Holaday Industries HI-3604 User manual

HI-3604
ELF Survey Meter
User's Manual
Copyright ©1992 Holaday Ind. Inc.
Manual #600043B 6/97 $12.50

Revision Record
Manual # 600043
HI-3604 Survey Meter
Revision Description Date
--- Release 8/92
ANew LCD 12/92
BAdded CE Label 6/97

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 DESCRIPTION ......................... 1
2.0 SPECIFICATIONS ........................ 4
3.0 OPERATION .......................... 11
Start Up ......................... 11
Digital Display ..................... 13
Electric Field/Magnetic Field Mode
Selection ........................ 13
Keypad Inputs ..................... 14
Keypad Matrix ..................... 14
4.0 POWER FREQUENCY FIELDS ............... 19
5.0 EXAMPLE APPLICATIONS ................. 23
Field Strength Measurements ........... 23
Waveform Measurements ............. 26
Frequency Measurements ............. 30
6.0 MAINTENANCE ........................ 31
Battery Replacement ................. 31
7.0 USING THE HI-3616 FIBER OPTIC REMOTE
CONTROL ............................ 33
Turn-on Procedure When Using
the HI-3616 ...................... 33

LIMITED WARRANTY
HOLADAY INDUSTRIES, INC. WARRANTS EACH MODEL HI-3604 ELF
SURVEY METER TO BE FREE FROM DEFECTS IN MATERIAL AND
WORKMANSHIP FOR APERIOD OF ONE YEAR FROM DATE OF SHIPMENT
TO THE PURCHASER. THIS WARRANTY EXTENDS TO THE ORIGINAL
PURCHASER ONLY AND DOES NOT APPLY TO BATTERIES OR ANY
PRODUCT OR PARTS SUBJECT TO MISUSE, NEGLECT, ACCIDENT,
UNAUTHORIZED SERVICE OR ABNORMAL CONDITIONS OF OPERATION.
IN THE EVENT OF INSTRUMENT FAILURE COVERED BY THIS WARRANTY,
HOLADAY INDUSTRIES, INC. WILL, WITHOUT CHARGE, REPAIR AND
RECALIBRATE THE INSTRUMENT IF RETURNED TO THEIR FACTORY WITHIN
ONE YEAR OF THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE, PROVIDED THAT HOLADAY
INDUSTRIES' EXAMINATION DISCLOSES TO ITS SATISFACTION THAT THE
PRODUCT WAS DEFECTIVE. HOLADAY INDUSTRIES, INC. MAY, AT ITS
OPTION, REPLACE THE PRODUCT IN LIEU OF REPAIR. IF THE DEFECT
WAS CAUSED BY MISUSE, NEGLECT, ACCIDENT, UNAUTHORIZED
SERVICE OR ABNORMAL CONDITIONS OF OPERATIONS, REPAIRS WILL BE
BILLED AT ANOMINAL COST. IN SUCH CASE, AN ESTIMATE WILL BE
PROVIDED BEFORE WORK IS STARTED IF REQUESTED BY THE
PURCHASER.
FOR WARRANTY SERVICE, CONTACT HOLADAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
GIVING FULL DETAILS OF THE FAILURE AND THE SERIAL NUMBER OF THE
INSTRUMENT. YOU WILL THEN BE GIVEN SERVICE INFORMATION OR
SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS. RETURN THE INSTRUMENT TO THE FACTORY
TRANSPORTATION PREPAID. REPAIRS WILL BE MADE AT THE FACTORY
AND THE INSTRUMENT RETURNED TO YOU TRANSPORTATION PAID.
HOLADAY INDUSTRIES, INC. ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR LOSS OF,
OR DAMAGE TO, PRODUCTS IN TRANSIT.
WARNING
SPECIAL CAUTION IS ADVISED WHEN WORKING IN ENVIRONMENTS
WHERE CONTACT WITH HIGH VOLTAGE OR HIGH CURRENT CIRCUITS OR
APPARATUS IS POSSIBLE. THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE WHEN
ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC FIELD STRENGTH
MEASUREMENTS IN CONFINED QUARTERS, FOR EXAMPLE INSIDE
CABINETS CONTAINING ELECTRICALLY OPERATED EQUIPMENT, ELECTRIC
POWER SUBSTATIONS OR IN VERY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE
CONDUCTORS OF ENERGIZED POWER LINES. ACCIDENTAL CONTACT
WITH OBJECTS OR CIRCUITS OPERATED AT HIGH VOLTAGES OR HIGH
CURRENTS CAN BE LETHAL! HOLADAY INDUSTRIES, INC. ASSUMES NO
LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES OR PERSONAL INJURY WHICH MAY RESULT
FROM ACCIDENTS ARISING OUT OF USE OF THIS EQUIPMENT.

HI-3604 Manual Page -- 1
1.0 DESCRIPTION
The HI-3604 Power Frequency Field Strength Measurement
System is designed to assist in the evaluation of electric and
magnetic fields that are associated with 50/60-Hz electric
power transmission and distribution lines along with electrically
operated equipment and appliances. Direct digital readout of
field strength is provided by the instrument with the ability to
read the meter remotely via aspecial fiber optic remote control
(Model HI-3616) which is available as an option. The HI-3604
finds applications in research and environmental field studies
where knowledge of the strength of power frequency fields is
required. It is designed to provide engineers, industrial hygienists
and health and safety personnel with asophisticated tool for the
accurate investigation of power frequency electrical
environments.
The HI-3604 has two switch selectable sensors for measuring
both electric and magnetic fields (see Figure 1-1). The
instruments' capabilities include datalogging, waveform output,
full auto-ranging, and acustom Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)
with abar graph, as standard features. All selection and control
functions are input from afront panel membrane switch pad.
True RMS detection assures accurate measurements of complex
waveforms. The waveform output jack allows observation and
evaluation of the actual waveform being measured. The
datalogger feature captures up to 112 field readings for later
review using front panel controls. Microprocessor technology is
incorporated in the HI-3604 to provide for automatic range
changing (manual range changing may be selected) and
automatic zeroing of the instrument.
Electric fields are detected by a displacement current sensor
which consists of two thinly separated conductive disks which
are connected together electrically. When immersed in an
electric field, charge is redistributed among the two parallel
disks such that the electric field between the two disks remains
at zero. This redistribution of charge is reflected as a
displacement current which can be measured and subsequently,

Page -- 2 HI-3604 Manual
related to the external electric field strength. This type of
transducer possesses aflat frequency response and permits
accurate measurement of fields having significant harmonic
content with energy at frequencies above the fundamental of 50
or 60-Hz.
Surrounding the circular displacement current sensing disks is a
coil consisting of several hundred turns of fine gage wire. When
placed in an alternating magnetic field, acurrent is induced in
the coil which is proportional to the strength of the applied
magnetic field. Magnetic field strength is then determined by
measuring the voltage developed across the terminals of the
coil. While an unterminated loop will provide an output which is
directly proportional to the frequency of the magnetic field, the
HI-3604 employs electronic compensation circuitry which
results in atailored frequency response that is flat in the
frequency range of importance to power frequency
measurements. This feature permits the HI- 3604 to be used in
environments having significant harmonic content and yield
accurate measures of the resultant fields. Broadband response
is required when measuring fields having significant harmonic
distortion such as may occur with electrical machinery.
The outputs of both field transducers are measured with atrue
root-mean-square (RMS) detector. True RMS detection offers
accurate evaluation of fields having a variety of waveforms,
including non-sinusoidal waveforms. Thus, whether the field
being measured is produced by a near pure sine wave source,
like an electric power transmission line, or a highly non-
sinusoidal source, like a solid state light dimmer, the HI-3604
will yield consistent measures of the RMS field strengths.

HI-3604 Manual Page -- 3
Figure 1-1
HI-3604 ELF Field Strength Measurement System

Page -- 4 HI-3604 Manual

HI-3604 Manual Page -- 5
2.0 SPECIFICATIONS
Sensors:
Concentric plate displacement current electric
field sensors
6.5 inch (16.5 cm) diameter 400 turn
electrically shielded magnetic field sensing coil
Switch selectable between electric and
magnetic fields
Sensitivity:
Electric fields, 1 V/m - 199 kV/m
Magnetic fields, 0.1 mG - 20 G
Features:
All function and range selection changes are
made by use of the membrane switch keypads
on the front panel. Internal electronic range
switching allows full auto-ranging on either the
Electric or Magnetic field functions.
Max-hold feature stores and displays highest
reading
Amplitude Response:
True RMS field strength measurement for
accurate measurement of non-sinusoidal
waveforms
Polarization Response:
Displacement sensor and magnetic field sensor
are designed for response to one field
polarization component at a time

Page -- 6 HI-3604 Manual
Figure 2-1
Power:
Two (2) nine-volt alkaline batteries (NEDA
1604A, Duracell MN1604, or equal)
Output: Liquid crystal display; preamplifier output via
phono jack (analog signal from
sensor/preamplifier equal to 1 mV/(mA/m);
digital fiber optic signal (for remote reading via
connection to HI-3616 Fiber Optic Remote
Control)
Frequency Response:
HI-3604
Magnetic Field Response

HI-3604 Manual Page -- 7
Figure 2-2
HI-3604
Electric Field Response
The HI-3604 Power Frequency Field Strength Meter package
includes the Readout-Sensor assembly, batteries, a fitted
carrying case and a user manual.
Instrument accuracy is derived from afield calibration using a
one meter diameter pair of Helmholtz coils for establishing an
accurately known magnetic field strength, and apair of parallel
one-meter square aluminum plates separated by 30 cm for
creating aknown electric field strength. In the case of the
Helmholtz coils, aprecisely controlled and measured sinusoidal
current is driven through the coils and, based on the dimensions
of the coils, the magnetic field strength in units of milligauss
(mG) is calculated. For electric fields, a sinusoidal voltage
impressed across the two parallel plate electrodes is directly
measured and used to calculate the electric field strength by
dividing the applied voltage by the plate spacing to obtain field
strength in units of volts per meter (V/m). In each case, both
currents and voltages in the calibration set-ups are determined
with a true RMS detector.

Page -- 8 HI-3604 Manual
The HI-3604 can be user programmed to indicate in either units
of milligauss/gauss, milliamperes/amperes per meter, or
nano/micro teslas. Refer to section 3.0 OPERATION for further
details. The HI-3604 indicates magnetic field flux density in
units of millgauss (mG) and gauss (G). Most ELF reports and
research in the US today use these units. The SI unit of
magnetic field flux density is the tesla (T). Environmental ELF
magnetic field measurements are generally reported in units of
microtesla (:T) or nanotesla (nT).
Magnetic field measurements in free space may be converted to
different units through the following relations:
1 mG = 1000 :G = 80 mA/m
1 T = 10000 G
1 mT = 1000 :T = 800 A/m
Figures 2-1 and 2-2 illustrate typical frequency response plots
for electric and magnetic field strength. The HI-3604 is
designed to provide a flat response over the range of
frequencies corresponding to the 50 or 60-Hz power line
frequency and the first several harmonics. The tailored low-
frequency characteristic to the response helps reduce magnetic
field response to movement of the sensor in the earth's
constant magnetic field.
The bandwidth of the true RMS detector is afunction of the
amplitude of the applied field. The bandwidth of the HI-3604 is
also related to the particular measurement range selected.
Thus, for aspecific measurement, the bandwidth exhibited may
be greater or lesser than shown in Figures 2-1 and 2-2.
Generally, maximum bandwidth, and thus accuracy, is obtained
for any given field strength by selecting the lowest range (and
scale) that still permits an on-scale reading.
The HI-3604 also provides for monitoring the waveform of the
signal coming from the sensor preamplifier circuit in the input

HI-3604 Manual Page -- 9
module. This signal is available from the phone jack located at
the bottom of the instrument.Connection of an oscilloscope to
this jack will allow observation of the preamplifier output.

Page -- 10 HI-3604 Manual

HI-3604 Manual Page -- 11
3.0 OPERATION
NOTE: The HI-3604 is enclosed in arugged aluminum extruded
case for protection of its internal circuitry. Because of the
nature of its intended use, the field sensor extends from the
readout module. The structure of the sensor is a multilayered
printed circuit board. It is well secured internally to the
aluminum case and has a tough polyester covering but is
exposed to greater potential for physical damage because of its
size and location. Use care in handling the HI-3604 to avoid
damaging the sensor by striking it against objects or applying
excessive force to the sensor paddle. When not in use, keep the
HI-3604 in its protective case where the sensor paddle is
properly supported.
Start Up
Membrane switches are used for controlling the HI-3604's
operation. The switch keypads are activated by gently pressing
on the center of the pad with afinger tip. Do not use hard or
pointed objects to operate the switch keypads.
Turn the unit ON, the default measurement condition is
Magnetic Fields. The custom LCD readout displays the units of
measure in addition to the observed value. ABargraph display
is provided along the top of the LCD window. This display is an
analog approximation of the currently displayed digital value as
apercentage of the full scale range. The Bargraph input is
unfiltered for fast response when searching for peak fields.
The digital display response is digitally filtered for increased ease
of operation. This smooths the response to rapidly changing
fields. In some measurement situations, however, it may be
helpful to increase the response of the digital display, ie. reduce
the response time. This is done when the instrument is turned
on. Refer to KEYPAD MATRIX in this section, and the operation
of the E/H keypad for details.

Page -- 12 HI-3604 Manual
Figure 3-1
HI-3604 ELF Survey Meter