease of recognition. The software also shows an indication of the search head type as
indicated in section 3.2.
3.4 Fitting half-cell probes
Connect the probe and cables as shown in Figure 5. The search head can be left connected to the
gauge at the same time as the half-cell probe, however for ease of use it is recommended that the
search head is removed and stored in the carry case.
Figure 5. Fitting half-cell probe and cables
Black
cable
Red
cable
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3.5 The controls
All functions of the Covermeter can be controlled using the keypad on the main unit. There are two
types of keys on the keypad; fixed function keys and ‘soft’ keys (Figure 6)..
Figure 6. Covermeter main keypad
Search head keypad
The keys on the search head mimic the functions of some of the keys on the main unit.
The function of the [enter ] key and the [menu/esc] key is identical to the corresponding keys on
the main unit.
The function of the [scroll up szero 0] and [scroll down tsize] keys depends upon whether the
reading screen is displayed or not.
Figure 7. Search head keypad
Scrolls up/down
through menus and
lists of values
Increases/
decreases
alphanumeric
values
Increases/
decreases
sensitivity in locate
mode
Accesses menus
Escapes from
menus
Discards values
entered on display
Switches the
Covermeter
on or off
Selects menu
items
Toggles tick boxes
on/off
Confirms values
entered on display
Adds reading to
statistical analysis
Adds reading to
batch (if batch is
open)
The function of these ‘soft’ keys
varies and is defined by symbols and
text on the screen
Selects menu items
Toggles tick boxes on/off
Confirms values entered on
display
Adds reading to statistical
analysis
Adds reading to batch (if
batch is open)
Zeros the Covermeter (only
when the display shows the
reading screen)
Scrolls up through menus
and lists of values
Increases numerical values
Bar size selection (only when
the display shows the
reading screen)
Scrolls down through menus
and lists of values
Decreases numerical values
Accesses menus
Escapes from menus
Discards values entered on
display
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3.6 Switching the Covermeter on and off
Note: Before switching the Covermeter on for the first time read “Selecting a language” on page 11.
To switch the Covermeter on, press [ ].
To switch the Covermeter off, press and hold [ ] for two seconds. The Covermeter will beep, two
single tones followed by a double tone, and will then switch off.
The Covermeter includes an automatic switch off feature which will help to extend the battery life
(time between charges). The automatic switch off time can be set to OFF, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 minutes.
MENU / SETUP / AUTO SWITCH OFF
A countdown timer is displayed on the screen 60 seconds before the Covermeter automatically
switches off. The timer counts down from 60 to 0 to warn you that the Covermeter is about to switch
off. Press any key while the countdown timer is displayed to cancel automatic switch off.
3.7 The display
Take some time to familiarise yourself with the information shown on the display of your
Covermeter. The display shows:
• Welcome information
• Measurement information
• Menus to configure the Covermeter and control functions
• Help and miscellaneous information
When the Covermeter is switched on an opening (welcome) information screen
c
may be displayed
briefly before the main reading screen appears.
The information shown depends upon whether you are taking measurements, reviewing readings
or setting up the Covermeter.
The main screen displayed (while you are taking measurements) is the Reading Screen.
c. The opening (welcome) screen can be disabled.
MENU / SETUP / OPENING SCREEN.
Customised welcome screens can be created on a PC and downloaded into the gauge - see “Personalised
welcome screen” on page 61.
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Reading screen (when measuring depth of cover)
1. Statistics (37) 9. Zero softkey
2. Signal strength indicator bar (18) 10. Size softkey
3. Batch name/Cell coordinates (40) 11. Search head type (6)
4. Bar size/number - input by user (25) 12. Depth of cover - Autosize estimate (26)
5. Reading out of limits indicator (36) 13. Depth of cover (22
6. Bar size - Autosize estimate (26) 14. Sensitivity/Maxpip™/Under Cover (33)
7. Batch softkey (45) 15. Battery condition indicator (5)
8. Bar softkey
Refer to page numbers in brackets ( ) for more information.
Reading screen (when measuring half-cell potential)
1. Half-cell potential - bar graph (zero at centre) 3. Half-cell potential - numerical
2. Half-cell reading indicator
Symbols
A wide range of symbols is used on the display. The meaning of all these symbols is stored in the
Covermeter.
MENU / ABOUT / HELP
LCD contrast
Adjust the contrast of the display to suit lighting conditions.
MENU / SETUP / LCD CONTRAST
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Backlight
The display includes a backlight which illuminates the display for 10 seconds after any key is
pressed and during measurements. Switch the backlight on or off as required. Switching the
backlight off will increase battery life.
MENU / BACKLIGHT
Time and date (Model TH only)
The time and date can be displayed on the top line of the reading screen.
MENU / SETUP / DISPLAY / SHOW TIME
3.8 Selecting a language
Your Covermeter has a number of built-in languages.
When the Covermeter is switched on for the first time after
dispatch from the Elcometer factory the display will show
the language selection screen (Figure 8).
At first switch on
1. Press [] or [] to locate language required.
2. Press [] to activate the selected language.
The Covermeter operates in the new language until
changed.
At any time
1. Switch Covermeter off.
2. Press and hold left hand softkey.
3. Press [ ] to switch on Covermeter.
The display will show the language selection screen with the current language highlighted by
the cursor.
4. Release left hand softkey.
5. Press [] or [] to locate language required.
6. Press [] to activate the selected language.
Alternatively, select a language at any time.
MENU / SETUP / LANGUAGE
3.9 Computer interface
Your Covermeter is fitted with an RS232 interface. The interface is located under the interface
access cover at the rear of the Covermeter - see Figure 2 and Figure 3 on page 4.
This 5-pin RS232 interface is used with the data transfer cable to connect the Covermeter to the
RS232 port
d
of a computer. When the Covermeter is connected to a computer you can:
• Download personalised screens to the Covermeter (see “Personalised welcome screen” on
page 61).
• Transfer measurement data to a PC or printer (see “Transferring readings to a computer” on
page 52).
d. An RS232 to USB transfer cable is available which allows you to connect your Covermeter to a USB port on
your computer. For ordering information, see “Accessories” on page 64.
Figure 8. Language selection
screen
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3.10 Using the earphone
To use the earphone, plug the connector into the 3.5 mm socket marked on the front of the
Covermeter. Replacement earphones are available as an optional accessory - see “Accessories”
on page 64.
3.11 Zeroing the Covermeter
This action is requested by the Covermeter whenever it is switched on with a search head attached,
when a cover batch is opened, on entering orthogonal SIZE mode, and periodically thereafter (at
least once every 10 minutes). The user can choose to zero the instrument at any time.
If zeroing is required, the cover display is blanked, the user is prompted, and no further readings
can be entered until zeroing is completed.
To zero the Covermeter, hold the search head in the air well away from any metal and press the
ZERO softkey. Zeroing is complete when the ZERO softkey indicator stops flashing. Sometimes
more than one press of the ZERO softkey will be required; this is quite normal.
When a half-cell probe is attached to the instrument, zeroing is not required.
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4 THE MENUS
To access the menus press the MENU softkey. To return to the reading screen quickly, press and
hold the MENU softkey.
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4.1 MENU
DATA LOGGER . . . . . . . . . . . Opens Data logger menu . . . . . . . . See 4.2 DATA LOGGER
BACKLIGHT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Toggles the display backlight on or off
STATISTICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opens Statistics menu . . . . . . . . . . See 4.3 STATISTICS
INSTRUMENT MODE . . . . . . Opens Instrument mode menu . . . . See 4.4 INSTRUMENT MODE
PRINT/OUTPUT. . . . . . . . . . . Opens Print/output menu . . . . . . . . See 4.5 PRINT/OUTPUT
SETUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opens Setup menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . See 4.6 SETUP
ABOUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opens About menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . See 4.7 ABOUT
RESET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opens Reset menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . See 4.8 RESET
Note: When Backlight is on, the display is illuminated for approximately 30 seconds after any key
is pressed and during measurements.
4.2 DATA LOGGER
EXIT BATCHING . . . . . . . . . . Switches off data logger
OPEN NEW BATCH . . . . . . . Opens a new memory batch and starts data logger
OPEN EXISTING BATCH . . . Opens existing memory batch and starts data logger
CLONE BATCH . . . . . . . . . . . Creates a clone of an existing memory batch and starts data logger
REVIEW BATCH . . . . . . . . . . Opens an existing memory batch for viewing of readings
PLOT BATCH
e
. . . . . . . . . . . . Plots batch readings on the display
PLOT OPTIONS
f
. . . . . . . . . . Sets plot options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See 4.9 PLOT OPTIONS
EDIT BATCH TAGS . . . . . . . . Opens an existing memory batch for editing of tags
DELETE BATCH . . . . . . . . . . Deletes one memory batch
DELETE ALL BATCHES . . . . Deletes all memory batches
FREE MEMORY . . . . . . . . . . Displays amount of free memory (%)
4.3 STATISTICS
ENLARGE STATS . . . . . . . . . Displays statistics in a larger font size
CLEAR STATS. . . . . . . . . . . . Resets to zero all statistical values
SELECT STATS. . . . . . . . . . . Opens Select stats menu . . . . . . . . See 4.10 SELECT STATS
4.4 INSTRUMENT MODE
COVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sets the instrument to measure depth of cover
HALFCELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sets the instrument to measure half-cell potential
4.5 PRINT/OUTPUT
SINGLE BATCH . . . . . . . . . . . Prints or outputs to PC a single memory batch
ALL BATCHES. . . . . . . . . . . . Prints or outputs to PC all memory batches
CURRENT STATISTICS . . . . Prints or outputs to PC the current statistics
e. ‘Plot batch’ - available on Elcometer 331 Model TH only.
f. ‘Plot options’ - available on Elcometer 331 Model TH only.
See “Batching/Data logging” on page 40
See “Statistics” on page 37
See “Transferring readings to a computer” on page 52
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4.6 SETUP
SOUND MODE . . . . . . . . . . . Opens Sound mode menu . . . . . . . See 4.11 SOUND MODE
UNITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opens Units menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . See 4.12 UNITS
LIMITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opens Limits menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . See 4.13 LIMITS
CLOCK
g
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opens Clock menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . See 4.14 CLOCK
OUTPUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opens Output menu . . . . . . . . . . . . See 4.15 OUTPUT
DISPLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opens Display menu . . . . . . . . . . . See 4.16 DISPLAY
BEEP VOLUME. . . . . . . . . . . Use Scroll keys to select beep volume 0 (off) to 5 (maximum)
and then press Enter
LANGUAGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Use Scroll keys to select menu language and then press enter
AUTO SWITCH OFF . . . . . . . Use Scroll keys to select auto switch off time, 5 to 10 minutes
or off and then press Enter
OPENING SCREEN . . . . . . . Press Enter to toggle the opening screen on or off
LCD CONTRAST. . . . . . . . . . Use Scroll keys to select LCD contrast, 0 to 8 and then press Enter
4.7 ABOUT
GAUGE INFORMATION . . . . Press Enter to display technical information about the
Covermeter
PROBE INFORMATION . . . . Press Enter to display technical information about the search
head
CONTACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Press Enter to display Elcometer offices worldwide and
(if programmed) Supplier contact details
HELP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Press Enter to display an explanation of all the symbols
used on the display
4.8 RESET
INTL GAUGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . Press Enter to Reset Covermeter to International settings
h
(DD/MM/YYYY date format, metric units, etc.)
USA GAUGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . Press Enter to Reset Covermeter to USA settings
i
(MM/DD/YYYY date format, imperial units, etc.)
Note: The Covermeter will display a Yes/No confirmation screen before reset is activated.
4.9 PLOT OPTIONS
j
GREYSCALE MIN/MAX . . . . Sets plot greyscale between the minimum and maximum readings
in the batch
GREYSCALE LIMITS . . . . . . Sets plot greyscale between the minimum and maximum limits in
the batch
THRESHOLD VIEW . . . . . . . Sets plot to white, or black below an adjustable threshold
SET THRESHOLD . . . . . . . . Opens Set threshold menu . . . . . . . See 4.17 SET THRESHOLD
g. ‘Clock’ - available on Elcometer 331 Model TH only.
h. International settings can also be activated at switch on:
Press and hold third softkey and switch on gauge.
i. USA settings can also be activated at switch on:
Press and hold fourth softkey and switch on gauge.
j. ‘Plot options’ - available on Elcometer 331 Model TH only.
See “Plot options” on page 50
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4.10 SELECT STATS
NO. OF READINGS . . . . . . . . Press Enter to toggle on or off
MEAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Press Enter to toggle on or off
STD DEVIATION . . . . . . . . . . Press Enter to toggle on or off
COEF OF VARIAT’N . . . . . . . Press Enter to toggle on or off
LOWEST READING. . . . . . . . Press Enter to toggle on or off
HIGHEST READING . . . . . . . Press Enter to toggle on or off
UNDER RANGE. . . . . . . . . . . Press Enter to toggle on or off
BELOW LIMIT . . . . . . . . . . . . Press Enter to toggle on or off
ABOVE LIMIT. . . . . . . . . . . . . Press Enter to toggle on or off
OVER RANGE . . . . . . . . . . . . Press Enter to toggle on or off
BLANK
k
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Press Enter to toggle on or off
Note: Only two statistics from the above list can be toggled to ‘on’ at the same time.
4.11 SOUND MODE
LOCATE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Press Enter to toggle on or off
MAXPIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Press Enter to toggle on or off
UNDER COVER. . . . . . . . . . . Press Enter to toggle on or off
Note: Locate cannot be toggled to ‘on’ at the same time as either Maxpip™ or Under Cover.
4.12 UNITS
COVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Press Enter, use Scroll keys to select units (mm/inch) and then
press Enter
TEMPERATURE . . . . . . . . . . Press Enter, use Scroll keys to select units (°C/°F) and then
press Enter
4.13 LIMITS
LOW LIMIT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opens Low limit menu. . . . . . . . . . . See 4.18 LOW LIMIT
HIGH LIMIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opens High limit menu . . . . . . . . . . See 4.19 HIGH LIMIT
4.14 CLOCK
l
TIME/DATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Use Scroll keys and Left/Right softkeys to set time and date
and then press Enter
SET DATE FORMAT . . . . . . . Opens Set date format menu . . . . . See 4.20 SET DATE FORMAT
4.15 OUTPUT
BAUD RATE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opens Baud rate menu . . . . . . . . . . See 4.21 BAUD RATE
RS232 BIT IMAGE . . . . . . . . . Press Enter to toggle on or off
RS232 PLAIN TEXT. . . . . . . . Press Enter to toggle on or off
Note: RS232 Bit Image and RS232 Plain Text cannot be toggled to ‘on’ at the same time.
k. ‘Blank’ - available on Elcometer 331 Model TH only.
l. ‘Clock’ - available on Elcometer 331 Model TH only.
See “Sound mode/Detection mode” on page 33
See “Transferring readings to a computer” on page 52
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