# How is GeoDrops measuring secondary factors?
**URL:** https://geodrops.discourse.group/t/how-is-geodrops-measuring-secondary-factors/300
**Category:** Help & Support
**Created:** [December 24, 2025, 4:34pm UTC](https://geodrops.discourse.group/t/how-is-geodrops-measuring-secondary-factors/300 "2025-12-24T16:34:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Scythe](https://geodrops.discourse.group/u/Scythe)
#### Post date: [December 24, 2025, 4:34pm UTC](https://geodrops.discourse.group/t/how-is-geodrops-measuring-secondary-factors/300/1 "2025-12-24T16:34:24Z")
Not time sensitive, especially around the holidays, but I love that GeoDrops reports data not directly related to soil moisture and would love to understand more about how it’s doing that.
Total Sun Time - assuming this is some derived calculation based on soil temperature variations vs. weather forecast, atmospheric modeling or is there a photo sensor somewhere on the droplet that I’ve completely glossed over?
Soil Temperature - is there a temperature sensor in the device and then you’re doing a heat diffusion model to model at different soil depths or are there 3 distinct temperature sensors?
Thanks!
---
### Author:  [@homedigy-stanley](https://geodrops.discourse.group/u/homedigy-stanley)
#### Post date: [December 30, 2025, 4:21am UTC](https://geodrops.discourse.group/t/how-is-geodrops-measuring-secondary-factors/300/2 "2025-12-30T04:21:46Z")
Hi @Scythe,
Apologies for the late response and hope you had a Merry Christmas.
Here are my attempts to answer your questions:
- We use soil temperature variations and weather forecast to estimate the total sun time. The GeoDrops Droplet doesn’t have a photo sensor.
- There is a temperature sensor on the GeoDrops Droplet. We do use a heat diffusion level to model the temperature at different soil depths.
Hope this helps,
Stanley
Marketing PM
Team GeoDrops
---
### Author:  [@Scythe](https://geodrops.discourse.group/u/Scythe)
#### Post date: [December 31, 2025, 10:29pm UTC](https://geodrops.discourse.group/t/how-is-geodrops-measuring-secondary-factors/300/3 "2025-12-31T22:29:58Z")
Appreciate the response! Happy New Year!
---
### Author:  [@homedigy-stanley](https://geodrops.discourse.group/u/homedigy-stanley)
#### Post date: [January 5, 2026, 7:16pm UTC](https://geodrops.discourse.group/t/how-is-geodrops-measuring-secondary-factors/300/4 "2026-01-05T19:16:47Z")
Thank you @Scythe . Do you still need help with this before I close this thread?
Stanley
Marketing PM
Team GeoDrops
---
### Author:  [@Scythe](https://geodrops.discourse.group/u/Scythe)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2026, 3:29am UTC](https://geodrops.discourse.group/t/how-is-geodrops-measuring-secondary-factors/300/5 "2026-01-06T03:29:39Z")
Nope, I’m all set. Thanks again!
---
### Author:  [@homedigy-stanley](https://geodrops.discourse.group/u/homedigy-stanley)
#### Post date: [January 6, 2026, 10:30pm UTC](https://geodrops.discourse.group/t/how-is-geodrops-measuring-secondary-factors/300/6 "2026-01-06T22:30:01Z")