Precision Ag Explained

Packing Up and Moving Out!!!

2011-12-23T15:57:00.001-06:00

My blog has moved!!! This will be my last post here, and this entire blog has moved to http://htsag.wordpress.com/

Come on over and check out the new blog with a new look!

The Value of Data

2011-12-16T18:19:00.000-06:00

Precision Ag hardware has made tremendous strides in helping to increase efficiency, reduce costs and operator fatigue, and these things are all very valuable to any sustianable farm operation, but how are you using the data that is captured by all of this hardware?

The data being captured could easily be argued as the most valuable part of the whole equation, offering the ability to be informed and make decisions with a large impact, such as seed selection, decisions about tile, in field comparisons of different products - the list goes on almost endlessly.

Imagine improving your yields by as little as just 1% each year, and do it year after year -

If you currently average 180 bushel per acre corn, at $5.50 per bushel, that is $990 in gross income. A one percent increase in your yields, 1.8 bushels per acre, would add $9.90 per acre to your bottom line.

The next year, you could add an additional 1%, increasing average yields to 183.6 bushels per acre, with another 1.8 bushels more than the last year for you to sell. Your gross income would be $1009.80, adding $19.80 per acre to your farm.

The bottom line? If you aren't spending time analyzing your data, this is a place to be looking! If you don't have the time or ability to do it yourself, hire someone that can. HTS offers several packages to analyze your data, ALL of them for less than your return of a 1% yield increase.

I will continue to post specific examples with real numbers from data we have analyzed. If you have questions or would like to see data on a specific topic, let me know!

If you have a story to share of how valuable your data is, we would love to share it for you!

Ag Leader announces Planter Down Force Monitor and Control

2011-12-12T12:10:00.001-06:00

Here is the official press release from Ag Leader, I will add my thoughts at the end -

Ag Leader AnnouncesPlanter Down Force Monitor and Control

AMES, IOWA,December 9, 2011 - Ag Leader Technology is excited toannounce the INTEGRA™ display will soon feature planter down force monitor andcontrol capability, allowing the display to monitor and adjust down force basedon field and soil conditions. Planting seed at the optimum row unit downforce is an important factor in good crop germination, and ultimately,yield. The system will be available for the 2013 spring planting season,with field test systems in operation during the spring 2012 plantingseason.

Theheart of the system is a hydraulic down force actuator, engineered by DawnEquipment. The actuator is the fastest on the market, allowing the INTEGRAdisplay to make quick row unit down force adjustments. Ag Leader will beselling and supporting a branded version of the actuator.

“Soilconditions encountered by the planter change fast,” says Ag Leader ProductManager Roger Zielke. “Other down force pressure systems that rely on aircompressors and air bags can’t respond like this hydraulic system. The plantercan be a long way past a different soil condition before air bags fullyrespond. The hydraulic system reacts as soon as the planter enters a differentsoil condition, providing consistent seed depth without seed trenchcompaction. Plus, hydraulic systems hold up better in dusty, rigorousfield conditions compared to air-compressor systems.”

AboutAg Leader
 Ag Leader Technology, Inc. is apioneer and recognized technology innovator of precision agriculture hardwareand software. Located in Ames, Iowa, USA, the company manufactures and marketsindustry leading precision farming technology designed to help growers makesmart, profitable business decisions. Founded in 1992, the company has achievedconsistent growth and expansion by providing value-based products that helpgrowers and agricultural professionals achieve and maintain a successful,profitable operation.

Formore information visit: www.agleader.com

AboutDawn Equipment
Dawn EquipmentCompany is a Sycamore, Illinois-based manufacturer of ground engaging row croptools. Since 1993, the company has built top-quality products out ofAmerican made components. Working always from first concept, the companydevelops innovative precision agriculture systems that adapt to constantlyevolving farming practices.

For more information visit: www.dawnequipment.com

(End of press release)

Finally, we have a system available that shows potential to do exactly what we have wanted without having to wait for air bags to respond. This opens the door to so many opportunities, all around us as farmers doing a better job in the field, and in turn raising a better crop! My thoughts are, tractors already have hydraulics, and maintaining an air compressor in a high dust environment becomes quite a task.

Harvest is almost here again!

2010-08-03T16:58:00.000-05:00

It may seem like quite a while from now, but the summer is flying by, and for me, it goes really fast from here until harvest. First of all, we will have our annual, Pre Harvest Training sessions next week - One in Harlan, and one in Ames. These are free to attend, but we do want you to register. You can register by clicking HERE.

Let's not forget about the Iowa State Fair, which is always a good time!

After that, there is the farm shows - Farm Progress Show and Husker Harvest Days. HTS will have a booth at both, so if you plan to attend stop by and see us!

My guess is that combines will be rolling by the time we finish Husker Harvest Days this year......

If you have any service work that needs done before harvest, give us a call. If you would just like to have a tech come look over your system before you go to the field this fall, we can handle that also!

Still don't have a yield monitor? You may have some of the parts already! With any Ag Leader display, you can easily move it to the combine. There is still plenty of time to get this done for 2010. HTS has several combine systems in stock and ready for install.

Any questions - contact me. We have lots of resources available to make your fall harvest successful!

New Software Platform Announced from Ag Leader

2010-07-19T13:19:00.000-05:00

Ag Leader announced today that their SMS Mobile software will now run on a PC. Many have asked me if they could get SMS Mobile with a bigger screen, and this is how that is now possible. This new software release, called SMS Mobile PC, will run on laptops, tablets, and netbooks running Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7.

This will allow for higher screen resolution, larger buttons, faster processing, and more memory than the PDA version could. All of the same modes - Boundary, Soil Sampling, Crop Scouting, Coverage Logging, and General Logging will be available in SMS Mobile PC.

Shipment of this new product release is expected to begin in the fall of 2010.

Ag Leader announces New Features

2010-07-08T18:13:00.001-05:00

Today Ag Leader released new firmware updates to both the Edge and Integra displays, offering some nice enhancements as well as a few new features. I will highlight a few of them for you.

First up, is the much anticipated SmartPath guidance pattern. This is a new "drive and guide" pattern, that finally allows us a good option for guidance in odd shaped fields, contours, and terraced fields. I have plenty of all of them, so I spent some time this spring helping to test this awesome new pattern. I have planted for four years with autosteer now, and I can finally say with a great amount of confidence that I could plant everything without needing markers on the planter. Here is the official language from Ag Leader about their new pattern.

“No setup is required; drive the first pass and SmartPath will guide you from there. SmartPath combines straight AB guidance lines with curves, allowing users to simply drive their guidance pattern,” says Product Manager, Matt Leinen. “This is particularly beneficial in odd-shaped or terraced fields as well as fields without established guidance lines. Users will genuinely appreciate the ease-of-use this feature adds to Ag Leader guidance and steering products.”

I couldn't agree more! Nice job on this one. For those of you that have used a pattern similar to this with other systems, you probably understand the frustration of having the system incorrectly select the pass you wish to be on. Ag Leader is handling this very well, and only in extremely rare or difficult situations did I even have to press a button to get the right pass selected.

This new pattern is available in both the Edge and Integra, by simply updating to the latest firmware.

The next big feature announced in my opinion is the Integra now has the ability to load variety maps for harvest. This means that you can take as planted data from multiple monitors, or multiple types of monitors, and read it into SMS, then output an as planted map that can be loaded into one or several Integra displays.

This will really help out those with a mixed bag of precision ag equipment, as well as provide a way to mesh data from two or more planters into one display for harvest.

The last item wasn't really an announcement today, but rather a personal favorite of mine. The Integra display got a facelift in how switch mapping is handled. All of it is handled by a new graphically intuitive Switch Assignment screen. BIG time saver to those who set up these systems! It also finally becomes easy to understand what is assigned and where.

This is probably my favorite feature enhancement that made it in the Integra!

ASABE names Jacob Bolson as Newcomer Engineer of the Year

2010-04-28T11:15:00.001-05:00

News Release

The Iowa Section of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers has named its 2010 award winners. The awards were presented April 1 during the Section’s 2010 Spring Meeting, held at the Kinze Product Center in Williamsburg, Iowa.

Each year ASABE’s Iowa Section recognizes members that have made significant contributions to society and the profession. The three awards given are Newcomer Engineer of the Year, Young Engineer of the Year, and Engineer of the Year.

Jacob M. Bolson - Newcomer Engineer of the Year

Jacob M. Bolson is an application engineer for Hagie Manufacturing in Clarion, Iowa. An ASABE member since 2003, he was honored for his service to ASABE at both the national and section levels. Bolson has demonstrated his service to ASABE through participation and leadership on several national ASABE committees. He is currently the chair of the 2010 Agricultural Machinery Conference, taking place May 2-5, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Bolson has been actively involved in supporting preprofessional ASABE members by freely giving his time to advise and mentor capstone design students through the Iowa State Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department. Through his industry contacts, Bolson has facilitated significant equipment donations back to the Iowa State Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering department which have been used to enhance the overall education quality for current students.

WAAS Satellite to drift off orbit

2010-04-22T10:54:00.000-05:00

The Federal Aviation Administration says one of the two Wide Area Augmentation System geosynchronous satellites will drift out of usable orbit within the next few weeks. Intelsat told the FAA earlier that it had lost control of the Galaxy 15 satellite (PRN 135), which hosts the WAAS SBAS transponder.

FAA officials say they are watching the satellite and predict its imminent failure. Once that happens, WAAS will be disrupted for users in northwest Alaska. The rest of the WAAS service area — the U.S., Canada and Mexico — will operate normally, but will be reduced to a single WAAS broadcasting satellite (PRN 138).

HTS honored Silver Circle Award from Trimble

2010-02-11T15:01:00.000-06:00

At the recent Trimble Annual Reseller's meeting, HTS received the Silver Circle Award for "Outstanding Sales and Invaluable Customer Service" in 2009.

We are seeing a tremendous growth in the Autopilot steering systems, and I wanted to take a minute to break down the technology and its value.

Autosteer in the midwest has been somewhat slow to adapt compared to other areas of the country, and I believe much of this has been because of the value of the crops. We were comparing our $2/bushel corn and $6/bushel beans to the high dollar vegetable crops of the west coast. The ROI just isn't there, or so we thought. The thing is, everyone forgot that we are no longer working with those prices. With $3-$4 corn, and $9-$10 beans, there is a significant return on investment with an autosteer system.

We are also working with bigger machines now. This means that the cost per hour to run the machine has went up, because it is burning more fuel, and the depreciation on the machine adds up quickly with every hour on the tach.

There is also a third leg to this that I haven't mentioned yet. Operator fatigue has become a bigger and bigger deal. This is tough to put a dollar figure on, but there is definitely significant value to getting home at night and not being completely wore out from running the tractor across the field all day long. This comes into play in the years like what we have had recently, with shorter windows of opportunities to get the crops in and out of the field.

What does this all mean? You can easily pay for autosteer technology on your farm. Contact HTS to find out how this can pay back for you.

Greetings from the Iowa Power Farming Show

2010-02-03T11:12:00.000-06:00

A great crowd this year and a lot of interest in SureVacs and grain bin management. Stop by booth number 502 and say hi!

Ag Leader announces new planter shutoffs

2010-02-01T11:40:00.001-06:00

For those of you that have been waiting for a solution on your pro shaft drive planters, Ag Leader now has you covered. Their innovative new style shutoff makes installation very simple, and provides reliable and repeatable results in the field.

My experience with these in the field has been very good. They have been tested with several different types of seed discs, and all have worked well.

The SureVac row shutoffs will be on display this week at the Iowa Power Farming show, or feel free to contact me with any questions you may have about them

What's New???

2010-01-28T21:39:00.000-06:00

What is new in the precision ag world? Well, it has been quite a while since my last post, as it seems like the distraction list from posting some useful information continues to grow. I will say that my lack of recent posts does not mean that there hasn't been anything happening in the precision ag world. I will say though, that there has been nearly an overload of new products and information as of late. The good news is, that myself and the rest of the HTS Precision Ag team has been busy learning all of the new products in several weeks of training from our vendors. We have had people in training for the last three weeks straight! I just finished a round of training and certification from Ag Leader, and there is no end in sight to the learning for all of us!

I will wrap up this post with one final comment - the new announcements aren't over for the season!!! For those of you close to the Iowa Power Farming show, I would encourage you to take a stroll through and look up HTS. We will have some new information to share with you at that time!

New products explained - INTEGRA

2009-11-19T15:06:00.006-06:00

With all the new products released from Ag Leader at the beginning of the month it has been quite a whirlwind of excitement and many questions have surfaced. I have decided to take one product at a time and try to explain what they can do. This also allows you to get questions asked and answered as well.

The Integra is the newest display on the market, and packed full of features. It has a 12.1" HD touchscreen making it easy to read and allowing a great deal of real estate on screen to show you exactly what is going on. You can perform several tasks at the same time, and can see planter monitoring and planter shutoffs from the same screen without having to change tabs.
It also features four video camera inputs, allowing you to see more accurately what is going on around you.

With full screen guidance built into this big screen, you can see very clearly where you need to be if you are just using the manual guidance feature, or you can hook into a ParaDyme Steering system for an additional set of features. (I will discuss more about the ParaDyme in a future post)

Don't forget it also offers a whole slew of features that we have become used to from its predecessor, the Insight. Data logging, field boundaries, Hybrid logging with split planter, Multiple product control, Rawson Accurate Direct Drive, planter population monitoring, smart reports, and boom height control is just the short list.

The Integra also uses a USB drive for data transfer, which speeds up the process considerably.

The one thing missing from the Insight is the ability to hook into a Trimble Autopilot. Since Ag Leader has aligned itself with AutoFarm, they have worked together to come up with the ParaDyme steering solution, so there is still potential to work with an autosteer system, and even upgrade if you have one already.

Feel free to post questions here or call me if you would like more information about the Integra.

Agriculture Evolved

2009-11-03T11:35:00.007-06:00

Ag Leader has made a whole bunch of new product annoucements today!

Intregra - This is the new display packed full of new features - bigger HD screen, camera input, on screen guidance, and autosteering

ParaDyme - This is the roof array that allows for autosteering, built in cell modem for CORS network support, and this also allows for remote support, as it allows the user of the system to request support and us to remotely troubleshoot the problem.

Edge 2.0 - The Edge display will have a new update and a whole bunch of new features, including on screen guidance, steering, auto boom height control with the Norac UC5

OnTrac 2 - This is Ag Leader's new assisted steering solution, which will run through the Edge display. The positive drive motor eliminates slippage against the steering wheel, and doesn't require removing the steering wheel to install.
I am also proud to announce that HTS is a Blue Delta Dealer for Ag Leader Technology, meaning that we are the highest level of service available. This doesn't completely cover everything new, but simply scratches the surface. Feel free to post or contact me with any questions.

Big annoucement tomorrow?

2009-11-02T08:54:00.003-06:00

I was just on Ag Leader's website this morning and it just pulls up a single page saying,

"The Evolution is underway...

Visit AGLEADER.COM tomorrow to be the first to see."

I don't know what this means, and I'm not going to speculate. I am sure there is going to be a big announcement tomorrow though. I would encourage everyone to check out their website as soon as you can, tomorrow, and I will also be posting everything I can find out as soon as I know what this is all about. Sounds pretty exciting!!!

14th annual Precision Agriculture Survey is in

2009-09-24T08:51:00.006-05:00

52% are going to invest more than $10,000 in precision technology in 2009.

Even in uncertain economic times, people are spending money on technology, because they can see the effect on the bottom line. As I have said many times before, the money spent on technology will pay for itself.

The other real striking thing to me in this survey was the adoption rate of the different technologies, and how fast the take rate is climbing. Autosteer was considered a luxury just a few years ago, but now we are seeing them pop up all over the place. When looking at new machinery, its getting hard to find something that doesn't have the option of an auto steer system.

That is pretty clear by the steep growth of this technology in the past year.

Lightbars or manual guidance are also still on the climb, with a very high take rate among those surveyed.

All in all, this shows just how important technology is to agriculture today, and that doesn't look to change anytime soon.

If you have any questions about what the next investment in technlogy should be, talk to a professional in the industry. If you don't know one in your area, contact me. There are several ways to increase efficiency and profits using technology, and now is the time to get a competitive edge in your operation.

You can read more about this survey at http://www.croplife.com/clmag/?storyid=1827

HTS at Husker Harvest Days

2009-09-16T14:39:00.003-05:00

HTS once again has a booth at Husker Harvest Days, and so far the show has been a very good one. I have talked with several farmers wanting to learn about technology, and many have needed help implementing the technology in their operation.

We were also approached about the technology in our booth here (in the north Diversified Industries building, next to the show office) by 1011 news from Lincoln. They recorded some video of technology in our booth and interviewed HTS live this morning. Here is a link to the video of this morning's newscast in Lincoln, NE. http://www.1011now.com/ag/headlines/59479232.html

Farm Progress Show

2009-08-31T17:04:00.002-05:00

It's that time of year again, and Farm Progress is kicking off this week. I always enjoy this show, because often times vendors will debut new equipment or features at this show. As always, I will post anything I hear about that is new right here on my blog. This year the weather promising, so it should be enjoyable to all in attendance. The lineup of vendors and seminars this year also looks to be very good. You can find out more about the show and the schedule at www.farmprogressshow.com/

If you plan on attending, make sure to stop by and say hi to my friends in the Ag Leader and Trimble booths. They are always available to answer questions, or share thoughts about Precision Ag.

Data Management

2009-08-25T12:04:00.003-05:00

So often we forget about one of the most important things in Precision Ag. Everyone talks about hardware; how much money they can save, how much easier it has made field operations. One of the most powerful tools we have available to us is actually the software. The data that is captured from each pass across the field can serve as very detailed records. Those of you with automatic shutoffs on your planters, you can download the data from the monitor to get planting dates, location of hybrids, productivity, and even field elevations just to name a few. The software allows us to manage the operation from a viewpoint we didn't have the luxury of seeing just a few years ago.

All this data is a wonderful thing, but it has to be managed to be valuable. There are several different possiblities for this. You can buy a copy of software and spend some time in front of it learning how to run it, or buy a copy of software and hope your wife or children learn how to run it. In either of these cases, I would strongly suggest some professional training. Most software vendors offer training classes, and in the case of SMS from Ag Leader, HTS teaches classes annually as well as offers one on one training, both in person and remotely.

Lets not overlook another option for those of you that don't want to sit in front of your computer working on this. You can hire a professional to process your data and provide you maps. This is a great solution for those that don't want to spend the time learning the program and analyzing the data. HTS can also help out here, as we offer several different options, custom tailored to fit your needs.

The bottom line is, we are collecting this data, and there is great value in it. Don't let technology stand in your way when there are so many different options available to make sure you get the most out of your investment.

Gearing up for Fall

2009-08-17T09:30:00.002-05:00

All across the farming community, it is starting to happen. Machinery is getting serviced and prepared for harvest, some are trading up to a newer piece of machinery. In the process of getting everything ready, don't forget about your precision ag equipment. Spending a bit of time getting the technology ready now can ensure that your data will be accurate, as well as save on frustrating hold ups during harvest. The obvious things are to check cabling for damage and make sure everything is secure, as well as check the flow sensor for wear, but there are some other things that need attention as well and often get overlooked. If you don't feel comfortable checking these things over, or want to have one of our expert technicians tackle this for you, contact HTS and ask about our Precision Maintenance Plan. This plan offers onsite pre-season checks of your equipment as well as priority phone support in season. Below is a list of items to check from Ag Leader, but most of them will apply to pretty much any yield monitor system on the market.

Pre-harvest Checklist

Clear Data from the card
Clear Loads
Change / Create field names
Set Grain Type For Each Field
Set Swath Width – (for each grain type)
Stop Height Calibration – (for each grain type)
Vibration Calibration – (for each grain type)
Temperature Calibration
Distance Calibration

Checklist of Things To Do During Harvest

Moisture Calibration – (for each grain type)
Grain Weight Calibration – (for each grain type)

Where do I start?

2009-08-10T13:38:00.002-05:00

So many times, I have been asked the question - "Where do I start with this technology, Adam?" My response is nearly always the same - simply put, it doesn't matter where you start, but the time is NOW!

Precision Ag really is year round, with advances to planting, spraying, harvesting, and automated steering. The best thing to do is get started somewhere, and have a plan of where you want to go in the future.

Many of the systems on the market today can be used for multiple applications, so your investment can be compounded by using it all year, instead of on one piece of machinery.

For example, someone might want to put automated shutoffs on their planter, but maybe didn't realize that they could potentially use the same monitor in their combine as a yield monitor.

Someone else might want to use an autosteer for planting in the spring, and uses the same tractor for NH3 application in the fall. This "double use" of the technology has an incredible return on investment.

So to answer the question of where do I start, I first need to ask, Where do you want to go?

Contact me if you have any questions about how to get more out of your investment!

Great week at Trimble meeting

2009-08-04T09:38:00.004-05:00

Last week I traveled to Alexandria, MN for the Trimble Mid Year Reseller's Meeting. Trimble has made some great strides in the precision ag arena, and I am excited to have been part of it.

Trimble trained us on their new Ag 3000 cellular modem, which is used to connect to a VRS or CORS network for RTK corrections. I had the privilege of testing this product for Trimble this spring, which most of you have read about in my previous posts. They announced the pricing at $1995 for the modem, and $800 per year for the cellular service. The Ag 3000 modem should be availabe for sale this fall.

Another great product they are introducing to the market is True Guide, which is their new passive implement steering. Trimble has pioneered the way with implement steering using many different methods to hydrauliclly steer the implement separate from the tractor, but now they are offering an option to correct implement drift by steering the tractor offline in an effort to pull the implement on the line. Pictures of testing looked really good, and I believe this could be a great technology moving forward.

All in all, it was a great week both in learning and networking with fellow Trimble dealers from around the midwest.

Customer Appreciation & Training Days

2009-07-27T11:53:00.002-05:00

We are once again getting to that time of year - time to start thinking about the next busy season in the fields! To help prepare for this, HTS is once again hosting training sessions built around getting you ready for the field. This is a great chance to meet technical staff from Ag Leader, as well as get any questions you have answered. Below are the details.

Wednesday, August 5th - Harlan, Iowa
Wednesday, August 12th - Story City, Iowa
9:00 AM - 3:30 PM -- Lunch Provided
Hands on demonstrations of Yield Monitors, Autopilot, DirectCommand and SeedCommand.
Topics include:

►Harvest Edge
►Harvest Insight
►NH3
►SeedCommand, DirectCommand, GPS & Guidance
►SMS Desktop & Mobile Software
►New Ag Leader Electric ClutchRegistration Deadline is August 3rd. Please register by calling 800-741-3305 or email gpsinfo@htsag.com or REGISTER HERE online.

IaRTN update

2009-07-20T08:55:00.002-05:00

Below is the lastest e-mail I received from the Iowa DOT about the RTN. Sounds like the problem is rooted pretty deeply. I disagree with the statement about "networks world-wide that are experiencing somewhat similar problems." I spoke in depth with a collegue last week running on the Ohio DOT network with none of these problems.

There isn't a lot to report on the progress to determine the cause or resolution of the current issue. Leica Geosystems reference station personnel have been here, and their testing has not been able to find any problems in their firmware, software and hardware. It appears that is not just an issue with the IaRTN, and there are networks world-wide that are experiencing somewhat similar problems. Therefore Leica has turned their focus on outside influences.

In order to try to find commonalities of the problem, Leica would like specific user feedback on the problems encountered in the field. I will be forwarding each of you later this week, a list of specific details that Leica would like to get from every user experiencing any issues.

I had hoped this issue could be resolved quickly, but it may take some time.
There doesn't appear to be much that can be done to help the initialization problem. We suggest performing GPS planning (due to the periods of low satellite numbers and poor geometry), using single baseline RTK (especially for vertical repeatability), and prudent checking of results (both vertical & horizontal). Good surveying practice and knowing the limitations of your GPS equipment, will determine whether use of the IaRTN or a conventional base radio setup is warranted during this period.

Hopefully Leica can get the problems resolved on this network soon.

A great week at the InfoAg Conference

2009-07-17T13:38:00.002-05:00

I have just concluded a great week at the InfoAg Conference in Springfield, Illinois. There were over 550 people in attendance this week from all over the world, and some very good information presented.

I was very honored to be invited as a speaker this week, and gave a presentation about the Iowa RTN. This was a pretty comfortable topic for me with all of the testing and research I have done this spring. My presentation was the first part of a split session with Tim Norris, owner of Agronomic Information Technologies in Ohio. Tim presented information about his experience with the Ohio DOT network. It was great to hear his presentation, and it was also wonderful to catch up with him and visit about our experiences using very similar technologies on different networks.

Lots of new product information was announced, including planned developments, new information about some products that have been previously announced, and some new vendor alliances in the industry.

This conference was also a great opportunity to network with vendors and other service providers in the Precision Ag Industry - sort of a "class reunion" for some of us.

One of my collegues made the comment that we are entering into "Precision Ag 2.0" meaning that we are near seeing the industry revolutionized, and capturing and processing the data seemed to be the common theme among several at the conference. I agree with this train of thought, that we will see a whole new set of tools and uses in the industry, but I would argue that this would be Precision Ag 3.0 as the industry has already made some great and rapid changes since the first days of the yield monitor.

One thing is for sure, this is an exciting industry to be around, and we are going to see some great things down the road!

Ag Leader Academy

2009-07-09T15:36:00.002-05:00

Ground was recently broke in Ames, IA to start the building of Ag Leader Academy, a 25,000 square-foot facility dedicated to providing the ag industry with specialized, hands-on training of precision farming systems.

There are never too many ways or places to learn more about the industry and the products you are using. I am personally very excited about this announcement, as this shows Ag Leader's commitment to the Precision Ag industry and will also assist in the training of both new customers and new staff to the industry. You can read the whole story at http://www.agleader.com/docs/press/release-training-center.pdf

Iowa RTN Problems?

2009-07-07T14:55:00.002-05:00

Below is straight off the Iowa RTN website http://www.iowadot.gov/rtn/

It looks to me like there are some issues yet to be worked out, which relates exactly to what I have been seeing all spring running this network.
(see previous post - http://htsag.blogspot.com/2009/06/finally-finished.html )

IaRTN users have reported having problems with initialization, frequent base changes and shot repeatability the last couple of weeks. We are and have been working with the end-users reporting this issue and Leica Geosystems to determine the cause and resolution of this issue. We suggest you evaluate the impact this issue may cause your surveying operations.
When using the IaRTN, please use the nearest option which will direct your equipment to the nearest base station minimizing errors due to baseline distance. A list of the Nearest data products on the IaRTN are listed below for you selection.
NTRIP Port 10000

RTCM3_NEAR (GPS+Glonass Solution)

RTCM2_NEAR - (GPS Solution)

CMR_NEAR - (GPS Solution)

CMRP_NEAR - (GPS Solution)
TCP/IP, GPUID Ports

RTCM 2.3 (GPS) 11002

CMR (GPS) 11003

CMRP (GPS) 11004

As a sound survey practice, make sure you check the repeatability of your shots as well. Another suggestion, if you may deem it appropriate, is to use your conventional GPS base until we get this issue resolved.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and we will keep you updated on the progress of the resolution of this issue.

More Technology and Training Sessions Planned

2009-06-30T15:49:00.003-05:00

We have set the schedule for some training sessions coming up on August 5th in Harlan, and August 12th in Ames. We will have Ag Leader Technology personnel on hand presenting information and HTS will be providing lunch. We will also have tractors available for ride and drive.

I have also been catching up with technology - not the kind you use in the field, but rather life on the computer and web. I have set up a page for HTS Precision Ag on Facebook, and you can actually RSVP to these training sessions right on the facebook page. You can follow this link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Harlan-IA/HTS-Precision-Ag/222272725264?ref=ts

Even if you aren't a facebook user, you can still check out the page. If you are a facebook user, you can also become a fan of HTS Precision Ag.

InfoAg Conference

2009-06-24T10:39:00.003-05:00

This year's conference will be held July 14th to the 16th in Springfield, IL. This conference has in the past been very valuable, with some of the sharpest in the Precision Ag industry in attendance. There will be a vendor area to show products, as well as a full schedule of very good presentations on several different topics. If you haven't been to this conference before, I would strongly encourage you to go. You can find out more about the conference at http://www.infoag.org/

Any customer of HTS running Ag Leader equipment that is planning on attending, contact me directly for a special offering!

Come see the Iowa RTN work for yourself

2009-06-12T12:37:00.002-05:00

I have had my GPS testing expanded since I finished in the field, as I pulled the system from my tractor and have sent it to central and southeastern Iowa to test in some different areas. The results have been pretty impressive, as we have seen better than expected cell signal with the system, and a minimal amount of dropouts.

If you would like a chance to see this system run for yourself, come to the Western Iowa No-tillers Field Day! We will have this system set up and running on a tractor for field demonstrations at this event. Below is some info about it - it is a free event, but you must pre-register. You can read the whole article at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2009/may/162001.htm

SHELBY, Iowa -- The second Western Iowa No-tillers (WIN) Demonstration Field Day is planned for Tuesday, June 16 near Shelby, Iowa. More than 200 producers and agriculture professionals attended the daylong event in 2008 to learn more about implementing no-till practices. No-till farming practices provide a positive option for southwest Iowa producers who have highly erodible soils in their fields and are dealing with increasing input costs. To accommodate an anticipated larger audience, more equipment displays and increased parking, the 2009 event will be held at the Carstens 1880 Farmstead just south of Shelby, Iowa.

Finally finished!

2009-06-01T12:32:00.002-05:00

This weekend marked the end of planting for 2009 for me, so I thought I would take a minute to recap thoughts and experiences of the testing I have been doing this spring on the Iowa DOT network as a RTK differential source for my GPS. Here is a quick recap of my equipment and results:

I have an EZ Guide 500 lightbar which is cabled to a cellular modem. This allows me to access the internet, which is then pointed to the IP address for the Iowa DOT servers that are feeding the information from their RTK Network. This EZ Guide 500 is running my autopilot on my tractor.

This leaves a lot of pieces in the puzzle, so testing and troubleshooting of this system has proven extremely difficult. Early on, I was having problems with cell phone reception (I thought) and would lose connection to the server. I have been through several different upgrades via different firmware, different settings, etc., and still didn't get the problems I was seeing to completely go away, although they lessened in frequency. There have also been the problems of network outage from the DOT itself, which brings on a whole different level of problems.

This weekend things were off to a pretty good start, but I was still losing connections from time to time. I had a great conversation with one of my friends Saturday evening, who I won't name but would encourage him to post his experiences in the comments of this blog, that also ran a similar setup this spring. We came to the mutual agreement that the network would just "quit" broadcasting information from time to time. The reasoning for this opinion ( I can't specifically verify what was happening each time) is for several reasons, but on my unit it would remain with a good cell signal and connected and logged into the server, but would drop out of RTK Fixed on the lightbar.

At the end of the day, I think this is great technology, but still has some bugs to be worked out. I have seen the progress over the season this year, and if it continues we could have something quite good on our hands in a short time. My opinion as of now is that the DOT still has some work to do on their network. I also believe that anyone trying to use this technology would be somewhat frustrated, as it hasn't proven to be reliable yet.

Feel free to post comments, questions, suggestions, or your personal experiences here!

Rain and Technology

2009-05-26T16:32:00.002-05:00

Depending on the area of the country you are in, you may be somewhere between finished with planting and still trying to put on NH3. It has been an interesting spring, with weather holding up things in some places, and others having near perfect conditions. For those of you that have been following my blog for a while, you know I have been testing some new technology hooking my autopilot to the Iowa DOT RTK network. This is done with a cellular connection to my tractor which then logs into a specific IP address provided by the Iowa DOT and gets network RTK correction messages. Through many different firmware updates, I believe we are getting somewhere. I had posted a while back from my mobile phone about a field I was in and couldn't get any cell phone signal, thinking that was the problem and wasn't able to get corrections.

Although this is a very big problem in some fields and the question still remains as to what you do in these areas, I don't think that my initial observation was completely correct. I made it back to the same field where I was previously having some problems, this time to plant soybeans. With no bars of signal to one bar, I was able to maintain RTK fixed. This was a great improvement over what I have previously seen from this same unit. This is a tough field to get reception in, and I was very impressed that I could get the unit to work at all here.

As of right now, I am rained out with a few hundred acres of soybeans left to plant. I will keep everyone updated as I get to test this technology more.

Mild Solar Storm Season Predicted

2009-05-14T15:20:00.001-05:00

I thought this was a pretty interesting article... Brings up some concerning possibilities.

Mild Solar Storm Season Predicted
Although its peak is still four years away, a new active period of Earth-threatening solar storms will be the weakest since 1928, predicts an international panel of experts led by NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center and funded by NASA. Despite the prediction, Earth is still vulnerable to a severe solar storm.
Solar storms are eruptions of energy and matter that escape from the sun and may head toward Earth, where even a weak storm can damage satellites and power grids, disrupting communications, the electric power supply and GPS. A single strong blast of “solar wind” can threaten national security, transportation, financial services and other essential functions.
The panel predicts the upcoming Solar Cycle 24 will peak in May 2013 with 90 sunspots per day on average. If the prediction proves true, Solar Cycle 24 will be the weakest cycle since number 16, which peaked at 78 daily sunspots in 1928, and ninth weakest since the 1750s, when numbered cycles began.
The most common measure of a solar cycle’s intensity is the number of sunspots—Earth-sized blotches on the sun marking areas of heightened magnetic activity. The more sunspots there are, the more likely it is that solar storms will occur, but a major storm can occur at any time.
“As with hurricanes, whether a cycle is active or weak refers to the number of storms, but everyone needs to remember it only takes one powerful storm to cause huge problems,” said NOAA scientist Doug Biesecker, who chairs the panel. “The strongest solar storm on record occurred in 1859 during another below-average cycle.”
The 1859 storm shorted out telegraph wires, causing fires in North America and Europe, sent readings of Earth’s magnetic field soaring, and produced northern lights so bright that people read newspapers by their light.
A recent report by the National Academy of Sciences found that if a storm that severe occurred today, it could cause $1-2 trillion in damages the first year and require four to 10 years for recovery, compared to $80-125 billion that resulted from Hurricane Katrina.
The panel also predicted that the lowest sunspot number between cycles — or solar minimum — occurred in December 2008, marking the end of Cycle 23 and the start of Cycle 24. If the December prediction holds up, at 12 years and seven months Solar Cycle 23 will be the longest since 1823 and the third longest since 1755. Solar cycles span 11 years on average, from minimum to minimum.
An unusually long, deep lull in sunspots led the panel to revise its 2007 prediction that the next cycle of solar storms would start in March 2008 and peak in late 2011 or mid-2012. The persistence of a quiet sun also led the panel to a consensus that the next cycle will be “moderately weak.”
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) is the nation’s first alert of solar activity and its effects on Earth. The Center’s space weather experts issue outlooks for the next 11-year solar cycle and warn of storms occurring on the Sun that could impact Earth. SWPC is also the world warning agency for the International Space Environment Service, a consortium of 12 member nations.
As the world economy becomes more reliant on satellite-based communications and interlinked power grids, interest in solar activity has grown dramatically. In 2008 alone, SWPC acquired 1,700 new subscription customers for warnings, alerts, reports, and other products. Among the new customers are emergency managers, airlines, state transportation departments, oil companies, and nuclear power stations. SWPC’s customers reside in 150 countries.
“Our customer growth reflects today’s reality that all sectors of society are highly dependent on advanced, space-based technologies,” said SWPC director Tom Bogdan. “Today every hiccup from the sun aimed at Earth has potential consequences.”
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.

What do you do?

2009-05-08T15:26:00.000-05:00

I came across a field today that has no cell coverage. This of course means no RTK for my testing. So what do you do?

Sent from my Windows Mobile® phone.

It's so new, we're still playing with the bubble wrap!

2009-05-05T09:01:00.003-05:00

I thought I would take a moment to share some of my experiences about using the Iowa DOT Real Time Network on the autopilot in my tractor this spring. For those of you that don't know, the Iowa DOT put up a network of RTK base stations so that it covers the entire state with network RTK corrections available on the internet. They are providing these corrections free of charge, but you still have to be able to access the internet from the cab of your tractor. That is where the expense comes in. Anyhow, on to the operation of it.

Last Friday the network was down, so we were out of luck for most of the day if you wanted to use this network. Sunday evening I got some new updates loaded and got everything connected, but didn't make it to the field. Sitting in the yard everything appeared to look pretty good though. Yesterday, I finally made it to the field with the unit to plant, and started on a 80 acre field. Things were off to a good start as I started planting the first pass around the field, but about one third of the way around the field on the first pass I lost corrections for the first time. I sat and waited about 5 minutes or so, and finally got reconnected to the network. This process continued for the next few hours, planting and waiting, planting and waiting. I was able to accomplish about 16 acres over the course of 3 hours or so, and I am running a 16 row planter. Definitely wasn't setting any land speed records yesterday! All in all, the performance was quite good running the system when it worked, but I unfortunately spent way too much time sitting and waiting for the RTK to lock in. I think we are making headway on this, but we are still a ways from having all the bugs worked out. Like I was saying, this stuff is extremely new, and although it appears as though it will be a great technology to work with in the future, we still have a few bugs to work out of it.

Automatic shutoffs on sprayers

2009-05-01T11:27:00.003-05:00

I went out this morning to work on a sprayer. Patriot sprayer and had a Raven 460 in it. After visiting with the customer a bit, he had a different idea on what he wanted the sprayer to do. We had originally discussed a Raven adapter kit - this would allow him to swap between his Insight monitor for running the autoswath and mapping, and also allow him to put the Raven back in the cab if the Insight was in use elsewhere.

We soon realized that he really had no plans of running the sprayer without the Insight, and actually was a bit bummed that his built in switches and foot pedal master switch wasn't going to work (we were going to use a switchbox so it could be swapped quickly), so we decided to also tie into the existing switches in the sprayer, which will allow him to use his foot pedal as a master switch also. At the end of the day, this will allow the customer to be more productive with the system because it will be similar in functionality to what he is already used to. Technology can be a great investment and greatly improve the productivity of the operator, while also making the equipment easier to operate, but it is important to implement it correctly. If you plan to make an investment in technology, make sure that you discuss the options with an expert to get you the most bang for your buck.

Air Clutch Systems Maintenance

2009-04-30T09:48:00.003-05:00

There has been quite a few calls lately about air clutch systems, so I thought I would try and give some tips about the systems to clear things up a bit.

Below are the maintenance recommendations from the Manufacturer.

Maintenance of Tru Count Air Clutch System

Air Compressor Water resistant, Not waterproof. Keep in dry location during winter storage. Clean dirt from fins. Replace or clean filter element on a regular basis.

Drain tank on a regular basis. Drain tank before winter storage, close drain after draining moisture.

Valve Modules
Keep away from high pressure water.

Air Clutches
All Tru Count clutches come from the factory prelubricated. Use dry silicone spray included in the kit. Lube as needed or every 75 - 100 hours.
Symptoms of needing lubricated are: Clutch not clutching (continuous planting) Clutch slow to release (resume planting after being shut off)

Oil air cylinders at the end of every season to keep pistons lubricated. Use the oil packet included in the kit and oil cylinders with one drop each. Then activate clutches a few times before putting planter into storage. Keep away from high pressure water.

Catching up on my blog

2009-04-28T14:26:00.002-05:00

So, I realized something today - it has been quite a while since I have posted anything to my blog. Spring has been very good so far, but extremely busy and I haven't taken the time to write or update anything on my blog. With the recent rain, I have had a brief chance to "catch my breath", and decided that I didn't have any more excuses not to write something here. There has been quite a few things happen this spring, so I will break it down into a few sections and make a few posts over the next few days.

One thing I wanted to hit on today was a new website I stumbled across. The address is www.justanswer.com This website allows you to ask professionals questions in many different industries. You log in and post your question, as well as what you are willing to pay for an answer. For legal, mechanical, or medical questions, this could be a huge savings over seeing a professional in person. Several questions were posted and answered for around $15.00. This seemed pretty fair to me, as it does take time to share answers to the posts for someone with the knowledge. I would like to know your thoughts on this website - please respond with comments and let me know if you think this is a good way to seek help or not.

Customer Appreciation & Precision Ag Training Day

2009-02-21T09:40:00.002-06:00

Tuesday, February 24 in Harlan,

and Thursday, February 26 in Ames

Hands on demonstrations of the new Edge,
EZ-Guide 250, Autopilot,
DirectCommand and SeedCommand

Get the latest updates for your equipment.
Ag Leader personnel on hand

Topics Include:

► SeedCommand
► DirectCommand
► GPS and Guidance
► Nh3
► SMS Desktop and Mobile Software

RSVP by calling 800-741-3305 or Sign Up Here

Greetings from the Iowa Power Farmng Show

2009-02-04T15:53:00.000-06:00

There has been a whirlwind of activity here in Des Moines with the annoucement of Ag Leader's new electric clutch, SureStop. Ag Leader has this on display in their booth here at the show.

Ag Leader Enhances SeedCommand™ System with Introduction of Planter Clutch

2009-02-02T11:48:00.002-06:00

Ag Leader Enhances SeedCommand™ System with Introduction of Planter Clutch

Ames, Iowa, February 2, 2009 – Today, Ag Leader Technology, Inc., a leader in the development
of precision farming solutions, introduced the patent-pending SureStop™ electric
row clutch for row crop planters. SureStop clutches, the latest component of Ag Leader’s
SeedCommand system, provide growers with a low-maintenance, user-friendly solution to
reduce seed costs and increase yield potential.
Using GPS, the SeedCommand system communicates with SureStop clutches to turn
planter sections on/off based on field maps and already-planted areas. The clutch starts
and stops seed flow by temporarily disengaging the seed meter, eliminating doubleplanted
areas as well as the need to slow down to accurately raise/lower the planter at end
rows.
SureStop clutches, designed for chain drive seed meters, install on the inside of the row
unit between the seed meter and the drill shaft sprocket. Installation is quicker and easier
than clutches that require drill shaft removal and an air compressor and tank. The SureStop clutch also features a
sealed enclosure to resist moisture, dust and other forms of contamination as well as withstand tough field conditions.
“We are thrilled to expand our SeedCommand product line to include SureStop electric clutches, allowing growers to
purchase a complete planter control system from one manufacturer,” says Ag Leader New Business Development Manager,
Roger Zielke. “Minimal maintenance, simple installation and a durable design make SureStop clutches a powerful
addition to any planter.”

2009 NEATA Conference

2009-01-28T21:17:00.002-06:00

Here is one of the new technologies on display at this year's conference.

The Game Changer

2009-01-21T17:32:00.002-06:00

The FMX

12. 1" Touchscreen (35% larger than old FMD)

2 GNSS Receivers

optional built in radio

4 video inputs for cameras

USB port

Power & Brightness keys in the back

Customizable "support" tab – dealer can put in logo and contact info

Brighter display

Solid metal housing

Latest Trimble GNSS engine

RTK Fix for up to 40 seconds after last corrections

Battery in Radio door

-Runs GPS through short power failures

Ports

-power

-2 GPS TNC connectors

-1 Radio antenna TNC

-4 DTM 12 pin

-each has:

-RS 232

-CAN

-Video

-Digital input

Runs EZ Steer-but not til May

Passive implement guidance - can move tractor to correct for implement drift

These are the notes I took with One Note during the meeting about this new Display. Feel free to leave questions in the comments section if something doesn't make sense!

New Display from Trimble

2009-01-19T22:00:00.002-06:00

Here it is! The game changer! I will post more on the features later as we learn more.

http://www.trimble.com/agriculture/fmx-display.aspx?dtID=overview

Something New?

2009-01-19T16:00:00.004-06:00

I am writing this from the hotel in Denver, CO where we are preparing to attend the Trimble Annual Reseller's meeting. This has typically been the place where Trimble rolls out new products, so we are very excited for the meeting to start this evening. The weather in Denver right now is a bit confusing, as it is in the 50's and up. People are wandering around in shorts, short sleeve shirts, etc. and loving it! A bit strange for Denver in January, but I guess that I will remember to check the forecast next time before I leave on a trip without packing short sleeve shirts!

Anyhow, I intend to post later this week with anything new that Trimble may share, so check back regularly for updates! Here is a picture out of our hotel window.

NeATA Conference Schedule Announced

2009-01-02T13:51:00.003-06:00

For those of you that don't know, NeATA stands for Nebraska Agricultural Technologies Association. This is a group tied with University of Nebraska, and they do a very good job of helping to keep the industry current with their annual conference. You can read more about it in their brochure at http://www.neata.org/Docs/NeATA-2009.pdf

I have found this to be a pretty good meeting to attend, and would encourage everyone interested to put this on their calendar. If anyone knows of other worthy events coming up, please leave a comment and I will look into them.

Precision Ag pays back faster than expected

2008-12-23T08:19:00.001-06:00

Here is an interesting article put together by the precision ag institute...

Adopters Get Rapid Return on Precision Investment

A recent study conducted by independent research firm dmrkynetec demonstrates that precision agriculture adopters gaining a speedy return on their technology investment.
Higher crop input costs are accelerating the payback for precision agriculture technology and per acre savings on crop inputs have risen, according to dmrkynetec (formerly Doane Marketing Research). The project was conducted in partnership with the PrecisionAg Institute. “Research shows that growers are gaining back their investment in precision ag technology faster than we thought – often in just one to three years,” says K. Elliott Nowels, director of the PrecisionAg Institute. “And they are saving from $15 to $39 per acre by using inputs more efficiently with precision ag tools, depending on crop and region of the country.” Add in the stewardship element of precision agriculture – using inputs when and where they are needed -- and it’s a very compelling case for adoption. “There’s never been a better time to adopt this technology,” says Nowels. Additional results indicate the following: • Eighty-five percent (85%) of corn growers, 88 percent of cotton growers and 100 percent of soybean growers indicated their operation has been more profitable using precision ag technology. • The average input savings per acre for these precision ag users (inputs including seed, fertilizer, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and time/labor) $19 per acre for corn, $18.50/A. for beans and up to $39/A. for cotton. • Fertilizer cost-savings led the way, coming in at $4 to $13 per acre depending on crop. • The top benefits growers listed from their use of precision ag technology were 1.) the ability to apply chemicals and fertilizer where needed, 2.) greater profitability due to lower input costs, and 3.) identification of poor producing areas of their fields. The research was compiled earlier this year from in-depth written responses and telephone follow-up interviews with corn, soybean and cotton growers. A pre-selection survey was used to find growers who’ve used multiple tools – GPS, controller-driven application and yield monitors -- for at least three years. Nearly half of the 66 growers interviewed had been using some precision ag technology for at least six years. In order to get the most comprehensive information, growers agreeing to the study were asked to answer written questions, as well as participate in an in-depth phone interview. “Measuring the return on investment (ROI) for individual components of precision is difficult because the tools are part of an overall crop management system,” says Nowels. “This gives us deeper insight on the ROI from those with deeper experience with it. We wanted to find out what new adopters might expect from using this technology long-term.” This contrasts, Nowels says, with earlier research conducted by the Institute of hundreds of adopters and non-adopters to gain a broader view. “We can marry the hard and fast figures we are getting in this research with some of the practices that are being adopted out there and it really helps the whole thing make sense to growers,” says Paul Schrimpf, group editor of PrecisionAg.com, PrecisionAg Special Reports and the PrecisionAg Buyer’s Guide. “We’re currently at work to incorporate this data into a special insert inside our next edition of the Buyer’s Guide coming out next month.” “Certainly results from adopting this technology will vary from crop to crop and farm to farm, “ says Schrimpf, “but higher input costs have made growers hungry for ideas on cutting costs while growing yields. I think this research will help them see some new possibilities.”

Leap Seconds

2008-12-18T09:32:00.003-06:00

Everyone has heard of Leap Year, where we have an extra day in the calendar to keep time in sync. Did you know there are also leap seconds that are introduced at half year intervals? Leap seconds are introduced to correct time according to the earth's rotation, which is not exact from year to year, and has been on an ever so slightly slowing trend for a while.

Why is this important? GPS actually uses a very accurate time measurement that is embedded in the messages from the satelites to the receivers we use. This allows for many different things to happen, one of them being that you get a more accurate position because of the accurate time measurement from each satelite to the rover, and how long the message took to get from one to the other, therefore measuring distance.

The reason I bring this up now, is that the end of this month (December 2008) there will be a leap second added to the clock. In the past this has caused some difficulties with certain GPS units, as the time measurement didn't match what it was supposed to, and they required an update to correct the problem. I am not aware of any potential problems with GPS from this, as we just added a leap second in 2005 and that was when a few of these problems surfaced. Prior to 2005, there hadn't been a second added since 1998.

Trimble aquires Tru Count and Rawson Control systems

2008-12-10T09:36:00.003-06:00

Over the past month, Trimble Navigation has aquired both Tru Count of Ames, IA, and Rawson Control Systems of Olewein, IA. Both of these companies will fall in the Ag Division of Trimble. This appears to be good for everyone involved from my standpoint, as both Tru Count and Rawson make very good products, but had limited budgets for expansion as they were small start up companies. Trimble has posed itself to offer a complete planter solution now, as they already have relationship with Dickey John for population monitoring. HTS is already a dealer for all three products, so our offerings won't change. My hopes on this is that the product becomes more available as Trimble can stock a bit more inventory as they have a bigger budget.
Tru Count news release can be found here: http://www.trimble.com/news/release.aspx?id=103108a

Rawson news release can be found here: http://www.trimble.com/news/release.aspx?id=120408a

Interesting article

2008-11-18T08:45:00.000-06:00

I stumbled across this article and thought it was interesting...

Shuttle launch Will be Center Stage at UND open house Friday

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is scheduled to launch Space Shuttle Endeavour---STS-126---Friday at 6:55 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Shuttle will be carrying the UND-designed and -built Agricultural Camera (AgCam) for delivery to the International Space Station. AgCam is a high-tech specialty camera designed, built, and delivered to NASA by a team of UND students and faculty from several departments, including UMAC, Space Studies, and the School of Engineering and Mines. This is Shuttle mission number STS-126. This will be the third UND-connected space mission this year. (See AgCam background below. Web link: http://www.umac.org/agcam AgCam background and missionAgCam-designed and crafted to exacting NASA space flight standards by students from several UND departments, including space studies, engineering, and earth system science-will capture on-demand images of land and other topographic features across the upper Midwest. These images will be used as a decision support system resource by farmers, ranchers, tribal resource managers, and researchers. Among many other uses, AgCam multispectral images can be used to analyze crops, forest resources, and other plants. Educators also will have access to these images for in-classroom use as part of environmental, geography, and related curricula. The Agricultural Camera (AgCam) will take frequent images, in visible and infrared light, of vegetated areas on the Earth, principally of growing crops, rangeland, grasslands, forests, and wetlands in the northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions of the United States. Images will be delivered within two days directly to requesting farmers, ranchers, foresters, natural resource managers and tribal officials to help improve their environmental stewardship of the land for which they are responsible. Images will also be shared with educators for classroom use. The Agricultural Camera was built and will be operated primarily by UND students and faculty. AgCam has been in the making since 2001. When the multispectral camera is installed aboard the International Space Station, it will relay high resolution images of Earth in near-real time for use in agricultural and geological applications at the request of farmers, ranchers, foresters, natural resource managers, and tribal officials in the Upper Midwest Region. The student-run UND Science Operations Center (SOC) has been set up and will become operational in the coming months. From there, students will send commands to AgCam aboard the International Space Station to take photos and then process and deliver the images taken from space.
The AgCam system will be operated from the UND Science Operations Center (SOC) in Clifford Hall (part of the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences complex).

Ag Leader Announces new Display

2008-11-12T16:16:00.003-06:00

In case you haven't already heard, Ag Leader announced the Edge display, replacing the long running PF series monitors. This new monitor uses the same CAN BUS technology as the Insight, and even uses the same wiring harnesses to allow for these two to be interchangeable. The Edge is a smaller version of the Insight, with some limited functionality, but also at a lower price point, allowing for a lower initial investment and still offering the ability to upgrade without changing harnesses later if you desire.

This is a great point to enter the market for someone starting with nothing. Feel free to post comments or questions about this display - I would like to get a conversation started about it.

IaRTN Network Update

2008-11-06T08:12:00.003-06:00

Below is an update from the Iowa DOT...

As of the end of October, 79 of the 80 continually operating reference stations have been installed. The last station will be located on the Iowa DOT's new maintenance facility in Fairfield. This facility is under construction and the reference station installation will occur once the building is finished. We expect the installation of this station will be completed in December of this year.

Presently, we are working on resolving network communications & software issues for a handful of the installed reference stations. Over the next couple months, we will be collecting GPS data from each of the reference stations, processing that data and refining the position of each station, and field testing of the network.

While these efforts are underway, we will also be working with our network vender to develop the online registration application, the procedures for use of the network, and the user training curriculum. We will update you on the IaRTN network registration process and the training plans as this information becomes available.

There is still much work to be completed which could affect the opening of the network
to the public. At this time, we anticipate the network will be available for use by the public on Monday, February 2, 2009.

We will keep you updated to any changes in the progress of the opening of the network.

Where did I plant that hybrid?

2008-11-04T15:42:00.003-06:00

One of the pain areas that has come up during this harvest season is the moisture of the corn crop. A few of the hybrids out there have dried down pretty well, but the vast majority of the corn in the field is still pretty wet. If you have an Insight that you planted with in your combine, this process is extremely simple. The Insight has a feature that allows you to use Variety Tracking, and if using that, you can also opt to use automatic region changing. In other words, this system will automatically change regions ( or loads) on the display to show the information for each hybrid, including yield and moisture. You also would have a color background map to show where in the field you planted a specific hybrid or variety. This has helped out in my operation as i quickly knew which hybrid to put on the semi headed to town and which one needed to go in the bin for some drying. One more way technology has paid off by saving in drying costs at the elevator.

Harvest, Markets, and Rain

2008-10-22T09:26:00.009-05:00

I heard a report yesterday from the USDA that soybean harvest was 67% complete, but corn harvest was well behind normal. To me, that means soybean harvest is also behind as there is still 1/3 of the crop to be harvested. Anyone that has looked out their window knows today that not many soybeans are getting harvested for the next several days. All this adds up to look somewhat bullish on the markets, but quite the opposite is happening today in Chicago. This doesn't make much sense to me, but that is why I am a technology expert and not a market expert. I attached another picture here of what the EZ Steer looks like while cutting soybeans. At least this gives a glimmer of drier days...

On a side note, I got my weather station hooked up before the rain started, so anyone wanting to know the current weather conditions in Neola, IA can view my station here:
http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=KIANEOLA1

New way to cut beans

2008-10-11T15:47:00.001-05:00

Here are some skipped passes using the EZ Steer on the combine.

Auto-Steer on a Combine?

2008-10-07T15:35:00.003-05:00

Yes, I did it. I know this may sound a bit extreme, but I took the plunge and put an EZ Steer on my combine for cutting soybeans. I wasn't extremely happy with the results at first, but I also think my expectations are quite high after running an autopilot on my tractor for planting. Anyhow, I first ran the unit on WAAS, and although it did quite well, I wasn't quite satisfied with the performance, so I set up the unit for OmniSTAR XP. I was amazed with the unit after this! Don't get me wrong, the unit did work quite well on WAAS. It allowed me to pay closer attention to the crop as it was coming in the head, as well as keep a closer eye on the quality of grain sample in the tank and other functions of the machine. The problem is that my expectations were to keep the platform completely full and not miss a single stalk of beans, while running on contours and hills. I could get one or the other with WAAS, but was finally able to get both with OmniSTAR. This also increased the accuracy of my Autoswath on my Insight by having a more accurate GPS signal.
The one thing that sold me completely on the unit was the rounded off 90 degree corner I made with the combine the first pass through the field, it followed perfectly the second round when making end rows. Technology has come a long way!

Combines are rolling!

2008-09-30T12:18:00.003-05:00

Well, here we are at the end of September and the combines are just getting rolling. What a strange year for weather! Since we are finally getting to the field, I thought I would take a moment to remind everyone of some tips and calibration hints to get the best data possible out of your yield monitor.

Make sure you have the right grain type set for the field you are harvesting. Over and over again I see people harvesting soybeans and their monitor is set to corn. This data can't be saved.
Check to see the monitor is giving you "believeable" readings. Things as simple as incorrect ground speed or too many or too few acres counting are signs of a real problem that needs fixed.
Calibrate in this order: Temperature, Moisture, Weight.
When calibrating moisture, make a new load and calibrate from a small load. This will allow for less averaging and get you better results.
Weight calibrations should not be done with truck loads of grain. Follow these rules: All loads should be around 3000 lbs, each load should be a consistant speed for the whole load, but each load should be a different speed (or flow rate). Run one load at the slowest speed your machine will ever run, then run one at the fastest speed that your machine will run. Finally stagger two more loads between these two extremes, and you will have your 4 calibration loads to get great results.
Calibrations need to be done for each grain type.
Calibrations should be completed each year, even if the monitor was accurate last year.

Follow these guidelines, and you will have one of the best calibrations you have ever seen on your monitor, not to mention avoid frustrations of finding out a problem after it is too late to correct.

SeedCommand payback increasing???

2008-08-21T16:03:00.002-05:00

I just got back from a seed technology day, and heard rumblings of seed corn costing $300+ per bag for 2009. They had a good explaination for this, as the technology is becoming better and better, keeping us from needing to spray for certain insects, etc., but it made me think right away about how much additional money the SeedCommand system on my planter is going to save me next year! HTS now has over 150 planters running with this technology, and I have heard over and over again, 7% savings on average. I have heard the range from 5% to 15%.
That being said, lets do some math: Assuming a 2000 acre farmer plants half his acres to corn, that would be over $100,000 in seed just for the corn. That means that by saving 7% you would save $7,000 per year just on corn seed. This doesn't even count the increase in yield we have seen by not overplanting the end rows. To me, this is a no brainer. This is technology we can't afford to farm without.

Iowa RTN Network

2008-08-04T10:47:00.003-05:00

From the Iowa DOT website...

"The Iowa Department of Transportation is in the process of implementing a statewide, high-precision gobal positioning system (GPS) referencing network. The goal is to provide a system that will improve the efficiency and accuracy for all GPS users and meet or exceed the Iowa DOT’s requirements relating to accuracy, precision, reliability, and scalability. Any authorized user, whether from the private or public sector, using a late-model, survey-grade, single - or dual-frequency rover equipped with a cellular modem or data-capable cell phone will receive near-instantaneous GPS satellite corrections anywhere in Iowa. "

What does this mean to the rest of us? Well, this network is supposed to be operational by December 1st and we really won't know a whole lot more until then. I will be one of the first to do testing on this network working with Trimble, so I should be able to get some good hands on information. This network isn't going to be broadcasting anything from the actual location, but rather the correction information will be put on an IP address on the internet, so we can use cell modems to get the information from the internet to the GPS receiver on our equipment. One other option is called rebroadcasting, which entails hooking a radio to the internet with a high speed connection and broadcasting this correction information to another radio hooked to the GPS receiver.

This has been a pretty hot topic of conversation, so feel free to post questions here as there are several others that may have the same questions, and I will do my best to answer them. Below is a picture of the intended locations for the network.

What did I plant there?

2008-06-11T10:39:00.002-05:00

With our recent non stop supply of rain, I have spent quite a bit of time working with people on their data in SMS, as well as my own data.

For those of you that don't know, SMS stands for Spatial Management System and is the mapping software that is written by Ag Leader Technology.

The biggest misconception of this software package is that it can only be used to read data from Ag Leader monitors. The reality of it is that it can read nearly every file type in the industry. Probably something like 99% of the files available in precision ag can be read by SMS.

Anyhow, SMS is the software package that I am using for data analysis, and that is one of the things that is good to do on a rainy day like today.

In the data logged by our planters, I can see exactly where each hybrid was planted, the date it was planted, how many acres there are, when I started, and when I stopped. Most of you probably knew this.

Because we are running the population monitoring on our planters, I can also see the population of each field in this logged data. Now the question is what does it do for me?

The obvious things are being able to overlay yield data and see yield by hybrid, but since we also know the population, we can now take that into account. We also logged the speed of the planter, so we can compare yield by planting speed. That gets pretty interesting for guys that like to get in a hurry with their planters.

The bottom line is, there is endless opportunities to analyze the data that is logged, and it can provide insight to your farming operation when you do. Feel free to post questions you may have about ways to analyze data.

Technology Buzz

2008-06-02T11:27:00.002-05:00

I just finished thumbing through the lastest issue of Successful Farming, and I was somewhat shocked at the number of articles this month about technology. Two different stories featured farmers talking about how technology has made an impact in their operations, (both of which are customers of HTS) as well as an article about the ISO standards, another quoting university of Purdue research about auto steer systems, etc. The list goes on and on.

It seems to me that technology is here to stay, and the ones running efficiently are utilizing technology everywhere they can. My job in this mix is to try and help people understand the technology they are investing in. There is nothing worse for me then talking to a customer that spent thousands of dollars on technology with someone else, only to find out it doesn't do what they thought it would, and they can't even upgrade it to something that will.

I'm not saying I have all the answers, or a crystal ball to see the future, but being focused on only precision ag it definitely helps me to keep people from making costly mistakes in technology purchases. Feel free to post comments to this post with questions you may have about technology. If I don't know the answer, I'll do my best to find someone that does!

Bonus for blog readers

2008-05-20T09:21:00.002-05:00

I thought I would lay out a bonus for anyone that reads this blog and purchased equipment from HTS. Call or e-mail us and we will send out a technician to ride along with you while you are in the field to help you better understand your system. This will be first come first served, and will be at no charge! Any non warranty repairs made while the technician is onsite will be billable though.

Questions Please!!!

2008-05-16T11:15:00.003-05:00

Thank you Steve, you led me right into the next post to this blog that I had in mind.

Steve posted comments about an eariler post I had made, and asked a question to me.

Please, use this as a way to ask questions or send me ideas of topics you would like discussed. Odds are if you have the question, so do several other people. I want to make this blog something interesting to you, instead of my random thoughts.

To answer your question Steve, I am all for saving on input costs and doing so using technology. As for specific agronomic advice, I am not the one to talk to. I'm not an agronomist, and won't claim to be one - I'm the technology guy.

Is this thing planting?

2008-05-12T09:51:00.003-05:00

Over the past few weeks as the planters started rolling, I have had several questions about when the planter starts and stops using the autoswath control from Ag Leader, so I thought I would explain how to adjust this.

The Ag Leader Insight uses look ahead settings. This is simply a time measurement so that we can trigger an event and allow for the time it takes the machine to react. There are two different settings here - turn on look ahead and turn off look ahead. This is because it takes less time to turn the planter off than it does to turn it back on using the air clutches.

Here is the basics of it - we want the planter to start at point X, and we know that it mechanically takes about one second to turn on the planter for it to start planting, we need to send the signal one second before we get to point X. The same goes for turning off the planter.

These numbers on the Ag Leader system are set by default at 1.1 seconds for the turn on, and .4 seconds for the turn off. To adjust, move them only .1 seconds at a time, and make sure you dig to see where the seed is dropping. To make the planter start dropping seed sooner, increase the turn on look ahead. To make the planter stop dropping seed sooner, increase the turn off look ahead.

Strange Spring weather

2008-04-27T21:43:00.002-05:00

Well, on this damp evening, I am wondering if it will ever dry up enough this spring to be able to put in a crop here in southwest Iowa. As it does nearly every year, the weather will eventually cooperate, we just have to have some patience.

Many people have been talking this spring about buying a second planter and hiring someone to run it. For some, this also entails a second tractor as well as several other things required to have a complete second rig running.

My thoughts are that with an autopilot on a tractor, it can run overnight just as effectively as it can in the daylight. So, money can be much better spent on technology when in a pinch instead of a second planter that you may not need for many years to come. The autopilot will increase efficiency in several ways, and it will also be a powerful tool that can be used for many other things in a farming operation.

How do I hook up my GPS???

2008-04-19T09:04:00.002-05:00

I have heard this question quite a bit recently, so I thought I would make a post about it. To completely answer this question would be a very long post, so I will target specifically to those with Ag Leader equipment as that is the largest percentage of my readers according to my poll.

Ag Leader uses a non-standard 9 pin connection. This means that unless you get an Ag Leader GPS, you will need an adapter cable, or more commonly called a null modem cable (PN 2000819).
The reason for this is because Ag Leader powers their own GPS units through the same 9 pin connector, so to hook up another brand of GPS it would send 12 volts of power to the unit possibly causing damage to it.

So the bottom line is, if you are using an Ag Leader monitor and Ag Leader GPS that does not have a seperate power cable, no adapter cables should be necessary - they should plug right together. If you are using a lightbar (even the ones that Ag Leader sells) or third party GPS, these are already powered on their own and do not need power from the monitor. This is where you will use the null modem cable.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

2008-04-03T19:59:00.003-05:00

In the middle of this rainy evening, I was reading the latest issue of Progressive Farmer and found an article to be quite interesting. It was titled "No Quick Fix to Fertilizer Prices".

I'm not going to get very deep into the article, as the title basically sums up the point I want to make.

As almost all input prices soar, we need to look to technology as a tool to help save some money. Automatic shutoffs have made a huge splash in the marketplace, from planters to sprayers to fertilizer applicators including NH3 and dry spreaders, not to mention strip till applications.

The concept here is simple - reduce overlap of product being applied by using GPS position to accurately turn on and shut off sections of large equipment instead of trying to do it all with one shutoff.

This alone can add up to huge savings. Hands down, this is the fastest return on investment most people have seen so far in precision ag. But why does it have to stop there?

Prior to this technology many people have used precision ag for variable rate fertilizer or lime, and in fields with changing landscape or soils this also adds up to big savings.

Here is something simple that many haven't thought of. For those of you spreading variable rate dry fertilizer, you can quickly squeeze a few more dollars out of each acre.

Often there is some nitrogen credit from the dry fertilizer being spread, and by using simple math we can cut back the amount of NH3 or other nitrogen source being applied by allowing for a credit in areas where higher rates of the dry fertilizer were spread.

I ran the numbers on this for a couple of fields, and this simple math averaged out to about $10 per acre saved in nitrogen. This only took a few minutes to create the prescription maps, and can be done with precision ag equipment that many already have.

Lets Get Started!

2008-03-28T20:38:00.000-05:00

Let me start by telling you a bit about myself. I have worked in the precision ag industry for nearly 8 years now as a combination of a technical support technician for Ag Leader Technology, and also as a precision ag consultant for Heartland Technology Solutions, or HTS for short. That is where I currently work, in addition to farming with my uncle in southwest Iowa using a wide variety of precision ag equipment in our operation.

HTS is one of the largest Ag Leader Master Service Dealers in the United States, and we are also a Trimble reseller, and one of the largest Garmin distributers to the Ag industry. We also offer GPS solutions for nearly every type of combine sold in the US today.

So what is Precision Ag? That's a good question.
Wikipedia explains it as follows:

Precision farming or precision agriculture is an agricultural concept relying on the existence of in-field variability. It's about doing the right thing, in the right place, in the right way, at the right time. It requires the use of new technologies, such as global positioning (GPS), sensors, satellites or aerial images, and information management tools (GIS) to assess and understand variations. Collected information may be used to more precisely evaluate optimum sowing density, estimate fertilizers and other inputs needs, and to more accurately predict crop yields. It seeks to avoid applying inflexible practices to a crop, regardless of local soil/climate conditions, and may help to better assess local situations of disease or lodging.