Tools on the truck
- 7-inch turf plugger
- 6-inch hand auger
- Shovel (GX-1S larger hole)
The plugger and auger cover every standalone GX-1 install; the shovel is only for the GX-1S three-hex hole. No slurry, no amendments.
Resources / Field procedure
Hardware Installation & GAIN Setup
The current GX-1 field procedure, confirmed against live installs in November 2026. The right hole for each model, prongs always in undisturbed sidewall soil, native soil back, the plug on top — and a GAIN portal check before anyone leaves the site.
The hole
- Width
- 6 inches
- GX-1A depth
- 12.5 inches
- GX-1F depth
- To the root-ball zone
- GX-1S depth
- 12 in (top at 8 in)
- Pea-gravel base
- 1 inch (GX-1A / GX-1F)
The same 6-inch-wide hole serves both models — only the depth changes. The GX-1S three-hex hole uses no pea gravel.
Before anyone leaves
Confirm live readings in the GAIN portal before leaving the site.
Readings go live over LTE Cat-1 the moment the sensor is seated — no app pairing, no site visit to verify.
Turf, fairways and common areas
GX-1A (Adjustable)
One 6-inch-wide, 12.5-inch-deep hole with a 1-inch pea gravel base. The sensor stands vertical against the sidewall, drainage hole down, resting on the gravel.
- 1
Check the signal
Before any digging, stand directly above the dig site, remove the magnet from the sensor and hold for 30 seconds to wake it, then check signal strength in the GAIN mobile app. Set the sensor aside while the hole is dug. If the app flags a bad spot — roughly 1 in 100 sites — put the magnet back on, tap Abort in the app, and repeat the check at a new location.
- 2
Cut the plug
Remove the turf plug where the sensor will live with the 7-inch turf plugger, and keep the plug for the finish.
- 3
Open the hole
Widen the hole to 6 inches with the 6-inch hand auger and dig to 12.5 inches deep.
- 4
Lay the gravel
Pour 1 inch of pea gravel across the bottom of the hole.
- 5
Seat the sensor
Stand the GX-1A vertical against the sidewall with the drainage hole at the bottom, resting on the pea gravel. Push the prongs into perfect, undisturbed soil in the sidewall — the key element of the install.
- 6
Backfill
Return the native soil only — no amendments — back up to grade.
- 7
Replace the plug
Set the turf plug back on top and tamp it in flush with the surrounding surface.
- 8
Confirm in GAIN
Confirm live readings in the GAIN portal before leaving the site.
Trees and planted spaces
GX-1F (Flex-cord)
The same 6-inch-wide hole taken down to the root-ball zone, a 1-inch pea gravel base, and a vertical sensor with the drainage hole down. The 44-inch flex cord runs up to the body at the top of the hole.
- 1
Check the signal
Before any digging, stand directly above the dig site, remove the magnet from the sensor and hold for 30 seconds to wake it, then check signal strength in the GAIN mobile app. Set the sensor aside while the hole is dug. If the app flags a bad spot — roughly 1 in 100 sites — put the magnet back on, tap Abort in the app, and repeat the check at a new location.
- 2
Cut the plug
Remove the turf plug with the 7-inch turf plugger and keep it for the finish.
- 3
Open the hole
Use the same 6-inch-wide hole, dug down into the root-ball zone — never below the 44-inch maximum root-ball measurement depth.
- 4
Lay the gravel
Pour 1 inch of pea gravel across the bottom of the hole, just like the GX-1A.
- 5
Seat the sensor
Stand the sensor vertical against the sidewall with the drainage hole at the bottom, resting on the pea gravel. Push the prongs into perfect, undisturbed soil in the sidewall — the key element of the install.
- 6
Route the cord
Run the 44-inch flex cord up to the transmitter body, which sits at the top of the hole — no more than 8 inches below grade.
- 7
Backfill
Return the native soil only back up to grade.
- 8
Replace the plug
Set the turf plug back on top and tamp it in flush with the surrounding surface.
- 9
Confirm in GAIN
Confirm live readings in the GAIN portal before leaving the site.
Sports fields and turf installs needing a side-mounted sensor
GX-1S (Side-mount)
Three 7-inch hex plugs cut side by side open one larger hole. The device lies on its side about 12 inches down, so its top sits at 8 inches, and the sensor goes into pure undisturbed soil as the hole is built back up.
- 1
Check the signal
Before any digging, stand directly above the dig site, remove the magnet from the sensor and hold for 30 seconds to wake it, then check signal strength in the GAIN mobile app. Set the sensor aside while the hole is dug. If the app flags a bad spot — roughly 1 in 100 sites — put the magnet back on, tap Abort in the app, and repeat the check at a new location.
- 2
Cut three plugs
Use the same 7-inch turf plugger to cut three hexes next to each other, remove the turf and keep all three plugs for the finish.
- 3
Open the hole
With a shovel, dig out one large hole under the three hexes, about 12 inches deep.
- 4
Lay the device on its side
Place the device down about 12 inches on its side, so the top of the device sits at 8 inches below grade.
- 5
Build back up
Return the native soil only — no amendments — building it back up around the device.
- 6
Insert the sensor
As you build the soil back, insert the sensor mechanism into pure, undisturbed soil in the sidewall — period. Never into loosened or backfilled soil.
- 7
Backfill
Keep building the native soil back up to grade, ready for the turf.
- 8
Replace the plug
Set the three turf plugs back on top and tamp them in flush with the surrounding surface.
- 9
Confirm in GAIN
Confirm live readings in the GAIN portal before leaving the site.
Notes from the field
- Every model: the sensor prongs always go into perfect, undisturbed sidewall soil. That is the key element of a good reading.
- This guide covers standalone GX-1 series sensors only.
- iQ SmartWell — installation guide (PDF).
Hardware installation / GAIN
iQ SmartWell installation guide
A 14-inch-tall, 6-inch-round well with a secured lid absolutely flush to the ground, allowing mowers to travel above it.
Download iQ SmartWell guide (PDF)- 1
Check the signal before digging
Directly above the dig site, remove the sensor magnet and hold for 30 seconds. Check signal strength in the GAIN mobile app, then set the sensor aside. If the app flags the spot, reapply the magnet, tap Abort and repeat at a new location.
- 2
Open the surface and auger the hole
Remove the turf at the well location. Use the same 6-inch hand auger to open the hole for the 14-inch-tall, 6-inch-round iQ SmartWell. Do not keep the turf for replacement over the lid.
- 3
Seat the well at ground level
Set the well into the hole and adjust its seating until the closed lid is absolutely flush with the surrounding ground. The lid must not stand above grade.
- 4
Secure the lid; leave it uncovered
Secure the lid and do not put the turf back over it. Recheck that it is absolutely flush to the ground, allowing mowers to travel above it.
- 5
Confirm in GAIN
When the sensor is in use, confirm live readings in the GAIN portal before leaving the site.
GAIN setup tools
Set up GAIN for the whole crew.
One-page guides for the GAIN portal and GroundWorx app: tasks, user logins, notifications, reports and alerts.
