Soil Moisture, Temp and EC 3-in-1 Sensor with cable set

What the WCS-2 Is

The TrolMaster WCS-2 is a commercial-grade, three-parameter substrate sensor built for licensed cultivation facilities running TrolMaster control systems. The hardware package consists of a five-prong sensor probe and a compact LCD communication module with an addressing button for system configuration — all connected via RJ12 cable.

Rather than inferring root-zone conditions from reservoir data or run-off tests, the WCS-2 delivers continuous, in-medium readings of volumetric water content (expressed as a percentage), grow-media temperature, and electrical conductivity (EC). Those three data points together give irrigation managers a complete picture of what is actually happening at the root zone between fertigation events — not just what was sent in.

The sensor requires calibration to the specific grow medium and nutrient solution in use. Once calibrated, readings are constant, displayed locally on the LCD module, visible on the main controller screen, and accessible remotely via the free TrolMaster TM+ app on iOS or Android.

Who It's For and Where It Fits

The WCS-2 is designed for commercial and craft operators running substrate-based production — rockwool slab, coco coir, peat/perlite, or soil — who need to move beyond timer-driven irrigation and into data-driven crop steering. It is not a standalone device: it is a sensor peripheral that must be used with a TrolMaster Aqua-X, Aqua-X Pro, or Hydro-X Pro controller.

For multi-room or multi-bench facilities, the ability to daisy-chain up to 50 WCS-2 units on a single NFS-2 or HCS-2 controller means each zone or bench can be individually monitored. The NFS-2 controller displays the three parameters from each individual sensor — not an average — so operators can identify which zones are holding moisture differently, which is critical in larger footprints where irrigation uniformity is rarely perfect.

For operators running an NFS-1 (Aqua-X standard), up to 8 sensors can be connected. The WCS-2 is not compatible with Aqua-X Plus (NFS-3) or Tent-X controllers — those systems use the WCS-3.

Key Features for Crop Steering Execution

Crop steering in substrate-grown cannabis requires precise control over three variables: how much water is present in the medium (water content %), how concentrated the nutrient solution in the medium is (EC), and the root-zone temperature. The WCS-2 captures all three simultaneously, continuously, at the point of measurement — not inferred from reservoir or runoff data.

Per-sensor alarm limits can be configured for each of the three parameters. When any reading crosses a defined high or low threshold, the TrolMaster or TM+ app pushes a remote notification. This lets cultivation staff catch irrigation failures, nutrient lockout conditions, or unexpected temperature swings in the medium before they translate into plant stress or yield loss.

The probe is installed horizontally into the grow medium — typically at approximately one-third of the depth from the bottom of the container or rockwool block — to capture a representative mid-zone reading. Historical data graphs are accessible through the TM+ app, enabling teams to visualize dry-back curves, shot intervals, and field capacity trends over time.

Integrating the WCS-2 Into a Commercial Build

Because the WCS-2 connects via standard RJ12 cable and runs on TrolMaster's addressable daisy-chain architecture, wiring is straightforward for facilities already running Hydro-X Pro or Aqua-X Pro systems. The addressing button on the LCD module assigns each sensor a unique address on the network, allowing per-sensor identification at the controller and in the app — critical when you have multiple sensors deployed across a room.

For new builds or retrofits planning to deploy 10 or more sensors across multiple irrigation zones, the sensor count ceiling of 50 units per NFS-2 or HCS-2 controller gives meaningful headroom. Facilities running multi-controller setups can scale monitoring proportionally. TrolMaster's RJ12 extension cables (sold separately) accommodate sensor runs longer than the included cable set.

The WCS-2 ships as a complete set: the five-prong probe, the LCD communication module, and the RJ12 cable set needed for connection to the controller. No additional interface hardware is required beyond a compatible TrolMaster controller. Reach out via the quote request below for quantity pricing or multi-sensor builds.