Vaisala GroundCast DRS611 User manual

M212671EN-C
Setup and Removal
Guide
DRS611
Vaisala GroundCast

PUBLISHED BY
Vaisala Oyj
Vanha Nurmijärventie 21, FI‑01670 Vantaa, Finland
P.O. Box 26, FI‑00421 Helsinki, Finland
[phone]
www.vaisala.com
docs.vaisala.com
© Vaisala 2023
No part of this document may be
reproduced, published or publicly
displayed in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical (including
photocopying), nor may its contents be
modified, translated, adapted, sold or
disclosed to a third party without prior
written permission of the copyright holder.
Translated documents and translated
portions of multilingual documents are
based on the original English versions. In
ambiguous cases, the English versions are
applicable, not the translations.
The contents of this document are subject
to change without prior notice.
Local rules and regulations may vary and
they shall take precedence over the
information contained in this document.
Vaisala makes no representations on this
document’s compliance with the local
rules and regulations applicable at any
given time, and hereby disclaims any and
all responsibilities related thereto.
This document does not create any legally
binding obligations for Vaisala towards
customers or end users. All legally binding
obligations and agreements are included
exclusively in the applicable supply
contract or the General Conditions of Sale
and General Conditions of Service of
Vaisala.
This product contains software developed
by Vaisala or third parties. Use of the
software is governed by license terms and
conditions included in the applicable
supply contract or, in the absence of
separate license terms and conditions, by
the General License Conditions of Vaisala
Group.
This product may contain open source
software (OSS) components. In the event
this product contains OSS components,
then such OSS is governed by the terms
and conditions of the applicable OSS
licenses, and you are bound by the terms
and conditions of such licenses in
connection with your use and distribution
of the OSS in this product. Applicable OSS
licenses are included in the product itself
or provided to you on any other applicable
media, depending on each individual
product and the product items delivered
to you.

Vaisala GroundCast
Vaisala GroundCast is an embedded sensor that measures the road temperature, chemical
amount, and surface state (dry or not dry). The road temperature is measured at 0 mm (0 in),
as well as at 60 mm (2.4 in) and 300 mm (11.8 in) below the road surface.
GroundCast is installed below the road surface. Once installed, the sensor adjusts itself with
the road surface and no maintenance is required.
Installation site requirements
Check that the installation
location is within the
NB‑IoT network coverage
area of the network
operator.
The road surface type must
be asphalt or concrete. Do
not install the device on
gravel roads.
Do not install GroundCast
on bridges.
To make sure that the
sealant dries properly, the
air temperature must be
above 0 °C (+32 °F).
Do not install the device in
heavy rain. The sealant may
react with water in the hole
(hole should be dry).
Check detailed instructions
from the sealant
manufacturer.
Make sure that you follow the laws and local regulations related
to excavations near underground facilities and utilities prior to drilling the hole
for the device.
WARNING!
Check out installation video and other support material
From GroundCast support you can find instructional videos,
documentation, and other support material:
www.vaisala.com/vaisala-groundcast-support.
3

Setting up device
To set up the device:
1. Prepare the device before going to the installation location.
2. Activate the device using the Vaisala Cast™Connect mobile application.
3. Drill a hole for the device.
4. Install the device at the installation location.
5. Complete the installation.
Included in the product
• GroundCast sensor and a micro-SIM card
Do not remove the sleeve from around
the sensor!
• Sealant pack (2 pcs)
Installation of 1 device requires 1 - 2
sealant packs
• Installation kit (1/customer):
• Adjustment block
• Device holder
• Dummy block
• Sealant applicator
SEALANT
Other needed equipment
• Android phone with NFC reader
(near‑field communication, NFC)
• Vaisala Cast Connect mobile application
• Drilling tools
• Borehole drilling machine for road
• Drill bit
• Diameter 60 mm (2.4 in)
• Length 360 mm (14.2 in)
• Knife
• Hammer
• Cloth (for drying the installation hole)
• Road safety equipment
• Protective clothing (PPE)
• Water for drilling asphalt
• Filler sand
4 M212671EN-C

1. Preparing device
Prepare the device before going to the installation location.
1. Remove the foam cap
and the SIM card cover.
Insert the micro-SIM card
to the device.
2. Download the Vaisala
Cast Connect mobile
application from Google
Play.
3. Open the mobile
application and select
Connect to device.
Hold the phone close to the
NFC symbol and wait until
the device is shown on the
application.
Do not start activation of
the device until you are at
the installation location.
4. Check the signal
strength from the
Connection tab. Refresh
the connection until cloud
connection is established.
Establishing the cloud
connection may take
several minutes.
5. Remove the red sticker
from the SIM card cover
and seal the SIM card in
place.
Insert the foam cap and
repack the device in the
delivery box.
5

2. Activating device
Go to the installation location to perform the device activation.
1. Open the mobile
application and select
Connect to device.
Hold the phone close to the
NFC symbol and wait until
the device is shown on the
application.
2. Select Start activation.
Follow the onscreen
instructions.
3. Complete the activation.
The device is sending
measurements to the
cloud.
When the device has been
active for 60 minutes, it is
no longer possible to
access the device with a
phone.
3. Drilling hole for device
• Depth 360 mm (14.2 in)
• Diameter 60 mm (2.4 in)
1. Use water when drilling
asphalt or concrete.
Remove the asphalt block
from the drill bit.
2. Do not use water when
drilling gravel.
Drill approx. 50 ... 100 mm
(2 ... 4 in) at a time. Clean
the drill bit in between to
avoid gravel from sticking
inside.
3. Verify the correct depth
with the dummy block. If
the hole is too deep, add
filler sand.
If there is water in the hole,
use a cloth to dry it.
6 M212671EN-C

4. Installing device
Installation of 1 device requires 1 - 2 sealant packs (1 pack has 450 ml).
5 min
SEALANT
SEALANT
1. Clean the device holder
of possible sealant residue
from previous installations.
Place the device in the
holder and remove the
foam cap.
2. Prepare the sealant.
Apply a little bit of sealant
to the hole to make sure
that the sealant runs
smoothly and is well mixed.
Note that in temperatures
above +5 °C (+41 °F) the
sealant dries in 5 minutes.
3. Apply sealant to the top
of the SIM card cover, filling
the black slot.
Leave the clear part visible.
SEALANT
5 min
4. Apply the rest of the
sealant to the hole.
5. Insert the foam cap and
seal with the tape.
6. Place the device in the
hole, foam cap down. The
device holder must touch
the road surface. Let the
excess sealant flow over.
If the sealant does not flow
over, remove the device
and add more sealant to
the hole.
Press the device down
firmly for 5 minutes until
the sealant is dry.
7

5. Completing installation
1 ... 3 mm
0.04 ... 0.12 in
1. When the sealant is set,
remove the holder, the
extra sleeve, and the
overflown sealant.
2. The device surface must
be 1 ... 3 mm
(0.04 ... 0.12 in) below the
road surface.
If the device is on the road
surface level or above the
road surface, use the
adjustment tool to lower
the device.
The installation is ready.
The device sends data
automatically to the cloud.
8 M212671EN-C

Removing and recycling device
The device must be removed after it is no longer operational, the battery stops working, or
when a replacement device is installed. Recycle the device according to local hazardous waste
regulations.
Needed equipment
• GroundCast removal tool
• Power drill and 6-mm drill bit
• Screwdriver
• 13-mm wrench
1. Removing device
1. Drill a hole to the top of
the device with a 6-mm
drill bit.
The correct drilling depth is
20 ... 30 mm (0.8 ... 1.1 in).
Do not exceed the drilling
depth of 40 mm (1.5 in).
2. Detach the eye screw
from the removal tool.
3. Attach the eye screw to
the hole in the device.
9

4. Attach the eye screw
back to the removal tool.
Use a wrench to turn the
removal tool. This slowly
pulls the device from the
ground.
5. When the device is high
enough, lift and remove it.
Fill the hole with gravel or
sand, and seal with sealant.
6. The device contains Li-
SOCl2batteries. Recycle
the device according to
local hazardous waste
regulations in one piece.
Do not attempt to remove
the battery from the
device.
2. Recycling
These recycling instructions guide you on the end-of-life treatment of this Vaisala product. As
waste regulations and infrastructure vary in each country, these instructions only indicate the
dierent components to be separated and common ways to handle them. Always follow local
requirements when disposing of the product. Vaisala encourages to use the best available
recycling practices to minimize related environmental impacts.
Vaisala is committed to meeting the requirements of the EU Waste Electrical and
Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive. This directive aims to minimize the
impact of electrical and electronic goods on the environment, by increasing reuse
and recycling, and reducing the amount of WEEE going to landfill. This symbol
indicates that the product should be collected separately from other waste
streams and treated appropriately.
10 M212671EN-C

Vaisala GroundCast is designed to function in rough conditions below the ground level. Due to
the waterproof design of the device, the Li-SOCl2batteries are not easily removable.
Therefore, the device shall be recycled as hazardous battery waste in one piece.
Do not attempt to remove the batteries from the device as this
may lead to serious injury or death due to high electrical voltage and/or
energy.
The recycling of batteries must only be conducted by fully trained personnel of
licensed recyclers.
WARNING!
The sensor contains a battery, which poses a fire, explosion, and
severe burn hazard.
Do not crush, disassemble, heat above 100 °C (212 °F), or incinerate.
WARNING!
Recycle the device in accordance with local hazardous waste management practices and
regulations.
Hazardous battery waste
Metal waste
Plastic waste
1 3 42 5
#Description Material Recycling
1 Vaisala GroundCast Various, including lithium
thionyl chloride battery
Hazardous battery waste
2 Adjustment block Aluminum Metal waste
3 Device holder Aluminum and stainless steel Metal waste
4 Dummy block Polyxymethylene (POM) Plastic waste
5 Vaisala GroundCast removal
tool
Aluminum, stainless steel, and
red brass (gunmetal)
Metal waste
11

Safety
Warning alerts you to a serious hazard. If you do not read and
follow instructions carefully at this point, there is a risk of injury or even death.
WARNING!
Caution warns you of a potential hazard. If you do not read and
follow instructions carefully at this point, the product could be damaged or
important data could be lost.
CAUTION!
Failure to comply with these precautions or with specific
warnings elsewhere in these instructions violates safety standards of design,
manufacture, and intended use of the product. Vaisala assumes no liability for
the customer's failure to comply with these requirements.
WARNING!
Assess the risks from the installation work. Consider also the
eects of local weather conditions.
WARNING!
When performing installation and maintenance procedures at the
roadside, follow local and state legislation and regulations for road safety.
WARNING!
Changes or modifications to this equipment not expressly approved
by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to
operate the equipment.
CAUTION!
This device requires a separation distance of at least 20 cm
(7.87 in). This distance must be maintained between the user and the device
when the device is operating.
CAUTION!
When working with equipment in extremely cold temperatures, use
appropriate personal protective equipment such as thermally insulated
gloves and clothing.
Wear personal protective equipment (PPE).
Regulatory information: docs.vaisala.com/access/sources/dita/map?aton_code=M212505EN