Stay Hydrated
We've revised our popular Qwiic Soil Moisture Sensor to be more economical, and we have new RockBLOCK products from Ground Control.
Hello everyone and welcome back to anther Friday Product Post here at SparkFun Electronics. The weather is heating up (especially here in Colorado where it's supposed to be 100° tomorrow at SparkFun HQ), and we want to make sure that our little green friends are well hydrated. No, we don't mean LGMs, we're talking about plants! The popular SparkFun Qwiic Soil Moisture Sensor received a bit of a face lift and got a whole lot more economical with this new version now available for $6.95! Following that we have a new RockBLOCK receiver from Ground Control, the SMA version of the Patch Antenna board we brought into our catalog a few months ago. Don't worry, we have a few accessories to go with it as well! Alright, let's take a closer look at all of these new products.
$6.95
The SparkFun Qwiic Soil Moisture Sensor is a simple breakout for measuring the moisture in soil and similar materials. The soil moisture sensor is pretty straightforward to use. The two large, exposed pads function as probes for the sensor, together acting as a variable resistor. The more water in the soil, the better the conductivity between the pads will be, resulting in lower resistance and a higher SIG output. This version of the Soil Moisture Sensor features a Qwiic connector, making it even easier to use.
The RockBLOCK 9704 by Ground Control is a breakout board for the new Iridium 9704 including a SMA connector and a supercap charger to enable low power operation. If you need low data rate connectivity over the entire globe, Iridium is the answer. RockBLOCK 9704 leverages the Iridium Certus 9704 satellite IoT module to deliver truly global bi-directional messaging from 25 bytes up to 100 KB, with typical end-to-cloud latency of < 10 s.
The Maxtena M1621HCT-P-SMA is a compact, high-performance passive Iridium antenna, designed for reliable data communication over the Iridium satellite network. This rugged antenna features a precision-tuned helical design, providing consistent performance across the full Iridium band (1616–1626.5 MHz). It’s built for durability in challenging environments, with an IP67-rated housing. It is ideal for use with the RockBLOCK 9704 satellite IoT module.
This lightweight plastic mounting plate is designed specifically for the RockBLOCK 9704 SMA, providing an easy and secure way to integrate the device into your enclosure or project. With pre-drilled mounting holes that align perfectly with the RockBLOCK 9704, it simplifies installation and ensures a stable fit.
A 300mm hookup cable with a 2x8 C-Grid III Female connector at one end and unterminated (bare wire) at the other. Suitable for connecting to the RockBLOCK 9704.
That's it for this week at SparkFun. As always, we can't wait to see what you make! Shoot us a tweet @sparkfun, or let us know on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn. Please be safe out there, be kind to one another! Happy hacking!
