Advice needed

[Sambo]

Evening all, at work, we are looking for an accurate guidance, rtk or close, as we are drilling our own maize with a 3m powerharrow with a mounted maize drill. The tractors aren't guidance ready but a new one in the future will be so will be following a lightbar for now. We already have a trimble ez250, can we get the required accuracy with upgrades, or do we need another system? Would we need a base station? Openag sounds the best from reading the threads. Is it possible to buy a ready to use setup as I'll probably struggle with the building of it?

 

[Flatlander]

it’s possible to get the ezsteer 250 unlocked to rtk but if it’s only to drill maize a set of markers would be a cheap option.

 

[hollister]

Evening all, at work, we are looking for an accurate guidance, rtk or close, as we are drilling our own maize with a 3m powerharrow with a mounted maize drill. The tractors aren't guidance ready but a new one in the future will be so will be following a lightbar for now. We already have a trimble ez250, can we get the required accuracy with upgrades, or do we need another system? Would we need a base station? Openag sounds the best from reading the threads. Is it possible to buy a ready to use setup as I'll probably struggle with the building of it?

Speak to @Andy26 regarding the agopen.

 

[Sambo]

it’s possible to get the ezsteer 250 unlocked to rtk but if it’s only to drill maize a set of markers would be a cheap option.

Very valid point, if I'm doing the steering what's the difference between following a line on a screen or in the soil.

 

[The Observer]

Very valid point, if I'm doing the steering what's the difference between following a line on a screen or in the soil.

I think it's pretty much accepted that nobody can drive to RTK accuracy using a lightbar so even with an upgraded system and subscription fee you wont be anymore accurate than your current ez guide 250 on egnos, upgraded accuracy is only achievable through the tractor steering itself.

 

[clbarclay]

Very valid point, if I'm doing the steering what's the difference between following a line on a screen or in the soil.

If you have got a clear line in the soil then that is probably easier to follow accurately than a light bar or line on the screen. Lightbars came into there own when you hadn't got a clear line on the ground to follow.

 

[Flatlander]

I think it's pretty much accepted that nobody can drive to RTK accuracy using a lightbar so even with an upgraded system and subscription fee you wont be anymore accurate than your current ez guide 250 on egnos, upgraded accuracy is only achievable through the tractor steering itself.

Ezsteer on a waas signal will give you pretty good results. If it’s forage maize and the rows don’t match up perfect does it really matter. Most choppers are on a kemper type gathering design and not row dependant. Bought my first light bar in 2003 and after spraying with it for a few days all I could see when I closed my eyes to sleep was those f ing lights. Messes with your eyes focusing on the light bar then looking over it to see what’s ahead then behind to see what you’ve run over.

 

[Andy26]

Ezsteer on a waas signal will give you pretty good results. If it’s forage maize and the rows don’t match up perfect does it really matter. Most choppers are on a kemper type gathering design and not row dependant. Bought my first light bar in 2003 and after spraying with it for a few days all I could see when I closed my eyes to sleep was those f ing lights. Messes with your eyes focusing on the light bar then looking over it to see what’s ahead then behind to see what you’ve run over.

When I used a lightbar, I would use it to get on line at the start of the run, then help me pick out an object at the end of the field and focus on the object be it fence post or tree etc.

Then look at lightbar to see if I need to adjust and change object to aim at.

Looking at the lightbar constantly I found impossible to drive really straight and required constant concentration, which soon tires you.

 

[Andy26]

Evening all, at work, we are looking for an accurate guidance, rtk or close, as we are drilling our own maize with a 3m powerharrow with a mounted maize drill. The tractors aren't guidance ready but a new one in the future will be so will be following a lightbar for now. We already have a trimble ez250, can we get the required accuracy with upgrades, or do we need another system? Would we need a base station? Openag sounds the best from reading the threads. Is it possible to buy a ready to use setup as I'll probably struggle with the building of it?

As said for RTK drilling you will need autosteer.

What tractor would you fit it on?

For AgOpenGPS hardest part is fitting a wheel angle sensor, if you can sort that the rest is easy.

Yes you can get a ready made PCB, just need a Windows tablet and some wiring.

To steer the tractor can use:

• 3D printed cogs and electric motor circa £150- needs a mount making to hold the motor on the steering column
• Hydraulic valve 'Baraki valve' about £650 plus some hydraulic hoses, probably the neatest and best way, I've done a Power Beyond install, super easy
• Electric steering wheel 'Keya motor' £5-600, you remove your original steering wheel, fit the electric motor and new steering wheel, just need to attach an anti-rotation bracket tot he steering column to stop the motor turning.
• Or a DIY made foam wheel and electric motor

You don't need a basestation, most people start off using the closest one on RTK2Go and then put their own up as having control and faith its been surveyed in correctly is important.

 

[Sambo]

As said for RTK drilling you will need autosteer.

What tractor would you fit it on?

For AgOpenGPS hardest part is fitting a wheel angle sensor, if you can sort that the rest is easy.

Yes you can get a ready made PCB, just need a Windows tablet and some wiring.

To steer the tractor can use:

• 3D printed cogs and electric motor circa £150- needs a mount making to hold the motor on the steering column
• Hydraulic valve 'Baraki valve' about £650 plus some hydraulic hoses, probably the neatest and best way, I've done a Power Beyond install, super easy
• Electric steering wheel 'Keya motor' £5-600, you remove your original steering wheel, fit the electric motor and new steering wheel, just need to attach an anti-rotation bracket tot he steering column to stop the motor turning.
• Or a DIY made foam wheel and electric motor

You don't need a basestation, most people start off using the closest one on RTK2Go and then put their own up as having control and faith its been surveyed in correctly is important.

Thanks for the reply. It will be going onto a mf 7718s. With what has been said previously i ll be drilling with marker arms for this spring time as we won't have the time to set it up really before I'll need it. We will get one set up, with a steering valve, and running in the summer I think for grass seeding as I'll have more time to do it. No doubt I'll be back for advice and pointers soon enough. So there's no need for a base station then? How does it cope with side ways slopes as we have afew on the farm? Also does the system work with a pivot steer machine? Thanks again.

 

[Andy26]

Thanks for the reply. It will be going onto a mf 7718s. With what has been said previously i ll be drilling with marker arms for this spring time as we won't have the time to set it up really before I'll need it. We will get one set up, with a steering valve, and running in the summer I think for grass seeding as I'll have more time to do it. No doubt I'll be back for advice and pointers soon enough. So there's no need for a base station then? How does it cope with side ways slopes as we have afew on the farm? Also does the system work with a pivot steer machine? Thanks again.

Sounds sensible, can do the install in stages:

1. Tablet, PCB and antennae
2. Wheel angle sensor
3. Switches (isolation, work switch to turn coverage on/off and steer switch)
4. Valve install

So you can use with no RTK, if for exampling cultivating, fert spreading on grassland, pass to pass accuracy will be 20cm ish.

Or there maybe a RTK base station you can use for free close enough, ideally within 30km as the crow flies, but will still be useful upto 60km away, here are the current ones:

To cope with side slopes there is an IMU that measures tilt angle, direction of travel etc., this is mounted on the PCB.

Pivot steer, yes, you'd mount the wheel angle sensor on the pivot to measure angle.

 

[Sambo]

Sounds sensible, can do the install in stages:

1. Tablet, PCB and antennae
2. Wheel angle sensor
3. Switches (isolation, work switch to turn coverage on/off and steer switch)
4. Valve install

So you can use with no RTK, if for exampling cultivating, fert spreading on grassland, pass to pass accuracy will be 20cm ish.

Or there maybe a RTK base station you can use for free close enough, ideally within 30km as the crow flies, but will still be useful upto 60km away, here are the current ones:

To cope with side slopes there is an IMU that measures tilt angle, direction of travel etc., this is mounted on the PCB.

Pivot steer, yes, you'd mount the wheel angle sensor on the pivot to measure angle.

Doing parts at a time will help me get my head around it all as electrical engineering isn't my strong point. We already have a ez 250 so looking to go the next step mainly for drilling and mowing. We're in-between derby and stoke which looks abit of a dead spot fir rtk. What's the cost involved with doing a base station? Any official signing off?

 

[e3120]

Thanks for the reply. It will be going onto a mf 7718s. With what has been said previously i ll be drilling with marker arms for this spring time as we won't have the time to set it up really before I'll need it. We will get one set up, with a steering valve, and running in the summer I think for grass seeding as I'll have more time to do it. No doubt I'll be back for advice and pointers soon enough. So there's no need for a base station then? How does it cope with side ways slopes as we have afew on the farm? Also does the system work with a pivot steer machine? Thanks again.

Does your MF have quicksteer? That's enough for AOG to use through canbus.

 

[andyinv]

Doing parts at a time will help me get my head around it all as electrical engineering isn't my strong point. We already have a ez 250 so looking to go the next step mainly for drilling and mowing. We're in-between derby and stoke which looks abit of a dead spot fir rtk. What's the cost involved with doing a base station? Any official signing off?

About 300 quid for a base station, and no signing off. Check the link in my signature.

 

[steveR]

If you have got a clear line in the soil then that is probably easier to follow accurately than a light bar or line on the screen. Lightbars came into there own when you hadn't got a clear line on the ground to follow.

Yep. Top dressing grassland was about the limit IME...

 

[Flatlander]

Thanks for the reply. It will be going onto a mf 7718s. With what has been said previously i ll be drilling with marker arms for this spring time as we won't have the time to set it up really before I'll need it. We will get one set up, with a steering valve, and running in the summer I think for grass seeding as I'll have more time to do it. No doubt I'll be back for advice and pointers soon enough. So there's no need for a base station then? How does it cope with side ways slopes as we have afew on the farm? Also does the system work with a pivot steer machine? Thanks again.

Mounted on a pivot steer tractor I found rather than mounting on the cab roof it was far better mounted on the front as far forward as possible. And the slopes should be compensated by the gyro in the t2 if ezsteer

 

[ERH Services Ltd]

If you would like a ready to go system we sell the CHCNAV NX510se and its been amazing.
We have had other ready made systems in the past and found them to be okay but threw up lots of niggly problems with them working fine one day and then not the next..

There are lots of customers using it and all would be happy to give a non biased opinion of the kit.

If you have any questions then please don't hesitate to give me a call 07810 860503

Kind regards,

Elliot

www.erhservices.co.uk

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