Frequently-Asked Questions
Sections
General
What is POGO?
POGO is system for obtaining superior insight into turf conditions, allowing better decisions to be made more efficiently and cost effectively, and ultimately resulting in healthier turf. The POGO system is made up of the POGO hardware, the powerful TurfPro Mobile smartphone/tablet app, and the TurfPro Cloud analytics system. The TurfPro cloud system is a requirement for use of any POGO equipment as it drives all analytics, logging functions, visual analysis, GPS capabilities and mapping functions of the platform.
Without compromise, POGO measures the most influential variables on turfgrass performance precisely allowing you to see exactly what your turf sees while delivering analysis in a visual insight method for easy determination of irrigation, nutrient management, salinity management, cultural practice timing and other important actions dedicated to presenting the finest conditions possible with reduced dependency on chemicals and erroneous use of water, fertilizers or labor efforts.
There is metering, and then there is POGO’ing. There is a very big difference. POGO is a system that captures every important variable that goes into every day decision-making. These variables happen to be at the heart of the agronomy focus of the turf system, but many other features we offer are at the heart of course conditioning and operational management. Understanding that this insight is priceless to superintendents, turf managers and greenkeepers alike anywhere in the world, POGO does not compromise your insight into your turf or landscape.
How does it work?
The POGO Pro+ and POGO Mapper contains a GPS receiver, a bluetooth transmitter, and a patented multi-parameter soil sensor (Pro+ only). It connects wirelessly to a smartphone or tablet which runs the powerful TurfPro Mobile app. The app is used to initiate the recording of soil sample data (user places the POGO in the turf, taps a button in the app to record the data, moves to next location). Further, the app is utilized to log specs, or performance variables such as ball speed, firmness, shear strength, clipping yield and more. The app logs data measurements while displaying real-time analytics and assessments of turf/soil moisture, conductivity, temperature and much more. Data is synchronized with the cloud-based TurfPro Cloud application (through the device’s internet connection) which offers in-depth turf and property insight and analysis.
The POGO Mapper is used primarily for logging specs, setting up pin sheets for play on golf courses, and for mapping just about anything.
The POGO Logger is used for connecting a slew of other sensors including in ground sensors, water level and quality sensors, our full scale meteorological POGO Weather station and more for seamless analysis on your TurfPro account
The POGO Weather station has opened up doors to understanding true stress and degree day analysis of variables important to each and every turf manager. For instance, understanding the accumulated stress or degree days since the spray for growth regulation or a pest is a simple task with POGO Weather installed on the property. Now, not ever before possible, understand the conditions of your turf and influences on its performance with the combination of POGO turf measurements and POGO Weather ambient influences. Nothing compares to this value to your operation.
Who is it for and what makes it unique?
The POGO Platform is for Golf Course Superintendents, Greenkeepers and Turf Mangers as well as Sports facility managers, landscape managers, nursery and research facilities, municipal community landscape facilities and any application where management of the land and/or irrigation is in place.
For golf course superintendents, sports field managers, landscape, nursery and research facility managers who have limited time and budgets for maintaining optimal turf conditions, POGO is a portable, turf-and-soil insight system that provides superior insight into turf health and performance and the influences on it. With the addition of POGO Weather, it marries ambient influences with true turf influences unlike anything else available in the world. Unlike soil moisture sensors, POGO is the only research-grade, all-in-one system that measures all critical parameters along with customizable variable measurements, providing near real-time analysis and logging of information in a true cloud-based system, easily sync’d with all users at a facility.
Analysis
How does POGO help me optimize my irrigation program?
Moisture, EC and temperature are recorded along with the precise GPS location with every sample taken with the POGO. The Visual Insight™ reports show varying levels of moisture on each zone by interpolating values between samples and illustrating with color-coded areas on a satellite map. Because EC is measured, the moisture level is extremely accurate (since EC has an effect on the true moisture reading or moisture availability as the plant sees it). By viewing today’s and past Visual Insight reports, along with automatically-generated distribution uniformity analysis, you can see how moisture changes day to day or is impacted by routine operational procedures, and therefore know how your irrigation methods should be adjusted.
Can the data indicate the right time to flush?
Yes. By trending EC over time, it is easy to assess when it reaches a high level, prompting flushing needs.
How can the POGO identify moisture issues?
Compare variations within a zone and particularly from day to day. Easily complete distribution uniformity assessments. Utilize the powerful TurfPro Cloud analytics system for advanced analysis.
Measurement
Can pH be measured with the sensor in the soil?
No, pH is a measurement in solution. Soil consists of solution, air and particles.
Does the POGO directly measure salt / salinity?
It does not directly measure “Salt” (NaCl). But it does measure salinity activity by measuring EC. All salts (+ and – ions) in solution add to EC.
Does the POGO need to know what soil type my turf is growing in?
No. The POGO requires no calibration across turf/soil types and remains scientifically accurate and precise across measurements. This was determined from extensive research of POGO’s technology, and research and understanding of turfgrass systems, indicating that no matter what the soil or turf type, no matter what depth of roots exist and no matter if it is a cool season or warm season grass, the significant portion of moisture and nutrient (salinity) exchange occurs in the upper 6 cm (2.36 inches). Further, POGO’s sensor technology, unlike other meters or sensors, is not impacted by the dynamic changes in turf systems such as soil type and variability, electrical conductivity, compaction, organic matter variances and any of the many physical and chemical dynamics that occur daily and throughout the day in turfgrass systems. POGO specifically measures what the turf is seeing so you can make your very best, properly informed decisions.
How accurate is the GPS?
Smartphone GPS receivers are rated at 4.6 m (16 ft) accuracy. However, the integrated GPS in the POGO Pro+ and POGO Pro has sub-meter accuracy when receiving signals from 9 or more GPS satellites. Using all three satellite networks including the USA, European and Russian networks, POGO’s GPS precision has improved further since 2022 over previous models. In addition, POGO’s in-app GPS override function allows pinpoint precision to be adjusted on the fly while sampling or mapping with TurfPro Mobile.
How does the sensor in the POGO differ from other sensors?
Using the patented and unique Stevens HydraProbe II sensor and its coaxial impedance dielectric reflectometry protocol, POGO measures WFV (aka VWC) and EC to an accuracy of ±1% without any calibration in any soil. Surface heat index and soil temperature are measured with Infrared and a soil temp probe respectively with equal precision.
It does this through a complex algorithm and electronics engineering that creates an electro-magnetic field around the sensor tines once inserted in the turf and the sampling process is activated through the TurfPro Mobile app. Over about a 1.5 second period of time, any variable with mass has a direct influence on this EM field. POGO measures the mass of EC ions and water specifically, in addition to other variables, independently of each other and with no influence from the rootzone type. This allows POGO to remain incredibly precise in any turfgrass rootzone system without ever needing calibration, even when soil conditions on the same property change over time as they constantly do.
What you see is exactly what your turf sees, allowing you to make your very best decisions. If you see variables a month from now that are the same as what you see today, you are assured that you have the same conditions. No other sensor can be used to make that claim, anywhere in the world. Unlike other sensors, POGO’s unique patented sensor is not influenced by compaction, changing EC (or nutrient array) conditions, rootzone structure, rootzone texture or water quality. These are all dynamic variables in turfgrass systems, changing daily and throughout the day. Unlike other sensors, POGO does not need to be calibrated to remain precise in these changing conditions. Further, with changes that occur from step to step on any one turfgrass zone as well as from zone to zone, sensors needing calibration truly need an extensive practice of calibration.
Visit soilsensor.com to learn more about various measurement methods.
How does the POGO take its measurements?
Using a precisely-tuned and unique process focusing on dielectric permittivity of moisture and EC, making it the only commercially-available research-grade sensor requiring no calibration across turf/soil types. Surface temperature is measured using a thermistor in the plate that rests on the turf (POGO Pro) or via an infrared sensor (POGO Pro+). Soil temperature is measured via depth-adjustable stainless steel probe (POGO Pro+ only).
What is the relationship between EC and water %?
In many cases, as moisture goes up, salts in solution go up and therefore EC goes up. But this is not always the case and EC-to-moisture ratios change from many affecting variables in turf dynamics.
Miscelaneous
What is the warranty?
POGO hardware is warranted for performance for 2 years from date of manufacturing. Warranty does NOT included wearing, tearing, breaking of sensor tines.
Can the POGO get wet?
The outside of the POGO can come into contact with wet grass and is fairly water resistant overall. However, do not submerge in water above the sensor area.
Do I have to insert the POGO fully into the turf/soil?
Yes, push the tines into the turf/soil and have the stainless steel base plate firmly in contact with the turf or soil surface.
How long can the data be stored on the smartphone?
Indefinitely. Historical data needs to be manually cleared/deleted by the user from the device. However, if utilizing the TurfPro Cloud analytics system, after an upload of data, the data is cleared from the app and saved indefinitely in your cloud account.
Operation
Can I communicate with the POGO and my cellular network or WiFi network at the same time?
Yes—two separate, independent radio protocols are used. Bluetooth is used to exchange data between the app and the POGO hardware. This communication occurs in-app through TurfPro Mobile and functions independently of any other connection via bluetooth, wifi or cellular.
Do portable devices such as Android tablets, iPads or the iPod Touch, that don’t communicate via cellular, still work with the POGO?
Yes, as long the device includes Bluetooth wireless, it will work.
Why does the POGO utilize a mobile app to view its readings?
The POGO utilizes mobile app technology to provide a rich user interface to make it easy to take samples, view data and make timely decisions. Rather than integrate a small text-only display and difficult-to-use buttons, we can leverage the power of touchscreen gestures, color graphics, and synchronization with the cloud. In addition, customers can choose to update the interface with improvements and additional features as they are released.
Can I replace the tines on the POGO?
If the tines get damaged, the entire integrated sensor assembly can be replaced as one unit.
How long will the batteries last when charged?
The POGO can easily endure a full day of heavy use before needing to be recharged.
How long does it take to charge?
Up to 2 hours if the batteries are very low.
How long should I put the POGO sensor in one location before I take a reading?
For the POGO Pro, the first measurement in a zone should be taken after inserting the POGO Pro for 30 seconds, to acclimate the temperature sensor to the turf’s temperature. Each successive reading takes about 3 seconds.
For the POGO Pro+, surface temperature is measured via an infrared sensor which is instantaneous, so no acclimation period is required for the first measurement.
How many measurements should I take per area?
About 9-12 samples per average size putting green. For larger areas, take more samples. Smaller areas like tees should have at least 5 or 6 samples depending on their size. 9 samples will give you a representative sampling of a typical size putting green.
Do I need to have a cellular connection in order to use the TurfPro Mobile app?
In Internet connection is used to retrieve satellite map imagery upon which your current location is shown. Whether the Internet connection is provided via a cellular connection or some other connection doesn’t matter. If there is no Internet connection, the app can still be used, but only map imagery that has previously been downloaded in a session will be available.
POGO Turf Pro Cloud
Is there an additional cost to using the TurfPro Cloud analytics system?
Once a subscription is purchased, there are only additional costs associated with cellular fees when installing POGO Weather or POGO Loggers. Otherwise, no other additional fees are needed for use of POGO equipment on your property.
There are packages available for various access and features that can be customizable, such as licenses to cover multi-campus companies, consultants’ use and others. Contact info@pogoturfpro.com for information specific to your needs and our team will help you make sure you see value from POGO immediately to suit your operation best.
Do I need to use the cloud application to access the data?
Yes. TurfPro cloud is a requirement to use POGO equipment as it powers the logging, analysis, visual insight analysis, GPS functionality and mapping functions of the POGO system. Realizing that trend analysis is far more insightful and important for making best decisions than one set of data or a set of numbers, this requirement is enjoyed by thousands of users worldwide who have witnessed and continue to see unparalleled value from the POGO system.
One TurfPro cloud account is needed per property, and any number of POGO Pro+ or POGO Mapper equipment can be used on site with the one license. Also, any number of users from the facility can utilize the system under one license.
While POGO Weather and POGO Loggers work under the same TurfPro cloud account, those devices have separate cellular connectivity to TurfPro. Therefore, there is a small annual cellular fee for these devices. No addition subscription however is needed in addition to the primary TurfPro license.
Do I need to purchase a TurfPro Cloud subscription for every user who wishes to synchronize data and share it with the rest of the team?
No, only one TurfPro Cloud subscription is required per property. There is no limit to the number of users for the property, the number of POGOs that can be connected nor the amount of data that can be put through the system.
Salinity/EC
Does the POGO directly measure salt / salinity?
It does not directly measure “Salt” (NaCl). But it does measure salinity activity by measuring EC. All salts (+ and – ions) in solution add to EC.
What is the relationship between EC and water %?
In many cases, as moisture goes up, salts in solution go up and therefore EC goes up. But this is not always the case and EC-to-moisture ratios change from many affecting variables in turf dynamics.
Why do I need to measure EC if I don’t have a salt problem?
If you use fertilizer, you are adding salts continually. Unless your turf is consistently 100% perfect, any problem areas may be because of a “salt problem” or better stated, a salinity problem—you just don’t know if they are from overwatering, under watering, over fertilizing, under fertilizing, incorrect fertilizer application, or some cultural ailment, etc. The only way to know is to measure salinity along with moisture and temperature, and to trend this information over time so that you see an issue before the symptom shows up in your turf system.
Sensor
Can pH be measured with the sensor in the soil?
No, pH is a measurement in solution. Soil consists of solution, air and particles.
How does the sensor in the POGO differ from other sensors?
Using the patented and unique Stevens HydraProbe II sensor and its coaxial impedance dielectric reflectometry protocol, POGO measures WFV (aka VWC) and EC to an accuracy of ±1% without any calibration in any soil. Surface heat index and soil temperature are measured with Infrared and a soil temp probe respectively with equal precision.
It does this through a complex algorithm and electronics engineering that creates an electro-magnetic field around the sensor tines once inserted in the turf and the sampling process is activated through the TurfPro Mobile app. Over about a 1.5 second period of time, any variable with mass has a direct influence on this EM field. POGO measures the mass of EC ions and water specifically, in addition to other variables, independently of each other and with no influence from the rootzone type. This allows POGO to remain incredibly precise in any turfgrass rootzone system without ever needing calibration, even when soil conditions on the same property change over time as they constantly do.
What you see is exactly what your turf sees, allowing you to make your very best decisions. If you see variables a month from now that are the same as what you see today, you are assured that you have the same conditions. No other sensor can be used to make that claim, anywhere in the world. Unlike other sensors, POGO’s unique patented sensor is not influenced by compaction, changing EC (or nutrient array) conditions, rootzone structure, rootzone texture or water quality. These are all dynamic variables in turfgrass systems, changing daily and throughout the day. Unlike other sensors, POGO does not need to be calibrated to remain precise in these changing conditions. Further, with changes that occur from step to step on any one turfgrass zone as well as from zone to zone, sensors needing calibration truly need an extensive practice of calibration.
Visit soilsensor.com to learn more about various measurement methods.
Can I replace the tines on the POGO?
If the tines get damaged, the entire integrated sensor assembly can be replaced as one unit.
Shouldn’t POGO measure the moisture content across a deeper depth (to ensure it includes the entire root system?)
No! The predominant moisture and salinity exchange with the root system of all types of turf occurs in t the top 2” to 2.5” of the root system. This is why POGO was designed to measure the top 2.2” inches for moisture and salinity. When the sensor is measuring too deep, you are diluting the measurement outside of the most influential region.
Why can’t I choose the length of tines for the POGO, so I can measure at the depth I need for the location I’m at?
Even in deep-rooted systems, the predominant exchange of moisture and salinity that the turfgrass depends on for optimal performance occurs in the top 2 to 2.5”. This is always the region you want to measure and reference against over time. By varying the depth, you will end up basing your decisions off of invalid information. An independent study has been conducted that verifies this and is available upon request.
I only have roots that are 1” deep. Don’t I want to measure to a depth of 1”?
Even if roots are very shallow (1”), due to natural capillary activity in a turfgrass root zone, this shallow root system is still predominantly influenced by the top 2 to 2.5” of the root zone medium.
Why does the POGO have 4 metal tines?
It’s a uniquely patented design that maximizes sampling size and precision while utilizing a unique, scientifically precise and accurate measurement method called “Coaxial Impedance Dielectric Reflectometry“.
