GE PM880 User manual

GE
Measurement & Control Solutions Moisture
910-247 Rev. F
May 2011
Model PM880
Portable Hygrometer
User’s Manual

www.ge-mcs.com
©2011 General Electric Company. All rights reserved.
Technical content subject to change without notice.
GE
Measurement & Control Solutions
Model PM880
Portable Hygrometer
User’s Manual
910-247 Rev. F
May 2011

ii
[no content intended for this page

Preface
Model PM880 Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual iii
Information Paragraphs
•Note paragraphs provide information that provides a deeper understanding of
the situation, but is not essential to the proper completion of the instructions.
•Important paragraphs provide information that emphasizes instructions that
are essential to proper setup of the equipment. Failure to follow these
instructions carefully may cause unreliable performance.
•Caution! paragraphs provide information that alerts the operator to a hazardous
situation that can cause damage to property or equipment.
•Warning! paragraphs provide information that alerts the operator to a
hazardous situation that can cause injury to personnel. Cautionary information
is also included, when applicable.
Safety Issues
WARNING! It is the responsibility of the user to make sure all local, county,
state and national codes, regulations, rules and laws related to
safety and safe operating conditions are met for each
installation.
Auxiliary Equipment
Local Safety Standards
The user must make sure that he operates all auxiliary equipment in accordance
with local codes, standards, regulations, or laws applicable to safety.
Working Area
WARNING! Auxiliary equipment may have both manual and automatic
modes of operation. As equipment can move suddenly and
without warning, do not enter the work cell of this equipment
during automatic operation, and do not enter the work
envelope of this equipment during manual operation. If you do,
serious injury can result.
WARNING! Make sure that power to the auxiliary equipment is turned OFF
and locked out before you perform maintenance procedures on
the equipment.

Preface
iv Model PM880 Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual
Qualification of Personnel
Make sure that all personnel have manufacturer-approved training applicable to the
auxiliary equipment.
Personal Safety Equipment
Make sure that operators and maintenance personnel have all safety equipment
applicable to the auxiliary equipment. Examples include safety glasses, protective
headgear, safety shoes, etc.
Unauthorized Operation
Make sure that unauthorized personnel cannot gain access to the operation of the
equipment.
Environmental Compliance
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive
GE Measurement & Control Solutions is an active participant in Europe’s Waste
Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) take-back initiative, directive
2002/96/EC.
The equipment that you bought has required the extraction and use of natural
resources for its production. It may contain hazardous substances that could impact
health and the environment.
In order to avoid the dissemination of those substances in our environment and to
diminish the pressure on the natural resources, we encourage you to use the
appropriate take-back systems. Those systems will reuse or recycle most of the
materials of your end life equipment in a sound way.
The crossed-out wheeled bin symbol invites you to use those systems.
If you need more information on the collection, reuse and recycling systems, please
contact your local or regional waste administration.
Visit http://www.ge-mcs.com/en/about-us/environmental-health-and-
safety/1741-weee-req.html for take-back instructions and more information
about this initiative.

Contents
Model PM880 Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual v
Chapter 1. Getting Started
1.1 Charging the Battery Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
1.1.1 Removing the Battery Pack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
1.1.2 Configuring the Battery Charger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
1.1.3 Charging the Battery Pack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
1.2 Powering On and Off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
1.2.1 Powering On. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
1.2.2 Powering Off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
1.3 Entering Data Using the Keypad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
1.4 Entering Setup Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
1.4.1 Selecting Probe Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
1.4.2 Entering Calibration Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
1.5 Displaying Measurements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1.5.1 Selecting the Number of Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1.5.2 Selecting the Types of Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1.6 Saving Data in a Site File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
1.6.1 Accessing the Site Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
1.6.2 Entering a Site Name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Chapter 2. Taking Measurements
2.1 Installing the Probe in a Sample System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
2.1.1 Installing a Moisture Probe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
2.2 Connecting the Sample System to the Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
2.3 Making Probe Connections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
2.4 Recalling a Site File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
2.4.1 Accessing the Site Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
2.4.2 Retrieving the Site File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
2.5 Operating the Sample System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
2.6 Conducting a Leak Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
2.7 Shutting Down the Sample System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Contents
vi Model PM880 Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual
Chapter 3. Using the PM880 Screen
3.1 Screen Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
3.2 Setting Up the Screen to Display Measurements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
3.2.1 Selecting the Number of Views (Measurements) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
3.2.2 Selecting the Types of Measurements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
3.2.3 Selecting Numeric, Line or Bar Graph Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
3.2.4 Setting Up the Numeric Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
3.2.5 Adjusting the Line/Bar Graph Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
3.3 Creating Function Key Shortcuts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
3.3.1 Assigning/Re-assigning a Function Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
3.3.2 Clearing a Function Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
3.4 Using the Backlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
3.4.1 Turning the Backlight On and Off Manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
3.4.2 Setting the Backlight Timer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
3.5 Adjusting the Contrast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
3.6 Taking a Bitmap Screen Capture - Snapshot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Contents
Model PM880 Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual vii
Chapter 4. Using Special Features
4.1 Selecting English or Metric Units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
4.2 Entering Date and Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
4.3 Changing Date and Time Appearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
4.3.1 Accessing the Locale Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
4.3.1 Selecting the Separator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
4.3.2 Selecting the Date/Time Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
4.4 Adding a Message to a Site File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
4.4.1 Accessing the Site Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
4.4.2 Selecting a Site File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
4.4.3 Entering a Site Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
4.5 Setting a Probe Calibration Reminder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
4.5.1 Accessing the Probe ID Tab. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
4.5.1 Entering Probe Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
4.6 Using Automatic Calibration (AutoCal) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
4.7 Entering Constants and User Functions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
4.8 Entering a User Constant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
4.8.1 Entering a Saturation Constant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
4.8.2 Entering User Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
4.8.3 Setting Up User Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
4.9 Using Computer Enhanced Response. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
4.9.1 Response Time Procedure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
4.10Entering Reference Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
4.11Using Sleep Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
4.11.1 Placing the PM880 in Sleep Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
4.11.2 Resuming Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
4.12Displaying Meter Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
4.13Changing the Display Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
4.14Using On-Line Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Contents
viii Model PM880 Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual
Chapter 5. Logging Data
5.1 Setting Up a New Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
5.1.1 Creating a New Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
5.1.2 Entering a Log Name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
5.1.1 Selecting General Log Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
5.1.2 Selecting a Measurement to Log. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
5.2 Pausing a Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
5.3 Starting or Restarting a Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
5.4 Ending a Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
5.5 Viewing All Logs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
5.6 Viewing Log Setup Details. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
5.7 Displaying Logged Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
5.7.1 Using the Graph Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
5.7.2 Using the Spreadsheet Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Chapter 6. Managing Files
6.1 Saving a New Site File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
6.2 Recalling a Site File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
6.3 Saving a Site File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
6.4 Renaming a Site or Log File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
6.4.1 Renaming a Site File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
6.4.2 Renaming a Log File. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
6.5 Copying a Log . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
6.6 Deleting All Types of Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
6.7 Sorting Files in the Site/Drive/Log Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Contents
Model PM880 Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual ix
Chapter 7. Using the PM880 with a PC and Printer
7.1 Setting Up PM880 IR Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
7.1.1 Using the Add Hardware Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
7.1.2 Using Panaview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
7.2 Transferring and Printing Files Key. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
7.3 Printing a Site or Log File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
7.3.1 Printing a Site File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
7.3.2 Printing a Log File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
7.4 Printing Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
7.5 Transferring a File To a PC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
7.6 Transferring a File from a PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
7.6.1 Using Windows Explorer in Windows 95/98/2000. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
7.6.2 Using Windows NT 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
7.6.3 Using Windows 95/98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
7.6.4 Using Windows 2000. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Contents
x Model PM880 Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual
Chapter 8. Maintenance and Troubleshooting
8.1 Checking the PM880 Memory Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
8.2 Checking the Battery Status. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
8.2.1 While Taking Measurements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
8.2.2 Using the Battery Command. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
8.3 Testing the Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
8.4 Testing the Keypad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
8.5 Testing the Watchdog Timer Circuit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
8.6 Resetting to Factory Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
8.7 Viewing or Changing Security Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
8.7.1 Setting the Security Passcodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
8.7.2 Setting Remote Access Security. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
8.8 Updating PM880 Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
8.8.1 Upgrading Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
8.8.2 Updating Software Using IrOBEX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
8.8.3 Updating Software Using IrCOMM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
8.9 Removing/Replacing the Batteries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
8.10Recharging the Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
8.10.1 Removing the Battery Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
8.10.2 Configuring the Battery Charger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
8.10.3 Charging the Battery Pack. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
8.11Error and Screen Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
8.12Common Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
8.13Replacing and Recalibrating the Moisture Probes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
8.14Recalibrating the Pressure Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161

Contents
Model PM880 Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual xi
Chapter 9. Features and Specifications
9.1 The PM880 Hygrometer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
9.2 Probes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
9.2.1 M Series and TF Series Moisture Probes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
9.2.2 Moisture Image Series Probe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
9.3 Cabling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
9.4 Overall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
9.5 Operational . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
9.6 Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
9.7 Moisture Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
9.8 Dew/frost Point Temperature. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
9.9 Temperature Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
9.10Pressure Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
9.11Sample System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
9.12Optional Accessories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Appendix A. Measurement Considerations
A.1 Choosing a Measurement Site. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
A.2 Moisture/Temperature Probe Considerations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
A.3 Sample System Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Appendix B. Menu Maps

Contents
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Chapter 1. Getting Started
Model PM880 Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual 1
Chapter 1. Getting Started
The GE PM880 is a versatile, battery-powered portable hygrometer that is
designed for spot sampling moisture measurements. Although the PM880
offers many options, it requires only battery charging and minimal setup to
begin taking measurements.
This chapter is designed to provide a step-by-step guide to getting the meter
up and running as quickly as possible. Additional programming options are
discussed in later chapters.
Follow the sections in this chapter to setup your meter. This chapter
includes the following information:
•Charging the Battery Pack
•Powering On and Off
•Entering Data Using the Keypad
•Entering Setup Data
•Displaying Measurements
•Saving Data in Site Files

Chapter 1. Getting Started
2 Model PM880 Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual
1.1 Charging the Battery Pack
The PM880 is powered by a rechargeable NiMH battery pack. When you
receive the PM880, you will need to fully charge the pack. The pack must
be charged for 4-5 hours, until the amber LED on the charger goes out, to
receive the maximum charge. When fully charged, the pack provides 16 to
24 hours of continuous operation, depending on the probe type and the
PM880 usage. An internal battery gauge indicates the remaining power in
the pack.
Before charging the battery pack, make sure the charger is properly
configured. Use the instructions below:
1.1.1 Removing the Battery Pack
1. Make sure you are in a general-purpose location where you can safely
charge the pack.
WARNING! THE BATTERY PACK CAN BE INSTALLED AND REMOVED IN
HAZARDOUS AREAS, HOWEVER, IT MUST BE CHARGED IN
GENERAL-PURPOSE AREAS ONLY.
2. Remove the four thumb screws on the back panel of the PM880 that
secure the pack.
3. Lift the pack out of the unit.

Chapter 1. Getting Started
Model PM880 Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual 3
1.1.2 Configuring the Battery Charger
The PM880 battery charger has a switchable voltage input of 115 to
230 VAC. Make sure the voltage selector is in the correct position before
plugging it in.
WARNING! The battery charger is intended for indoor use only.
See Specifications for power cord type.
Risk of electrical shock; use in dry locations only.
Charge on NiMH type rechargeable batteries.
Other types of batteries may burst,
causing injury and/or damage.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
!DANGER!
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRICAL SHOCK, CAREFULLY
FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES BELOW.
BE SURE THE VOLTAGE SELECTOR IS IN THE CORRECT VOLTAGE
POSITION BEFORE PLUGGING IT IN.
(SEE THE BOTTOM OF THE CHARGER.)
FOR USE IN THE UNITED STATES, THE VOLTAGE SELECTOR SWITCH
MUST BE PLACED IN THE 115 VOLT POSITION.
FOR USE IN COUNTIRES OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES, CONFIRM THE
VOLTAGE AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCATION
AND PLACE THE VOLTAGE SELECTOR IN THE CORRECT POSITION
BEFORE USING THE PRODUCT.
FOR CONNECTION TO A SUPPLY NOT IN THE UNITED STATES, USE AN
ATTACHMENT PLUG OR ADAPTOR OF THE PROPER CONFIGURATION
FOR THE POWER OUTLET.

Chapter 1. Getting Started
4 Model PM880 Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual
1.1.3 Charging the Battery Pack
1. Plug the pack into the battery charger.
2. Connect the charger to AC power. When power is applied, the amber
LED glows and the charger automatically begins charging the pack.
Note: The pack is fully charged when the amber LED goes out
(approximately 4-5 hours).
IMPORTANT: When you receive your unit, you should completely charge the
battery pack before using it for the first time.
3. Remove the pack from the charger and reinstall it in the PM880. Refer to
Checking the Battery Status on page 133 for details on monitoring the
battery.

Chapter 1. Getting Started
Model PM880 Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual 5
1.2 Powering On and Off
IMPORTANT: For CE compliance, the PM880 is classified as a
battery-powered device.
1.2.1 Powering On
To turn the PM880 on, press the red button in the upper-right-hand corner of
the keypad. Immediately upon powerup the PM880 displays a series of
messages and performs various checks. The screen then appears similar to
the one shown in Figure 1.
Note: If the meter displays a Probe Reminder message, press [ENTER].
Figure 1: Screen After Powering On
Note: If the meter fails any of these tests, contact the factory.

Chapter 1. Getting Started
6 Model PM880 Portable Hygrometer User’s Manual
1.2.2 Powering Off
1. To turn the PM880 off, press the red key for 3 seconds. The screen now
appears similar to Figure 2.
2. Press [F1] to shut down the PM880.
Figure 2: Shutdown Menu