Eco from Nortek

The Nortek Eco is a groundbreaking acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP). The Eco allows you to measure water current velocities using the same technology as the foremost scientists and engineers in the world, but in an affordable and easy-to-use package.

Automatic data processing, quality control, and display
Off-the-shelf, hand-held buoy or tripod deployment options
Compact form factor ideal for shallow water applications

Eco offers:

Automatic data processing, quality control, and display
Off-the-shelf, hand-held buoy or tripod deployment options
Compact form factor ideal for shallow water applications

Key specifications

Spec name	Spec value
Maximum profiling range	20 m
Cell size	Self-configured based on depth (profiling range 0.3-20 m)
Minimum blanking	0.1 m
Maximum number of cells	3
Accuracy	±1% of measured value ±0.5 cm/s
Sampling rate (output)	2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 20, 30 or 60 min
Velocity range (horizontal)	±5 m/s

How does Eco work?

The Nortek Eco is a portable Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP).
The instrument detects the depth it is at and uses that information to split the water column above into three equal depth layers.
Eco uses acoustic signals to measure current speed and direction for each of the three depth layers.

How can I use Eco?

Eco is rated for a maximum depth of 50 m.
Eco has a measurement range of 20 m, but can operate with as little as 30 cm of water above the instrument.
Most Eco deployments last around a month or less, but can vary depending on how often you want to take measurements.
Eco must be used upward-looking.

Outputting data

Eco creates graphs and datasets for you in the Eco WebApp. Easily visualize your data with:

Feather plots, polar scatters, histograms and more, showing velocity in three depth layers.
Temperature, pressure and tilt measurements.
One-click generation of a comprehensive PDF showing all views of your data.

Eco automatically processes your data for you, accounting for factors like tilt, fish interference, and sidelobe interference. Users will not have access to the raw (unfiltered) data.

Deployment options

The Eco offers two easy, off-the-shelf deployment options.

Eco bottom-mount system

Deploying in water shallow enough to wade to? The Eco bottom mount is for you. Designed with portability in mind, this foldable bottom mount will keep your Eco upright and in position throughout your deployment.

Eco buoy system with timed release

This three-part system allows users to deploy Eco in shallow water by simply dropping the buoys over the side of their boat, kayak, paddleboard, or dock. The timed release will send Eco to the surface at the end of the scheduled deployment.

“Our first deployments with the Eco were very successful: we were excited about how portable it was, how easy it was to deploy and the detailed scientific data we were able to collect. We did not expect it to be so user-friendly!”

— Jacqueline Rosa, Program Coordinator, Blue Latitudes Foundation

Supporting ocean conservation in reef habitats with the Eco current profiler