I’m trying to determine if the geodrop moisture measurement is accurate. When I use my handheld tool next to the geodrop, it measures considerably different readings than what geodrop reports. I’ve taken some pictures as I measure at different 1”intervals so it can be observed. Attached are those pictures but my handheld tool measures 1”(10%), 2”(40%),3”(60%),4”(80%),5”(90%) while Geodrops measures 1.5”(89%),2.5”(91%),3.5”(86%). Geodrops also seems to think I’m watering the lawn daily at around 1pm which I’m not. The soil temperature also seems to be really high at 115 degrees and it is sunny today ranging in temperature from 57-87 F.
I have already flagged your issue with engineering. Just to make sure I’m understanding your query correctly - are you reporting watering event detection when it shouldn’t have taken place given your watering schedule and the dry summer weather?
Main issue is, why does my moisture meter not correlate to the geodrops measurement. Second is, why does it think a water event took place when it did not?
I had the same issue, high 90s all the time, so I re-calibrated after a heavy rain, and the readings seem to be more in-line. I would like to understand the temp reading too, as I have see some really high numbers in the soil.
Just wanted to give you a quick update. Engineering is looking into this. However, it will likely take us some time. We’ll provide another update as soon as we investigated further.
Hi @kredmore - Can you kick off a new post under “Help & Support” with a more detailed description of your issue and the serial number for your device? It’s very rare for two people to have the same exact problems, just because everyone’s exact lawn, soil, and weather/environment are quite different.
In the meantime, @rodney , I want to let you know that we’re still looking into this. @homedigy-lawrence or someone else on the team will be responding soon.
These are two different sensor technologies: resistive and capacitive.
I believe the moisture meter in picture is resistive. This type of sensor works by measuring the resistance to an electrical current. Resistive sensors are generally less accurate because the readings can be affected by the salinity of the soil, and the probes can corrode over time.
Geodrops, on the other hand, are capacitive sensors. They measure changes in the soil’s capacitance, which is its ability to hold an electric charge. Since water has a much higher dielectric constant than soil and air, the sensor can very accurately determine the percentage of water volume in the soil.
If you ever doubt a sensor’s reading, the most reliable method is still the classic finger test. Simply stick your finger into the soil near the sensor. Your finger is a great tool for telling you if the soil actually feels dry, moist, or wet.
In your case, clay soil is known for its ability to hold a high amount of water. However, it holds that water very tightly. Every soil has a “permanent wilting point,” which is the moisture level at which a plant can no longer extract water from the soil. Clay soil has a very high wilting point and this means that even if a sensor detects a high percentage of moisture, that water isn’t actually available for the plant’s roots to absorb. So, from the plant’s perspective, the soil is effectively “dry.”
For inaccurate watering events, please continue to flag them with a thumbs up or down in the app. This can help improve GeoDrop’s AI.
