Lowell TCM-3 Deep Water Tilt Current Meter

The TCM-3 is a current meter that is designed to operate off the continental shelf in water up to 4500m depth. The TCM-3 is constructed from toughened syntactic foam with a titanium pressure housing and is easily deployed by small ROVs. The relatively low cost makes it feasible to accurately measure current in many locations simultaneously. The core of the TCM-3 is the MAT-1 Data Logger. The MAT-1 data logger was designed for NOAA and is ideally suited as the “brains” of a tilt current meter. The built-in data logger includes a USB communication interface, a microSD flash memory card, and a long-life lithium battery. Features: – Water velocity for a fraction of the cost of an acoustic meter – Tilt compensated compass for bearing measurements – Simple & rugged design is easy to deploy from a ROV – Internal temperature sensor is accurate to +/-0.1C – 8 GB memory card eliminates memory concerns – Lithium battery allows continuous 4Hz sampling for more than 1 year – USB 2.0 with standard cable and drag and drop data file offload – Easy meter configuration and data conversion with Windows software (free download).

Specifications

Speed (Recommended Range): – Range: 0 to 80 cm/s
– Accuracy: 3 cm/s + 3% of reading
– Resolution: 0.1 cm/s Speed (Maximum Range): – Range: 0 to 120 cm/s – Accuracy: Not Specified – Resolution: 0.1 cm/s Temperature: – Range: -5 to 30 C / -20 to -5, 30 to 5 C – Accuracy: 0.1 C / 0.2 C – Resolution: less than 0.005 C / less than 0.01 C Electronics: – Memory: 8 GB microSDHC flash card (standard) – Communications: Full speed USB micro-B port – Battery Type: 3.6 V, size A, user replaceable lithium (from Lowell Instruments) – Battery Life: Months to years depending on recording rates – Internal Clock: less than 1 minute per month Operating Modes: – Start and Stop: Start and Stop at user defined times – Burst Mode: Variable rate logging at user defined interval – Recording Rate Current: 64 Hz to 1 sample per hour – Temperature: 1 Hz to 1 sample per hour Mechanical: – Depth Rating: 4500 m (14760 ft), tested to 6000m (19700 ft) – Flotation Diameter: 5.08 cm – Pressure Housing Diameter: 2.54 cm – Overall Length: 77.6 cm – Floatation Length: 60.9 cm (24.0) – Weight 1.29 Kg (2.84 lb) – Construction Floatation: Toughened Syntactic Foam with Titanium pressure housing and Buna 90 – Durometer: O-ring