Start up checklist

When you turn on the instrument for the first time each day, consider the following things.

  1. Air supply: New CO2 cartridge and fresh chemicals?
    • Install a new CO2 cartridge.
    • H2O Scrub: If the desiccant is saturated, replace it with fresh desiccant. Drierite turns from blue to pink when saturated. Sorbead® Orange CHAMELEON® turns from orange to colorless when saturated. If the desiccant is partially saturated, remove the column and shake it to break up the pellets.
    • H2O Add: The Nafion column should have liquid water in it. The older Stuttgarter Masse-filled column should show evidence of dampness, such as droplets of water condensate on the interior walls of the humidifier column (no standing liquid water).
    • CO2 Scrub: If the soda lime has turned from white to violet, you can extend the performance by adding up to 10 ml of water to the soda lime and shaking the column to distribute the moistened soda lime evenly. Soda lime should last for several months with regular use - it does not need to be replaced frequently.
  3. Select a configuration.
  4. If you have a configuration file, select Load Configurations from the menu, then choose the configuration. If not, just proceed to configure the instrument.
  5. Run the Warmup Tests.
  6. Close the chamber. Under Start Up > Warmup/System Tests, select Warmup Tests and tap Start. The instrument will proceed through a series of tests, taking about 10 to 15 minutes.
  7. If you have a fluorometer installed, run the Fluorometer Tests.
  8. Review the summary for any failed tests. Test failures and warnings offer recommended solutions. More information is in Warmup tests.
  9. Match the IRGAs.
  10. Matching the IRGAs is easily accomplished whether the chamber is empty or not, but it's a good idea to do this once right before starting a measurement. Under Measurements, tap Match IRGAs on the lower right of the display. Tap Manual Match. See Matching the IRGAs for more details.
  11. Now you are ready to clamp onto a leaf and begin measurements.
  12. See Clamping onto your first leaf.