Soil is a heterogeneous system, which means small sensors may not provide good enough answers to your soil moisture questions. The larger 10HS sensor is better at averaging varying soil moisture and characterizing spatial variability because it averages soil moisture over a greater volume.
The 10-cm long 10HS has three times the volume of influence compared to smaller sensors, measuring one liter of soil volume. Most soil sensors that measure this much volume are 20 cm or longer, causing installation headaches. The 10HS provides the perfect balance between volume of influence and sensor size, installing easily into the sidewall of a narrow trench.
(Note: Want even easier installation? Many of our 10HS customers now prefer the TEROS 12, which also has a one-liter volume of influence, is even smaller, and can be installed with an installation tool for faster, more consistent, and mistake-proof installation.)
The 10HS measures volumetric water content by means of capacitance technology. Its high measurement frequency minimizes salinity and textural effects, making this sensor accurate in a large range of mineral soils. Factory calibrations can be used in most typical soils with a saturation extract EC of 8 dS/m or less. (For soilless media, we recommend the TEROS 12
sensor.)
Soil is highly variable in space. The 10HS soil moisture probe with its larger volume of influence can smooth variability and accurately characterize highly heterogeneous soil water content. It's the perfect balance between volume of influence, accuracy, affordability, and ease of installation.