palintest Photometer 7500 User manual

Photometer 7500 Bluetooth
Operation Manual

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Who We Are
“Palintest aim to be the best global
provider of water and environmental
analysis equipment that enable critical
water quality decisions to be made with
confidence”
Palintest develops, manufactures and supports a
comprehensive range of advanced water and
environmental testing equipment. From our United
Kingdom headquarters we export to over 100 countries
across the globe. Our products are used in a wide variety
of applications to protect the environment and safeguard
public health.
To find out more about Palintest please visit
www.palintest.com or contact your local Palintest partner.
V2 –11/14

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Contents
Who We Are.......................................................................... 1
1. Introduction....................................................................... 5
2. Quick Start........................................................................ 7
Photometer 7500 Layout............................................. 7
Photometer 7500 Interface ......................................... 8
Info Panel Icons............................................................ 9
3. Taking a Sample............................................................ 10
4. Starting up the Instrument............................................ 11
Power Supply.............................................................. 11
Replacing Batteries.................................................... 11
Start-up Screen........................................................... 12
Choose a Test............................................................. 12
Hotkey Test List.......................................................... 12
System Mode.............................................................. 12
Check Standard Mode............................................... 13
5. System Mode.................................................................. 14
5.1 Log ......................................................................... 14
Bluetooth Communication Off .................................. 18
Bluetooth Device ID................................................... 19
Hard Drive ................................................................... 20
COM Port..................................................................... 21

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5.6 Test Selection Method ........................................ 22
5.7 Units....................................................................... 23
5.8 Dilution Factor...................................................... 23
5.9 System Lock......................................................... 24
5.10 User Defined Tests............................................ 24
5.11 Language............................................................ 25
5.12 Set Time/Set Date/Date Format...................... 26
5.13 Time Out ............................................................. 26
5.14 Back Light........................................................... 27
5.15 LCD Contrast...................................................... 27
5.16 Version................................................................ 27
6. Analysing Samples........................................................ 28
6.1 Selecting Test Parameters................................. 28
6.2 Dilution Factor...................................................... 29
6.3 Blanking the Photometer 7500 Bluetooth ........ 30
6.4 Reading Results with the Photometer 7500
Bluetooth...................................................................... 31
6.5 Timer...................................................................... 32
6.6 Changing Result Units of Expression............... 33
7. Calibration/Validation.................................................... 35
7.1 Check Standard Mode ........................................ 35
Enter Check Standard Values.................................. 36

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Check Standard Measurement ................................ 36
Bluetooth Error Messages......................................... 43
Appendix 1 Hints and Tips for Photometric Testing
Appendix 2 Troubleshooting
Appendix 3 Technical Specifications
Appendix 4 Spares and Consumables
Appendix 5 Palintest Aqua Pal and the Palintest
Portal

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1. Introduction
The Palintest Photometer 7500 Bluetooth is a direct-reading,
waterproof photometer for determining key water quality
parameters for drinking water, wastewater and process water
samples. Designed for both portable and laboratory use, the
Photometer 7500 Bluetooth should always be used with
genuine Palintest reagents for optimal performance.
The fundamental operating technique applied to the
Photometer 7500 Bluetooth is based on the principles of
optical absorbance and scattering of visible light.
Optical absorbance techniques are based on the use of
Palintest (spectro)photometric reagents, creating visible
colours with specific analytes upon reaction. The intensity of
colour produced is measured with the Photometer 7500 and
the data compared to the stored calibration data to deliver the
final result.
Optical scattering techniques produce small particles to
scatter the source beam, the amount of scatter providing a
result for the concentration of parameter under test.
For more information regarding the science behind both
photometric and turbidimetric analysis technology please visit
www.palintest.com/know.
The Photometer 7500 is provided with programmed methods
for a comprehensive range of water quality parameters. Upon
choosing a test the instrument automatically selects the
required parameters for accurate analysis including
wavelength and reaction time. Upon completion of the test

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optional follow-on tests are available and results can be
converted to alternative units of expression e.g. mg/l to ppm,
N or NH3.
The Photometer 7500 Bluetooth offers a choice of
connectivity to download all or selected results and/or upload
up to 30 User Defined Tests. Choose from Bluetooth 4.0
wireless connectivity or USB connection.
Bluetooth 4.0 (also known as Bluetooth SMART or Low
Energy) connection allows seamless data exchange using the
Palintest Aqua Pal app, available for iOS and Android
devices. See Appendix 5 for more details.
USB connection via the port located at the rear of the
instrument provides a choice of either ‘Hard Disk’ mode or
serial communication mode. See Section 7 for more details.
The Photometer 7500 Bluetooth offers a choice of either
mains power via the USB port or using three 1.5V ‘AA’
batteries (supplied).
The Photometer 7500 Bluetooth is supported with a two year
warranty and a full range of service, calibration and technical
support. Support resources are available at
www.palintest.com relating to both products and applications.

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2. Quick Start
Photometer 7500 Layout
Light Cap
USB port
Adaptive Cuvette
Holder (do not
insert finger!)
LCD screen
with backlight
Numerical keys
for Hotkey
operation and text
entry
Navigation
Keys
On/Off

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Photometer 7500 Interface
The LCD screen features a selectable backlight with the
screen separated into four clear, easy to read zones:
1. Mode or Test Identification
2. Dialogue screen –prompts and choices will be
displayed as a list. Select using up/down arrows.
3. Info Panel –displays status icons, date/time and
Sample/Operator ID
4. Action select –choices are displayed as a row.
Use left/right arrows to select.
1
2
3
4

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Info Panel Icons
Icon
Description
Battery status
Bluetooth connected
Bluetooth on, not connected
Upper/lower case text/number entry
Hotkey Entry Mode Enabled
USB Connected
Hard Drive/COM port mode

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3. Taking a Sample
The first critical step in any analysis is taking a representative
sample. When selecting a sample point a number of care
points are recommended as follows:
Ensure the sample point is safe to access and follow
all relevant/required precautions.
When sampling from a tap or outlet, remove any
attachment and clean the tap/outlet with a dry cloth
before allowing the tap/outlet to run for 1 minute prior
to sample collection.
When sampling from a river or stream take the
sample as near as possible to the main flow and not
too close to the edge where the water may be still and
unrepresentative of the sample as a whole.
Rinse any sample container repeatedly with the
sample to prevent any cross contamination from
previous samples.
Once collected the sample must be processed
immediately or as quickly as possible, especially for
highly reactive species such as chlorine for example.
The use of a portable field test kit makes this
possible. However if the delay between sample
collection and analysis is likely to be several hours
chill the sample to preserve and prevent potential
microbiological growth.
Samples containing solid particles can interfere with
photometric analysis. Either allow solids to settle and
decant the clear liquid or filter the sample prior to
analysis.

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4. Starting up the Instrument
Power Supply
The Photometer 7500 Bluetooth is designed to be powered
either from alkaline batteries or via the USB port.
When operating on battery power, the battery level is
indicated on the Info Panel. A minimum voltage of 3.0V is
needed to operate the photometer and a flashing battery
symbol indicates a critically low battery. Change batteries
immediately or switch to alternative USB power. The
Photometer 7500 Bluetooth will automatically power down
when power is no longer capable of providing acceptable
performance.
To power via the USB port, use the supplied cable connected
either to the mains adaptor or a PC. The USB icon will appear
when the USB connection is made and battery power will no
longer be consumed.
The Photometer 7500 Bluetooth has a back-up battery
mounted internally to save instrument settings and data
during power loss and instrument idle periods.
Replacing Batteries
The battery compartment is located on the base of the
instrument and secured by four screws. Remove the cover
and install a complete set of new batteries, observing the
correct polarity as indicated. Use 3 x 1.5V 'AA’ alkaline
batteries or equivalent. See Appendix 2 for more details.
To avoid corrosion damage through leakage, remove
batteries from the instrument if it is to be stored or left unused
for a long period.

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Start-up Screen
The default start-up screen on power up is the ‘Choose a
Test’ screen.
To access the Mode menu press the left arrow key to highlight
‘Menu’ and OK.
To choose a test use the up/down arrows to scroll through the
list and press OK on the desired parameter.
Mode Screen
The Photometer 7500 has four operating modes as follows:
Choose a Test
The Choose a Test mode is the standard operating mode for
taking photometer readings and is the default start-up screen
on power up. See Section 8 for more information.
Hotkey Test List
Assign up to 10 of the most frequently used tests for single
button access when in Hotkey mode, indicated by the icon
in the Info Panel. More information on how to set up and use
Hotkey mode can be found in Section 7.
System Mode
Personalise your Photometer 7500 Bluetooth and manage
stored data within the System mode. Options include setting
Operator/Sample IDs, interrogating the result log and defining
the instrument operating conditions. See Section 7 for further
information.

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Check Standard Mode
Validate performance of your Photometer 7500 Bluetooth
using Palintest Check Standards. See Section 9 for more
information.

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5. System Mode
Personalise your Photometer 7500 Bluetooth and access the
data log via the System Mode.
Scroll up or down using the appropriate keys to see all
available options. The options and available settings are as
follows:
5.1 Log
The Photometer 7500 Bluetooth has an internal data log for
up to 500 data points. The data is stored automatically upon
completion of the test and automatically overwrites the oldest
result when the memory is full. The data log is unaffected by
power on/off.
Each data point consists of the following information and is
stored in a comma-separated values (CSV) format:
Selecting Log offers two choices:
View - to view individual data points use the up/down keys.
Data is stored in chronological order with the most recent
result shown by default. Scroll through results using the
up/down arrows.
Select Back to return to the previous menu.
Clear –the entire log can be deleted from the Photometer
7500 Bluetooth if the instrument is not locked (see System
Lock).

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Choose Yes to delete all data, No to return to the previous
screen.
Data can be downloaded via either Bluetooth (see Bluetooth
Log Transfer) or USB connection (see USB Interface).
5.2 Operator ID
The Photometer 7500 Bluetooth offers the option to create up
to 12 unique alphanumeric Operator IDs. Operator IDs are
added to the result data automatically but deleting IDs does
not affect the result log.
To create a new Operator ID, select Operator ID and use the
up/down keys to select a blank field.
Select New and press OK.
Alphanumeric characters are entered/edited using the 0 –9
keys or the up/down keys. Press and hold the 1 key to toggle
between upper case, lower case and numeric characters.
After entering a character, the cursor automatically moves to
the next position if no key is pressed. Alternatively press the
right key.
Up to 10 characters can be added for Operator IDs, including
spaces.
To edit characters use the left/right keys to select the desired
character. Press and hold the left key to delete the character
or change the character using the entry mode.
When the Operator ID is correct press the OK key to create
the ID and return to the Operator ID list. The new Operator ID
will be displayed in the Operator list.

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Choose the Operator ID to be used by scrolling through the
list and pressing the OK key on the desired choice. The
instrument will return to the System menu.
To modify or delete an existing Operator ID, highlight the ID
and select Edit. Choose either Edit to modify the existing entry
or Delete to remove it from the list.
5.3 Sample ID
The Photometer 7500 Bluetooth offers the option to create up
to 24 unique alphanumeric Sample IDs. Sample IDs are
added to the result data automatically but deleting IDs does
not affect the result log.
To create a new Sample ID, select Sample ID and use the
up/down keys to select a blank field.
Select New and press OK.
Alphanumeric characters are entered/edited using the 0 –9
keys or the up/down keys. Press and hold the 1 key to toggle
between upper and lower case characters.
After entering a character, the cursor automatically moves to
the next position if no key is pressed. Alternatively press the
right key.
Up to 10 characters can be added for Sample IDs, including
spaces.
To edit characters use the left/right keys to select the desired
character. Press and hold the left key to delete the character
or change the character using the entry mode.
When the Sample ID is correct press the OK key to create the
ID and return to the Sample ID list. The new Sample ID will be
displayed in the Sample list.

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Choose the Sample ID to be used by scrolling through the list
and pressing the OK key on the desired choice. The
instrument will return to the System menu.
To modify or delete an existing Sample ID, highlight the ID
and select Edit. Choose either Edit to modify the existing entry
or Delete to remove it from the list.
5.4 Bluetooth
The Photometer 7500 Bluetooth features the latest Bluetooth
4.0 (also known as Bluetooth Low Energy or Bluetooth
SMART) for wireless communication with external devices.
The Palintest Aqua Pal app provides seamless data exchange
with the Photometer 7500 Bluetooth, provides data trend
analysis and user-defined action limits for key parameters.
Additional data management functionality is provided by the
Palintest Portal (www.palintestportal.com). Uploaded data can
be shared with colleagues and customers within your User
Group(s) and integrated into customized reports. See
Appendix 5 for more information on the Aqua Pal app and the
Palintest Portal.
There are four options available in the Bluetooth menu:
Bluetooth Communications ON –activate the
Bluetooth and make the Photometer 7500 Bluetooth
visible for connection/pairing.
Bluetooth Communications OFF
Bluetooth Log Transfer –transfer historical log data to
the Aqua Pal app when connected to a remote device
Bluetooth Device ID –create a unique device name
for the Photometer 7500 Bluetooth to discriminate
between multiple connections

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Bluetooth Communication On
Select this option to enable Bluetooth communications
allowing the instrument to be paired with a suitable Bluetooth
SMART enabled device. Visit www.palintest.com\know for
more information regarding available/suitable Bluetooth
SMART devices.
The Bluetooth icon is shown in the Info Panel when Bluetooth
is enabled. Connection status is shown as follows:
indicates the Bluetooth is activated and connected to an
external device
indicates the Bluetooth is activated but the Photometer
7500 Bluetooth is not connected to an external device
Bluetooth Communication Off
Selecting this option disables the Bluetooth communications
module. The Bluetooth icon is not visible on the Info panel.
Bluetooth Log Transfer
Selecting this option transfers all or a selected group of
results stored in the log to the paired mobile device.
The Photometer 7500 Bluetooth will validate the paired
connection and confirm readiness to transfer.
Transferring selected data will require specification of the
result log window e.g. from result 40 to result 100 to be
transferred selectively.

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Press OK to transfer the data log. The data will transfer in
series. Each data point is validated by the Aqua Pal app prior
to upload of the next.
If the connection is lost the Photometer 7500 Bluetooth will
prompt for re-connection. If connection is not required or
possible press Exit to disable Bluetooth and cancel the log
transfer.
The message ‘Log transfer is complete’ will be shown when
all data points have been uploaded successfully. Press OK to
return to the previous menu.
Bluetooth Device ID
A number of Photometer 7500 Bluetooth instruments may be
available to connect to a remote device, although only one
active connection is possible at any time. A user-defined
Bluetooth Device ID ensures simple pairing between the
desired Photometer 7500 Bluetooth and the Palintest Aqua
Pal app.
Creating and/or editing Bluetooth Device ID is identical to
Operator and Sample ID creation.