Envco Australia – Environmental Equipment

The Ballchek™ gravity corer is ideal for both shallow and deep water from 3 to 200 m where the water/bottom interface is not part of your study. At its heart is a simple seal that prevents the sample from leaving the tube during retrieval. A semi-rigid silastic ball, securely held by a tough, resilient polyurethane ring seat, automatically seals the top of the core tube as it is raised. The core catcher helps prevent wash-out from the bottom. All parts that contact the sample are made of inert plastic. The ball and ring seat easily and slide out for cleaning when the core tube is removed.

• Simple, reliable
• Automatic valve for strong seal
• Good in water 3 to 200 m deep
• Shroud: 254 mm (10”) diameter, 305 mm (12”) long
• Core tube: 51 mm (2”) diameter, 914 mm (36”) long
• 2” head assembly with valve includes bronze central cylinder for attaching eye hook and stabilizing fins
• (3) PVC stabilizing fins provide balance and stability during descent and offer high strength and low drag
• Includes: 914 mm (36”) long stainless steel core tube; (2) Lexan® nosepieces; (2) clear CAB liners/caps; (3) Eggshell™ core catchers, 100’ cable

2416-B45 Ballchek™ Corer
Includes: two nosepieces (2449-A11); two CAB liners/caps (2447-C41); three Eggshell™ core catchers (2449-B13), 61-B14 cable, 100’

Accessories and replacement parts:
61-B14 Cable, stainless steel, 100’
2449-A11 Lexan® nosepiece
2449-A21 Stainless steel nosepiece
2416-L36 Ballchek™ seal
2416-L38 Ballchek™ valve
2416-D15 Head assembly
2447-C41 2 x 36” liner tube/ cap, each
2447-C48 2 x 36” liner tube/cap, 12
2449-B13 Eggshell™ core catcher, 3
66-C10 Winch
66-C52 Winch mount

Sample Removal Tool
2448-E35 for 2 x 20” and 2 x 36” corer
2448-E55 for 2 x 48” corer

All Wildco® corers have interchangeable parts. This “building block” concept relies on the uniform use of coarse pipe thread. This thread provides an extremely reliable way to connect core tubes to sampling heads and nosepieces. While by their very nature these threads can become dirty and jam, they can be rinsed in water and used again. No pipe wrenches needed - a boon in the field.

Wildco® hand and Ogeechee™ corers are designed to be lowered on a taut line or cable into the substrate. They are not designed to be dropped because they are top-heavy and can easily tip over. While some customers tell us they obtain a good sample by a free drop on a loose line up to 20-30” (7-10 m), to accomplish this you must keep the sampler entirely in water, still and vertical when dropped. This cannot be attempted using bricks or cement blocks as weights due to the need to keep the core tube balanced and vertical.