LTL-XL RETROREFLEKTROMETER Manual On site quality control of road markings & road surfaces in accordance with CEN / ASTM specifications DELTA · Venlighedsvej 4 · 2970 Hørsholm · Denmark · Tel. +45 72 19 40 00 · roadsensors@delta.
DISCLAIMER The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice. DELTA LIGHT & OPTICS MAKES NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND WITH REGARD TO THIS MATERIAL, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHAN-TABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. DELTA LIGHT & OPTICS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ERRORS CONTAINED HEREIN OR FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES IN CONNECTION WITH THE FURNISHING, PERFORMANCE OR USE OF THIS MATERIAL.
DELTA LTL-XL Retroreflectometer iii
iv LTL-XL Retroreflectometer DELTA
TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1................................................................................................................................ 7 OPERATING INFORMATION ...................................................................................................... 7 LTL-XL introduction ................................................................................................................................ 7 LTL-XL retrometer features .................................................
Average function .................................................................................................................................... 34 Editing names ......................................................................................................................................... 35 Auto print ................................................................................................................................................ 35 Diagnostics .................................
SECTION 1 OPERATING INFORMATION LTL-XL introduction The LTL-XL retroreflectometer is a portable field instrument intended for measuring the retroreflection and reflection properties of road markings. LTL-XL measures the RL value (coefficient of retroreflected luminance at night) and the Qd value (day light visibility). RL is a measure of the lightness of the road marking as seen by drivers of motorized vehicles in car headlight illumination. The road is illuminated at an angle of 1.
Name of measuring series (road name) Profile icon for road marking type User name GPS data (if installed) Temperature & humidity Instrument status The measurement results can be printed by the build-in printer (optional). Communication with a PC using the RSC (Road Sensor Control) software program (see pg. 36) allows for data exchange with other PC programs. A rechargeable NiMH (Nickel-Metal Hydride) battery powers the LTL-XL, giving hours of measurement capacity.
Getting started Buttons: HELP ON/OFF MENU SMART HOME CALIBRATE BACK PRINT UP LEFT RIGHT OK (center) DOWN Figure 2. Buttons Height adjustment (optional) Before using the LTL-XL, notice that the operating panel can be adjusted in height for ergonomic considerations. The height is adjusted by pressing the red knob on the front of the instrument and at the same time lifting the handle on the operating panel. Release the knob and continue lifting until the handle locks.
To print the last measurement data, press the PRINT button User select (user initials) . If a user icon is displayed in the upper icon row on the measuring display, press the UP button ▲and if necessary ◄ or ► to mark the user icon. Press the OK button to enter the user select menu. For further information see Selecting a user id, pg19 Series ID select (name) If a user icon is displayed in the upper icon row on the measuring display press the UP button ▲to mark the road icon.
Sound setting Press the MENU button and select SETTINGS / SOUND. Select KEY CLICK or SOUNDS to set the individual sound levels for key click and system sounds. Use the UP ▲ or DOWN ▼ button to set the level. Accept the setting by pressing the OK button. Miscellaneous The HOME screen can be activated at any time by pressing the HOME button . Reset log: Press the MENU button and select LOG / CLEAR DATA.Now select from the menu: CLEAR LAST DATA, CLEAR ALL DATA or CLEAR SERIES DATA.
Important guide lines for the correct use of the LTL-XL Positioning of the instrument on the road marking Select an area of the pavement marking that is level when taking readings. The measurement field is marked with a yellow sticker on one side of the base cover. The measurement field is approximately 50 mm wide and 185 mm long. Ensure that the pavement marking to be measured before taking measurements is free of debris. Make sure that the instrument is stable positioned.
SECTION 2 GENERAL INFORMATION The measurement The LTL-XL retroreflectometer measures the RL (coefficient of retroreflected luminance) parameter and Qd (the day light visibility). The RL parameter represents the brightness of road markings seen by drivers of motor vehicles by headlight illumination. Qd measures the visibility of the road markings under day light conditions. In the LTL-XL the illumination angle is 1.24 degrees for RL, the illumination for Qd is diffuse. Both observation angles are 2.
The LTL-XL illumination angle is 1.24° relative to the road surface. Because of this small angle accurate placement on the road is important. Avoid pebbles and abnormal irregularities. The LTL-XL must be parallel and in contact with the marking surface. The LTL-XL retroreflectometer is a rugged instrument, but it is an optical instrument and must be handled as such. The LTL-XL is factory calibrated. Nevertheless start measurements with a calibration. Study the display for any warning or error icons.
SECTION 3 THE USER INTERFACE Figure 4: The display Display and keyboard layout The user interface consists of a rectangular display surrounded by push buttons. The display has two main modes: the measurement display (HOME screen) and the menu display. The instrument will start up with the measurement display shown. The display area is divided into four areas: a large main display in the middle, an icon row at the top, a message or caption field underneath and an icon row at the bottom.
Lower icon row From the lower icon row you can select a road marking icon that will be saved together with the measurement in the log (see pg. 18) for future measurement identification. Access the icons by pressing the DOWN button ▼. Use the LEFT or RIGHT button to mark the preferred icon. Pressing DOWN again shows more icon rows from a roll stack of five rows. One row, marked with a "PR" for "Preset" can be preset by the user (see pg. 30) and is saved separately for each measuring series.
Menu The button selects the top level of the menu tree, the main menu. Use the UP and the DOWN buttons to scroll through the menu items. Press OK to select the highlighted item. In most cases it opens up further submenu levels. SMART This button is user programmable to one out of several functions, e.g. to clear the last measurement, see pg. 23. CALIBRATE This button starts the calibration wizard, see pg. 41. PRINT Print out the last measurement or selected parts of the log to the internal printer.
The menu tree MAIN MENU: SETTINGS MEASURE TYPE SERIES-ID LOG AVERAGE DIAGNOSTICS HELP AUTOPRINT SETTINGS: USER DATE & TIME DISPLAY SOUND POWER LANGUAGE TEMPERATURE SMART AUX SETUP MEAS. TYPE: RL Qd WET TIMER TIMER ALARM SERIES-ID: ACTIVATE SELECT NEW EDIT DELETE PRESET MARK LOG: CLEAR DATA VIEW LOG AVERAGE: AVERAGE TYPE NUMBER RESET DIAGNOSTICS: INSTRUMENT BATTERY BOARDS GPS SYSTEM USER: SELECT EDIT NEW DELETE SEL.
SETTING UP FOR MEASUREMENTS Selecting a User ID The user ID (user profile) is used to identify the operator and is saved in the log together with each measurement. If enabled, it can be seen at the lower left side of the measurement display. Measurements can also be taken without a user ID. Unlimited user ID’s can be stored in the instrument. Certain instrument settings are stored individually for each user. Selecting a user will restore these settings. All settings can be stored The select procedure.
Edit user User names can be edited from the menu SETTINGS / USER / EDIT (see editing pg. 35). New user A new user can be entered from the menu SETTINGS / USER / NEW (see editing pg. 35). Clear user Deleting the User ID will remove the user and settings from the memory. Select at start Enabling SEL. AT START will force the user to select a user ID each time the LTL-XL is turned on. Press the MENU button and select SEL. AT START.
Deactivating the profile icon. Activating an already selected marking icon will cancel the activation and remove the icon from the main display. Setting the date and time Date and time is always shown in the display. Every measurement taken is marked with the date and time, so it is essential that the settings are correct. Press the MENU button and select SETTINGS / DATE & TIME. Press OK and the time format sub menu is shown.
Setting the time and date Press OK when SET TIME/DATE is highlighted. Press OK to activate each line and use UP or DOWN to set the figure. Press OK to accept the setting. Note: the time in this menu is not live, but it will synchronize the time shown in the HOME screen. Setting the Time zone Press OK when TIMEZONE is highlighted. Press OK to open up the list of countries / national time zones. Scroll to the country / national time zone you live in and press OK to select. Synchronize to GPS When SYNC.
WARNING: Using high backlight will drain the battery faster! Setting the sound level Press the MENU button and select SETTINGS / SOUND. Select KEY CLICK or SOUNDS to set the individual sound levels for key click and warning and error sounds. Use the UP or DOWN button to set the level at OFF or a scale from 1 to 10. Accept the setting by pressing OK, LEFT or BACK buttons. Auto Sleep (Power) To save power the instrument can be setup to automatically change to Auto Sleep mode.
Use the UP or DOWN button to select the SMART KEY function. Accept by pressing the OK button. The selected function is now accessed every time is pressed Setting the AUX functions / GPS (optional) The AUX function is used to control auxiliary built-in equipment like putting the GPS receiver on and off. Using GPS (optional) The GPS receiver is mounted inside the instrument, drawing its power from the internal battery.
The GPS position data, HDOP value, and the number of satellites used in the position calculation are saved in the log together with the RL and Qd data. Activating the GPS Press the MENU button and select SETTINGS / AUX, highlight the GPS line and press the OK button to toggle the GPS ON or OFF. Press the BACK button or the HOME button to return to the HOME screen. The GPS data can be viewed from the HOME screen by pressing the UP button and then highlighting the GPS icon by using LEFT or RIGHT buttons.
The following menu points can be selected in basic mode: Settings: User, Date & Time, Display, Sound and Temperature, Setup Measurement type: RL, Qd, Wet timer, Timer alarm Log: View log Diagnosis: Instrument, Battery, Boards, GPS, System Help: All menus available Auto Print ADVANCED setting will provide access to all menu functions. To change the setup, press MENU and select SETTINGS / SETUP. Pressing OK will toggle between ADVANCED and BASIC. To return from setup press BACK or HOME.
MEASURE TYPE RL & Qd Enables or disables RL and/or Qd measurement Wet timer The wet timer function works for RL measurements only. The timer can be adjusted between 15 and 60 seconds. The wet timer carries out the measurement after the set period of time. Timer Alarm Can be set to carry out automatic measurement or sound an alarm when time to measure.
SERIES ID Working with series ID The purpose of a series ID The series ID is a label, for example the name of a road. Although measurements can be performed without selecting a series ID, it is convenient to group (name) the measurements for each geographical spot, road or part of a road for easier recognition. The series ID for such a group of measurements will be saved in the log together with the measuring results. The ID must be selected prior to the measurement.
Selecting a series ID From the HOME screen press UP. If necessary, use the LEFT or RIGHT button to highlight the road icon . Press the OK button. The SERIES ID menu is shown. Choose SELECT to access the available series ID. Press the OK button to accept the name. Enter a new series ID Do the same as above but select NEW from MAIN MENU / SERIES ID. Proceed by spelling the series name (see Editing pg. 33). Press END in the spelling section to save.
Setting the road marking icon Six of the 30 icons symbolizing road markings can be programmed as individual presets for each series ID and will be ready for selection when a series ID is selected. Press the MENU button and select SERIES-ID / PRESET ROAD MARKINGS to enter the SELECT MARKING menu: The bottom line shows the present six preset icons.
THE LOG Each time a measurement is taken data is stored to the log. The following data, among others, are saved, if enabled: Measurement result incl. average Date and time. Name of measuring series (road name) and sequence number. Road marking icon User name GPS data (if installed). Instrument status Temperature & humidity The instrument can store >200.000 measurements in the log.
If you selected SERIES, you may select the series you wish to delete from the log from the list shown. Only the log entries will be erased. The series will still be available in the series select list. Viewing the log Press the MENU button and select LOG / VIEW LOG: This menu gives the possibility to view or print data from either the last measurement, from all measurements or from one of the measure series stored in the log.
Each time a measurement is taken, a status information is generated. If any error occurs the information can be interpreted by the warning/error icon in the top line of the display. The information is available until a new measurement is taken or the problem is resolved. The status information is also stored in the log. GPS indicates that valid GPS data was stored with the measurement. Press the PRINT button to print the log from the highlighted measurement.
OTHER SETTINGS Average function An average function can be activated showing the average of the measured RL & Qd values calculated over a selectable number of measurements (N = 2 to 25). The average mode can be fixed or moving. In moving mode the average is always calculated from the last N measurements where N is the selected number of measurements. In fixed mode the averaging will start over again when N measurements have been taken.
Editing names From certain points you arrive to the EDIT menu e.g. is you want to define a USER. You will arrive to the following screen: With UP, DOWN, LEFT and RIGHT you can navigate around the letters, numbers, symbols and space. The “arrow” will take you one step back. Press enter to select. When you have finished, press END to return to the menu, where you started. Auto print Press the MENU button and highlight AUTOPRINT. Press the OK button to toggle between ON and OFF.
Errors and warnings When a measurement is taken, a warning text is generated if a problem arises and saved in the log together with the measurement. If a problem occurs, a warning icon or an error icon is show above the HOME screen and an audible alarm is sounded (if enabled) and error is stored in the log. To view the nature of the problem, press the UP button and the warning/error icon will be highlighted. The most severe problem will be stated in the message line underneath.
SECTION 4 MAINTENANCE General care The retroreflectometer is constructed for outdoor use in ordinary good weather conditions. It will stand moist weather with wet roads, but caution must be taken against heavy rain and dirt. The LTL-XL retroreflectometer is an optical instrument and shall be handled as such. Avoid shock and vibration if possible. Protection window The protection window is accessible from underneath of the instrument.
Replacing the battery A worn out battery will not hold a charge very long. When the battery is worn out it must be replaced. The user can do this. The battery is located in a compartment at the low end of the rear of the tower. To replace the battery, remove the screws from the back cover and remove the cover. Loosen the big screw at the battery cover. You can now remove the cover Lift the battery out of the compartment.
Battery status The capacity of the battery can be seen from the icon in the upper icon row. Indicates that the battery is fully charged Shows that the fast charging is finished Shows that fast charging takes place Indicates that the capacity of the battery is half empty The battery is almost empty and need recharging Fuses Two fuses are located in the battery compartment. The charging fuse protects the battery against short circuit and other errors in the charging connector, charger or charging system.
Calibration unit Reference The road marking is simulated by a piece of white ceramic (the reference) mounted on an aluminum profile. Ceramics have very stable optical properties because of the smooth surface. Figure: 6 - Calibration normal To make sure that calibration of the retroreflectometer is correct it is important that the ceramics and light trap on the calibration unit is clean and undamaged. Always keep the calibration unit well protected.
Calibration The LTL-XL is factory calibrated and very stable but a calibration should always be carried out before starting a new series of measurements. The instrument is supplied with a calibration unit to carry out a fast and easy calibration. Back Front Figure 7: Placing the calibration unit Calibration procedure Before mounting the calibration unit check the RL and Qd values stamped on the calibration unit.
Press the OK button to finish the calibration or repeat if erroneous. Repeat the calibration process for the other measure ( RL, Qd) The calibration procedure is now complete. To check the calibration, make a normal measurement on the calibration unit. The recorded values should be with +/- 2-3 units of the values stamped on the calibration unit. Remove the calibration unit and store it properly. Press OK to return to the measurement display. For further details see pg. 41.
Printer (optional) The printer is located at the back of the tower. The printer is a high-speed high quality mini thermal printer. It has only a few moving parts and does not require any special or periodic maintenance. The printer uses a thermal paper roll, width: 57.5±0.5 mm (2.26 in), diameter: max. 31 mm (1.22 in) Replacing paper Replacing the paper is simple. First, pull the little lever out with your finger and the cover will open into the paper roll compartment.
Mounting the wheel unit (option) A wheel unit can be mounted in the rear of the instrument for easy transportation during heavy use. The wheels are mounted easily to the rear by fastening the two nuts mounted on the wheel block.
APPENDIX A COMMUNICATION FACILITIES The LTL-XL is equipped with a USB Master Port and a USB Device Port. The USB Master Port can be used to connect to a USB memory stick, e.g. for software updates. The USB Device Port is used to connect the instrument to a PC. The ethernet connector is for test / service purpose.
APPENDIX B SPECIFICATION General characteristics Illumination angle ............................................................................................................ 1.24º Observation angle ............................................................................................................ 2.29º Equivalent observer distance ........................................................................................... 30 m Observation angular spread .........................................
Environmental characteristics Temperature: Operating ........................................................................... 0ºC to + 45ºC (32ºF to +113º F) Storage*) .......................................................................... -15ºC to + 55ºC (5º F to +131º F) Humidity ......................................................................................... 85% and non-condensing *) Battery must be fully charged Mechanical characteristics Max. length ....................................
APPENDIX C DELIVERY 48 LTL-XL Retroreflectometer DELTA
