New products explained - INTEGRA

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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?

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Game Changer

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

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?

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

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.