REPORT #4

August 7-August 20, 2000

 

by Andrea Pipinato

 

August 23, 2000

 

I Assignments list

 

During the two weeks my assignments included:

 

1.    Fix and confirm operational status of the 5 IFAS sites at Buck Island Ranch.

2.    Complete surveying of new ground water well heads.

3.    Assemble binders with all instrument information and software flow charts for the 5 IFAS sites.

4.    Develop software modifications to CR10 control programs for the 16 stocking rate sites that accounts for the bottom slope problems.

5.    Develop a report on the theory and specifications for all flow measurement devices in use at MAERC.

6.    Begin using your new Intellitemps email address.

7.    Set up and implement your internship web site.

8.    Get a Florida driving permit.

 

II Summary report

 

          During the last two weeks I still had to work for most of my time on facing troubles coming up in the IFAS sites, Grove in particular needed several pump test to be run. Working with Mr. Capece we had to modify its program to adjust the pump RPM and the Rainfall reading. I also completed the substitution of sensor boxes in West Marsh and tried to fix the water leak in East Marsh.

          I also kept under control all the old pastures after every remarkable rain to check the need for water samplers in a flowing situation.

          I will survey the new ground water wells next week.

          I am also going on with the theory report and with collecting materials for the web sites and  for the binders.

 

III Daily report

 

August 7, 2000 Monday

 

Written the third biweekly report.

          I had to go to the Emergency Room of Florida Hospital in Lake Placid, as I got a laceration in the left hand working with the drill: three stitches and tetanus shot

 

August 8, 2000 Tuesday

 

          Went to all the old IFAS sites to check for possible flow and to download data files.

          Worked on the modification of the Grove CR10 program

 

August 9, 2000 Wednesday

 

          Spent the morning at Sebring Hospital for a routine check of my wounded hand.

          Divided up site by site all the pictures taken so far to use them in the building of the web sites

 

August 10, 2000 Thursday

 

          Been at Grove (file data collected, Gv0808.dld loaded, manual reading of the numeric window written down), 800 Acres and West Marsh (file data collected, manual reading of the numeric window written down, manual measures of water level taken but there was no flow).

In the afternoon ran with Gene the pump test again: it was successful as for the RPM multiplier issue. Now CR10 reading are affected with a 3% average error, acceptable for a dial gauge.

After that I was taking a look to other problems and new versions for the Grove program by Mr. Capece.

 

August 11, 2000 Friday

 

          At Grove to run again the tipping bucket test, as the data collected seem to take not in account the Rainfall measures.

          Tested the Gv0808.dld program with some manual given impulses but no answer by the Rainfall label in the numeric window. The same problem came out using a spare CR10 in the office.

 

August 14, 2000 Monday

 

          Worked on modifications and testing of the Grove program with Mr. Capece. At the end the Gv110814.dld program has been loaded in the site CR10. In this last version we obtained again rainfall readings: the solution was to put RPM and Rainfall pulse command in the same program Table with a unique execution interval

 

August 15, 2000 Tuesday

 

          In the morning finished the substitution of the two boxes in West Marsh, collected data files, taken notes of numeric window and measured water level.

Later in East Marsh collected the data and this time CR10 was connectable. Written down notes of the readings of the numeric window, and measured water level from the vertex.

As for the water leak, tried to fix it as done in 800 Acres site but I'll know if my adjustment works only when water level will rise up.

Some new pictures taken of the Grove site.

 

August 16, 2000 Wednesday

 

          Worked on setting up and update the new desktop and the new laptop. Got a backup copy of the data collected so far by an FTP application in the ftp.maerc.com site, incoming folder.

Gone on learning the use of FrontPage program with the online Help tool

 

August 17, 2000 Thursday

 

          Gone ahead with the reading of photocopies for the drawing up of the report on the theory of the instrumentation. Moved from the ranch to Labelle with Ronald, Gianni and Isaac in the evening.

 

August 18, 2000 Friday

 

          With Ronald to Miami airport to pick his friend coming from Germany